Longhorn in Paradise

I'm Back

2009-10-29T00:52:00.000-07:00

Yes...now that I am quite certain that noone is checking in on this blog anymore, I can actually write in peace! Its nice to have a place that I can just come and share my thoughts with myself and not worry about any pervs peeping in on my deepest, darkest thoughts. mmm hmmm. That's what I'm talking about.

So, it has been a year since I last posted...almost to the day...you think that is a coincidence? I don't. It is 2:54am in Houston and I am still awake. I can't sleep...you want to know why I can't sleep? No? Ok. forget it then. I didn't want to tell you anyway. So there.

So, I have been fighting my need to not sleep by listening to some of my favorite music...unfortunately, all my favorite music reminds me of Cali and thinking of Cali makes me think of Blakely Place and thinking of Blakely Place makes me think of the Browns and thinking of the Browns makes me VERY homesick. :-( Homesick? you say...Cali is not really your home...you were born in Michigan, lived there for 10 years....moved to Texas and lived there for 20 some years and only lived in Cali for a couple years....how in the world could you be homesick about a place that only occupied a couple years of your life??? Well, that is a stupid ass question if you ask me....Haven't you ever heard the saying "home is where the heart is"? Well, my heart is in Los Angeles, CA...specifically in the SCV. So much shit going on in my life right now that would be made much better if I could walk down the street to Greg's garage, grab a cold natty, pick up my sticks and just jam...shoot the shit...throw darts...watch Rolling Stones videos...chip golf balls...whatever. That is the shit that keeps you sane. Keeps you on the up and up. Prevents you from staying up until 3am listening to Neko Case and The Cure and Semisonic...ALL a big mistake...Neko Case, of course, reminds me of the Browns...Semisonic sings the song California that makes me miss home that much more...and listening to the Cure sing Disintegration is just something I do when I am freakin' depressed...yikes!! Well, quite a few things to be depressed about these days...work is challenging...My marriage is on life support...I miss my kids every day I am on the road....and there is no end in sight to the travelling gig. So, gots to keep on keepin on. I'm seriously considering playing the lottery on a weekly basis...sounds reasonable, right? Anything to change my life for the better.

On a positive note, I have finally come to an end in my spiritual journey and have accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. It has been an amazing experience as He has blessed me time and time again over the past few months. For that I am grateful...and He is certainly a rock in these low times for me...So many people came into my life in the past 12 months that led me to Jesus and I am so thankful for all of them. I'm doing my best to live my life in the way I think He would want me to...I trust that he is guiding me and giving me strength. I hope that is enough. Wow...that is really taking the "positive note" down a few octaves, eh? :-) Sorry.

Well, so nice to be back...glad noone is here to listen to my ramblings...it allows me to be even ramblier...which is truly how I roll.

OK...will listen to disintegration one more time...now that I know that I'm breaking to pieces...I'll pull out my heart and I'll feed it to anyone...crying for sympathy, crocodiles cry for the love of the crowd and, three cheers from everyone...dropping through sky through the glass of the roof through the roof of your mouth, through the mouth of your eye, through the eye of the needle, its easier for me to get closer to heaven then ever feel whole again......

Much love to all!

jak

Saturdays in the Fall

2008-10-24T08:18:00.001-07:00

Kat chillin' in the RV the night before the RV game. Yes, we spent the night there two straight nights...what a trooper!

Hagen caught with his hand in the cookie jar at our tailgate for the Mizzou game

Liska and Kat flashing their pearly whites at the Texas Exes center during halftime of the game

Hagen showing off his hookem horns during the Arkansas game

hello all! sorry I haven't written much lately, but our fall schedule has been quite hectic. As many of you know, I started a new project in Toronto on October 6. I will be heading up there on a weekly basis through the end of January. I am told that these are the warmest months to be in Canada, so am happy about that. :-) It actually snowed there on Wednesday. Can't imagine what December and January are going to bring.

Anywho, since it is college football season, we have also been doing quite a bit of traveling on the weekends...so, to give you an idea of what that means, let me tell you about last weekend's schedule.

Thursday, 9pm -- arrive home from Toronto

Friday, 1am -- finally get to sleep after getting packed and ready for trip to Austin

Friday 6am -- get kids up and loaded into car...load up bags and cooler and start 8 hour car trip down to Austin.

Friday 3pm -- arrive in Austin and tour around campus with friends and buy some new Longhorn gear for kids

Saturday 11am -- start tailgate

Saturday 7pm -- game starts and UT promptly kicks Mizzous ass

Saturday midnight -- arrive back to my mom's house

Sunday 4am -- wake up to start packing up the car for departure

Sunday 5:30am -- leave mom's house and head north to Oklahoma with sleeping kids

Sunday 1:30pm -- arrive in Tulsa and crash for a quick nap

Sunday 3:30pm -- head to airport for flight to Toronto

Sunday 11pm -- arrive in Toronto

SO, while not the most typical weekend, it is pretty close. We usually get a couple hours of extra sleep on Sundays because i don't normally leave until Monday morning for my trips. But, it is hectic.

What was the point of telling you all that? I think it started out as an excuse for why I haven't blogged more often. But, maybe, just maybe, it will give those of you starving for a peek into my world, a little satisfaction. :-)

So, games have been a blast...Liska and Hagen attended their first football game together and they had a blast. As you can tell from the pics, they are enjoying themselves and becoming very adept at showing their horns. I've also thrown in some pics of the RV so you can see how we tailgate these days...it has been outstanding and we are all glad we finally made the investment.

Hope everyone is doing well...Enjoy the pics!

much love to all!

jak

"You're Chinese!"

2008-09-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

So, we were at Liska's parents last Monday having dinner. I was supposed to be in Chicago on business, but my trip there was cancelled last second on Sunday night...Liska had already called Kat's mom and made her dinner order for Monday, so here we are...having dinner with Kat's parents on Monday night.

Monday also happens to be the day at Liska's preschool where they have spanish class. Every Monday, Liska comes home and "teaches" Kat and I some new spanish words. This week, it was "Buenos dia, me llamo 'say your name'" So, we repeat after her and say our names and she has taught us spanish and she is happy...as are we.

SO, we get to Kat's parents and are having a great dinner and I say to Liska "did you teach goong goong and pau pau how to speak spanish yet?" Liska looks at me like I have three heads...I say it again "did you teach goong goong and pau pau spanish yet?" Now Liska laughs...thinks I am kidding and says it..."Daddy...you are teasing me." I convince her that I am not teasing her and why would she think so? "Daddy...I can't teach them spanish...they're Chinese!"

I say "Liska, so you are, you goofball!". She says "No I am not, I am English." I say "no, you are half welsh/finnish/irish/choctaw/scottish and half chinese." "No I am not...I am English!" with more gusto. I say "Your mommy is Chinese, which makes you half Chinese." "Mommy is not Chinese...you and mommy are English!"

aye de mi. We are going to have to work on this one and her lack of cultural awareness. She even changed her Wii from darker toned skin to pure white tonight. What the heck is she dealing with in her pre-school class that is causing this??? I knew it was going to be trouble coming to Oklahoma!

Anywho...it was funny when it happened, but kind of disturbing. Is there any room back in Cali?

Much love to all!

jak

Puff the Magic Hagen

2008-09-15T07:47:00.001-07:00

I don't think we have shared this video before...it is from Kat's dad's birthday in June. Hagen decides to get out ahead of the curve and beat Liska to the punch...very funny.

Enjoy!

Much love to all!

jak

Are you ready for some football??

2008-09-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

With the Hurricane looming over the state of Texas like a giant C. Montgomery Burns to Texas' Homer Simpson, the Texas Longhorn's game vs. their archrival (at least from the days of the Southwest Conference) was postponed until 9/27. Quite a bummer since the weather ended up being nice in Austin on Saturday, but it provided the Knights an opportunity to have our first football watching party of the young season.

See, on the rare occassions we are home during the college football season (we are normally in Austin, Dallas or (at least last year) in LA), we like to make Saturday an all day sporting event. With the first kick-off at 11am and the last whistle blowing at around midnight, there is plenty of action to keep even the novice football enthusiast on the edge of their respective seats.

So, as it was yesterday, we sent out the word that we would be on our patukisis all day watching the games, come one, come all and join us. It would turn out that we would have a series of guests showing up and staying for a grand total of 12 hours of football watching and friend hosting. 11am through 11pm baby. Now, THAT is what I call a good day (unlike the VERY relaxing sounding day of the Brown matriarchy)! Lots of beer drinking (later, Screwdriver drinking) and good food. Kat made her famous pulled pork sandwiches with her homemade bbq sauce. Tasty as always. She also made some white bean dip and guacamole for everyone to nosh on throughout the day. Tres magnifique!

For those of you not fortunate enough to join us, I will share some pics of the event. Some of these were taken by Liska and some by me...she is turning into quite the young shutter bug.

What a great shot! Kat and Liska chilling a bit before the guests started to arrive.

Liska and her good friend Savannah. Savannah's parents just bought a house close by and these two will be going to Kindergarten together next year! They are going to really be tough to handle. Or, as Chris Robinson would say, Hard to handle.

Our fellow Cali-transplants, the Tindilliers. Grace was Hagen's teacher last year. Chris is a big USC fan (as an alum). He appears to be glowing from the domination of his team vs. OSU.

Kat and Grace. They've been mistaken as sisters before. Here they are showing that sisterly love.

I hope everyone out there had themselves a fine weekend. For my fans in Houston, I hope you are staying high and dry. If your power is not back on, you are welcome to come about 500 miles inland to Tulsa where we have power and are expecting a week of perfect weather. I found out today that I do NOT have to go to Chicago this week, so I will be Mr. Mom this week. :-)

Thanks to all for keeping this the number one blog in the key "knight family" demographic. I couldn't do it without you! Well, I could...but what fun would that be?

Much love to all! Have a great week!

jak

My Bill Lumberg

2008-09-10T05:41:00.000-07:00

Surely you have seen Office Space. That classic movie from the 90s that was shot in Dallas and followed the life of a typical cubicle farm desk jockey. Well, as a refresher, the boss in the movie was named Bill Lumberg. "Did ya get the memo about the TPS reports?" He was known for his failed attempts at being diplomatic as his tone belied the words that were coming out of his mouth. Quite humorous.

As you all know, I travel quite a bit. My job takes me on the road Monday through Thursday about 9 months out of the year. As Liska is getting older and smarter and starting to read and write, I thought I would start leaving her notes on Monday mornings so she could read them with her mommy. She loves notes. She is writing them all the time. "Dear Daddy, thank you for the big hug. I love you so much. Love (actually a heart) Liska" Very sweet and very impressive. So, I thought she would love to get them from me as well. More on that later.

In June, we bought a Wii for Kat's birthday. Neither one of us are big video game people, but her brother had brought one over one time and the kids loved it and it seemed to be something we could do as a family and it was a more active game (i.e. not sitting on your butt doing it). Well, Liska has turned into an amazing bowler on Wii. Her high score is 280. Quite remarkable. In addition to the real bowling game, there is a training game that is called Power Bowling, but Liska refers to as "Crazy Bowling". Basically, there are increasing number of pins that you try to knock down. First 10, then 16, then 24, etc etc. up to 91 pins. Its quite humorous to watch and play. When you get a strike, they put a checkmark up by the number of pins and the high score wins.

So, last weekend, Liska had her paper and markers out and was sitting on the stairs doing her thing and I walked over to her and she said "look daddy, how many check marks did I get?" I looked at the sheet and could not believe it...she had written down each of the pin counts in order and put check marks by the ones she had gotten strikes on before...but that wasn't the amazing part...next to it, she had written "craze bolen". I couldn't believe it! She had sat there and sounded out the words without asking us for any help! I mean, I don't know much about childhood progression with reading and writing, but this daddy was impressed as hell!! So, I of course told her that and she asked what impressed was and I told her it meant I was mad at her for misspelling two commonly used words and I told her to go to her room. Well, actually I told her I thought she did great with her spelling and I was very proud of her. She beamed with joy.

The following Monday, I wroter her a note telling her I was going to Chicago and was going to miss her and I told her again how proud I was and how brave she was for spelling words on her own without asking for help. Such great confidence. I put the note on the counter and left for the week. Her mother read her the note and reported back to me that Liska loved it and appreciated it.

Fast forward to this past Sunday evening. As I was tucking Liska in and talking to her about my week and how much I was going to miss her, I said "Would you like me to write you another note?" And her response was "Daddy, I write the best notes. Why don't you just let me write all the notes ok?" I couldn't help laughing as her sincerity was that of Bill Lumberg saying "Yeah...right...how about I write the notes from now on...mmmkay? Great" She is a hoot.

So, here are a couple pics from Labor Day weekend in Austin (first Longhorn game) and this past weekend. Hope you enjoy them. I know you are used to me not posting much, but get your asses back on track with reading this thing and commenting or you might just lose me again. :-)

what a good looking family!!

Hope everyone is doing well.

much love to all!

jak

Chillin on a Sunday

2008-09-07T13:32:00.001-07:00

Hello,

Got back to Tulsa yesterday after our short trip to Austin. I'm not saying it was nice to have a couple nights away from the kids with my wife, but my hair lost its gray, I lost 20 lbs and the lady at the airport said "I bet you two kids are newlyweds." When we informed her we had been married for 5 years she said "well, you obviously don't have kids yet". True story! We laughed and said we actually had two kids. Upon mention of this, my weight and gray returned instantaneously and the lady ran away screaming in spanish. Which was weird, because she was obviously japanese. Interesting.

So, back in Tulsa and spent the vast majority of Saturday watching college football and drinking beer and eating things that some of the so-called experts would label as "bad for you". Chips, queso, carrots. Those sorts of things. Good times. So happy that the college football season has started!

Lots of work to do today prior to my trip back to Chicago, but I got video of the kids this morning, so I thought I would share that witcha. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF4CgJlSYCo

Hope everyone is doing well.

Much love to all!

jak

Traveling Fool

2008-09-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Since some of you have actually been reading this blog over the past month, I thought I would go ahead and bless you with yet another ridiculously interesting, yet poignantly unsettling post.

I have gone from ZERO travel in July to going gangbusters since the beginning of August. Well, middle of August. First stop, Princeton, NJ. My first travel for work since before the Fourth of July. That means that I am actually getting paid these days! woohoo. Not that we were eating Ramen, but it is always nice to get back on the company teat. After 4 days in Princeton, I headed to Orlando, FL for my first MonaVie conference. It was mid-Hurricane Fay, so the weather was dark and dreary, but the conference was fan-diddly-astic and I learned a lot and came away more pumped than ever. After that, I was supposed to fly directly to Evansville, IN, but that got cancelled, so I headed home and got to spend the week with Kat and the kiddos.

Over Labor Day, we headed down to Austin...just for a little color commentary, we left Tulsa at 9:30am and arrived in Austin just after 6pm. You do the math. It was more fun than a barrell of monkeys...assuming the top of the barrell was left off. Because if you leave the top on a barrell of monkeys, they probably couldn't breathe so well. I mean, they are cramped in there already, so probably uncomfortable. And then, the lack of any clean air would push them over the top and they would probably start fighting and, I have to say, a barrell full of angry, bloodied monkeys is not something I would ever consider fun. Unless, of course, they were wearing silly hats and maybe silk jockey outfits. That's just me though. :-)

Where was I? Oh yes...we got to Austin on Thursday night and had the big unveiling of the new RV on Friday night. It really makes a huge difference in the whole tailgating experience. I mean, before we got it, we would just hang out and drink and eat and shoot the shit. Now, we can do all that AND we have a bathroom we can use. Don't tell me that is not worth the extra cashola for the RV, the gas, the parking spot, the insurance, etc. I mean, what price can you put on a comfortable bladder? Hmm? That's what I thought.

So, in Austin through Sunday night and then I hopped a plane for Chicago on Monday morning. Stayed there through Thursday and flew directly to Austin. So, that was a 2 1/2 hour flight. Which, surprisingly, was even more enjoyable than the 9 hour drive from Tulsa to Austin. Go figure.

Kat is spending the weekend with me in Austin for her good friend's wedding. Guy who played keyboard in a popular OK band back in the day. Cool guy. Big news is this...Kat left the kids with her parentals!! This is her maiden voyage into going kidless for more than a single evening!! She has been pretty calm about it and only called a couple times to make sure things were happening that needed to happen. Kids are doing great and so are the grandparents. And things in Austin....let's just say we have been making a lot of trips up the street for chips.

So, back to Chicago for the next three weeks and then, who knows. I will keep you updated. Now that I have people reading this thing and I don't give a damn how long I write, I might start doing this a lot more. You will just have to deal with it and spend half your day reading my ramblings. :-)

Much love to all! I am back!!

jak

Olympic Fever!

2008-08-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

have i told you how much my kids love to hit each other?

Some of you may find this extraordinary...how could such sweet kids ever do something as violent as hit each other...well, ok....they don't really hit each other. But, man, they threaten like crazy.

I call it jousting. Both of them stick their arms out in front of them and start making threatening sounds to each other...Hagen makes "monster" sounds and Liska gives a mean look and tells Hagen he is going to get it. They then run at each other and, because of Liska's reach, she tended to win all the time...but, Hagen has made the appropriate adjustment and dives to the ground at the last second to avoid the hit. So, noone really gets hurt, but you can see the blood lust in them both. Kind of scary...

Now, add olympic fever into the mix....they have both been exposed to olympic boxing and now are WAY into that..."lets box!" is followed by the two of them standing face to face and punching each other like rock em sock em robots and liska announcing the score "1 point for me!"..."100 points for me!" Hagen has a chance up to about 10 points as he knows what score could be higher than the one she announces, but after that, he is toast. Liska is undefeated.

I don't think they have seen Judo or Tae-Kwon-do yet, but Liska did do a flying kick on Hagen the other day which brought a tear to her daddy's eye. Very impressive! :-)

So, I am going to attempt to get back into the blog...I am buying an RV, so will talk about that process next time. Hope everyone is doing well!

much love to all!

jak

Long time, no post

2008-07-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

Blame it on Facebook! I was turned on to this social networking site by about 4 people in the same week and decided I needed to check it out. I had always thought it was for peeps much younger than I, but it turns out that Facebook is just one big HS Reunion on the internet! I have reconnected with a lot of high school people and have just connected with some of my former clients and co-workers. It is pretty cool. I have posted much more recent pics there than you see here.

SO, just wanted to let you know that what you all really want, pics of the kids, are on Facebook now. You can go there and add me as a friend and be able to view all the pics I have posted there. That is, if I accept your invitation. :-) I'll put some ramblings there too, but you can just bypass those and go straight to the pics, so probably much more palatable for many of you. haha

Hope everyon is doing well!

Much love to all!
jak

MonaVie!

2008-06-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

hello all! as some of you already know, I am no longer on the bench. I am doing some training work out in Cupertino, CA (just south of SF). Will probably last about a month and then back to the bench..I am sensing a slow summer. Next time you see me, I will have my dark, savage tan. :-)

To that end, I have kept my eyes open for business opportunities that would provide a little bit of a supplement to my income during these slow times. AND, I think I may have stumbled onto something that will do just that. MonaVie.

Now, some of you may have heard of this stuff (especially those of you in Cali), but I had never heard of it until a neighbor of mine introduced it to me. It is basically a super nutritious drink made up of 19 fruits from around the world including the Acai berry. Which, again, I had never heard of, but Kat had seen it discussed on Oprah and it has gotten a lot of press as it is full of antioxidants and phytonutrients, etc. It is from the Brazillian rain forest, so its got that going for it. Which is nice.

Anywho, my neighbor gave me a swig of this stuff and it tasted good so he gave me the bottle and asked me to try it for a week to see if I felt any differently. I drank another 2 oz that night and it had an amazing impact on my energy level. The next day at the gym, I felt like I could run on the treadmill for 2 hours! After going home and scouring the label for any sign of stimulants/hallucinogens (and finding none), I decided this was an amazing elixir and started taking my two daily shots. Now, it doesn't have any weight loss attributes, but it helped me run longer and harder and I have continued my weight loss program with vigor...in fact, I am down 20 lbs now. I've also gone from drinking 6-8 diet cokes/day to zero. Don't need the boost anymore.

Anyway, I am obviously sold on the product.

So, the financial supplement part comes in. MonaVie is distributed through network marketing...NOT a pyramid scheme (first question everyone asks). So, in addition to the health benefits, there is a wealth benefit. (catchy, eh?)

Long story, longer..after doing hours of research on the product and the opportunity and grilling my neighbor for two hours and doing google searches on "monavie scam", "monavie illegal", "monavie killed my mom" and "monavie screwed me" (and finding no negative pub), I decided to enroll as a distributor. I bought 3 cases to get started (one for my consumption and 2 for sharing) and will have 2 cases shipped to me every month (again, one for me and one for sharing). 4 bottles to a case and that will last one person for 4 weeks. I have no doubt that I will be successful with this and will make a ton of money.

So, there you have it. Bar the doors and lock up the kids. Jak is doing network marketing and each and every one of you can expect a call/email within the next couple weeks. Drinking the juice is a no-brainer and the business side just happens naturally...if you like it, you tell someone else about it and they want some. All of a sudden, you have a customer. I signed up my mom, sister, aunt and a former supplier (not drugs, but promotional items) :-)

In all honesty, I see this as a great opportunity for anyone who wants to make some great money and get healthy at the same time. There isn't a person who reads this that wouldn't kill this thing from day one. Especially you Greg. Geez. The stuff even mixes well with vodka and in margaritas. :-)

OK...I was reticent to turn this post into a sales pitch, but I am pretty passionate about this deal. I want everyone to profit from it. Just for some perspective, the people that sponsored me make about $500K/year doing this and they are freakin' normal people. The guy that sponsored them makes $2.5MM/year and he is a former sales person who is a bit over the top, but has a good head on his shoulders.

Here are a couple links if you want to do some research. Feel free to call me and ask any questions. Remember I am on the west coast for the next few weeks, so am probaby either on your time or it is earlier where I am.

www.brighart.com
www.buildthejuice.com
http://www.buildthejuice.com/other_resources/roush_monavie_presentation.ppt#256

Much love to all!

jak

HIDE! and The REAL Story

2008-06-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

hey there...still on the bench, but still lacking motivation to do this on a daily basis...see, I am getting exhausted from pretending to work. It takes hours of sitting at the computer watching old videos of Liska at the pool or Greg and I jamming in the garage on Blakely....speaking of which, I took down the drumming posts because I have now linked to my YouTube page on the left. So, if you want to see videos, you can go there any time. You can blow them up to full screen and everything...leave comments, etc. Much fun to be had by all.

So, I'm not sure where she got it, but Liska for the past few months has been yelling "HIDE!" to Hagen everytime Kat or I walk into a room where they have been playing. It is not like they are doing anything bad...at least as far as we can tell. Since there is really no place to hide in the playroom, they just bury their faces in their arms or start running around screaming. As a matter of fact, I think I have a video of it somewhere. :-) I'll have to find it and post it.

As many of you know, my good friend Greg had a bit of an accident on his worksite last month and was badly injured. So, badly it seems that he insisted that they freeze his entire body and awake him once medical science had determined a cure for his ailments. Even upon being told numerous times that there was already a "cure" for what ailed him, Greg insisted that it wasn't good enough. "Time...the cure is 'time'? If the only cure for broken ribs is time to heal, I'm not buying what you're selling. Freeze me up Han Solo style!" he was heard to say from just outside his ICU room. This was only one in a long line of bizzarre events that have defined Greg's time since his fall from Grace...Grace being the name they had given the scaffolding. Who knew that construction workers named their scaffolding?

First, even before saying the requisite "ouch", Greg was asking nearby workers if they had seen where his Natty Can had rolled off to. When the pain started to settle in, he did ask a nearby individual to contact 911, there was a communication issue that brought Greg much frustration as his chosen assistant did not seem to understand him. Once he realized the fruitlessness in asking a crow for help, he looked around for more "human" assistance.

Finally, within half an hour, the paramedics showed up. They had to cut his clothes off to assess his damaged body only to find out that Greg had made the decision to go commando that day. It was a Monday after all. Well, Commando down below...up top he was wearing a sports bra-type apparatus that we will heretofore refer to as a Bro or Mansierre. Fortunately, shock had set in and Greg was incapable of feeling embarrasment over his exposure to his workmates. I can't imagine they will ever bring it up once Greg is back in the saddle.

That leads us back to Greg's insistence on being frozen ala Walt Disney. Though adamant that it was the right thing to do, Greg finally relented when he learned that his insurance would not cover such a procedure. So, he opted to be put under for a couple days and negotiated a year supply of medicinal marijuana to help with the pain in lieu of the whole frozen in time option.

Through it all, Greg kept his faith strong...constantly thinking back to the time he spent in the merchant marines. You see, he jumped ship in the Himalayas and made some dough as a professional looper, ya know, a caddie. Well, one day, he ended up caddying for the Dalai Lama himself. Flowing robes, bald, stunning. Well, the Lama was not known as a good tipper, so at the end of the round, he stiffed Greg on his tip. So, Greg is like, "Hey! Lama...how's about a little something, ya know, for the effort?" The Lama says "Oh, there will be no money...but when you die, on your death bed, you will receive total consciousness." So, he knew he had that going for him. Which, as we all know, is nice.

I know some of you have been on the Brown's blog and heard a little bit sanitized version of the story, but we serve nothing but the truth here at Longhorn in Paradise. Read both versions and you tell me who ya gonna believe.

In all seriousness, a big welcome back to the outside world for Greg who was stuck in ICU for 8 days and in the hospital for a couple more after that. Could not have been fun. We are glad he is back with us and cannot wait to get out to California to see his new svelte self. Leave it to Greg to find a way to collect a check (disability) during a down economy and to lose 40 lbs in 10 days. Talk about a charmed life. ;-)

Much love to all!

jak

p.s. no Natty cans were hurt in the writing of this story
p.s.s. any investigators that come across this story, it is a work of fiction and should be treated as such.

Liska's Dance Recital

2008-06-06T15:27:00.001-07:00

third of three video posts today...Liska's Dance Recital at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center on May 18. She is the one that is not blonde. Y'all didn't realize we lived in the German part of town did you? Sheesh. Anyway, Liska had a blast and really took to the big stage. If you have seen the videos of her past recitals, she was much more engaged in this one. What a natural!!

I am going to try to do a video post next...so, hold on to your hats!

Much love to all!

jak

More fun with Tulsa Weather

2008-06-06T14:04:00.001-07:00

Here is some footage from our little Tornado Warning event last night. I am starting to enjoy filming this stuff...maybe I will join the Storm Chasers from our local news station! :-) Enjoy the fireworks and don't forget to listen for the Tornado Siren in the background toward the end. That is when we took cover under the stairs. Now, who wants to come visit us?? :-)

Much love to all!

jak

Fun in the Sun

2008-06-06T14:01:00.001-07:00

As in most parts of the country, June is considered the beginning of Summer here in Tulsa...the only difference is, "summer" does not equate to hot sunny days...it equates to tornadic thunderstorms nearly every day! Joy joy! I thought that my SoCal friends might enjoy a snapshot of what a typical rainstorm is here in Oklahoma. This is from Sunday of this week...I will post the one from last night post haste.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Much love (and dryness) to all!

jak

Liska aka Janis Joplin

2008-05-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the formatting troubles tonight...not sure what is going on with Blogger, but it is peesing me off.

Anyway, this is the third of three posts today, so go back and read the other two if you have not already...or read them again because they are really really boring. And I know how you like that.

As promised, here are some pics of Liska's earliest rock and roll moves. She has danced before, but I am not quite sure where in the world these came from...I wish I had video, but you will have to just be happy with the stills. Picture these in Rolling Stone or sumpin...Enjoy!

By the way, why am I just now finding out after 20 years that Chris is saying "all my friends are indians, all my friends are brown and red" ????

As I have mentioned in previous posts, my pops is coming down to Tulsa for the weekend...it should be tons of fun as we have both Cajun Fest and MayFest going on this weekend...lots of crawfish, live music and art shows mixed in with Liska's first dance recital and Hagen's second birthday celebration. woohoo!

I hope everyone is doing well!

Much love to all!

jak

Hagen's Birthday Revisited...

2008-05-14T11:07:00.001-07:00

Hagen about to dive into his Apple Cake...or maybe asking to blow out the candles one more time!

Hagen hamming it up for his sister...He is always making Liska laugh

Our little surfer boy...can't believe my hat fits him! What a HUGE head!!

The kiddos enjoying the new jupiter jump in the backyard.

Hagen's million dollar smile. At least that is the estimate of future costs for his extremely crooked teeth coupled with a reluctance to brush them. ;-)

So, the last time I posted on Hagen's birthday, I not only focused attention on Mother's day as well, I also led off with a pic of Liska...major disrespect for my little homey! But, now that the day is past, I can focus on what a cutie he was all day...

We went to breakfast and made the mistake of telling the manager that it was Hagen's birthday...she said "do you think he wants a cupcake?" We said "No, he is a 2 year old boy...what would he want with a cupcake?" Well, that is what we thought, but we said "sure"...so, she proceeded to bring it right out and he munched on icing and chocolate rather than eating his yummy, pre-paid breakfast...we were thrilled with that executive decision.

After that, we headed over to toys r us to get a jupiter jump. It is a mini version, but both kids (and probably two other little ones) can fit in it and have a great time. It wasn't his birthday present per se, but a good compromise on the $1000 play set that Kat wants to get them...and they loved it as you can tell from the pictures.

We then had a leisurely afternoon of yard work and then Kat's parents came over for a small party. Hagen got the famous Huang apple cake and had a GREAT time blowing out the candles. Each time after he blew out the candles, he said "one more time?" He ended up blowing out the candles three times...what a spoiled boy!

We are planning on having a little less small gathering when my dad comes in this weekend. I am going to do some grilling and we will have Kat's parents back over and have a good ol time. Wish you could be here!

Much love to all!

jak

ANTS!!

2008-05-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

This will be my first of three posts today...the next two are of Hagen's birthday pics and Liska's impersonation of Janis Joplin...a couple of must sees!!

First of all though, I was going to write to complain about all the freakin' bugs in this state...we were basically bug free (minus a couple black widow spiders) in Valencia, but now we are constantly inundated by ants and moths and spiders, etc etc etc. Well, this past week, we finally had it....

I woke up and was going to put Hagen into his booster chair and it was COVERED in ants! I thought, geez, what a sloppy kid! He makes such a mess, the ants come in here to dine on his droppings...and by droppings, I mean crumbs, not like, the other kind of droppings...that would be gross.

Then, I went into my office and my entire window sill was FILLED with ants!! And I am fastidiously clean...well, I don't spill nearly as much as Hagen. So, I thought, we have a problem...

THEN, I see that Liska is so comfortable around ants that she has started to name them and collect them...she is like some sort of ant charmer and picks them up and lets them crawl all over her hands and arms...geez louise! I definitely want her to be good with all living things, but that is a bit overboard.

So, my first thought in eradicating this lower life form was to kill off a majority of them with either a poisonous spray or my fancified plastic aardvark (aka the vacuum cleaner)...I started to do that and thought, wait a minute...I can't kill all these guys. I need to leave a few survivors so they can go back and tell their friends about the evil owners of this house...then, I thought, that is silly...they are not that sophisticated in their communication (not to mention their ability to comprehend the cause and effect of the situation)...so, then I thought, why don't I take a couple of the dead ones and attach them to stakes (or, in this case, toothpicks) and leave them there for future interlopers to see as a warning sign that all who pass here will pay a heavy price. Again, a bit of a stretch that they would really "get" it. I mean, I am not playing the ant card here, but they are not known for their intellect.

Finally, I consulted my trusty partner in extermination, Kat, for her advice. She said "just call Terminix". Hmmm...seemed like a compelling idea...simple...but it might just work....I will let you know how that goes.

Hope everyone out there is doing well...a special shout out to Greg as he recovers from his horrific fall...not my story to tell, but you can probably check out the Brown blog that is linked on the left side of my blog to read about that in the near future. Greg, just know we are thinking about you brother and hoping for your speedy recovery...fyi, I did sell my stock in Absolut and Natural Ice, so thanks for the heads up on that. ;-)

Much love to all!

jak

Hagen is TWO!

2008-05-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

how time flies...it seems like just yesterday that Hagen was a year and 364 days old. And yet, today, he is two. Which, as we all know, means one thing...we are 11% of the way to having him out of the house and on his own! Woohoo!

Just kidding!! I know I have given Hagen some grief on this blog, but the fact of the matter is, he has turned into quite an amazing young man. Though held up to the impossible comparisons with his big sister, he has fared well...he is talking better everyday...knows his colors and shapes and is reading at a 3 year old level. Which is to say, he is not reading, but he is not reading better than most his age. So, he has that going for him. Which is nice.

This year, Hagen is sharing his birthday with Mother's Day...so, we are eschewing a birthday celebration until next weekend when my dad is here...we will focus on Mom for the most part today as she deserves it...raising such wonderful kids with an absentee, deadbeat husband...its quite an amazing feat...I suppose we can give her one day of celebration a year. :-)

So, I am on the bench this week, so will hope to post daily. So, make sure to keep coming back to keep up with what's up here in Tulsa. In the meantime, enjoy these pics of Hagen and of Kat aka "the mom" (and one of Liska just because)

Much love to all!

jak

HiLARious

2008-04-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

Now that I am done making a fool of myself at work...laughing so hard I can't stop and eventually crying, I thought I would share with you all the source of this wonton display of no self control. Enjoy....

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/badly_injured_man_not_done

Prediction

2008-04-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

Clinton will win by a mere 5 points tonight, her funding will quickly dry up and Barack will be the nominee before the June 3 primaries.

I'm just sayin'.

The Real American Idols

2008-04-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

I was doing some reminiscing about our last trip to California and watching the videos we took of our afternoon jams...I came across this priceless little ditty and thought that a certain 5 year old would get a kick out of seeing it...since it was way too big to e-mail, I am posting it here. Enjoy!

Why the Hell is Jak so Happy?

2008-04-08T11:38:00.001-07:00

For probably the past 2 or 3 years, I have answered the query "how are you?" or "How's it goin'?" or "how ya feelin'" with "Fantastic" or "OUT standing" or "Couldn't be better" or "none of your goddamn business". Not so much the latter, but we all have our days, right?

So, who cares about this, right? Why would I even share this information with you, my loyal blog aids? Well, I'll tell you why...it is because an alarming number of people DO care. Since I have started doing this, I have had numerous people respond in surprising ways.

"Outstanding? What is so outstanding about today?"

"Fantastic? How can you always be fantastic? It's impossible"

"You know, I have a real problem with people who say they are outstanding or fantastic all the time. I think they have a warped view of reality and they need to snap out of it"

"Jason, why do you always say you are fantastic? Is it just because you got tired of saying 'ok' or 'fine'?"

No, it is not just because I got tired of saying "ok" or "fine" when people asked me how I was doing. It is because, in the grand scheme of things, I am outstanding/fantastic. And I have explained this to each and every person that has had the audacity to question my outstanding-ness. They seem to get it, but I thought, for the enjoyment/betterment of all my readers, I would share with you my reasoning for why I am freakin' outstanding today.

1. I have my health.
2. My family is healthy.
3. I have a roof over my head.
4. I have a great job
5. Not a day goes by that I go hungry.
6. I have a wife, kids and extended family that love me very much (thanks guys!)
7. I have great friends
8. I enjoy great personal freedoms in the country where I live

Add all of that up, and I am better off than about 95% of the worlds population and that is conservative. Probably closer to 99%. If I have all those things above, how in the world could I ever profess to being anything but fantastic/amazing/outstanding??? It would be an absolute affront to those of us who are without health, home, food, love, happiness and freedom. I live a charmed life and I know it. I am thankful for it. I cherish it. Every day that I am alive is a wonderful day.

In short, it is all about perspective my friends. Take time to consider all you do have and worry less about what you don't have. You'll be amazed at how charmed your life is. And you will be amazed how good it feels to tell people how great you are doing. So, go out and tell someone you are outstanding! Fantastic! Wonderful! today. You'll be glad you did. ;-)

Much love to all!

jak

Ain't Life Grand!

2008-03-20T21:49:00.001-07:00

I know that you all have been waiting with bated breath (buy a tooth brush for pete's sake!) for an Anniversary Post, but I have been busy, ok? Sheesh. I do have a day job. I don't write a blog for a living. Cut me some slack, eh!

OK. sorry for that. I get wound up sometimes after coming back from my weekly business trip. Yes, another week in Memphis and it was rough. But, you didn't come here to listen to me bitch about my work. You came here for a window into my life. To gain a little more knowledge of me and, therefore, become a little more whole yourself. I know. That is what keeps me going.

Anywho, Kat and I celebrated our 5th Anniversary this past weekend. March 15. The Ides of March. Et tu brute. Etc Etc Etcetera.

So, we started out the day by waking up (as we do on most days.) We got the kids up and ready and headed out to Philbrook Museum of Art...the scene of the crime. The place where we had our wedding ceremony, our cocktail hour and our reception. Good times, good times.. We had lunch in the restaurant (it was fab) and then toured around the museum with the kiddos reliving that wonderful event.

We then took the kids over to Kat's parent's house, dropped them off with their overnight bags and said adios! It was on like Donkey Kong!

Our first order of business was massages. We went to a day spa near our house and each got hour long massages. Mine from a muscle-handed pregnant chick, Kat from a dopey looking dude. We both had exceptional experiences though Kat got a bottle of Nestle water and I just got a freakin' glass of water. "Make sure to drink lots of fluids!" Thanks for the advice lady...hows about helping me out here? Geesh!

We then headed to Target to look at mini-refrigerators...Kat had this idea to build end tables around mini-fridges so her hubby wouldn't have to go ALL THE WAY downstairs to get his beers. So thoughtful. We didn't find anything that floated our boat, so we headed off to dinner.

Dinner was at a place called Luckys. Great little bistro in Mid-town Tulsa (the hip area). Great food, great wine, great atmosphere and service. If I was as cool as Denise, I would have turned the name "Luckys" into a hyperlink so you could check out the website, but that is not to be. So, just trust me, it was fan-diddly-astic.

After that, well, we went home and fell asleep. Very romantic. But, I gotta tell ya. There is nothing quite like a perfectly quiet house for sleeping and sleeping in. Best anniversary gift ever!

Speaking of anniversary gifts, both Kat and I got artistic with this year's gifts. Kat painted me a lovely picture and I wrote her a poem. Here is the painting:

Well, the painting is actually not of our bedroom, but it is the painting over the bed in this picture of our new bedroom set which was kind of an anniversary gift to ourselves too. Notice all the Pottery Barn accessories...nice to have a Williams Sonoma employee in the family. ;-)

And here is the text of my poem:

The Ides of March

On the Ides of March,
Two thousand and two
I met friends for drinks
And good music too

I walked in their house
And was surprised to find out
We would be joined by a girl named Kat;
Whom I knew nothing about

She soon made her entrance
And flashed her beautiful smile
Dressed in leather pants
That showed she had style

And for the first time,
On that very night
I finally believed
In love at first sight

We shared an evening
Of song and dance
I offered her a Red Bull
That I had kept in my pants

Toward the end of a night
Full of wine and food that was yummy
I lifted my shirt
And showed her my tummy

Her lack of disgust
At my belly full of hair
Let me know straight away
That she really did care

The next day we lunched
Over wings and March Madness
She got up to leave early
And I was filled with great sadness

My friends they all laughed
And made a big fuss
They couldn’t believe
The sparks between us

That night we played pool
And I ruined her jacket
I wanted to kiss her,
But she would not have it

We enjoyed Better than Ezra
And all their great tunes
It was the first of many times
I would see her swoon

And by swoon I mean fall,
Right down in the dirt
Then be a real trooper
And say it didn’t hurt

Though grace she was lacking,
She had beauty in spades
I knew if I could have her,
My life would be made

Four months later
At the Posh San Jose
We met for some wine
To cap a long day

I bent down on my knee
And asked for her hand
She (finally) said yes
And I was one lucky man

We were married the next year,
On the Ides once again
In front of Adam,
Our family and friends

Five years later
Our lives full of joy
With a beautiful girl
And a handsome young boy

I cannot imagine
My life without Kitty
It certainly would be
A lot more…bad

So, here’s to our first five
They’ve been so much fun!
But like the Carpenters said,

We’ve only just begun.

Quite chock full of inside jokes, but I think you get the idea. It has been a good five years.

2003 - Got married
2004 - Had Liska
2005 - Moved to Cali
2006 - Had Hagen
2007 - Moved to Tulsa
2008 - bought a grill

We are hoping that 2008 is just that level of exciting. We need a break from the drama. I say this just as Kat is speaking in the background "Hey, there is a house in La Crescenta for under $500K!" Geez Louise. We are keeping a close eye on the housing market in SoCal.

Well, I know this was along post, but if you got here, I am sure you enjoyed yourself. I hope each and every one of you is enjoying a life with someone you love dearly and you let them know at least once a year. :-)

Much love to all!

jak

Long time no entertain

2008-03-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

So, my brother has admonished me for not posting in a very long time...actually, he has been more specific in saying I have not written a substantive blog in a long long time. I guess the little blurbs about the fam and Mr. Obama don't count. I KNOW that peeps get tired reading my long-winded posts and that is why I have been trying to keep them short and sweet.

The fact of the matter is that I am both busy and uninspired. This freakin' presidential race is wearing me out...work is non-stop as I am completely tap dancing my way through shit that I have never done before. I mean, have any of you tried tap dancing for 3 months? It is tough. I'm often reminded of the story of Greg's mom's first day at work....but, I will leave that story for him. Same general idea, but I don't have anyone to call in for help!

So, enough bitching. My weekends have been great though. I got my walking boot off this past weekend and played some H.O.R.S.E. with my neighbor on Sunday in the beautiful 70 degree weather we had. Kat and I went to a wine tasting on Saturday that she had won...a group of about 10 of us went about an hour outside of town and tasted some exceedingly mediocre wine, but had fun doing it...we then had dinner with friends at a posh, mid-town establishment and went back to their place for our monthly "Game Night" and played Guitar Hero and cricket (high tech and low tech at its finest). Good times, good times.

This weekend is our FIFTH wedding anniversary and SIXTH anniversary of the day we met!!! Hard to believe everything we have done in six years...let me try to list it:

1. Got married
2. Had Liska
3. Switched Jobs
4. Sold the house in Austin
5. Moved to California (me) and Tulsa (Kat)
6. Bought a house in Cali
7. Had Hagen
8. Rocked the house at Seis de Mayo
9. Changed jobs again
10. Sold the house in Cali
11. Moved to Tulsa
12. Bought a house in Tulsa
13. Survived the California Fires of 2007
14. Broke my foot

I'm sure there is more that I am missing. I didn't talk about the formation of the Natty Five 9s. Or the formation of this blog for pete's sake! I guess those things have had a more profound effect on my fan's lives. They can put it on their lists. :-)

So, there you have it...substantial enough? I know it was boring, but I am f'ing tired. Did I mention that I cuss more when I am tired? I have been dropping f bombs like crazy lately. It is quite fun though. You should try it.

Much love to all!

jak

Shagadelic Baby!!! Revisited

2008-02-28T17:50:00.000-08:00

Ms. Kitty had already expanded her repertoire from print ads to reality tv. Now, she has taken over the society pages! The paparazzi caught her in her full 60s glory and her picture showed up in the Out and About section of Tulsa People magazine. See the link below...

http://www.tulsapeople-digital.com/tulsapeople/200803/

The Knights are officially taking over T town. Uh!

I hope everyone is doing well!

Much love to all!

jak

p.s. Happy Belated Birthday to Adrian!

Yes We Can

2008-02-12T21:58:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have already seen this and I know this should probably reside in my Revolution blog, but I thought it better for the masses...please watch this...if you are not inspired by this, its time for a checkup! :-)

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY

Vote Obama 2008!

Much love to all!

jak

Shagadelic Baby!!!

2008-02-06T01:10:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago, a group of friends accompanied Kat and I to the grand opening of the Tulsa Historical Society. The theme was "Magical History Tour" and 1960/1970s themed dress was optional...well, with Kat, "optional" means it is time to get it on! Check out she and her friends posing with some dandy chap from the event.

SNOW!!

2008-02-06T01:03:00.001-08:00

Well, as much as I complain about the snow, its presence did create the opportunity for what I am currently referring to as the cutest picture of the Knight kids in circulation...notice the direction of the snow fall and which way Liska is leaning to catch the snowflakes. :-)

Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T20:57:00.001-08:00

As most kids do, up to a certain age, I supported whatever candidate my parents supported. In the Hall & Oates/Foreigner-laden year of 1980, that meant supporting Jimmy Carter. I recall that in October of that year, Mrs. Woolfort, the 3rd Grade teacher in my small town Michigan grade school called us each up to the board to put a check mark under one of two names she had written on the board. Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. I was one of TWO people who checked under Jimmy Carter. He was the incumbent for Pete's sake! Alas, Reagan beat him soundly in November too and brought forth on this continent a New Conservatism. I went on dividing my time between playing sports and singing Forever in Blue Jeans into my comb while dancing in front of the mirror. Gotta love Neil.

In 1984, dare I say, we were better off then we were four years earlier. I had just moved to sunny, warm Houston from cold, snowy Michigan. The economy was starting to pick up. And I was starting to get my political feet and was supporting ol' Ronny despite the Democratic leanings of my parents. I recall taping his convention speech so I could watch it again and again. For some reason, he really brought forth a strong sense of love for America that I recognized immediately as "Patriotism". And that was a feeling that I enjoyed having.

By the by, Reagan soundly defeated the Democrat's ticket of Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro and I was introduced to the term "landslide". There was much talk that Mondale sealed his defeat the moment he chose a female running mate, the first time a woman was ever on a major ticket. Much talk centered around the country "not being ready" for a female being one heartbeat away from the leadership of the free world. Life went on...

Fast forward 4 years...Reagan is leaving office and his "wimpy" Veep is the favorite for the White House as he wins the Republican nomination. The Democratic field was seemingly the worst case of "lesser of all evils". Gary Hart turned out to be a womanizer (which we hadn't yet found out was not necessarily a bad trait for a President) and Michael Dukakis lacked interpersonal skills and carried the baggage of Willie Horton around for all to see. The third major challenger was a minister by the name of Jesse Jackson. A tireless fighter for civil rights who had marched alongside Dr. King. And, the first "serious" black Presidential candidate. I quote serious because it was serious only to Jackson and a small cadre of supporters. Most of the country saw him as a novelty item and dismissed his candidacy...much talk revolved around the country "not being ready" for a black President. Bush won and life went on...

So, here we are...20 years later. I am sitting in my hotel room watching the results pour in from polling stations around the country on what is being dubbed as everything from Super Tuesday to Super Duper Tuesday to Tsunami Tuesday. Or, if you are John McCain, you state it more matter-of-factly..."the closest this country has ever had to a national primary." And as I am watching the numbers come in, Mike Huckabee gives a speech to his supporters....then John McCain gives his speech....then Mitt Romney. All white males. Business as usual. Then, Hillary Rodham Clinton gives her speech. One of two candidates left on the Democrat side, she is well-positioned on this night to start thinking about winning the nomination to become the first female to represent her party in the race for the White House. Then, the final candidate's speech begins and, for some reason, I am suddenly overcome with emotion. Watching this young man giving a ridiculously eloquent speech about hope....about change...about the endless opportunities that are possible if we work together...about promising to make this country great again. The words are moving. But,as I listen and watch, I take special notice of the elderly African American ladies behind this young presidential candidate...pride seemingly flowing from their very pores....eyes glowing as they watch and listen. I think to myself that they must be floored at what they are experiencing. With all the prejudice they have experienced in life...with hearing all their lives that this country will never treat them as equals...being told that the thought of ever seeing a black president would be akin to martians landing on earth. There they sit, transfixed as they watch Barack Obama speak. A black man. A serious contender for the Democratic nomination. One of the favorites to occupy the White House for the next four years. It occurs to me that maybe...just maybe, in the year 2008, the country just might finally be ready for a female or black President.

And I am suddenly very, VERY proud to be an American. And that, my friends, is a feeling I enjoy having.

Much love to ALL,

jak

Silversun Pickups

2008-01-29T20:03:00.000-08:00

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

Supporting Cast

2008-01-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

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

The Boy, Postings for the Enjoyment of all (especially DeAnn)

2008-01-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

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"

2008-01-11T13:48:00.001-08:00

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

2008-01-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

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

World Premiere Party

2008-01-05T21:02:00.000-08:00

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

Is Winter a season?

2008-01-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

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

Another One Bites the Dust

2007-12-27T08:30:00.001-08:00

Man, what a wild month it has been in the world of the Knight family. Since my last post, I have started a new project (in Memphis), we have endured a huge ice storm which knocked out our power for two days and two nights...it has snowed twice, we had a visit from Ma Knight and we celebrated the birth of our lord and saviour Quinn McLean. Oh wait, wrong December birthday. My bad. And, believe it or not, we are about to see another year pass. Pretty crazy.

BUT, before the year ends, we will be hosting a watch party at our home on New Year's Eve so we can watch our National Television debut on HGTV. I know everyone already knows about it, but in case you have been living under a rock somewhere, Kat and I will be featured on the New Year's Eve episode of HGTV's Designed to Sell. The title of the documentary is "Attractive Tract Home" and it follows the lives of two young Californians as they desperately try to improve their position in an ever-tightening housing market. It is full of drama and intrigue and not a little bit of comedy. Ebert and Roper give it two thumbs up "WAY UP". Better Homes and Gardens says "If we didn't know better, we would have said that these people were paid actors...or at least that they were getting some money for furniture and stuff." And the Blakely Place Gazette trumpeted the show as "a piece for all times...a piece of @&($ that is". Glowing reviews all. We have not personally seen a preview of the show as the producers want at least a guaranteed audience of 2 for the TV debut. And they will get it! I don't normally do this, abuse my power over my blog aids in such an obvious manner, but I COMMAND you to watch this show! There...I said it. So sayeth the shepherd (Porkys II for those that hear me say that a lot and are not sure what I am quoting).

Anywho, Christmas at our house was an amazing time. My mom came up from her Ivory Tower in Austin to grace us with her presence in lowly Tulsa. Kat's Brother did the same from "The City" (that is Oklahoma City to those of you who thought it might be a city that was more befitting of such a moniker). And Kat's parents came over on Christmas Day. It was a great time. Here are some pictures (moving and still) to prove it.

Liska making cookies for Santa wearing her fabulous Chef's hat and apron

Hagen adding some "cheese!" to the proceedings

Liska's inaugural jaunt on her new 'big girl' bike. She is a natural!!

And a little improv ballerina work by Liska just because I think it is achingly sweet

I hope every one had a wonderful holiday and I hope your New Year is filled with much success, love and happiness. Thanks for listening in 2007.

Much love to all!

jak

Natty Five 9s

2007-11-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

I have set up a site on ifilm.com to post the unbelievable, rocking jams that the Natty Five 9s (working as a three piece) had during our trip out to SoCal. You can find them here:

http://www.ifilm.com/myifilm/unjak

There are three improvisational jams:

Walking in the Forest -- Kat's punk out jam (sure to be an underground hit on the web)
Ode to Hagen -- Hauntingly sweet song (another possible hit)
Kiddus Interruptus -- Greg getting beastie on the guitar. Pretty unbelievable jam. (will get Greg invites to try out for touring bands)

Enjoy!

jak

November Update

2007-11-19T12:33:00.000-08:00

I guess since I am only posting once a month now (not by design), maybe I will just start titling the posts by the month. I mean, with all that has occurred since the last post, if I am not posting more often now, I probably never will! We went to California on a last second whim...jammed like rock stars and fought off the raging infernos that surrounded us. Just for those curious, the best way we found to fight off the fires was drinking copious amounts of Red Ruby Absolut mixed with Blood Orange italian soda. Also lots of M&Ms. Just seemed to work for us. Much thanks from the Knight family for the Brown's hospitality...they provided us a place to stay...use of their Expedition all week...food and beverage. Not that surprising for those of us who know the Browns, but pretty impressive in general. They are the bestest. I'm not saying that Hagen was affected by his trip to Cali, but "CAR" is his new favorite word, "Cars" is his favorite movie and he runs around the house saying "vroom vroom". Here he is in one of the Brown's classic automobiles. He had a blast!

We got back from Cali just in time to make the 9 hour drive down to Austin to spend time with my Sister and her family who were in Austin for my Mom's birthday! We had a great time seeing everyone and I think my mom enjoyed us all being there. 9 people in a one room shack that she lives in under the Congress Avenue bridge was a little tight, but we made it work. We didn't want to shame her by staying in hotels. ;-) Actually, you all have seen my mom's lakeside manor in earlier pictures. High style and we all loved the weekend.

The next week was Halloween and Liska and Hagen were Minnie Mouse and a monkey. We had some good friends, the Fears, come over (and now that I am writing this, I wonder why we didn't make some probably overused sarcastic comments about their last names and the holiday we were celebrating...missed opportunity). They were both very cute and we walked around the neighborhood and had them take candy from neighbors that we would later refuse to let them eat and then scarf on after they went to bed. Perks of parenthood. :-)

The other scary thing that happened on Halloween is that we purchased a brand spanking new vehicle...a 2007 Honda Odyssey! The Jeep had about 110K miles on it and the transmission was shot...rather than paying to fix it, we traded it in for Kat's dream machine. Looking forward to making long trips in it.

So, other than that, we have been staying pretty busy..hanging out with friends, raising a couple of brats and trying to keep the wolf from our door. I am about to end a 2 month forced sabbatical by starting a new project first week of December. Really looking forward to that! Shorter flight closer to home....should be a good project.

Oh yeah...for those who are interested, tune into HGTV at 8pm EST/PST or 7pm CST on New Year's Eve and check out a VERY special episode of Designed to Sell. :-)

Much love to all!

jak

All Play and No Work Makes Jak a Dull Boy

2007-10-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

Well, not actually ALL Play and not really NO work, but damn near. To say I am going stir crazy would be an understatement. Don't get me wrong, I love being home with my lovely wife and beautiful children, but a man needs to work! Get out there and bring home the bacon! mmmmmm....bacon. I do believe that my time on the bench is coming to an end! I received the word last week that I would be assigned to a project that is going to be starting up around Halloween time. Another east coast jaunt...but, better than nothing. :-)

It has been a while since I have posted and I'm not sure why...I have tons of great pics, tons of time on my hands and tons of great ideas for posts. Let's see...I guess that would leave "being lazy" as the only viable excuse. But, that is a good one and an excuse that has come in handy in the past. :-)

Liska had her first dance recital this past week. Of course, video is way too long to post here, but here are a couple pics to get a feel for how damn cute she was....

Mr. Hagen also had an exciting week as we shaved off his hair in order to get rid of the fast-forming Mullet...the hair cut started at Jak's Salon (it seemed easy enough), but ended in the professional care of Star Cuts. :-)

We have also been staying busy on the hosting front...Kat had about 40 women over last night for an AXO mixer and we are hosting the Texas vs. Baylor game watching party this Saturday for the Tulsa Texas Exes. Should be tres exciting!!

I hope all of you are doing well...thanks for your continued comments on this blog as it is damn near my only commuinication with most of you. :-)

Much love to all!

jak

Hagen and Daddy enjoying Ice Cream

2007-09-28T21:41:00.001-07:00

Tried to post this directly to Blogger, but had to put it on You Tube...enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpb8utFVf6Q

On the Road Again

2007-09-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know and have not taken the time to do an appropriate amount of research on your favorite blogger on this world wide web, I am a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. This not only explains my ridiculously high intellect, but also explains why I have made 18 hour round trip drives with my wife and three kids twice in the past month. You see, as a graduate of UT (what we alums like to call it), I "bleed orange". That is, to say, I am a huge fan of the sports teams at UT which go by the moniker "The Longhorns". Longhorns being the most ferocious of the Bovine species what with their long horns and all.

Check out the length of them there horns!

Anywho, because of this orange blood affliction, I have been a season ticket holder for Longhorn football games since 1995. For the first 9 years as a season ticket holder, getting to the games was a piece of cake. Then, we moved to Cali in 2004. That distance made it much more difficult. Thankfully, the Longhorns, seeing what a great fan I was and respecting my reputation as a world-famous blogger, scheduled two games in Pasadena during my time on the west coast. Very thoughtful of them. They won both games, beating Michigan and then Southern Cal. Some of you may remember that second game because the winner, aka Texas, was named National Champion immediately following the game. I hate to say that was my idea, but I did mention to my buddy at the game "This is a great game! Whoever wins this should be named national champion!" Someone was obviously listening and acted quickly to make it happen. I couldn't have been happier.

So, what the hell was the point of this post? That I like the Longhorns? That doesn't seem right. Help me out here...oh yeah! Road trip. Thank god for the title of the post.

So, last weekend, we loaded up the Jetta and drove the 9 hours from Tulsa to my mom's house on beautiful Lake Travis in Austin.

Nice house, eh? You should see the views from the screened in porch! What a great pic that would have been! ;-)

We arrived on Thursday night/Friday morning around 1am. We ran into a couple construction zones and an overturned SUV which slowed our progress considerably. Fortunately, the kids slept through the whole thing...unfortunately, that meant they were wide awake when we arrived in Austin. I don't think Kat and I got to bed until close to 3am. It was rough I tell ya!

The next morning, we just chilled out by the pool and then got some rockin' sushi that night at our favorite Austin sushi place (and for you southern cal peeps, YES, there are multiple sushi joints in Austin). It was a lot of fun. Liska even had sushi!! She was quite the adventurous little girl!

So, Saturday is Game Day! The game started at 6pm, so we naturally got down to the tailgate about 5 hours early to start our drinking. This week, we had an RV and it was the bomb diggity. We were able to watch the early games and then watch the later games once we got back to our spot from the stadium. Here is what the tailgating spot looks like:

Notice the Keg to the right and the Grill to the left...everything else is just window dressing.

After Kat successfully got me home (I got very tired toward the end and Kat offered to drive), we crashed and then got up the next day and headed to the cool part of Austin. See, it is great to see my mom and hang out in Lakeway, but she is about 45 minutes out of the cool part of Austin. So, we had to venture down there. Lunch at Texadelphia and a cruise around the flagship Whole Food store (for those who don't know, it was started in Austin), we headed to a true Austin landmark...Amy's ice cream! Let's peek in and see how the kids enjoyed it:

There is a thumbs up from Liska

And a BIG smile from Hagen!

Amy's is cool...you can tell by the fact that the chick behind us has never met a razor. I felt like such an old nerd in my khaki shorts and tucked in polo shirt, but I am officially blaming that on the fact that I didn't pack for cool...that or the fact that I just turned 35 is having an effect on my coolness factor...can't believe that though.

That was basically the trip. In case you were wondering...Hagen and Liska were fantastic passengers. Nary a peep out of them. They slept and played. We normally didn't have to bust out the DVD player until the last hour or so of the trip. Such great kids. One side note...Hagen did start putting his snacks in his pants toward the end of the trip home. Not quite sure what that meant, but he is a freaky little kid.

Hope you enjoyed the play by play of our weekend...it has been a while since I have done such a long blog...i know you all missed it terribly!

Much love to all!

jak

Bonus Points

2007-09-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

For the first person that can correctly answer the questions below, you will get a mention in the world-famous Longhorn in Paradise blog....

Why does the following picture remind me of the end of Japan's involvement in World War II?

What's the Point?

2007-09-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I am sitting here in Tulsa, OK enjoying my first week "on the bench". My project fizzled out and died last week, so I will be hanging out at home and bothering Kat and disciplining the kids with a bit too much vigor for an indeterminate amount of time. :-) Unfortunately, the pool is closed for the season (yikes!) and I cannot just lay out in the sun catching rays and reading trashy novels. Which, as we all know, is my preferred mode of relaxation. Instead, I did a bunch of yardwork this weekend (with a TON of help from Kat and Liska) and spent all day yesterday firing our cable company and bringing out the DishNetwork folks to put up the satellite. Looking forward to getting back to some sense of normalcy...Cable sucked. Problem is, the guy showed up to install and then left for a family emergency...Cable is getting stopped today and there is no guarantee Dish will be back finish their work....it could be a disaster waiting to happen, but I am holding out hope that we will avoid such a calamity. PLease send your prayers, white light and well-wishes. A night without any sort of non-network tv is not a good thing for the Knight clan. :-)

Things continue to go well for the Knight family. Liska and Hagen are thriving in pre-school. Hagen is impressing all with his smarts and his ability to take it to the hoop and dunk on his non-walking classmates. Liska is little Ms. Personality and her teachers told us she is very involved in class and welcoming to all who enter the classroom. They didn't come right out and say it, but I get the sense that the teachers think that Hagen and Liska are the most intelligent, funniest and best looking kids in the entire school. Or maybe I read too much into the "hello" they gave us at open house last week. Either way, they are having fun.

So, what's the point? That is a game that Kat and I have been playing (unwittingly) over the past few months as Hagen has begun to constantly ask "what's that?" while pointing indiscriminately into the distance. It makes it very difficult for us to ascertain what object he is referring to. For instance, there are two items on his shelf...a frog (gift from the Mongers) and a football. He says "whats that?" and points in the general direction and I just have to guess what the hell he is referring to. It happens all over the house and when we are out and about. I am just telling you this as fair warning...if Hagen comes over to your house and asks "can Jimmy come out and throw frogs around?", you don't think he is some animal abusing psychopath. Also, if he asks you to warm up his hotdog in the refrigerator or turn on the lights because he wants to feel the wind...well, you get the idea.

On another note, I am trying yet another diet. This is one that actually worked for me when I was living in Glendale. It is called the Abs Diet. I lost about 25 lbs with it last time. I am up to about 240, so a good 25-30 lb weight loss would not be a bad thing. And, it is easier to eat well now that I am at home. Which reminds me, going out for queso tonight. :-)

OK...here is what you all have been waiting for...some more pics of the fam. Enjoy!

A little microcosm of the Liska/Hagen dynamic...Liska encourages Hagen to do something dangerous...he cries about it but does it anyway...he screams cheese whenever he sees a camera...Liska takes advantage of his being distracted and slides into him...he expresses himself by throwing something. Amazing I was able to catch all this in a short video. :-) Enjoy!

Kat and Liska posing in front of the AXO house on the University of Texas campus during our first football game trip. (this weekend will be our second)

Liska on her first day of dance class...she is taking tap and ballet. Apparently, she is a real prodigy. For anyone that has ever seen me bust a move, that is not very surprising. :-)

Hope you enjoyed the latest installment of Longhorn in Paradise...and I hope everyone is having a great fall!

Much love to all!! jak

Hagen's First day of Preschool

2007-08-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hagen and Liska posing in front of the house before Hagen's first day. Can you tell he is excited?
He can hardly contain his excitement!

Minutes from exploding...

Liska and Hagen enjoying a "moment" after brunch on Sunday. We went to Philbrook (where we got married) to celebrate Kat's parents 40th wedding anniversary.

Hagen REALLY likes to say "cheese!"

What a great looking family!!

Liska's First Day at School

2007-08-26T13:16:00.001-07:00

As you can tell, I am trying to play catch-up here...I have given up on any pretense at humorous writing and will just be posting pictures of the family, etc. Much easier that way and much more likely to post more often...and, I know you just want to see these unbelievably cute kids anyway.

So, without further adieu...here they are!!

This is Liska outside our front door with her Hello Kitty Backpack all ready for her first day at Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Pre-School.

Here she is at her school, posing in front of the board that is supposed to welcome all 3-year olds...I challenge you to find Liska's name...turns out asians aren't welcome there...but, they can still attend. ;-)
Here is the boy enjoying a nice bit of corn on the cob. Good think he got his chompers in so early! Gotta start working on those pecs though if he is going to insist on walking around half naked!

Hagen, half naked and eating once again...he loves him some bananas. Our little monkey.

Hope everyone is doing well! Much love to all! We are off to the pool once again...

jak

A Day at the Pool

2007-08-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

So, here was our day yesterday....well, after I played basketball for two hours and went to brunch with friends (who lived in Valencia for 3 or 4 years)...we went to the pool (as we do most every day)...

Stupid Sexy Flanders

2007-08-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

Man, it has been a long time since I posted...I sure am lazy. After going to the Brown's blog, though, I can see that I need to at least pretend to keep up with the joneses. Sheesh. 5 posts since I last checked!!!

So, what has been happening here...well, work was going great until yesterday when I found out that the project I am currently on may be dying a quick death...so, I am "on the bench" for the next 3 weeks. Good news is I get to stay home...bad news is, I am not billable. So, not sure if I am happy or sad...happy for now...sad if it goes on too long. Looking for a new client now...preferably on the west coast where I won't get rained on every week when I try to come home. :-) Another development at work is that our trivia team took home the gold this week!! So, there is a bar in Foggy Bottom called The MadHatter that holds trivia every Tuesday night. It is about 30 questions and they pass a sheet around and you fill in the answers and turn them in an hour later. VERY tough/random questions. We have been doing it for the past couple months and have had varying degrees of luck...sometimes close, sometimes getting smoked. The best finish prior to this week was a tie for second which led to a "trivia-off" that we lost (they asked the two teams that tied how many clydesdales Anheuser Busch had in their stables...we guessed 24 (case)...the answer was 250!!! kind of excessive, don't you think??) Anywho, this week, we came in first. And, as you can see from the title of this post, our team name is Stupid Sexy Flanders. Not all my teammates get it, but they acquiesce. :-) If you don't get it, deal with it. Its a Simpsons thing...you wouldn't understand.

Now, to the fun stuff...the fam. Liska and Hagen are doing great as you can see from the pic...this is how they always are. Smiling and hugging each other. It would be much more difficult to find a picture of them not being nice to each other...because we are too busy prying them apart with a crowbar to take the picture...suffice to say, they get along for the most part, but they are both VERY opinionated...just like their mommy...;-)

This is not a joke...Liska went in with Kat to get her first pedicure. How cute is she? Think she might grow up to be a princess? hmm....got to make sure she keeps taking basketball class.

Speaking of which...here is a pic of Liska during her last gymnastics class. I have some video too on Kat's computer that I will try to load up later today. Both Gymnastics class and basketball class. She is a busy girl!!

Now that the summer is over...Liska has started her first year of preschool. She will be going to Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-2:30. AND, surprisingly, a spot opened up for Hagen in the toddlers class, so he will be starting the same program next Tuesday. So, Kat will have a well-deserved break for 5 hours twice a week for the next 8 months. Not too shabby!

Kat is doing great...she is getting more involved in her AXO alumni group and enjoying that. She and the kids are going to the pool and to the Tulsa Aquarium quite often and she is reconnecting with all her friends here in T town. You would have to ask her, but I think she is enjoying it here. :-)

Hope everyone is doing well...

Much love to all!

jak

Hagen is Swimming!!

2007-07-31T07:52:00.000-07:00

I know I made a brief mention of this in the last post and I promise to get pictures up next weekend, but Hagen is an absolute natural in the water...he is using only arm floaties in the big pool, getting horizontal and kicking himself around...peeps are amazed to see this 14 month old future olympic swimmer...he also has been standing on my hands and balancing himself like a pro...future surfer maybe??

Anyway, wanted to let you know what a stud my boy was...as if anyone would have thought otherwise. :-)

much love to all!!

jak

Hagen is walking!!

2007-07-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

Well, he has actually been walking for quite some time. I think he took his first steps around 12 months....2 months earlier than Liska. Not that I was making any comparisons or constantly telling him that if he was a real man, he would walk earlier than his sister. It just happened purely organically. :-)

The real news today is that the unbelievably amazing Liska Knight swam with her floaties today! Ever since she almost drowned a couple years ago and Greg Brown sacrificed his margarita, dropping it as he ran to the kiddie pool to drag her out, she has been a bit paranoid about the water. BUT, today she finally gave in to the peer pressure (Hagen has been swimming with only his floaties for a week) and got into the pool for her first maiden voyage. It was a thing of beauty. If we had pictures, I would show them to you...maybe tomorrow. Until then, you will have to suffice with the amazingingly cute video (yes, video...a major treat, I know) of Liska and Kat planting a sweet potato in a pot in the backyard...side note, is that she got the sweet potato from her last day at summer school...which is ok, but the last day of summer schoool signaled the first day of VBS...Vacation Bible School. From the name of that, I am certain that those who know me understand that I was LIVID when I heard that Kat had set Liska up in anything that included the word "Bible" in it or anything that was at all religious. My goal for my daughter is that she will be old enough when she is exposed to religion to come to her own conclusions rather than being brain-washed as a young person into believing that a carpenter from back in the day was the son of God, etc. etc. If she decided to have faith in that later on, so be it. But, I don't want it to be unfairly pushed on her by adults when she is a young child.

Man, that was a tangent. What a jackass. ;-)

Anywho, enjoy the video. EDITORS NOTE...COULD NOT GET VIDEO TO UPLOAD..WILL CONTINUE TO TRY, BUT I AM NOT EQUIPPED FOR SUCH HIGH TECH WORK AROUNDS. :-)

Much love to all!

jak

Its been a long time since I rock and rolled...

2007-07-19T20:10:00.001-07:00

Is it "rolled" or "roll'd"? Regardless, the fact of the matter is that I have not blogged in quite a long time. I keep thinking of what excuse I should use to justify my absence and to keep my blog aids from just revolting and never reading LIP again....should I claim that I have been unbelievably busy and too worn out to write? Should I argue that my only free time is time with my family and I don't feel right spending that time writing a blog? Should I complain about the unbelievable odor that just permeated this hotel lounge I am sitting in? Jesus H Christ on a popsicle stick...who ordered the dead fish??

Where was I? Oh yeah...travelling sucks. In the past month, I have had my luggage lost twice...slept in airports twice and generally had shitty flights. The kind of flights that have those around me either puking or re-connecting with their god..."please god, if you stop this bird from shaking, I promise I will stop training my dogs to fight and killing those who aren't any good" (I travel with Michael Vick ALOT!) It kind of takes the glamour out of the whole travelling lifestyle. Did I tell you about the time that the pilot tried to land at Reagan National only to pull up at the last second? Then he went to Dulles to try to land and that didn't work either...so, we ended up landing at Baltimore...or the time I had to fly through Newark to get to Charlotte from D.C.? Anyone need a quick geography lesson??? Newark is NOT on the way to Charlotte from D.C. I slept on a nice, unpadded yet carpeted floor of the Newark Airport...quite an experience. I woke up and some dude named Randy was spooning me. Quite disturbing. And then, I finally made it to Charlotte and my luggage didn't...so, ol' Jak went to a client meeting in shorts, a polo shirt and sandals. A beautiful thing! I had to implore my colleagues and clients not to be distracted by my exposed legs and forearms!

So, life has been a bit hectic...on the home front, Kat and the kids are doing great. Liska might very well be the smartest person in the house now...Hagen is the most destructive...Kat is the most patient and I am the most bionic...yes, I have been rebuilt since a horrible accident on an aborted flight to the moon. Wait...that wasn't me. Check that. I am the most chubby. That is what I meant to say. See...too easily distracted.

I hope all of you are doing well. I know you want to see more serious shit out of me and my no fun blog and you want to see funny stories on my jaksbook site...and I have tons of thoughts and want to get back to that, but I am lacking the energy...but, watch out for future ramblings on immigration and gay rights...

Much love to all!

jak

Worthy Cause

2007-06-25T18:05:00.000-07:00

Friends and Family,

I am helping out a good friend and colleague with a fund-raising event. He is riding 192 miles (yes, you read that right, ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO) to raise money for cancer research and treatment. Specifically, Pediatric cancer research and treatment. There are not a lot of us out there who would (or even could) expend the blood, sweat and tears necessary to complete such a tour de force. My friend Dave is doing this for the second straight year.

Now, I know that this is a cause we can all get behind. For those of us unable to get on a bike and ride the 192 miles, lets give what we can and bring the good folks at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute one step closer to finding a cure for this disease that has touched each and every one of us in one way or another.

Thanks so much!

Here is a copy of Dave's blurb on the race and the great cause it supports. Much love to all!!

On August 5th and 6th I’ll again be riding in the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The PMC is a 192 mile, two day bike ride from Sturbridge, MA to Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod. Last year, through the generosity of my friends and family, we contributed $4,870 to the Jimmy Fund, Dana Farber’s fund raising organization. The PMC passed 99 cents of every rider dollar raised to the Jimmy Fund, for a total contribution of $26 million. This is over half of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue.

This is great, but we’re not done. Cancer isn’t cured and will strike one of two American men and one of three women. It isn’t all bad news though. The New York Times reported:

It is the contention of many oncologists that they are at a critical point in cancer care. Many said they believed recent laboratory advances in molecular biology and genetics are poised to offer new improvements in treatments for people.

Another is that clinical trials have found new uses for older drugs, raising hopes that they may turn some forms of cancer into a manageable chronic disease. Leaders expressed hope that anti-cancer drugs will soon begin to keep a tumor in check for decades, much as insulin keeps diabetics alive without curing diabetes.

The gains reflect an investment of billions of dollars in research by taxpayers and industry.

Over the past 55 years, survival rates for pediatric oncology patients have increased from 20 to nearly 80 percent, and are as high as 90 percent for some forms of the disease. Dana-Farber's Jimmy Fund Clinic remains one of the world's premier centers for pediatric cancer research and treatment and is part of a medical complex that has made innumerable inroads in the treatment of adult cancers as well. Let’s all give as much as we can to continue this success and to eradicate this deadly disease.

This year I’ve set a goal to raise $5,000. I believe in this cause. My mom died too young of cancer. For each $900 my friends and family donate I’ll donate $100 myself. Please give all you can. You can write a check to the Jimmy Fund or the DFCI, but on-line donations are the most cost efficient for the PMC.

https://www.pmc.org/egifts/giftinfo.asp?eGiftID=DG0117

45 $100 donations and my $500 match will raise $5,000 for this worthy cause; we should be able to do this and more. This may be the best money you spend.
Thank you,Dave

Keeping up with the Joneses

2007-06-08T22:56:00.001-07:00

Or, in this case, keeping up with the Brownses...we have been doing some work of our own in our backyard. Yes, I know...even though I slave away all week and travel half way across the country, I still take time to do some hard work making our house more liveable. Here are some pics of the latest project where I spent countless hours putting together a patio table and chairs with NO help...
Well...maybe Liska did help a little. :-) She even took the last pic of Hagen and I enjoying the new table she built. Not a bad little photog, eh?

I hope everyone is doing well. For those of you in Cali, I will be in the Bay Area in mid-July if anyone is going to be up there...trying to figure out how I can work a SoCal swing into that trip, but having a difficult time right now.

Much love to all!

jak

John Butler Trio

2007-06-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhegbTXNShQ

Check it out.

Picture Pages, Part Deaux

2007-05-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Liska calling BS on Grandma Kate and her story of Curious Frank and the Man with the Purple Socks
When Kat and I look in store windows, we use Jazz Feet (if you are not Greg Brown and you don't get this, don't worry about it. Inside joke)

If this kid is not a natural born drummer, I don't know who is. Look at the form! Thanks to Guy for the Yankees garb...I'm sure Guild appreciates it too.

Everyone in the family helps out in different ways...Liska has become adept at intricate chiropractic maneuvers

Hagen holds the ladder while I hang a picture that depicts our family unit as not even including him...now that is a team player!

I'm not even going to ask what Liska was doing to Hagen in this picture...but, he held on!

Tell me this girl does not have rock star attitude!

Short and sweet...just like you members of the ADD generation like. Now, I am off to post on jaksbook.blogspot.com. I am on a roll!!!

Much love to all!

jak

Picture Pages, PIcture Pages come have fun with Picture Pages...

2007-05-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

OK. I have ignored my fan base long enough. You want pictures, you got pictures. Since I know most of you live in the outback and have only a dial-up connection, I am going to separate this into two posts...the first one will focus on the new hizzy. You people have been clamoring for it and now, you will get it. The second one, Picture Pages part Deaux, will focus on these little rugrats that reside in said hizzy.

Now, Denise posts pics and then puts little captions underneath and I have not figured out how to do that, but am going to try now. It seems like the only rational thing to do (airplane).

This is the front view of our house...well, actually, an angled view, but it is the front of our house. Notice the basketball goal that fits well with the driveway on a 45 degree angle. This is the backyard as taken from the patio. As you can see, there is a bit of a frog problem in Tulsa, but they seem to be harmless. Croaking is unbearable though. Lots of professional landscaping back here that Kat and I plan on killing shortly unless we can get some professional consulting. When are the Browns coming out again???

So, this is taken from a lying down position on the chair and a half that sits in the corner of the living room. You can see the kitchen, the stairs, the arched entryways. Hard to get a good picture of this room. I will post another one...

In all honesty, I must be doing something wrong, because this is a real pain in the ass putting these pictures in and putting captions on. I have to drag them down from the top each time it uploads a new pic. Sheesh. Anyway, this pic gives a little bit better view..you can see the little breakfast area...unfortunately, my mom and daughter are in the pic, but I don't have photoshop to get rid of them. Just imagine this pic without them and you can see what the room looks like. ;-)

We didn't take any pics of the other rooms because it is really none of your damn business what our private rooms look like. Get your minds out of the gutters! Front, back and family room is all you need to get a feel for what the house is like. Hope you enjoyed. Now, read on to see pics of the kids over the holiday weekend living it up with Grandma Kate!

Much love to all!! jak

UN Believable

2007-05-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hagen heading off to work. He is tired of being home with Liska all the time and decided it was time to start a career.

So, how do I even begin to describe the events of Wednesday, May 23, 2007? A group of coworkers and I decided that we needed to branch out a little bit. Work, workout, eat, drink, sleep was getting us into a bit of a rut. Not an awful rut, but a rut nonetheless. We are all fairly big music fans, so we decided a couple weeks ago to start looking into what bands were passing through the D.C. area in the near future. We saw that Keane was coming through, but it was sold out...Deftones...same thing. John Mayer and Ben Folds are coming in July, but we didn't want to wait that long. There were many other bands that we had not heard of before, but we were retiscent to go to one of those shows and be disappointed. So, the search went on....

Last week, as I often do, I picked up a copy of the Onion. Until this gig in Washington, I had only read the Onion online, but in D.C. they have the actual print version in boxes around the city. I was looking through it on the flight back from D.C. and I noticed that they had a listing of live shows over the next week. Kind of like LA Weekly or Austin Chronicle or Houston Press would. One of the shows was on Wednesday at a venue called the 9:30 Club. The name of the venue was interesting/funny because our team has a "9:30 Club" in that we meet in the hotel bar at 9:30 to have a few drinks, work on the daily crossword and have Sudoku races between myself and another of my colleagues (note that she has two grad degrees from MIT and I have won more than I have lost). :-) Yes, we are a fairly nerdy group, but it is a good way to wind down the evening. Anywho, so, the show on Wednesday was a group called the John Butler Trio (JBT). It sounded fairly familiar, but I had not heard any of their songs. The description said "For listeners of Dave Matthews and Ben Harper looking to modernize their musical selections, Butler's instrumentally diverse pop should provoke the same fanatical following". Sounded good to me! I sent a note out to the team and all agreed we should check it out.

So, after a dinner of Mei Wah goodness (the chinese restaurant across from our hotel), we hopped in a cab and headed to the 9:30 Club on the other side of town. GREAT venue. It was definitely made for one purpose...live music. A warehouse feel with a balcony, great stage, bars around the entire perimeter. Very cool. The opening act was Kaki King. A one woman show...she played a mean guitar and also played the drums...both with a supporting cast of pre-recorded music. As my coworker Brian said "now all she needs is a couple friends". One of a few classic lines uttered that night.

About 10ish (we are still wondering why they call it the 9:30 club), JBT took the stage. They opened with a song called Daniela. Cool harmonica-filled open, heavy drums and guitar, fast paced lyrics to get the crowd bumpin. We knew at that point that we were in for a treat. Each successive song led to more mouth gaping stares...our entire group was awe struck. The drummer, all 7 feet of him, was ridiculous. Butler was a master on guitar and the bassist went from bass guitar to strumming a stand up bass to using a bow on the stand up. It was one of those moments, one of those life experiences that you knew would stay with you for a long time. To a person, each one of us talked about how lucky we felt to have witnessed this show. How we were quite certain that the days of playing small venues was nearly over for this talented trio. This would be something we bragged about 10 years from now when JBT was a household name. I am going to attach a link to my next post so you can see a snippet of what we saw. But, I can't imagine I could find anything on YouTube or elsewhere that would do them justice. I will try though.

OK. My mom has arrived for the memorial day weekend...so, I am cutting this short. Hope you enjoyed it. Have a fun and SAFE weekend!

Much love to all!

jak

Just some thoughts....

2007-05-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

does anyone remember that hit song from last year "These are the sounds of the barnyard animals" ? If anyone has any video or audio of that song, I will post it here for all to enjoy.

After Hagen's party on Saturday, I was vacuuming up the remnants of chips, etc from the ground and the entire time, Hagen was giving me this "Hey! I was going to eat that!" look. Pretty funny.

You know those "EASY" buttons from Staples? I got an idea that I could use one of those to entice Liska to be a first time listener both to us and to her body...she does something good and she can go hit the button and hear the dude say "that was easy"...I told her about the idea and there has been some improvement...but everytime she does something good, she says "where's the button?"...I guess I should actually follow through on it. Yes, I know, it is genius.

I was wondering the other day if it would be appropriate to refer to a woman who is proud of her chestal region as "jugular vain"?

I need to get a recording of Liska singing "I'm sitting to the left..Hagen's sitting to the right" up on this blog because it would be a crime not to share the cuteness of it with the world.

Hagen has been going around with his new Cars camera saying "Chee" for the past two days...not sure if he is trying to say cheese or if he is calling our attention to the natural energy of the universe. Either way, it is cute.

We have now had two neighbors introduce themselves. I am counting down the number of days it takes 6 families to introduce themselves to us...it took about 2 hours in Valencia.

OK...thought I would do a Larry King style blog tonight...gotta get some Zs...big day tomorrow. Heading back to D.C. for a couple of long weeks.

Peace out and much love to all.

I Miss The Browns

2007-04-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

Aren't these kids the cutest? Well, of course they are. I feel priveleged to see them every weekend. :-/

Yes, I am working like a dog and have been staying exceedingly busy the past few weeks, hence no new blogs. Well, tonight, I am on a role because I just updated the no fun blog and now I am writing here. I wore myself out on the other one though, so I just wanted to give a quick update...

Liska got her first haircut last week...she looks great. See above. Hagen is doing great. He is getting very close to walking and is less vocal in a bad way and more vocal in a good way..in other words, less screamapillar and more gaga googoo. Very cute!

We close on the new house on Tuesday. VERY excited about that. We will take pics when we move in and post them here so you can see what Tulsa has to offer. It rocks, baby!

So, I have started wasting my precious free time on the road by watching videos on iFilm. I was watching Dani California on Wednesday (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and started to miss the Browns terribly for some reason...I mean I miss seeing them most times, but it got really bad this week. Not sure why. So, I am trying to figure out how I can get out there...and today, I found out that EquaTerra is proposing to do work for Mattel....right there in LA. So, I am going to start lobbying to get on that project. I just have to hope it starts after the Red Cross project I am currently on ends. We'll see how that works out.

So, hi Browns! I hope all is going well. I don't know how to use a telephone, so this is the only way I can communicate. :-) Say hi to the girls for me.

much love to all!

jak

First Step

2007-04-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hagen took his first step this week!!! He can stand without holding on to anything for a second and he has finally gotten the courage up to take a step forward and then face plant. Of course, I was in D.C. for this monumental event, but I got the play by play from Kat. I am thinking he will be walking by the time we get into the new house...that will make it MUCH easier to move in (yeah right! AACK!). He is a couple months ahead of Liska in this department as I keep track of these things. Liska was talking already and all Hagen can say is Duck. Very disappointing, but we are working on an experimental electric shock treatment to remedy that...we will let you know how that goes. ;-) He should be singing show tunes in no time!

As you can see from previous posts, travel was a real issue this week. It did not get any better on the return trip as I once again found myself pulling an OJ Simpson through the airport trying to catch my plane. Which makes me wonder...does the younger generation misconstrue this statement? For those of us in our 30s, pulling an OJ Simpson means running through the airport like he did in those old Hertz commercials. For those younger, it might mean I threw away a bloody glove at the airport. So, I just wanted to clarify that I was doing the running thing, not the disposing of evidence thing. Good? good.

Kat and I are getting excited about moving into the new house...have I posted the link to the house? Probably not. If you want to see it, let me know. Otherwise, I will just post pics when we take them ourselves. Not sure the ones on the internet do it justice. Anywho, we are looking for a couple pieces of furniture that are necessary to move in...First, we need an entertainment center or console piece to put the tv on...our main concern is Hagen pulling it down or getting at the buttons...he is a hands on kid like that. We are also looking at bedroom sets, but that is less important. We will end up moving our furniture into the guest suite and getting new master bedroom furniture at some point...Kat is not a big fan of my sweet Pottery Barn bedroom set. Not the style, just that I owned it before I met her. haha So, since we have a guest bedroom now and need to furnish it, it makes sense to get new stuff and make everyone happy in the process.

Liska is doing great...she is starting preschool summer camp in a couple months. These days she spends her time going to the library (she has her own library card) and playing at the park or just staying home and playing with Kat's parents...it is very cute how she has become such good friends with her paupau (Kat's mom). She is also becoming a HUGE Curious George fan. Those are the books she checks out of the library and we read to her every night. Kat or I will read her a story and then she will read it (from memory) before going to sleep. VERY cute.

OK. I hope everyone is doing well...it is near freezing here in Tulsa so I hope you are experiencing better weather wherever you are.

Much love to all!

jak

p.s. in case you missed it in my comments to the last post, I have started yet another blog for those of you who prefer to have more serious minded discussions...it is called Jak's No Fun Blog and you can find it at jaksnofunblog.blogspot.com. It will mostly focus on me commenting on politics and other worldly events that I hear on NPR or read in the paper.

I Know None of you like serious blogs, but...

2007-04-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

So, as many of you saw a couple posts ago, my brother Brian seems to have “come around” to my viewpoint regarding the war in Iraq. And, through an informal survey of his fellow soldiers, only about 10% of those on the ground think that the war is a good idea and most feel that George Bush has a personal agenda. So, before I do a victory dance and start ranting about King George, let me make one thing abundantly clear…no matter how against the war I (or anyone I know) am, it is 100% imperative that we support the troops. They are doing their duty and will follow orders as required. They didn’t start this war, but they are doing their damndest to end it as soon as possible. To a certain extent, their hands are tied by beaurocratic bullshit (my theory, not something from anyone there) and a situation in Iraq that was not predicted by the ones giving the orders. So, I don’t want anyone to think that opposing the war and supporting the troops are mutually exclusive. You CAN do both. It is the American way.

How do we do both on a practical level? By setting deadlines on troop withdrawal? By pulling them out right now? By letting the war carry on until a yet to be communicated case for victory can be made? There is certainly no easy answer to this. My personal opinion (clouded somewhat by the fact I have a loved one over there) is that we should just bring the boys home. Would this be abandoning Iraq? Or would this be doing what the majority of Iraqs want? Would this be providing fodder for the next Al Qaeda recruitment video? Or would this free up troops to fight terrorism where it is actually occurring? It might do all of the above, but there is one thing that it will definitely do. It will prevent more of our young people from dying while defending a foreign country that may or may not even want us there.

I have often made two arguments against the War on Terrorism in general and the War in Iraq in particular (two things that SHOULD be mutually exclusive).

The War on Terrorism is akin to the War on Drugs, i.e. it is a war that cannot be ‘won’. Not that progress cannot be made, but it cannot be won. We will never completely eradicate drugs from the face of the Earth and the same can be said of terrorism. It will always be there. So, to that end, how can we ever claim victory? And “going after them” seems to be less fruitful than determining ways to make their ‘cause’ less attractive to young Arabs.
The War in Iraq is simply a shift in who dies during the War on Terrorism from rich stock brokers in NYC to poor minorities in Iraq. If you think about it, it took almost 10 years for Al Qaeda to plot the attack against the twin towers. So, over 10 years, some 2-3K people ended up dying..mostly wealthy professionals. So, we decide to take the war to them rather than spending the money protecting ourselves (a whole other rant). In effect, this has caused thousands more deaths. About 3,000 americans and perhaps hundreds of thousands Iraqis.

How is this the right answer? Do you think, maybe, that if we spend billions of dollars protecting our borders and our points of entry (airports/seaports), fewer people would have died and we would worry less about what danger color we were living under? Let me ask you this…if you believed that your family was in danger of being the victim of someone coming to your house and doing you harm…would you buy a top of the line home security system or would you roam the country looking for people that might be bad guys and shoot them down one by one? Well, if King George really wanted to protect his American family, maybe he should go out and buy a top of the line defense system for our country and stop going around the world shooting people and getting our people killed in the process. I am tired of it.

My two cents….would love to hear yours. And if you do comment, I promise to go back to lighter fare. J

Much love to all!
jak

Reason Number 200 why Flying is for the Birds

2007-04-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

A strange thing happened on the way to Memphis…due to inclimate weather, we were diverted to Little Rock, Arkansas. While passing the one hour on the ground to refuel and await the weather to clear, I was reminded of the following classic dialogue from the movie Airplane! A bit obscure, but after spending the good part of the summer of 1982 watching it on HBO about 200 times, you start to pick up lines other than “I am serious…and don’t call me Shirley.” So, to set the stage, this is the two PA announcers from the airport instructing drivers where to park, pick up passengers, etc…background noise, but a real gem in the annals of comedy writing:

Male announcer: The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in a red zone.
Female announcer: The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in a red zone.
Male announcer: The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in a white zone.
Female announcer: No, the white zone is for loading. Now, there is no stopping in a RED zone. Male announcer: The red zone has always been for loading.
Female announcer: Don't you tell me which zone is for loading, and which zone is for unloading. Male announcer: Look Betty, don't start up with your white zone shit again. There's just no stopping in a white zone.
Female announcer: Oh really, Vernon? Why pretend, we both know perfectly well what this is about. You want me to have an abortion.
Male announcer: It's really the only sensible thing to do, if it’s done safely. Therapeutically there's no danger involved.

Absolute classic. And this was from 1980!

So, on my way to D.C. again, but starting out the week in Philly. Checking out the facility that publishes all the Red Cross training material. Did you know that the American Red Cross trains 47,000 people DAILY? That’s right. First Aid, CPR, even Babysitting classes. For more information, visit http://www.redcross.org/. ;-) Another public service announcement to ensure I hit my court-assigned community service hours from that unfortunate incident during the Natty Five 9s last tour.

By the way, major props to Greg’s “blade of grass” comment on my last post. If you haven’t read it, go back and do it now. You won’t regret it. Brought a smile to my face. For those of you who have seemingly dropped off the face of the Earth, i.e. are no longer posting, I can only assume it is due to my lack of consistency as opposed to the rather obvious fall-off in quality of my posts. I will try to get back to daily posts, but you will just have to deal with the lack of pictures. Maybe I will post them ad nauseum on the weekends or when we get our cameras out of storage…whichever comes first.

Another note on not posting…my freakin’ brother Brian has time to post in between battling insurgents and water balloon toting kids…what is your excuse? That is what I thought. If you think you are too busy with your pedicures and manicures and your “jobs”, chew on that for a while. I know my posts are long and, for the most part, self-indulgent, but that should not stop you from seeking some semblance of fame by commenting on my now world-famous blog. (it is like airports that have one flight to Canada or Mexico claiming to be “International”…I have a reader in Iraq, so I am now World Famous). Don’t make me beg people!

OK…back to your lives. I have much more to say (mostly because I am bored sitting on this tarmac still), but will wait until tomorrow so as to make this post less of a novel.

Much love to all!
jak

A Return to Normalcy

2007-04-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

So, it is evident you people can't handle serious posts, so I will go back to doing fun ones. I guess I will have to vent somewhere else. Maybe buy a dog to kick around. Oh wait..I forgot about Hagen. Who needs a dog? Actually, Hagen has started to assett himself a little. Liska has been pretty brutish with him and he has reached the end of his rope. It cracks me up because the two of them seem like an old married couple. Liska will push all his buttons for a while and he will put up with it, but he has started to say "enough woman! I want to play with my toys in some peace for Pete's sake! sheesh." He has head butted her a couple times and tried to bite her. Then today, Liska was in the back seat singing non-stop and out of nowhere Hagen screeched as if to say "Enough with the singing! My god, all day, all night you yap yap yap...can't a man enjoy his formula in peace for two minutes? Is that too much to ask?" Liska obviously got the picture because she piped down.

A few updates for everyone who is interested...we are closing on the house in Tulsa on May 1. We will post pics once we get settled in. We are all very excited about that. My job is going well...I am consulting for the American Red Cross and have been travelling to D.C. on a weekly basis...though last week I was in Fort Lauderdale visiting the Broward County Chapter. Interestingly, about 100 Haitian refugees landed ashore while I was there and the Chapter went into full response and I ended up making about 30 sandwiches for the refugees. Pretty cool. Did not get to deliver them personally, but I am sure they enjoyed them. I got some grief from my coworkers who reminded me that the Red Cross is getting billed $350/hour for my time and I was making freakin' sandwiches...I told them I realized that and they would not believe the pressure I felt to make a damn good sandwich...so, add Sandwich Artist to my resume/skillset. :-)

On another, unrelated note...I know that a lot of you have asked what prompted the move from California to Tulsa. I mean, it seems like a big move from city life to country life...And, we have told everyone it was for a better standard of living or because Kat's family lives here and my family is closer...or the support system Kat has while I am away working. But, it came to me today why I had to move here...why I was drawn here. It is because I look skinny here! This place is full of fattys! Unfortunately, our friends are in good shape, so I have decided I need to buddy up with some of these fatsos and start hanging out with them so I look even skinnier...sort of a "Porker Posse". Who needs to diet when you can be surrounded by people twice your size? I will no longer feel guilty ordering queso and bacon cheeseburgers when the group with me is ordering two chicken fried steaks or bringing in their own bucket of chicken and just asking for a side of ranch to dip it in. Yes, life is looking up!

OK. I hope everyone enjoyed their April Fools Day. I strongly considered doing an April Fools post, but didn't quite see how it would differ from any of my half truth posts, so I opted out. Didn't want to confuse anyone.

Much love to all.

jak

California

2007-03-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

And another thing...Just kidding. No more rants this week...I have just been thinking about what made California such a big draw for me. I am quite certain it wasn't Eight is Enough as I sometimes claim. More likely it was all the great songs that have been written about the Golden State. But, as I sit here thinking about all those songs I loved about California, it starts to dawn on me that if you really sit and listen to the lyrics, the songs are pretty down on Cali! I mean, I have a very fond memory of driving across the bridge between SF and Heyward and listening to Semisonic's "California" on the CD player thinking it was one of those great Soundtrack moments...sun was setting behind me, etc. What a great song about California! So passionate! Well, on closer inspection, here are the lyrics as he describes the apparently negative effect his time in Cali had on him:

I pulled my heart out of my chest
mixed it up in my mind with the best, freshest pieces of my soul

Chose the ones I loved the most
Drove them all down to the coast...
Threw them in a big black hole

So, that is not a real Tourism Board anthem....how about my all-time favorite, Last Resort by the Eagles. Yeah, this song talks about the nice breeze blowing through Malibu and all the pretty people and how nice it is in Los Angeles, right? Let's give it a listen:

Some rich man came and raped the land
Nobody Caught 'em
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes
And, Jesus, people bought 'em

They called it Paradise
I don't know why
Call some place Paradise
Kiss it goodbye

Hmmmm....sounds like strike two. I know! California Dreamin'. I mean that song is all about how great Cali is. And I loved that one...even the Bangles version! Let's check it out...

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
I've been for a walk on a winters day
I'd be safe and warm...if I was in LA

Wait wait...this dude isn't even in California! Winter's Day? What the F? He just wants to be some place warmer. That is no great endorsement. Damn. OK. Surely John Bonham wouldn't lead me astray, right? Let's check out Going to California:

Spent my days with a woman unkind
Smoked my stuff and drank...All my wine
Made up my mind to make a new start
Goin to California with an achin in my heart

OK. This sounds good...not there, but taking action and he is 'achin' to get there. I like it...

Ride a white mare in the footsteps of dawn
Tryin to find a woman who's never never never been born
Standing on a hill in my mountain of my dreams
Telling myself its not as hard hard hard as it seems

What the F? What is he talking about now? That has nothing to do with California does it?

Shit...hmmmm. I've got it! It is all coming back to me now! This is it!

We've been on the run
Driving in the sun
Looking out for number 1
California, here we come
Right back where we started from

Or, maybe not. Maybe it was the show OC and not the song by Phantom Planet. Something to think about.

Actually, this whole thought process started when I heard the all-time greatest song about (or that subtly mentions) California the other day. I love this song and I wish we had played it in the Natty Five 9s. Check it out:

Ventura Highway in the sunshine
where the days are longer
the nights are stronger than moonshine
you're gonna go I know

Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying, no despair
Alligator lizards in the air...in the air

dodododododood

Gotta love it!

Missin' Cali!

much love to all!

jak

So Much to Say

2007-03-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

EDITOR'S NOTE: Jak is not a happy camper today, so please, if you are under 18 please do not read this post. I cuss a LOT.

Over the past couple weeks, I must have thought of half a dozen different blog posts that I wanted to write...I just haven't taken the time. Well, I have had the time...I have been on the road in D.C. the past two weeks and in Ft. Lauderdale this week. Its just that the topics I have been thinking of have been emotionally draining...I guess I have been reading and watching the news too much. It is really upsetting. I liked it better when I just watched Sports Center all the time or spent my free time drinking and jammin' with Greg. I mean, have you read the papers lately? We live in a pretty fucked up country/world! Last week I read about this guy and his parents who raped a SIX year old kid and then put him in a fucking trashbag and left him on the side of the road...can you believe that??? It makes me so fucking mad. I mean really. Can you imagine even thinking of hurting a SIX YEAR OLD kid??? And then having so much disdain for him that you put him in a fucking trashbag? Jesus H Christ on a popsicle stick. It reminded me of that fucker that went into the Amish school and killed those little girls a few months back. I wrote a little bit about that, but it just takes too much out of me. I just keep wondering what the hell is wrong with people. What is it about society that causes people to do these things? Is it just human nature for some people? Is it drugs? Is it the pressure of living in a society where you are an outcast if you are not successful or beautiful? What causes people to pick on those who are unable to defend themselves? I post pictures of my kids on this site as much as I can so I can show off to the world how beautiful and wonderful they are. I can't imagine ever wanting to hurt them. And, if anyone did hurt them, I fear that I would be consumed with exacting revenge. Seriously. It kills me to think that way, but even in play situations when another 3 year old is mean to Liska, I want to go over and give the kid a wedgie. haha Not really, but I can see that it gets my dander up whenever I think Liska is getting her feelings hurt.

Anyway...I was watching TV last night as I was unable to get to sleep. There were two documentaries on about drug abuse. One about teens that got involved in drugs early and tried to get treatment...some were successful and others were not. But, the ending was very poignant and got me to thinking. Society tends to judge kids on drugs as being poorly raised or bad kids or miscreants or whatever. And the end of this documentary showed a mom who was fighting for insurance companies to cover inpatient and outpatient drug treatment for kids. You see, her kid died of an overdose the week after her insurance denied coverage of his admittance into a program. But, as she was making her speech she held up a blown-up picture of her boy. She said "I know that when you see these pictures and pictures of other young people who have died of a drug overdose, you think 'look at that druggie'. When we as parents look at these pictures, we think of cowboy boots and ballet shoes. Of looking into our baby's eyes and seeing the pure innocence and knowing that raising this gift of a young person would be trial and error, but we would do our best." I think this is something that is important for each of us to remember. If you see someone in your life that is suffering from an addiction...of any kind...reach out to support rather than pulling back and judging or condemning. It is a chance to make a real difference in someone's life just through acts of basic kindness.

Whew...glad I got that out. Very draining for me. Thanks for listening...I don't rant much, but when I do you better well listen! haha

Oh, I have been listening to a lot of DMB lately and I heard some lyrics that were very relevant to this blog:

If I had the strength to
I would leave you up
To your own devices
Will you not talk?
Can you take pity?
I don't ask much
But won't you SPEAK....please.

In other words, comment on the damn blog! :-)

much love to all!

jak

Natty Five-Nine's Rock Montage

2007-03-20T22:13:00.001-07:00

Not sure if I mentioned it, but the last Natty Five9s gig was professionally filmed and edited...the attached is the montage from that gig. I know you will enjoy it. Special thanks to Brad Schreiber for putting this awesome piece of footage together.

This Day in History

2007-03-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

March 15, 2002 was a busy day for me. After 6 months in the mortgage lending business, I was beginning to hit my stride. I had partnered with a "slum lord" who had made personal loans to low-income families in central Texas as sort of "mortgages", but had grown tired of the business and wanted a return on his investment. So, he asked me to go visit each of these people, tell them they needed to refinance with my company because he was no longer interested in holding their liens. On this particular day, I drove up to Harker Heights and was having a particularly miserable time when I received a call from my friend Craig.

"Hey Jak...you want to check out South by Southwest tonight?"

"I don't have a wristband and I am about 100 miles away right now...plus, I am planning on hooping with McElvaney. How about tomorrow?"

"Dude, it is opening night...you have to go. Just get back here, grab a wristband and meet us at our house."

Since it had been a particularly awful day with a run-in with a Rottweiler and many blank stares from these people who didn't quite understand what was happening to them, I agreed. So, I headed back south to Austin.

Now, I am never one to skip a basketball game, so I got home, changed into my hoops clothes, packed some clothes for the evening and set out to get my wristband (for the uninitiated, you had to have a wristband to get into the 100 or so clubs that played host to SXSW). Before I got too far, I realized I was running late and that I should go straight to b-ball and then get my wristband. Which I did...great run...very hard...which meant very sweaty.

Feeling good, I got my sweaty self into my Ford Exploder and headed to Albertsons to get my wristband (note, this was about 10 miles out of the way, but that is what I get for poor planning). On the way over to Craig's house, I was in a rush and got nailed for speeding. First speeding ticket in years!

So, now I am really running late...but not too late that I can't stop by Mickey Ds and grab a number 10, Supersize with a Diet Coke (for those who don't know, the number 10 is the 10 piece Chicken McNugget meal).

Finally, I arrive at Craig's house...sweaty, basketball gear, hauling a big bag of saturated fat. I notice in the driveway a black VW Beetle. Not sure why I noticed it, I just remember really taking notice of that...anyway, I get inside and start telling Craig about the game and about how I need to take a "Mexican" shower (yes, I know it is inappropriate, but it seemed like the right thing to say at the time), could I borrow his bathroom sink. As he was imploring me to take an actual shower, the most amazing thing happened....one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen appeared out of nowhere...from the back room of Craig's house actually, but it appeared to be from out of nowhere.

I kid you not, the next 10 seconds of my life happened in slow motion...I remember it to this day...she turned the corner, hair flowing, long legs moving toward us, incredibly white teeth and a ridiculously charming smile....hubba hubba, right? I heard no sound for this brief period, so I am not sure what was said, but the next thing I knew, I was being introduced to a Ms. Kathy Huang, aka Kat. With a mouth full of nugget, I wiped my greasy hand on my sweaty shorts and reached out to shake her hand. To her credit, she took the offer and shook my hand back. I then excused myself to go take my sink shower and spruce up for the evening...

Fast forward to a couple hours later...watching Eric Johnson perform, Kat started to get a bit squeamish. I asked her if she wanted to go get something to drink and she liked the idea. She broke off and went to the restroom and asked me to get her something. All they had was sodas, beer and Red Bull...thinking that she needed "wings" I bought two Red Bulls. She was less than thrilled at that and politely declined. So, stuck with two Red Bulls, I drank one and put the other one in my ample pockets (cargo pants). Later on in the evening, still feeling a bit sheepish, Kat was looking bad...so, as the gentleman I am, I offered her the warm Red Bull from my pocket. She looked at me like I had 3 heads. A little bit less politely than before, she declined. What a snob! Who would turn down a warm Red Bull that had a thin layer of cotton between it and my unclean, dried sweat body? sheesh! Well, my heart was in the right place.

To cap the evening off, I had by this time decided that Kat was somehow going to be a part of my life and sooner rather than later. So, at our last stop (another loud bar), I decided that full-disclosure was needed...some reason, this meant showing Kat how hairy my stomach was...didn't want her to gag at some later date when I revealed it and it became awkward, ya know. I also decided that the noise level at the bar was such that I needed to firmly place my hand on the small of her back as I leaned my ear down to her mouth so I could better hear the beautiful sounds she was emitting. ;-) I think this was the real deal sealer.

Anyway, the evening came to an end, I had met my future wife and I looked forward to seeing her again very soon....little did I know we would be engaged 4 months later, married a year to the day later, celebrating our first anniversary with a 2 month old daughter and living in California and now celebrating our 4 year anniversary with a 3 year old, a 10 month old and living in Tulsa, OK. It has been a real whirlwind!

So, Happy Anniversary Kathy Huang Knight...I knew from day one that you were the one. If I could have heard anything at the time, you may have had me at Hello, but you certainly had me at first sight. Here's to many MANY more years of love and happiness.

And to everyone else on this happiest of days....if the house is rockin, don't bother knockin'...just leave! ;-)

By Popular Demand

2007-03-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

OK. I can't take it anymore...the requests for a review of the Natty Five9s last gig have been filling up my inbox, my voice mail and my dreams. It took me an hour to get into work today as I was stopped every 5 steps by a fan asking when I was going to share the love. Well, here ya go. Now give me my space!

So, as most of you are already aware, we had numerous requests from promoters across America, nee, the world, asking us to perform our last gig in their fair cities. Firs off, we really appreciate it. But, as I hope they all understand, we could only pick one. In the end, it came down to the financial incentive as well as the proximity to our home base. So, a belated congratulations to the fine folks at the Doerr Amphitheater in Valencia, CA. We couldn't disappoint our hometown fans...imagine Bob Seger singing his last song anywhere but Detroit. It just wouldn't be right...so, Chicago, Tokyo, Paris, Dallas...sorry. Maybe we will include you on our reunion tour.

Because this gig was as important to us as it was to our fans, we put in extra practice...late night sessions at my home studio/family room. Full on jams at the Browns. We put our heart and soul into this performance...which, honestly, led to some heated exchanges between bandmates. I think the stress of wanting to put on a good performance coupled with so many years working together, this was to be expected. When you work that closely with a group for so long, you become like family and, damnit, families fight. So be it. We worked through it and we came out better for it.

So, the practice paid off! The band ROCKED! Here are the players:

Greg Brown on lead guitar and vocals -- of all the Browns I know, he is the one named Greg. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Denise Brown on bass and lead vocals -- best looking Brown

Hong Kong Kitty Knight, lead vocals -- hottest chick in the band

Charlie Gertner, guitar, sound, vocals -- Mr. Diversity

Renee Zambrano, guitar -- more fans know him by the back of his head then by the front. (don't read too much into that)

John Crocker, guitar -- birthday boy

Mark Gorman, guitar -- showing us the importance of safety goggles to a band's stage presence

Jason Knight, drums -- nuff said

Sheila Monger, lead vocals -- the epitome of rock chick

So, we got off with a bang with about 45 minutes of warm-up. We decided to change our policy of locking the fans out until after our first song (we like to get them worked up into a frenzy) and we did a 180 and let them in to listen to warm-ups/sound checks. It was pandemonium. I've never seen such excitement over the tuning of guitars and the plucking of the bass. Of course, after years of dealing with such nonsense over the years, we came prepared and ended up playing behind a few lines of razor wire for our protection.

After warm-ups, we busted into the following set list:

Nasty Habits, Rolling Stones

Fortunate Son, CCR

Knocking on Heaven's Door, Bob Dylan

Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin

Bad Moon Rising, CCR

Drive me to Vegas, Blazing Haley

We had planned on playing a 10 song set, but the cops showed up in the middle of the last song and we finished it while Charlie pinned the cop down and held him at bay with his own gun. Quite dramatic. I've never seen a cop cry before, but it will be an image imprinted in my mind forever.

So, much thanks to all of our fans for their support over the years. As of about 2 hours after the last song, we decided that the Natty Five9s would be no more. The band has disbanded as we all look to make our own mark on the world.

Much love to all!

jak

Jak's Soundtrack

2007-03-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

So, I have officially left California..as of about 11am this morning, I was exiting the state. Pretty crazy. Had a great last get together with the Browns, Renee, Steve, Charlie, The Crockers, etc. and was glad to have the opportunity to say goodbye yet another time. I am currently sitting in a hotel room in Albuquerque and will drive the rest of the way to Tulsa in the morning...drive has been good so far. Which leads me to the point of this post....

Music is an important part of my life...as, I believe, it is an important part of a lot of your lives. We hear certain songs and it can spark a memory or lift our spirits. There are times in our daily lives where we may be doing some tedious chore, but a favorite song will put an extra spring in our step and get us whistling while we work. And, even better, there are times in our lives when we are experiencing something special and an unexpected song comes on our radio or ipod and it is such a good fit, that the whole experience is enhanced. This does not happen often, but when it does, it is something to be thankful for.

Does anyone remember the movie Traffic? Steven Soderbergh directed it and shot the entire film with a yellow filter on the camera...it made the whole movie quite surreal. I thoroughly enjoyed it...what the hell does that have to do with anything you ask? what a random thing to say in the middle of this post you say? Patience young Skywalkers. Trust me.

At about 6pm MST tonight, I crossed from Arizona into New Mexico. I was heading East (obviously) so the sun was setting behind me. If you haven't been to western New Mexico it is filled with flat-topped mountains called mesas. The first mesa you see as you enter New Mexico is a brilliant, reddish-pink mesa. With the sun at my back, this mesa and the others around it were perfectly lit and absolutely beautiful. As I sometimes do when I am taken aback by nature, I start to think about deeper things like creation and life and death...just then, on my radio, Hootie starts singing "Not Even the Trees"...."Alone...as I sit and watch the trees...won't you tell me if I scream will they bend down and listen to me..." This will be my soundtrack for the next few miles...

I keep driving and the colors of the mesas turn from pink to red to yellow and I find myself in the surreal feeling of Traffic...my whole world has now turned yellow and it is beautiful.

Hootie continues to croon..."Little boy says to me 'where you goin' now son?' I said 'I don't know where I'm goin boy, I only know where I'm from."...

As the sun continues to quickly set behind me (somewhere over the Pacific I'm sure), it moves behind the large mesa next to me so I am thrust into the shadows, but the mesas ahead of me continue to be brightly lit...it now feels like I have moved into a darkened theater and am watching these mesas on the big screen and it is truly high definition.

"I see you in my dreams...and I wonder if your looking down at me and smiling right now...oh yeah, I wanna know, if its true...when He looks at me, can you tell me, does He realize, He came down here...He took you too soon."

So, the beautiful scenery around me has me thinking about the possibility of a Creator...Hootie (yes, I know his name is Darius, but I like to call him Hootie) is talking about a man who has lost his brother at an early age and is looking to nature for answers...and this always gets me thinking about my Aunt Janice who died WAY too early..which of course makes this big baby start to get verklempt. And Hootie accentuates it...

"Right now, I just can't see cause I'm feeling weak...and my soul begins to bleed..and noone's listening to me...not even the trees"

Probably more depressing a song than my actual feelings, but it seemed so fitting and it made that 5 minutes as I moved from Arizona into New Mexico absolutely memorable. Who would have thought that would be the highlight of the trip?

Anyway, one last word to those of you who know "the rest of the story..." and you know who you are...just to put a final exclamation point on everything, I arrived at the Burbank Marriott last night and there was a Lord of the Rings conference going on...so, I was immediately surrounded by dorky looking people in masks, capes or both. A fittingly odd end to an odd week.

OK. You people stay in touch!

Much love to all!

jak

Liska's Interview with Doctor Brian

2007-02-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

So, being that I have been on the bench the past couple weeks, I have been much more involved in the kids lives...feeding them, changing them, putting them down for naps...enjoying their cuteness and enduring their not-so-cuteness. It has been a real learning experience. What have I learned you ask...I have learned to really appreciate every day I go into work. haha Just kidding....though I have learned that it is a tough, yet rewarding job that Kat performs. And I can only imagine what it was like when we actually had to keep the house clean...now that the house is off the market, it is back to being a dump! :-)

Anyway, I accompanied the family to the Pediatrician's office today. Liska had her 3 year wellness check-up and Hagen had his 9 month checkup. Liska continues to be average height and very light and Hagen is way above average height (75th percentile) and is VERY light. So much so that they had to run some tests to make sure he is ok. So, we will be keeping a close eye on that. I think he is just buring a lot of calories with all his screaming and crying, but I don't have the fancy degrees on my wall either, so we will wait and see what Dr. Brian has to say about that.

So, the real jewel of this particular doctor visit was that Brian interviewed Liska. Apparently, they do this at age 3 to see how they are progressing. So, here is a loose transcript of the interview:

Dr. Brian: Hi Liska, I am going to ask you a few questions, ok?

Liska: OK

Dr. Brian: Liska, are there things at home that you like to ride?

Liska: I like to ride my horsey

Dr. Brian: Oh, that's nice. Do you also have a bike or a tricycle?

Liska: I have a tricycle in the back yard, but it is all wet (EDITOR'S NOTE: it rained last night)

Dr. Brian: Yes, I am sure it is...it rained, huh. So, can you push the pedals on your tricycle.

Liska: I can, but the seat is all wet. (pretty adamant now)

Dr. Brian confirms this with parents.

Dr. Brian: That's great. Now, are you able to dress yourself?

Liska: I can put my pants on, but mommy and daddy put my shirt on for me.

Dr. Brian: So, they help with your shirt...what if they aren't with you, can you put on the shirt by yourself.

Liska: If mommy and daddy aren't there, then I yell for them to come help me with my shirt.

Dr. Brian: Ok, but can you do your arms by yourself?

Liska: Mommy and daddy help me.

Dr. Brian confirms with parents...yes, she can do her arms by herself

Dr. Brian: Liska, do you like to swim?

Liska: I love to swim

Dr. Brian confirms with parents...she does not swim at all, though lately, every time we pass the pool, she tells us how she loves to jump in the pool and make a big splash, but she gets upset when her pony tail gets wet. what a diva!

Dr. Brian: Ok Liska, let's see if you can make some shapes for me

He draws a circle and Liska draws a circle...he draws a plus sign and Liska draws a plus sign. We then (bragadociously) tell Dr. B that she can write her brother's name. He says "you tell her the letter and she writes it?"..we say, no, she just does it from memory. He says "let's see it." Liska then proceeds to blow his freakin mind and writes a perfect HAGEn. A very proud moment for the Knight family. Check it out:

So, on another note, I have decided to actually start working on the real novel that I wanted to write...my True Confessions of a Compulsive Liar was fun while it lasted, but I have been inspired by a fellow Longhorn to move forward with my little project. Just know, that it is a certain best seller and an even more successful screenplay, but I won't forget all you loyal blogaids when it goes big. I might ignore your phone calls and act like I don't know you when I see you on the street, but I won't forget you.

Much love to all!

jak

The Boy

2007-02-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

MY LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION WITH BLOGGER HAS REACHED AN ALL-TIME HIGH...FOR SOME REASON, I CANNOT POST PICS RIGHT NOW...BOTH THIS POST AND THE "IT HAD TO BE YOU" POST WERE COMPLETED TWO WEEKS AGO, BUT I WAS TRYING TO POST PICS...HENCE THE DELAY AND THE POTENTIAL FOR CONFUSION RE. DATES AND TIMES. I GUESS I COULD GO IN AND MAKE SOME CHANGES, BUT THAT WOULD TAKE EFFORT AND THAT IS JUST NOT MY BAG BABY. SO, ENJOY THIS NONETHELESS.

EDITOR IN CHIEF

As many of you loyal readers have probably noticed, I have made many a snide comment about my son, Hagen. From referring to him as a screamapillar to constantly referencing his inate ability to annoy me. Trying to include him as part of the sale of the house. Well, it has come to my attention that some people who may not truly understand my sense of humor are starting to worry that my love for my crying, whining, mama's boy son Hagen is not as great as my love for my beautiful, intelligent, perfect daughter, Liska. This could not be farther from the truth. :-)

Seriously, Hagen has evolved into an amazing kid. He has a lot of the same qualities of Liska in that he is quick with a smile, shows signs of great intelligence and is very observant. He is also a damn fine looking kid. ;-) To quote a 10 year old neighbor girl "when Hagen is older, girls will walk by him and say ooh la la." What he brings to the table that Liska did not is a real sense of adventure. He is into everything. He has already climbed the stairs in record time...will be walking before we know it and is making some sounds that are starting to sound like actual words (mommy and daddy mostly). Now, this doesn't mean that he and I don't duke it out sometimes...I think that is a good thing though. He pushes the envelope a little more than Liska and that is just fine. It is part of his endless charm.

Anyway, I wanted to get that straight. I love my son. For now. He better watch his step though...

It had to be YOU

2007-02-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

So, I was talking to Neil Armstrong the other day and I asked him "Hey Neil, do most astronauts wear boxers or briefs?" He responded "Depends."

Thank you, thank you...I've been working on that one all week. haha

So, Kat and I have embarked on the YOU Diet, made famous by Oprah Winfrey. Dr. Oz has made some appearances on her show and Kat was intrigued, bought his book (YOU on a Diet) and we are now 8 days into it and feeling pretty good. It is very basic...we walk 30 minutes a day, do non-weight exercises every other day...the nutrition part of it is the tough one. We had to go through our pantry and refrigerator and literally throw away anything that had High Fructose Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Oil, Enriched Flour or Simple Sugars as the first 5 ingredients. Needless to say, the proverbial cupboard was bare once we were done. After a trip to Trader Joe's, though, we were set and ready to embark on the plan. I have already lost 6 lbs and am not fiending for pizza and queso like I thought I would be...My diet basically consists of Cheerios with strawberries for breakfast, Turkey Burger or pasta for lunch and fish or pasta for dinner with vegetables. Kat makes big portions, so we say "Lunch. It's what's for dinner." Anyway, it is going very well. We will keep you posted as to our results. :-)

During our second day on the YOU diet, we were walking along McBean toward North Park. See, one of the great benefits of this particular diet is that during our walks, Kat and I can chit chat about a myriad of topics...mostly around the house and the move to Tulsa, new job, etc. On this particular day, we were discussing the merits of keeping the house on the market or taking it off. Our thinking was this....the main season for buying a house doesn't start until late spring...our house had been on the market since November 5, 2006 without a bite. Maybe we could take it off the market for a couple months, put it back on in mid-April and test our luck then. We had basically come to the conclusion that was the right answer when Kat's phone started to chime that incessant Boomer Sooner song. Man, that drives me crazy...anyway, it was Wade. For those of you who don't know Wade, he is the husband half of our husband and wife realtor team. Wade told Kat that he had just spoken to another realtor and that we should expect to get an offer on the house in the next 24 hours...unbelievable! Here we were about to take the house off the market and we get an offer! So, true to his word, Wade called us last Saturday morning and told us we had an offer for the house. It was about $5K less than what we hoped for, but $5K more than most realtors told us we would get. We countered that same day and got exactly what we wanted! So, long story, short, WE ARE IN ESCROW! We had inspections on Wednesday, appraisal today...we are also meeting with the moving company today to get an estimate. We have to be out of the house by March 8! So, it will be a whirlwind around here for the next few weeks. We will end up moving our stuff into a storage unit in Tulsa for a while as we have the luxury of living with Kat's parents until we find a suitable home in OK. Craziness!

Of course, Kat and Liska were so excited that they spent the majority of Wednesday night taking turns throwing up...that's right, I think in total they each lost their dinners/lunch/breakfasts 8 times (4 each). Not a pleasant scene. Fortunately, Liska only puked on me twice. I felt lucky.

Hope everyone is doing well...we will keep you up to date with our progress in moving!

much love to all!

jak

LIfe's Been Good to Me so Far

2007-02-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

Many of you can relate to the title of this post...I think that most of us have had very good lives...some rough spots for sure, but, in general, we are all blessed with friends and family that love us, roofs over our heads, great jobs and a secure future. Considering what we see on the news from our country and abroad every day, we should all feel blessed.

I was thinking about this as I sat in the first class cabin of a Continental jet, sipping a cocktail on my way to a business trip where I would be staying four days in the Ritz Carlton in Cancun, Mexico. Yes, life is going to be a bit different at my new job...;-)

For those of you blogaids that don't know, my last day at Nestle was last Friday. I lasted about 19 months in the corporate world and have now gone back to the consulting world. Back with the 'band'. This will be my third go-around with EquaTerra and my fourth with my unofficial mentor, Patrice. So, as luck would have it, the EquaTerra annual summitt was occurring two days after my last day at Nestle...so, I was off to Mexico to reacquaint myself with my former colleagues and to meet the many new peeps that have joined the team since I left...EQ has become more international and is up to 160 advisors (I think I was employee number 10 the first time, number 50 the second time...number 150 something this time).

Anyway, I will be on the bench/beach for the next couple weeks waiting to be staffed on a job. Playing a little golf...doing some work around the house...hopefully doing some research projects for EQ. Not sure where I will be first, but could be Chicago...that would be my preference.

Still no word on the house...it has now been on the market almost 3 months. We have some peeps who have looked at it 3 times and our realtor thinks an offer may be pending...just not sure how much...soft market is a thorn in our side. :-/

Liska and Hagen continue to be wonderful kids. Liska is doing great with her alphabet and counting and Hagen is a crawling king and has even started crawling up the stairs! We expect him to be walking before his first birthday. And if he is not, we will just put him on eBay and be done with this whole "two kid" experiment.

OK...more pics next time...much love to all!

jak

The Knights go to Disneyland (and Aquarium of the Pacific)

2007-01-18T23:12:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally did it...we bit the bullet and took the kids to Disneyland. I thought for sure that Liska was too young to appreciate it and it would not be worth the money. Well, we took care of that by having Kat's friends take us....Adam and Joie got us in with free parking and free admission to the park for the whole family! It is nice to have friends who work for Disney. :-) So, with the whole "not worth the money" thing behind us, we saddled up and made the 90 minute drive down to Anaheim. As you can see from the pictures I was completely wrong about how much fun Liska would have...she loved it! Though she was a little weary of Mickey and his cult leader-esque garb (notice how she keeps an eye on him at all times?), she loved Pooh and had fun on the couple rides we took her on...Winnie the Pooh ride and Its a Small World ride. Good times, good times.

OK...short post today as we are getting the house ready for its first post-holiday season showing tomorrow...I might have to break the pics down into two posts because it is slow as molasses today.

BTW, Liska loved the Aquarium too...she could have stood and watched the shark tank all day long!

Much love to all! I expect many thanks for keeping this short!!!!

jak

Happy New Year!

2007-01-11T23:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know it is already January 11, but as you can see from the pictures, we have been quite busy....Liska's birthday party, her first trip to the dentist...my getting my long, beautiful locks sheared. That's right. I have gotten rid of all that pesky hair...and no, I didn't lose a bet...I did not join the Army and it is not flea and tick season. I just wanted to get rid of it. Is that so wrong? It was difficult to get used to at first, but I am very comfortable with it now and will keep it like this going forward...my dad and I will both be pseudo-skin heads. :-) For those of you who don't know, that is our good friend Denise Brown cutting my hair. She is a real pro! The price was right too. :-)

So, Liska's birthday was quite an event...we celebrated with Kat's parents on her actual birthday by doing the ice cream cake thing...we also, of course, had to go get noodles as it is a Chinese custom to eat noodles on your birthday...it signifies long life. So, she's got that going for her...which is nice. The 7th was craziness as we had nearly 40 people in our house and out in our backyard for her big party. Fun had by all despite the wind and (relatively) chilly temperatures.

The week before Liska's b-day, I went out to Vegas with a friend of mine and had a nice, relaxing time. Ended up killing on the blackjack table to the tune of $1500 and also won about $900 on the slots. It was a good couple days! My buddy is a high roller there so we also got to stay in this penthouse suite with a full dining room, big screen tv, wet bar, two rooms, sauna, etc. It was a good time.

So, I know this post is basically just filling everyone in on what is up, but I did want to see what everyone's New Year's resolution is. Mine is to get serious about drinking more and finallly take up smoking. I've put it off too long. Actually, I did not make resolutions...I keep thinking how funny it is that people use this time of year to reinvent themselves...where did this all start? I have a feeling it was some dude who woke up on January 1 back in the day after a night of Bachnalian debauchery....he struggled out of bed around noon and looked in the mirror and said "I resolve never to drink again!" Splashed some water on his face and walked out to his family room. When he realized that the Rose Bowl was about to start he promptly announced "Hair of the dog!" and thus became the first of many people to break a New Years Resolution the same day he made it.

In other news, we are taking Liska to Disneyland tomorrow and then to the Aquarium of the Pacific on Saturday. Birthday party on Sunday.....we tried to get Liska to get her haircut on her birthday, but she kept telling the lady to stop touching her while giving her her best Heisman pose....I am officially training for the Bayshore marathon in May, so the Bartkowiaks should get ready for an invasion of the Knight men over Memorial Day weekend this year....over the past couple weeks, Hagen has started crawling, pulling himself up and cruising the furniture. He has also written his first symphony...eat that Amadeus!!!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday....Happy New Year to all.

OH yeah, check out Liska's dancing prowess on YouTube...just go to the link in the Christmas post and click on "other videos from this user" or some such thing. You can see her dancing around in her Yo Yo hat.

OK....much love to all!

jak

Merry Christmas 2006

2006-12-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone! Here is a short 5 minute video of our Christmas morning so those of you who are interested (and who wouldn't be??) can have a virtual Christmas with us!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tuWAQqdR3w

This was the first Christmas where Liska really understood what was going on and the whole Santa thing...she got a big Brio Train set and table from Santa and she has been playing with it non-stop! She loved all her gifts as did Kat and I. Thanks so much to everyone who sent packages to help us celebrate!

I hope everyone is enjoying their day.

Much love and holiday cheer to all!

jak

Fall Out Boy on SNL

2006-12-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

Fall Out Boy on SNL

Watch this video on Grouper.com

Add to Blogger Blog

bear with me...I am on a role wasting time at work. haha Here is a great live show by fall out boy on SNL. Love this song!!

Add a video comment to this video

cork soaker

2006-12-21T10:18:00.000-08:00


This is truly one of the funniest SNL skits of all time...I watched it on Yahoo Video and it asked if I wanted to post it to my blog so I am testing to see if this works. Take a look and let me know what you think....

Appreciating Life Events

2006-12-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

As I was driving home last night (LA traffic allows you lots of time to think...if you don't spend too much time cursing and honking) I was considering all the "huge" events that have touched me over the past week. And then I started considering how much time we all spend thinking about what we have to do...how busy we are...what projects need to get done and how this type of thinking takes us away from appreciating all the truly grand things that take place in or around our lives. Let me give you a few examples:

1. At lunch yesterday, Liska asked to use the potty. Sounds pretty minor, but it is actually HUGE. We have been pretty laid back about potty training her and she has been hit and miss about it...going to the potty sometimes and refusing others. Mostly she would go if we asked her to go, but this was the first time she just up and said "I need to go to the potty!". So, Kat grabbed her hand and they ran to the restroom at CPK...a few minutes later, they came back and the smile on Liska's face and the skip in her step told the story...this was not a false alarm. Our little girl had listened to her body and vocalized her need and then was able to deliver. What a great milestone in her young life.

2. Denise got the go-ahead to work from home three days/week. Our good friends the Browns had been stressing over how to have Denise spend more time with Annalee. At one point, she thought she might have to quit...but, one chance discussion led to the wheels being put in motion for her to get this flexible schedule that would allow her to work from home and not give up her salary, benefits, etc. What a great coup! The best of all worlds and, again, this is an event in their lives that will make life more enjoyable and will have a profound effect on their daughter and will give her that much greater opportunity to be President or an astronaut (kids still want to be those things, right?) So, I am certain that my Mom and Sis can give Denise some great advice about working from home, but since I did if for a couple years, let me just say this...get up early, shower right away, put on the same type clothes you would normally wear to work....I always was more productive when I didn't just roll out of bed and work in my pajamas until noon. That's just me though. :-)

3. My good friend at work, Joe, lost his 'son'. Joe Chance is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. A chinese guy, born in Jamaica and currently living in Toronto (beat that!). He and his wife never had the opportunity to have kids, but had two full-grown Rottweilers that they treated like kids. Well, over the weekend, Joe lost one of his kids. Completely unexpected. Right before the holidays. I couldn't help but think back to my first "kid", Kelsey. A beautiful Golden Retriever I adopted in 1990 while a sophomore at UT. Great dog...sweet as can be. She lived with me through college and then in my first place in Houston...all small apts/condos. So, in September 1995, I found a house with a big back yard, made an offer and was going to move in the first week of October. During that time, I took a trip to South Bend with my bro-in-law to see UT play Notre Dame. It was my birthday weekend. Great trip, got home on the 25th (for those of you who don't know, that is my actual birthday) and, as usual, as soon as I opened the door, Kelsey barked once and then started her victory lap around the dining room table...she had done this a million times before...everynight I got home from work she sprinted around the table and then attacked me with kisses...this time, though, she suddenly dropped halfway through her lap and went still. I rushed to her and immediatly knew she was gone, but picked up her lifeless body and ran to the car and sped to the emergency animal center hoping against hope. I got there and the vet pronounced her dead on arrival...it was absolutely crushing. Even now, I think back to how badly I felt. She certainly didn't live a full life...and she never got to run free in her own backyard, though she was only a week away from getting that feeling. Joe has had his dogs twice as long as I did and has certainly shared twice as many memories...his holiday season has been marred and he has a void that will not be easily filled. A tragic life event, but certainly an event worth appreciating.

So, just three things that I appreciate being a part of this week. I will strive to spend more time thinking about these things than the 20 things on my to-do list at work or the 20 ways I can think of to stop Hagen from crying when I get home. :-) Let me know about what you are appreciating this week. :-)

I promise to get some pics up this week sometime....hard to do from work and almost impossible to find time at home.

Much love to all!

jak

Cab Ride with Brett

2006-12-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen/read the plays of Neil Simon? Many of them have a character (oftentimes the MAIN character) who is a young, neurotic Jewish kid coming of age. Remember Matthew Broderick in Biloxi Blues? Or Jonathan Silverman in Brighton Beach Memoirs...by the way, did you know they were both the same character? Eugene Morris Jerome. Classic line...when Stanley (his older brother) asks him "How horny can you get?" Eugene responds "I don't know, what's the highest score?".

Now, it may come as some surprise to you all that I know so much about Neil Simon plays that became movies. It just so happens that they are the ones that HBO played ad nauseum as I was growing up. So, whether I wanted to or not, I got to watch them numerous times and grew to love them. :-)

Anyway, what was my point with all this? I certainly wasn't just interested in getting feedback about your knowledge of Eugene Morris Jerome...oh yeah. Glad I typed in the title of the blog first as it reminded me of the point at hand...my cab ride last night with my co-worker Brett.

Brett Colbert reminds me a lot of our friend Eugene Jerome. I just told him that and he was offended...of course, when he asked me what I meant I said "you know, stereotypical jewish kid from the 50s." He didn't like that so much...but, he does. And this story will prove me out.

So, first of all, I arrived at Newark Airport at 3:20 local time yesterday...I had planned to wait for Brett until 4pm because he had indicated he already had reserved a car for our ride to Greenwich. Come to find out that when he made the reservation, they took it down for 1/1/07 rather than 12/11/06. Not quite sure how that happened, but 2 hours later, our ride was there. It took about 1.5 hours to get to the hotel and then we got a cab to the Ginger Man in downtown Greenwich. This is where the fun started....

First, Brett asked if the guy took credit cards...he said yes, but it was a $30 minimum. We asked how far the place was and he said about $21 fare, so we agreed as it is easier to use CC when travelling...so, we get about 100 yards out of the hotel parking lot and the cabbie (known to us now as Mohammed) pulls over to the side of the road...Brett immediately says (and fyi, Brett is sitting in the front seat) "what are you doing? are you going to kill us?" Mohammed assures us that he is not going to kill us over Brett continuing to ask him what he is doing. He is simply pulling out the AmEx form so Brett can fill it out on our way. He subtly indicates that there is a place on the form to indicate tip to which Brett replies "I'm not sure about that...I am very hungry and you keep stopping, so we will see". As you can see, Brett is the epitome of how to make friends and influence people.

Next. we get to Greenwich Avenue and it is pretty evident that Mohammed is lost. He asks Brett "where is the place again?", obviously looking for him to repeat the address...rather than give him the address, Brett says "I don't know...you are the one who lives here...i don't live here!". Mohammed tries to explain himself, gives up, and keeps on driving. After a few more turns, we are back on the right street. So, as we pass storefronts, Mohammed says "what are the numbers here?". Of course, Brett says emphatically "I don't know, I don't have my glasses, you have your glasses, you tell me what the numbers are!". Fortunately, we had arrived at the Ginger Man and could escape the situation.

So, had a great meal, got back to the hotel, watched some football and then talked to the hot chick that I call my wife...we actually did a crossword puzzle together over the phone...how romantic! haha

Going out to eat with my buddy Guy tonight, so will report on that tomorrow. I know how interested you all are in my travels. :-)

much love to all!

jak

I am soft as Church music

2006-12-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

It is truly amazing what people will start sending you as they find out that you have a loved one that is in Iraq. One of my co-workers saw the pictures of Brian in uniform I have up in my cube and asked about it...turns out her entire family has served at some point in their lives and she soon sent me the poem below. Of course, she sent it to me at work and, because I am soft as church music, I got all verklempt and did not appreciate that at all! :-) So, be warned...if you are at work, make sure it is ok to shed a tear for this is a tear-jerker.

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right"
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

dangit, I just read it again and getting all teary-eyed. sheesh.

Hope you enjoyed it!

much love to all...jak

My Beautiful Life

2006-11-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that another month has ended? I swear it feels like this year has flown by. I just started writing 2006 on my checks! Well, if I wrote checks. Which I don't. I mean, who needs checks? Does anyone write checks anymore? Besides the lady in front of me in line at the grocery store? I have actually gotten to the point where I will scope out the lines and choose the line where there is a 40 year old or younger man with a basketful of groceries before I will get in back of an older woman with half as much stuff...because you just KNOW that she is not only going to be writing a check, but she will be filling out her little check register as well. "now, let's see...that is a $14.36 check and take that from the balance, to get...." Jeez Louise! Get an ATM card already!

Man, that was a tangent...here I was wanting to talk about how fast the year was going by and what I had to be thankful for in 2006 and next thing ya know...

So, I am certain that all of us are thankful for something...some of us were probably cajoled into sharing this information at a Thanksgiving dinner somewhere..."now, let's go around the table and have everyone share what they are thankful for this year". How sweet. Nothing like putting people on the spot in front of relatives they hardly know and see only once a year...do you think that the percentage of people that say "I'm thankful for a loving family" is like 95% or higher? Well, that is the easy answer...I am here to share with you absolutely EVERYTHING I am thankful for in 2006...the good, the bad and the ugly.

1. I am thankful for my loving family -- I know. I just dissed this thanks, but dangit, its true! Many of you probably are not surprised at this as you have read their comments on this blog...and, quite frankly, you have to be a pretty loving family just to keep up with this crap. :-) They are truly the most caring, loving people you would ever want to know. To have so many of them take time out of their busy lives to come visit us out here on the coast, really means a lot to me.

2. I am thankful for great friends -- Again, you have seen some of my best friends post on this blog...and there are others who refuse to read it, but that's ok. It is nice to have great friends live so close...Greg, in particular, gave me the shove I needed to get a drum set and start playing the instrument that I always loved, but was reticent to get into...Patrick and Brady have made trips out here to basically just hang out and see what our life was like out here. Groy has been here 9 or 10 times and we have seen him for about an hour, but that's ok too. We take whatever we can get...we chose to move out here and knew that would make it difficult to see friends and we appreciate any time we have to see them. I know others have come out, but I am purposefully making this list non-exhaustive...too stressful re. forgetting names. :-)

3. I am thankful for the birth of my son -- May 11, 2006 will always be a special day for me as Hagen joined our world and he has been letting us know he is there ever since...man, is that kid loud! Seriously, every day he becomes more and more bareable and one day will be a real joy to be around. ;-)

4. I am thankful for professional connections -- It is good to be able to switch jobs without interviewing...I am interviewing candidates for the position I am vacating and it is a really crappy process. I have not been interviewed for a job since I went to work for SourceNet in 1999. 4 jobs ago. I am the poster child for it is not what you know, it is who you know...I hope to join the "what you know" crowd in the not-too-distant future.

5. I am thankful for my beautiful daughter -- now, you may be saying "didn't you give thanks for your whole family? doesn't your son and daughter get covered under that?" Well, for those of you asking that question, why don't you do your own damn blog? Who are you to question what I write on this blog? sheesh. Seriously, I want to reiterate a couple things. 1) this thanking is done in no particular order...I am certainly more thankful for my daughter than my son, yet she appears two slots lower than him. 2) When I said family, I meant, mom, sister, brother, aunts, cousins, etc. 3) Any negative comment I make about Hagen is in jest. The kid is unbelievable in his personality, looks and charm. He has become a rather amazing little boy. It is just fun to make negative comments at his expense that he can read later and spend years in therapy about. :-) Now, back to my daughter. What else can you say about this little girl that I haven't already said on this blog? She is freakishly intelligent (latest record is brand new 24 piece puzzle in less than 15 minutes), unbelievably charming ("what'd I just do?"), nearly as funny as her dad ("do your ears hang low, do they wobble too and fro, can you tie them in a knot, can you tie them in an ELEPHANT!), and incredibly beautiful (see any of the pics on this blog). She lights me up every night when I come home (as does her brother).

6. I am thankful for my beautiful wife -- She puts up with me...nuff said. Truly, those of you who know me know that I am stubborn and opinionated and I fart an awful lot. I am like a 5 year old that has to be reminded to put on my seatbelt and to wash my hands after going potty and to brush my teeth before I go to bed. I forget things all the time...she is constantly having to load up the kids and drive my wallet/watch/computer/jacket///// down to me at work because I forgot it in the mornings. I take the wrong route almost everywhere we go...I like to "discover" shortcuts (did I mention she gets carsick?). I sit on my butt every Saturday in the fall drinking beer and watching football..screaming at the tv...oh wait, she is doing that with me. Man, that is something to be thankful for...SHE WAKES ME UP FOR COLLEGE GAME DAY! I can't say enough about that girl. Did I mention she is a great cook?

7. I am thankful for The Browns -- Now, I know I already mentioned friends, but dammit, I meant it when I said stop questioning me or go do your own blog. Just think to yourself for a second about the following...young family with a toddler move to a city they are unfamiliar with...know noone...bought a house they could barely afford...how scary is all that? Truly. It was petrifying. Now, think about how good it would make you feel if someone came down to welcome you to the street before you even really got started unpacking...offered to help you out...had a young toddler of their own and the sweetest 8 year old daughter you could hope to meet. Now, you may be saying...well, shoot, that is just common courtesy...well, we lived in Austin for 2 years and had no clue what our next door neighbor's name was...I could barely pick them out in a lineup if I had to. Anyway, they soon started inviting us over for drinks...dinner...chipping golf balls in the back yard...we basically ate together 3 or 4 times a week that first summer. Then the pushing me to get into drumming...Denise and Kat shopping together on Mondays...jam sessions on Friday nights....introducing us to the wonderful Mongers, Charlie, Rene, et al. They really took us in as family and we will always be thankful for that. Kat and I always say how lucky we were to pick the particular street on which we now live...and the Brown's played a huge role in that feeling.

I am most thankful for the aggregate of all these things...being alive...having healthy kids...a roof over our heads...a steady job...great friends....loving family...wainscoting. I could go on and on (and for those of you who made it this far, you know that I basically already have). To all that read this blog and comment, thank you too. This is a great release for me made even better by the fact that it keeps me connected to all of you.

I think my friends in Queens of the Stone Age say it best....

"I want something good to die for, to make it beautiful to live"

Much love to all,

jak

Good Friends

2006-11-20T22:56:00.000-08:00

I know this is sort of a tease, but it is the only picture I had quick access to and it is pretty freakin' cute. It is a month old, but the kids look basically the same today. You can actually see the exact same picture at my beautiful wife's new blog at hkkittyincalifornia.blogspot.com. Check it out!

I was thinking on the drive home today about what constitutes a really good friend. I guess, in reality, the ingredients of a good friend are probably different for each of us. But, I do think that there are some basic traits across the board that we can all agree on. Unfortunately, they seem to contrast each other....

First off, I think everyone would agree that the perfect friend be nice. Very basic...just be nice. Not mean.

Second, they should be giving. Not self-centered, but giving of themselves, their time, their beer. (or other valued things).

Third, they should be loving...different than just being nice, they should be capable of giving love to others and as importantly, to themselves.

Fourth, they should be "fun". Not necessarily funny, but fun to be around. If that means they are humorous or intellectually stimulating or clownish, that is fine if you consider it fun.

Now, I know this person is sounding like Ned Flanders and, really, who likes Ned Flanders. Which leads me to the fifth and final characteristic of a perfect friend...that they NOT be perfect. They need to have flaws...they need to rile you up....they need to do things that make you scratch your head...they need to do things that make you wonder why they are your friends. They need to make you temporarily lose sanity every once in a while. None of us is perfect, why would we want to hang out with someone who is??

Not everyone has such good friends that meet these strict criteria. I am lucky that I do. I have some of the best friends that a person could ever hope for. Some from childhood...some from college....some from my professional life....and many right in my own family.

I truly believe that one person that epitomizes all these traits is a guy that I have been talking a lot about lately...my brother Brian. For those of you that know him, go back and read each of the five traits and I would guess that he was one of the first people you thought about for each one. He is genuinely nice. He wouldn't hurt a flea and I don't think he has ever done anything in his life to intenionally hurt another....he is giving....man is he giving. Whenever Brian would get paid (and he always worked), he would come back with a bag full of my favorite candy or baseball cards. He would take me up to the store to play video games...he would also give a few dollars to those starving kids in Africa that you would always see in those commercials and wonder who adopted those kids...Brian did...Loving doesn't begin to describe Brian's capacity to care for others. I know that he loves all those he has crossed paths with and he is quick to give of this emotion when meeting new people as well...Fun? Brian is ALL about fun. He has told more jokes in his life than Jerry Seinfeld....most are really REALLY bad, but he alway seems to have some new ones. He is quick to laugh and always trying to make sure that everyone is having fun when in his presence. Lastly, Brian is certanly imperfect. He has made those decisions that make you say "what in the world??"...he has done some things that make you want to choke him...but, no matter what he does, you still have to love him.

He is Brian.

That's it...

He is Brian.

And for those of us who have known him so long...that means something. WE all love him very much...I just wanted to make sure that I introduced him to those of you who didn't know him...I figured if I am going to ask you to send your prayers or white light or whatever you believe in, I should give you some insight into the man.

He is Brian.

And we love him.

Much love to all of you...my good friends.

jak

D Day

2006-11-20T07:56:00.000-08:00

The day has finally arrived. My brother Brian is on a military plane headed for Kuwait as I type. He will be spending a few days (perhaps weeks) there prior to being sent into Iraq. Over the past couple weeks, his assignment has been changed and it could change again. For fear of pulling a Geraldo, I won't post where he will be, but at this point it appears he will be somewhere within the Sunni Triangle. I am today, as opposed to the last time I posted on this, much more at peace with this. I mean, I hate to see him doing it and I think it is the ultimate in foolish life decisions, but as far as feeling gloom and doom about him not coming back...I don't see it coming down like that. The more I think about it, the more I think that there are many things working in our favor...First, the odds. As much as it pains me that a single person had to die in this god forsaken adventure, the percentage of soldiers killed or maimed there is very small. Second, our family has already suffered great loss with the death of my cousin Tommy over there on Christmas Day 2003. Third, Brian is not a gung-ho hero commander type. I don't envision him putting himself in unecessary danger. I see him as going over there, doing his job and that's it. So, in conclusion, I feel very strongly that in a couple years, I will be sitting down with Brian and hearing stories about how hot it was and how boring his job was. :-)

All that said, I ask that everyone keep him in their thoughts. As my mom says, send him white light. Think of his two beautiful daughters and his new bride and step-son and all the rest of us who want him back here in one piece.

Much love to all!

jak

What did you Expect?

2006-11-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

Like sands through the hour glass...so are..the days of our lives. Yes, yes. I know. It has been a while since I last posted. I had my favorite event agency person remind me in a subtle way that I need to keep the world posted on my life so that my faithful blog aids can somehow live vicariously through me. It is an amazing responsibility to keep you people entertained, yet, I chose to do this and I must live up to my end of the bargain. So, here goes....

I was thinking the other day...is there someplace on earth where a person eats chicken for the first time and says "hmmm...this tastes like Frog Legs"? I'm certain there is. I mean, it would be short-sighted for us to think that everyone else in the world used chicken as the gold standard for what other stuff tastes like. It is like the people who are so incredulous that not everyone on the planet speaks English...or that soccer is the most popular sport on the planet...or that christianity is the third most popular religion. I guess we as Americans are pretty insulated from birth and the propoganda would tend to drive us towards these feelings that everything we do is the "norm" and anything we don't do is "weird". Which reminds me...i before e except after c unless the word is weird or foreign. I made that up when I was a kid and thought I would share it with you....seemed pretty funny at the time.

So, the democrats have taken over the government and it could not have come at a better time. As most of you know, I am a staunch democrat as I actually care about people and have yet to make enough money for that concern to override my compassion. But, over time, I am hoping to be rich enough where I care more about keeping my taxes low and less about those rat bastard poor people. Those will be the days. In all seriousness, with my brother heading over to Iraq on the 20th of this month, it is good to have some level-minded doves driving the discussions re. Iraq now vs. the neoconservative Hawks pre-election. I propose a gradual withdrawal of troops starting with old guys named Brian. It is the only plan that makes any sense. I also propose breaking Iraq into three separate countries. They could do it similar to what they did with Germany...split it down the middle (or, in this case, thirds) and then split up the oil producing regions like they did with Berlin. That way, the Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites could all have their own land and not have to intermingle and they could still share the oil revenue. And the US could stay there and just man the borders to make sure that they don't break into a bunch of border wars. Just a thought....

So, the Knight family continues to stay busy...Hagen had his 6 month check up this morning and continues to head down the charts as far as percentile...he is 16lbs 4oz and 27.5 inches. Which, in comparison to Liska makes him a monster, but is only the 35th percentile vs. other kids. Liska continues to get smarter and more beautiful every day. She is now working on jigsaw puzzles and is mastering the 24 piecers...we are going to have to get her a 100 piece puzzle just so she doesn't finish them so quickly. I think from the time we open the box to completion is less than half an hour. Pretty crazy. But, with the Knight surname comes certain expectations for brilliance and she is living up to it. :-) I think the visit from her cousins pushed her to be the best she can be as they are all brilliant as well. Not that I am bias. :-)

We put our house on the market and the folks from Designed to Sell finished up and it looks fantastic! It ended up being the largest open house in Designed to Sell history. Peeps lined up down the block...over 100 in total. No offers though. I am fully expecting that we will still be in Cali when I start my new job....speaking of which, that job starts on January 2. I am staying at Nestle until then to help with transition. Noone really wants my job as we have not gotten any applications from the internal posting so we are looking for peeps outside the company. Should be interesting. I did learn that my new firm, EquaTerra, is going to be having their annual summit at the end of January and it is going to be held at the Ritz Carlton in Cancun, Mexico. A stark contrast to anything we do at Nestle...it will be nice to get back to a small company that treats their employees like Kings and Queens. haha

OK...enough writing for today...have to save some for tomorrow. I am going to try to get on more of a regular writing kick...I tend to not want to write at work, not because it is a bad use of company time, but because I have no pics on my computer to upload. But, when I get home I am too damn tired to do anything, so I end up not posting at all. So, suffer through no pics for awhile and just read my brilliant writing. Hopefully I will get back in the groove and write something worth reading in the not too distant future. :-)

Much love to all!

jak

Made for Hollywood

2006-10-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

You know how sometimes you hear a story or something happens to you or someone else and you say "that was scripted for Hollywood" or, even better, "Hollywood couldn't have scripted it any better"? Well, I have a story for you that just might trigger that emotion...

In the fall of 1945, just two months after the unconditional surrender of Japan which signaled the end of World War II, a little girl was born in southern Michigan. The youngest by far of three daughters, this young girl, whose father died when she was only 9, grew up in a world of tight budgets and imaginary friends.

Fast forward a couple of years and this young girl has turned into a rather intelligent young woman. And also a pregnant young woman. "With child" at the age of 19, her plans for college are suddenly put on hold...

On to 1973 and our young protagonist, now 27, is a single mom with three children ages 8, 6 and 1. Living in "government subsidized housing" as she would call it (fancy word for the ghetto) in Michigan, collecting welfare and going to school to finally get her degree, relying on the kindness of strangers to watch her youngest child as she could not afford daycare or a babysitter.

Now, let's travel to 1978. The kids are now 13, 11 and 6. Our young mother is 33 and has finished her undergrad degree. She is re-married and working as a union-busting manager at the largest corporation on the planet. Standing up to the catcalls and brutish behavior on the car manufacturer's plant floor showing the toughness that she had gained over a life of hard knocks. Moving up in the world and gaining confidence every step of the way.

Now, October 26, 2006, 61 years to the day after this young girl came into the world, let's go ahead and add a J.D. after her name as she attended law school in her 40s while working full-time and passed the bar on her first attempt. Her children are all grown and very successful. Her oldest is also a Bar certified attorney. Her middle child is about to go to Iraq to defend our country and her youngest is a ne'er do well blog author, but he has a wonderful family and doggone it, people like him.

Yes my loving fans, I am speaking of my mother. The most amazing person I have ever known. To summarize, in the past 30 odd years, she has gone from an unemployed, degree-less, single mother of 3 living in the ghettos of Michigan to having titles such as Executive VP of Human Resources, with an undergrad degree and a J.D. No longer living in "government subsidized housing", she has a beautiful home in Austin, TX with expansive views of Lake Travis. Through it all, one thing has remained amazingly constant...she is passionate, caring and loving. She loves her children with all her heart and that, honestly, is all that matters to me.

Happy Birthday Mama! Now get your butt out to LA and watch my kids!!

Much love to mi madre! jak

Back to the Basics

2006-10-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

Now that it is evident that noone is reading my blog once again, I can get back to the basics. Talking about stuff that interests me. The rest of you be damned. That's right. I know you are still out there. Pretending to be upset that I don't write you everyday like I did in the beginning. But, shit, I have work to do...I am moving across the country....being on 'stand-by' and 'taking five' with my homies from HGTV. You think I have time to write a stupid blog every day? Of course, I can't just come out and go postal against my loyal fans...I need to think about the future...I may need you someday. So, I have to be more subtle about it....I have decided to let others do my bidding...Greg and Denise know what I am talking about. You think Liska stepping on Claira's hand was some minor slip? Try commenting on my blog more and see if it stops...or don't and see what she steps on next. Its your choice. Real simple. And Kat, do you think Hagen scratching your arm so you look like a scarred gangster the rest of your life was some freak accident? Think again. You're my wife for pete's sake and you aren't even commenting on my blog. Mom, Liska has been talking clearly for months....maybe a comment here and there and I'll take the marbles out of her mouth when she is on the phone with you. Wouldn't that be refreshing? And Kirsten, do you think it is a coincidence that we decided to move to Tulsa instead of Houston around the same time you stopped commenting? Think again.

You see people, it is very simple...you comment, you can live a nice, peaceful life. You don't comment then, quite frankly, you leave me no choice but to provide the appropriate repurcussions. Your choice.

And I know the worst punishment of all...no pics of my gorgeous kids. So, starting today, no pics until I get a comment from one of you.

That is all....

Tigers Roar in '84

2006-10-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, the Tigers are no longer the Tiggers and they are once again in the World Series. The last time they went was the season after I left Michigan and headed down to Houston. Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Jack Morris, Lance Parrish, etc, etc. Great year. I honestly cannot name a lot of the current Tigers, but am very happy to see them have such a successful year. So, for those of you out there who could care less between STL and Detroit, cheer on the Tigers...they will appreciate your support.

So, I have promised to reveal some HUGE news on this blog and now is the time. The word is out...the Knight family is going to be heading to Tulsa!!! Yes, I am going to be heading back to work for EquaTerra doing the consulting gig and, thus, we are going to move back to T Town so Kat can be closer to her family and have that support while I am out of town. The money is fantastic, the job is much more strategic than executional/administrative and Tulsa is a hell of a lot more affordable. We are both looking forward to it, but getting the house ready to sell and trying to coordinate the move is a bit stressful. There is one thing that is making that process a little more enjoyable...we were selected by the HGTV show Designed to Sell as a house they are going to revamp for their next episode!!!! Not sure if many of my blog aids are big fans of DTS, but it is a very popular HGTV show where they come in and redo 3 rooms in a house and completely increase the value of your home for sale. They have already filmed two days and will start the work next Tuesday. Two more filming days while working and then they will film the Open House on November 5. We are hoping for offers at the Open House, but the current market tells us that we will probably have to wait until January for a sale to occur. Which is cool, but the sooner the better.

Big news, big news!! We are very excited and invite anyone who wants to come out to Cali to do it soon and help us work on the other rooms of the house to get it sale ready. :-)

OK. I hope everyone is doing well...I will try to be more regular on this site in the future. I know my last couple posts have been boring, but I will get back in the groove.

Peace out to all my homeys!!

jak

Fun with the Family

2006-10-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post some pics from the Michigan crew's visit to Sunny California. Great weather, great experiences, great fun. Looking forward to the next time we all get together!

Much love to all!

jak

Man, these kids are good looking!

2006-09-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

OK. Pursuant to my last post, it is increasingly difficult for me to concentrate at work, so I decided it was probably time for an update to Longhorn in Paradise. I am quite certain that my recent lack of posts has caused most people to give up hope and stop checking in, but I'm ok with that. I just have to win them back. And since nothing HUGE is going on in our lives right now, I'm sure I will be able to focus more time on this endeavor. Gots to set priorities. So many things to get peeps caught up on. Where to start???

Triathlon -- What an awesome time that was!! Greg, Rene and Bill joined me down in Zuma for the event. We all woke up at the crack of dawn...well, dawn hadn't even started to crack actually as we departed around 4am. I'm quite certain it was easier for me to wake up since the stories I heard of the goings on the night before at the Brown house lead me to believe that Greg and Bill may not have gotten much sleep. The odor from the PC and the comparison Greg made regarding Bills snoring (A wooly mammoth eating a muskrat I believe is how he put it) were just two of the clues. haha But, we got off without issue and headed down/up/over to Zuma. The weather was beautiful! Not a cloud in the sky, warm, but with a bit of a breeze. I probably would have died if it had been hotter, but just came close with the weather we had. The Pacific Ocean was a balmy 59 degrees as we started our swim. I was in a group called the "Clydesdales". We went off with the group called "Thunderthighs". Guys were complaining about how insensitive the nomenclature was, but I tried to stay focused on how to keep warm. Contrary to popular belief, this thick layer of fur on my body does not insulate me from cold. Anywho, swim went great once I caught my breath. Did my best not to get lapped by the 14-29 year old girls that started 5 minutes after me...there is photo proof that I got out of the water about 2 steps ahead of the first finisher in that group. :-) Bike was VERY hilly. Advertised as "gently rolling hills", they turned out to be violently rolling mountains. Not cool, but I made it. Once again the transition consisted of Team Knight giving me grief about my tight outfit, offering me beer and generally giving me grief (Did I mention that they made me a sign that said "Go Dork!") The run was very rough. My legs were exhausted, the heat had really turned up and I just generally don't like to run. But, I made it to the end in a respectable 4 hours and 9 minutes placing me 12th among my Clydesdale compatriots. Not too shabby for a first timer, but I can definitely do better. I will MOST definitely do this again. Great time!

Knight Family Visit -- What an awesome time that was!! I truly cannot vocalize how great it was to have all these people I care so much about milling around the house every day. I would get up and go downstairs and just get a huge smile on my face. I think everyone really enjoyed themselves. Besides the usual going to the pool, sitting in traffic, drinking beer, sitting in traffic, playing cards and sitting in traffic, here was the agenda during the visit:

Thursday - Kat, Carrie, Craig and I went to the Dodgers vs. Pirates game. Craig and I had to drive 2 hours to pick up the tickets, but it was definitely worth it! Our parking pass put us, literally, right next to the stadium. We had to take like 20 steps to get to the gate. Kat wanted to take a picture of that more than anything! Tickets were about 20 rows up right at the Dodgers on-deck circle. We were right behind Tommy Lasorda!!

Friday -- The whole group went on a private tour of the Fox Studios. We got a behind the scenes of the whole lot and learned quite a bit about how movies/tv shows are made, etc. Did not have any celebrity sitings, but we did see a life-size mold of Tom Cruise. Man is he a small dude!!

Saturday -- The Bartkowiaks and Stinchcombs went to Magic Mountain to get their fix of Roller coasters. I, of course, stayed home and watched College football. :-)

Sunday -- What a great day! Early morning wake-up call as we loaded up the van and the jeep and headed up to Santa Barbara. What a beautiful drive!! Up the Pacific Coast Highway, the weather was perfect, great parking, warm water (relatively), good grub. Just a perfect day.

Monday -- The dread of heading back to work the next day and seeing everyone leave was partially aided by the fact that it was my birthday and people were finally being nice to me. :-) We hung out at the pool, drank some more Coronas (I think we finished off a truck load during the week) and then had a mini birthday party. Fun had by all!

And that leads us to today I guess. I have so much exciting news to impart, but cannot at this time due to circumstances beyond my control, but I hope to be able to reveal things in the next week or so. So, stay posted!

OK. I am exhausted from typing. I have tons more great pics I need to post for your viewing pleasure and will do so at the next available oppty. Thanks for your patience.

Much love to all!

jak

I've got to concentrate...concentrate...concentrate...

2006-09-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite lines from the movie airplane is when Stryker is trying to land the plane and he is talking to himself and says "I've got to concentrate...concentrate..concentrate...concentrate. I've got to concentrate...concentrate...concentrate..concentrate. Hello...hello...hello...hello...echo....echo....echo...echo." Pretty frickin' hilarious. Hopefully everyone has seen it because it does not translate very well to the written word, but man it was funny.

Anyway, the point is that with the college football season underway, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for me to stay focused at work. Especially with the UT vs. Ohio St. game coming up this weekend. Number 1 vs. Number 2 for the first time during the regular season since 1996. In Austin. Should be an amazing game. I would have gone, but decided to sell my four tickets on e-bay instead. Got about $1600 for them. Not a bad consolation prize. :-)

For Labor Day weekend, the Knight family flew to Houston (courtesy of Mom K) to spend some quality time with my older bro prior to his deployment. We got to meet his new wife and stepson and had a great time. Feeling better about his decision to head over to Iraq. Not excited about it, but at least understand his reasoning. BAsically he is tired of the Michigan winters and wants to go to a place where the sun shines every day. ;-) Good enough reason for me.

Hagen had a doctor appt. today and he has gone from big to average. He is 50th percentile in height (25"), weight (14lb 12oz) and head size. So, I have decided that there is no time like the present to start lying about his age. Someone asked tonight how old he was and I told them he was 1 month old. They couldn't believe how big he was! I mean, I much prefer that reaction to the know-it-alls who take a look at him and say "aw..what is he, about 3 or 4 months?" Hmph. Actually, he is still a stud who is long and lean with an attitude. He is a real straight shooter who has upper management written all over him. (The Bobs, Office Space). "Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you there." (Lumberg, Office Space) Note to Browns...you guys REALLY have to see that movie.

Alright my loyal blog aids...that is all for tonight. I am going to try to do some book work tonight, so go check that out too.

Much love to all!

Reality Bites

2006-08-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

So, I know it has been quite a while since I have posted. I have been exceedingly busy and, quite frankly, uninspired to write. Not sure why. There just has been little going on in our lives that seems noteworthy...I work, work-out and play with the kiddos...Kat hangs out with the kids, teaches piano and hangs out with me. We painted the master bedroom last weekend and the master bath this weekend. Tomorrow should be really exciting though as I plan to add laundry and vacuuming to the mix. That's just how I roll. :-)

We are getting very excited about football season and even more excited about the Michigan clan's trip out here to Valencia. As is my MO (modus operandi for you non-latin acronym knowing individuals), I don't really get overly excited or anxious about upcoming events until they actually happen. Not sure why. Maybe my brain just won't allow me to set expectations about things in advance...this can be good and bad. It is good because some of the exciting sports events I have been to have never failed to exceed my wildest dreams. I'm never disappointed because I expected too much. It can be bad too because it doesn't allow me to prepare myself for some things that need to be prepared for...things need to be done sometimes to prevent a big letdown or sudden realization.

Such is the case with my older brother Brian. You see, Bri guy decided a few months ago to sign up for the Army Reserve. He did this knowing full well that there was more than a slight chance that he would be shipped off to Iraq. I also knew this, but my mind wouldn't allow me to dwell on it. Just went on with my life periodically stopping to comment on what a nimrod he was for signing up during a crisis such as the Iraq occupation. So, time goes by and I hear rumors that he may be getting called up in the fall. Maybe deployed to Iraq. But, again, no worries. Sounds like it might happen, but the reality of it has not really sunk in. I do start to wonder if Brian is the most selfish person in the world for doing this or if he is truly just wanting to serve his country. He doesn't naturally fit into either category. Has always given his shirt off his back for his family and friends. And I don't see him as being Joe Red White and Blue man either. So, on with my merry life.

Well, I found out last week that Brian, at the ripe old age of 39, is getting deployed. He is going to Fort Dix (I'm sure he will have fun with that one) on September 7 and then going to Mosul in Iraq to train Iraqi Security forces. That's right. He will be out and about in Iraq, hanging out with those individuals the insurgents like to target most. So, I hear this from my mom while I am travelling back to LA from St. Louis and am still pretty much blase about the whole thing. But, for some reason, reality finally hit me on the drive home from LAX. I actually started thinking about the blog I would write about this development and the words that were coming into my head were very angry. I was really pissed off about this. Then, the floodgates opened and I started thinking about the fact that when I say goodbye to my bro over Labor Day, there is a better than even chance that I will not see him again. That my mom will join the thousands of other moms in getting that nightmare call from the government talking about how Brian Pyle had given his life in honor of our freedom, yadda yadda yadda. And I got even madder. I hate freakin' crying and here I was having to pull over on the 405 to get my wits about me. Then I was mad for being mad as it was not the emotion I wanted to feel if, indeed, this was the last time I was going to see him. So, I have basically decided to treat him like a great brother next weekend and withold judgement. If he dies in Iraq, then I will get mad and call him bad names. If he survives, I will welcome him back with open arms and then sear his eyes with a hot poker as the Army won't make him go back if he is blind. I'm taking volunteers to help hold him down.

So, what is the point of all this? Nothing for you people. Just a little therapy for me. Don't think I have to explain the title of the blog this time.

For those of you waiting on the next chapter of my book, I appreciate your excitement, but please stop camping on my lawn and leave my wife and kids out of this. We don't need paparrazi chasing us all over town. I will give you a hint about the coming chapters. Some working titles:

The Zip Heard Round the World
My night at Abu Ghraib
The Hairiest of the Knights
Engaging in Homosexual Activity aka My Introduction to Wave Runners

So, somethings to look forward to. I do my writing on the train and am back on-board this week.

Much love to all...thanks for continuing to listen to my ramblings!!

jak

Long time, no pics

2006-08-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I know it has been a long time since I have posted and even longer since I posted pics. I hope you have not given up on me. And if you have, your loss pal! I have been so freakin' busy lately with work, training and raising two beautiful kids. I have also written the first short story of my collection...I have started another blog so you can check it out if you feel like getting even more freaked out by my warped sense of humor. My inspiration is Jon Stewart's book "Naked Pictures of Famous People" which is a series of bizarre short stories. I hope you enjoy. I will give you the URL at the end of this post. There is a lot I need to cover, so clear your calendar for a few minutes before you embark on your reading.

Why is it that some things improve with age? I mean, we all know that wine improves with age...but only certain wines. That box of vino I bought last night will probably go bad rather than improve. Also, it seems that when Kat makes pasta or chili, it is always much better the next day or the day after that. But, when I made the same dishes in the past, a couple days later, mold would be forming. So, what is the differentiating factor? Why are some things more apt to age better than others...not only age better, but actually become a superior product over time? It seems to me that those things that are developed with great care and utilize the best ingredients are more likely to age more gracefully. So, maybe this explains why someone who has made great strides in developing himself with exercise and has made it a habit to only put the best, most healthy foods into his pie hole, would also improve with age...maybe? Regardless of all that, there can be no doubt that my Pops, Don Knight, has certainly improved with age. The same guy that would call me from Pennsylvania as he snuck a smoke out in the shed (I would hear periodic, forceful exhales and ask what in the world he was doing...blowing out smoke), drink cases of beer each week and load his freezer with raw meat has somehow transformed himself into a top tier athlete. I know this not because he came to California and got lost on a walk and went 10 miles out of his way without complaing...no, I know this because I just verified on the US Masters website that Arthur Donald Knight, aka Pops, won bronze medals in the National 5K and 10K racewalks. That's right, I said National. Held at UNC Charlotte, he raced against some of the top race walkers in the country and was only beaten out by 2 people!!! It really is rather amazing and I find it difficult to express how proud I am of him, but, Pops, you have come a long way and you are truly a role model for your son.

So, in my attempt to keep up with the Popses, I continue to train for my triathlon. Here is what my schedule has been since mid-July:

4:30am - Wake up
5:30am - Begin workout -- Mon, Wed, Fri is weight training and Tues, Thurs is basketball
7:30am - Begin work -- work has been CRAZY! I presented to the US purchasing team this morning, will be presenting to the North American Promotion Council on Tuesday and have just finished drafting a PowerPoint for a 3 hour presentation to the Latin American purchasing organization. That will be my first with microphone, on stage in front of 100+. Should be interesting.
4:30pm - Head home
5:15pm - Play with Liska for 30 minutes
6:00pm - go to track and run or go to pool and swim for 30 minutes
8pm - Put Liska down
11pm - Put Hagen down
11pm-1am - more work
4:30am - wake up and start over again.

So, I am pretty much always tired. Once this tri is done, I will be able to get some rest. I'm also trying to hire someone to support me at work, so that will help as well. The good news is that I am now down to 223lbs, so have lost 27 since March 1. I feel great!

Speaking of the tri being done, the Michigan clan will be down right after that and I just wanted you all to know that we will have plenty of shampoo and shaving cream and any other water based product that you won't be able to carry on the plane. We got ya covered, so fear not!!

OK...I am sure there are other things to report, but I will save some for next time. I know this goes without saying, but our kids continue to be perfect. If by perfect, you mean they don't sleep much and Liska gets spontaneous bloody noses and waits for Kat to start nursing Hagen and starts to really act up knowing that Kat cannot stop her. Other than that, they are perfect. Liska is sooo cute as she continues to expand her vocabulary. Hagen smiles so much and coos and farts like a champ. That's my boy!!

Alright. I know if I type much longer, it won't get read. If you want to follow the progress of my book "True Confessions of a Compulsive Liar", check it out at jaksbook.blogspot.com. Be forewarned that it basically takes what I do here to a new, bizarre level. And I use dirty words. :-)

Much love to all!!
Jak

Banner Day for Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDs Fund!!

2006-08-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

Donations continue to roll-in for EGPAF. I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone that has donated to this cause on my behalf. Not only are you supporting a great cause, you are helping me to win my Nautica work wardrobe (prize for raising the most money).

Here is a complete list. If you pass these people on the street or talk to them, give them a thank you and, if you have not donated, go ahead and tell them why you hate kids with AIDs so much. :-)

Aaron Moscoe
Angela Smith
Uncle Chuck and Aunt Joanne
Corporate Images
Craig Callaway
David Muraco
Don Knight
Greg Brown
Guy Wisinski
Jenny and Tim Regan
Kathleen Hall
Kirsten McLean
Patrice Gilles
Patrick Gauna
Patrick OGrady
Randy Ness

Thanks so much to everyone!! Total raised to date is $2,275!!! Total raised today is $1,150.

For those of you who have lost the link or don't feel like searching back 5 posts to find it, here it is again...you too can see your name on the most famous blog currently being run by me. :-)

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=156824&lis=0&kntae156824=C5D91D92D2F5435A8E79AEAD47F8D0A5&supId=137019843

Great Days in History

2006-08-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

As historians reflect on events that have occurred since the dawn of time, there is a tendency to mark certain events as more significant than others. Within those significant events, we further characterize certain moments in history as "world-changing". Some things that come to mind are the discovery of fire, the invention of the wheel, the assasination of Arch Duke Ferdinand, the development of Chile con Queso, etc. Most of these "world-changing" events have happened in the distant past. This is because it is hard to gauge the lasting impact of more recent events.

Well, after 41 years, I think it is safe to now say that the birth of Kirsten Lynne Pyle was, if not a "world-changing" event, definitely a moment in time that we should all be thankful for. I know that I am. I cannot imagine my life without her in it and I have to believe that many readers of this blog feel the same way. Her unending love, humor and kindness and willingness to help out whenever and wherever she can has certainly impacted who I am today and I am forever thankful to her for that.

So, Happy Birthday sis! Kick up your heels and celebrate life!!

Much love!!

Jason

Sweetness Defined

2006-08-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

When you have a daughter like Liska, the term "sweet" can begin, at some point, to lose its value. It seems everything she does we label as "sweet" or "precious" or "obnoxious". Not so much the last one, but, as you all now know, she has her moments.

So, this past weekend, Liska brought sweet to a new level. You see, we spent the weekend down in Huntington Beach at the Bank of the West Beach Games. It is an Arrowhead (Nestle product) sponsored event that showcases The US Open Surfing Championships and other X game competitions like BMX, skateboard and Motocross events. We get VIP passes and sit in the sky boxes and watch it above the heads of the common folk/riff raff that show up for these events. Anywho, during the drives to and from Valencia and from the beach to our hotel, Liska requested (and of course got to listen to) Closing Time on the CD player. For those of you who don't recall this catchy little diddy from a few years back, it is by Semisonic and goes something like this:

Closing Time, one last call for alcohol, so finish your whiskey or beer
Closing Time, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here....

I know who I want to take me home....(3x)

So, like her papa, Liska is very adept at learning the words to songs after a few listens. So, she would sing along to the song as it played and then sing it whenever we were out and about. I didn't realize how proud she was of herself until I would sing it with her and she would get a huge smile on her face and sing even louder.

I'm not to the sweeter than sweet part yet, so hold on to your hats...

So, when we got home on Sunday, we planned dinner with the Browns. When we told Liska, she announced that she could sing Closing Time to Claira and Annalee. She was so sincere about it! So, in the next half hour or so, you could tell she was practicing it. She really wanted to impress her friends with her new song that she loved so much.

I should note here that the only way that Kat and I know she is singing Closing Time is because we both love the song and we know what she is trying to do....the words are not very decipherable, but the tune is.

Anyway, we finally head down to the Browns and Liska again announces "I can sing Closing Time for Claira and Annalee!" I'm a little nervous now because I know how much this means to her and I am fearful she will be frustrated that noone knows what she is talking about. As a doting father, I never want to see my daughter deal with any psychological pain. Not like I did growing up in a house full of drunks and drug addicts..that's right mom and dad..it is all out in the open now! muhahahahaha

Sorry. Just wanted to make sure peeps were paying attention. :-)

So, we get to the Browns and as soon as Claira is done serving Liska some pizza, Liska busts into song. Full force. I can hear it behind me and I turn around to see what the reaction is from Claira and Annalee...maybe they are rapt with attention at this beautiful girl singing her hearts out for them...maybe they cannot believe their ears that they are hearing a modern, popular song being sung by a two year old (as opposed to the Little Einstein theme song)...or, as it was, maybe they continued to eat their pizza without a glance in Liska's direction. Poor Liska I thought. My heart sunk...but only for a moment. Until I realized that Liska really didnt' seem to care who was paying attention. She just kept singing like she was the star of this show...in fact, her eyes were closed, so she may have thought we were all there, watching her, waiting for her to finish, so we could give her a standing ovation...

She ended the song, opened her eyes and looked around, I started clapping and saying "yeah Liska! That was beautiful." She lit up with a huge smile and said, simply, "I sing Closing Time for Daddy!". Yes you did my sweet little girl...yes you did.

Ode to Kat (as adapted from an e-mail written by Kat)

2006-07-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Funny you should ask how my day is going
Two children screaming right now (and they don't appear to be slowing)

Liska is screaming at me from her room
MOMMY! she cries (as if there is imminent doom)

Hagen is screaming because I've set him down
I scramble to make a smile out of his frown

Liska will not nap as she fears being alone
I could probably go get her if I had a clone

My work is never done here, I need a rest!
I'm sorry, I just had to get that off of my chest

Now that I'm done with this sad little ballad
COME HOME SOON! And don't forget to pick up the salad!

As adapted from the last e-mail I got from Kat....I'll be home soon baby!!

Jason

The Fly

2006-07-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I am sure that most of us had our share of fears/phobias. I, for one, was afraid of monsters or boogie men. Hollywood drove some of my other fears as a wee lad....sharks (thank you Jaws!) and nuclear war (thank you The Day After). One thing that I am quite certain I was never afraid of was flies. I feel like I have always had a comfortable relationship with these bug-eyed, hairy backed flying creatures. As a young boy, I would use them to work on my hand-eye coordination as I swatted them mercilously. Of course, Keith "Grasshopper" Carradine made the use of a fly swatter so passe when he showed us that a fly could be caught with chopsticks. That was my goal for many years following the end of the Kung Fu series. Then, in Spanish class, one of my favorite sayings was "En boca cerrada, no entran moscas." Literally translated it means "Into a closed mouth, a fly will not enter.". In other words, zip it! Then, who can forget that great song by The Flys in the mid nineties...

Heyyyyyy...what's the point of this?

Heyyyyyy...what's your favorite song...maybe we can hum along

I think you're smart, you sweet thing

Tell me your name

I'm dying here

OOOOOOh Got you where I want you...yeah

So, needless to say, I don't have any issues with flies. BUT...my daughter has developed a VERY healthy fear of flies within the past week and it has the whole Knight household perplexed and just a little bit perturbed.

I shouldn't really use the term fear as this is certainly a phobia. I'm not sure how it started, but my money is that it has something to do with the night we locked her in her closet with about 100 horse flies. But, truly, could that REALLY have an impact on a person's outlook towards flies? I just thought the buzzing sound would soothe her and put her to sleep, but turns out...not so much. She was wide-eyed rocking back and forth in the fetal position in the morning when we went to get her. I guess we learned our lesson on that one...maybe bees would have been better as they buzz louder. Next time maybe.

Anyway, I digress....Liska is deathly afraid of flies now and it is having an impact on our lives. She literally starts to scream and cry whenever she sees a fly and has to evacuate the room. And she will not enter back into the room until her superman-esque daddy strums the guitar and sings the "Anti-Fly song". I can never remember the words to the song (even though I made it up), so it is always different, but it seems to help. Though, tonight she still refused to go into the family room even after multiple renditions. So, we have had to move some of her toys into the living room and we keep a close eye out for flies so that we can divert her attention from them if they come a-buzzin'. If any of you faithful readers have ever experienced something similar, please share your story. If we don't call attention to this issue, who will?

In the reality department, it has been about 100 degrees for 2 straight weeks here in Valencia and the AC is running non-stop. This does not seem to affect Hagen's development as he is still growing (Size 2 diapers already) and he is cooing like crazy and smiling and basically being a good kid. He slept for 6 hours a couple nights ago!! So, we have adjusted his schedule to include a bath and an extra feeding right before bedtime (11pm). In other words, whatever the hell we did that night, we are going to try to keep it going. Wish us luck!!

OK. I have to spend the rest of my peaceful weekend cleaning house and folding laundry. Then, it is off to bed and another week at the salt mines. EDITOR'S NOTE: For those of you unfamilar with this hokey vernacular, I have NOT left my job as Purchasing Manager at Nestle. Salt Mines is just a euphemism for going to work. Kapiche?

I hope everyone is doing well! Much love to all and have a great week!! Another EDITOR'S NOTE...I originally had a question mark after the "I hope everyone is doing well". My lovely wife mocked my poor grammatical efforts, and thus, with tail between my legs, have decided to let my adoring fans know that I am merely just one of you...not some uber-author superhero...but, just one of you.

P.S. aren't my kids talented in addition to their undeniable beauty?? :-) Liska reading sheet music at 2 years old? Hagen belly surfing on daddy at 2 months??

Goodwill Hunting

2006-07-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

Good morning to all my blog aids spread across the universe! Since I last attempted to quantify the number of regular readers, it has come to my attention that I was being VERY conservative...I had listed a number of states and foreign countries that were represented and I have been made aware that I forgot a couple...a big welcome to the states of Oklahoma and Illinois!! I guess some of our peeps in Tulsa and OK City have been keeping up with the goings on here as well as my adoring cousin in Chicago. Big shout out to Lisa and her gorgeous daughter Olivia. I believe that Olivia and Hagen are the same age difference as Lisa and I...Lisa is 2 months older than me. And she always treated me like that little brother she never had...teasing me, beating up on me and making me eat things that humans should not eat. haha Not really...well, some of it is true. I'm sure the years of therapy will someday make me whole again. :-)

So, Goodwill Hunting...what the hell does that mean? Why would this joker make that the subject of his post and then spout off about how popular his blog is in the smallest states in the Union? What gives? I thought I was going to get a review of that madcap comedy from the 90s starring Matt Damon as a math wiz....and I get this self-aggrandizing bs!!! Well, my faithful readers, if you would just show a little bit of patience, I am getting to that. And, NO, this is not a review of the movie...that would be Good Will Hunting. So, get over it. I'm talking about the search for the closest place to dump all the junk...er give away your cherished possessions to those less fortunate. As Kat and I like to do periodically, we purged some of the items in our lives that are not essential to our happiness, put them in shopping bags, loaded them into the Jeep and headed down to the Goodwill Center. As Kat likes to say, this process always makes her feel "lighter". It is a good feeling. But, as the Goodwill Receiving Clerk was taking our worldlies, something occurred to me...the power of this individual is probably least proportionate to his job perception than any other. Does that make sense? I mean, this person has the ability to tell you "we can't accept that." Bill and I dealt with that after the yard sale...with skis and a wheel barrow. So, we are all excited about making some space by getting rid of this junk...we load it up...drive all the way down there..and this guy crushes our hopes and dreams with nary a thought about it. And there is no challenge to this guy's authority. And, in general, I would say that if you thought of the jobs that people dream about having, this is one that has got to be close to, if not at, the bottom of this list. SO, I am issuing a challenge to all of you...can you think of another instance where the perception of the job is so low, yet the power so great.

Israels response to Hezbollah's kidnapping of two soldiers is so far out of line that I won't give it more than a sentence here. Unfreakin' believable. It was nice to hear that our president was once again caught cussing into a microphone he didn't realize was on. He just makes me so proud to be an american I want to scream.

But, I digress. What I really wanted to do today is tell you about my son. Hagen has morphed into some sort out of control party animal who doesn't want to sleep at all. Between Kat and I, I think we got a couple hours sleep last night combined. The little bugger would not go to sleep! It was like he was wired on coffee, but Kat did not drink any coffee yesterday!! Aack! I am so going to hit the wall hard today...probably in the next couple hours.

OK. I should get to work now. I will mention that I got a personal thank you from Jenny Regan for the shout out she got on an earlier post...I think that deserves another shout out...and, yes, Jenny, I will be coming down to visit you and Tim and Graham sometime in the near future....I promise. :-)

OK...I hope everyone had a great weekend and is ready to have a wonderful week. I must say that this is the best July 17th I have experienced year to date. :-)