If I had a nickel for everytime I thanked God for twitter, I'd have atleast two dollars by now. A few weeks ago while perusing my tweet stream on my phone I saw a deal from Air Fare Watchdog's (follow @airfarewatchdog) twitter feed advertising a one weekend cheap flight from San Diego to Minneapolis. After a quick chat with my boss granting me a long weekend I had my flight booked less than an hour later for only $220 round trip, direct, taxes and fees included. How'd I get so lucky? Its not always clear why airlines cut rates for specific weekends, or when their seemly impromptu airfare sales go live, but two things are for sure: You need to be flexible, and you need to jump on a deal when you see it.
For those of you that don't know of Air Fare Watchdog or other deal hunting websites, but love to frequent sites like Orbitz or Priceline looking for cheap or impromptu deals, I'd highly recommend switching. These websites take all of the great deals currently listed by all carriers and keep that data in a central location. So instead of checking numerous websites a few times a week, one could check a single website (or follow one on twitter) to see when great deals are to be had.
I got particularly lucky to find such a solid deal out of San Diego, which is a relatively small airport, (especially with LAX just a couple hours north) but for any of you who are located in a major city with a large airline hub, these deals can come up more frequently. Last winter when I was living in New York there were fantastic international travel deals where one could get a round trip flight overseas for literally less than $500. So for those of you on a budget but looking for an adventure, its worth a check.
Now that I've promoted the hell out of a couple airline websites, I'd love to give an update on Southern California. Since moving nearly two months ago (wow) I've been lucky enough to hit my 200th roller coaster, tried surfing, and learned a lot about California's ridiculously large selection of labor laws. As mentioned earlier, I just visited Eau Claire this weekend, and that was really fantastic. I haven't been in Eau Claire since August and it was a real treat to see everyone throughout the weekend. I didn't get into town until 1AM Friday, but lets say that everyone was in a good place when I got there and we definitely didn't go to sleep right away. Wisconsin was good enough to snow twice while I was there (It's May, Wisconsin. Figure it out) and cancelled wiffleball, but all in all it was a fantastic weekend. There was Killer Bunnies, a near tattoo experience, and dancing outside near the Chippewa River.
Some exciting news. I normally try to keep most of my personal life off the internet whenever possible, but Laura was offered a job to be a camp counselor down here in California this summer. She will still be almost two hours away from me, but that's definitely better than 2000 miles. It's a really cool camp too, and she gets to go see a live show in LA every other weekend. Not a bad deal if you ask me. Looking forward to seeing her again in a month. :)
Quick Reminder: The Green Bay Packers are still NFL champions. The Vikings have still yet to win a Super Bowl. Thank you.
One thing I didn't really expect moving to California and starting this job was how I would spend my free time. The fact is this is the first job I've ever had where I've had a set schedule. For the most part I'm scheduled Monday-Friday, and I'm usually back home by 6PM or so each day. I make dinner, then I have no idea what to do with myself. I try and stay productive, I mean, I beat Portal 2 in a couple of days. That's good, right? I know, I need to get a life, but I promise I don't sit at home all the time.
The fact is I feel incredibly lucky and blessed with where I am right now. Yeah, there is a toddler kicking the back of my seat on this airplane, but I'm also flying over the Colorado River right now. I still get pretty damn excited when I see the ocean on my way home from work every day, and just laying on the beach listening to those waves puts me at ease no matter the problems I may have encountered during a day. Sometimes its tough not to get caught up in what I like to call So Cal Bling, or the idea that your status symbols defines who you are. It is certainly a different lifestyle out here, where people may not be as stressed as they are in New York, but they don't seem as happy with themselves either. Always needing something better, more expensive, higher class. Judgement may be all over the place, but just focusing on how damn lucky I am makes all uncertainty disappear. It's beautiful out here, and something is seriously wrong if you aren't able to enjoy it.
What I'm thankful for today: I get to enjoy a relatively quiet 3 ½ hour flight instead of a 2 ½ day road trip to cover the same milage. Also seeing my family/girlfriend this weekend. That rocked too.
So for a recap of those blog post in my best Nick Miller forgot his speech voice:
Guys guys guys, Twitter, airplanes, Wisconsin, Packers, Girlfriend, California, symbolism, COME ON!
Love you all.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Steel Coaster Poll 2010
Well, here's a proud moment in any coaster dork's year. Just finished my ballot for the 2010 Steel Coaster Poll done by Mitch Hawker. He's been running what many call the most comprehensive and accurate polls for steel and wooden coasters since the 90s. Honestly, if it weren't for the Alvey's this poll could probably tell you the top ten coasters in the world correctly every year.
Everyone's ballot is different, and I tend to differ from the norm a bit among enthusiasts. Don't pay attention to the y's and numbers on the right. This is a complete ranking of my steel coasters. Honestly though, after around #50 things sorta meld together as "mediocre" or "bad"
NAME FOLLOWS THIS LINE (LEAVE THIS LINE A S IS IN Ballot)
~"Nick.Miller"
RANK THE FOLLOWING RID ING SENSATIONS <-LE AVE THIS LINE AS IS
Abrupt Airtime________ ___________________ __,y,y,1
Floating Airtime______ ___________________ __,y,y,6
Lateral Forces________ ___________________ __,y,y,5
Out of Control Feeling/Directional Change
_,y,y,2
Positive G's/Loops____ ___________________ __,y,y,4
Sensation of Speed____ ___________________ __,y,y,3
COASTER NAME PARK LOC <-LEAVE
X2 Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,1
Favorite Wood Coaster Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,2
Magnum XL-200 Cedar Point OH,y,y,3
Bizarro SF New England MA,y,y,4
Maverick Cedar Point OH,y,y,5
Tatsu Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,6
Dueling Dragons-Ice Islands of Adventu FL,y,n,7
Diamondback Kings Island OH,y,y,8
Millennium Force Cedar Point OH,y,y,9
Dominator Kings Dominion VA,y,n,10
Riddler's Revenge Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,11
Alpengeist Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,12
Apollo's Chariot Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,13
Nitro Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,14
Afterburn Carowinds NC,y,n,15
Nemesis Inferno Thorpe Park UK,y,y,16
Saw - The Ride Thorpe Park UK,y,y,17
Raging Bull Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,18
Revenge of the Mummy Universal Studios FL,y,n,19
Silver Bullet Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,20
Talon Dorney Park PA,y,y,21
Mantis Cedar Point OH,y,y,22
Kingda Ka Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,23
Top Thrill Dragster Cedar Point OH,y,y,24
Stealth Thorpe Park UK,y,y,25
Firehawk Kings Island OH,y,y,26
Mystery Mine Dollywood TN,y,n,27
Goliath Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,28
Superman - Ultimate F Six Flags Great Am IL,y,n,29
Viper Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,30
Fav Half Pipe Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,31
Batman The Ride/Clone SF & Other Parks **,y,y,32
Deja Vu Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,33
Mr. Freeze Six Flags St. Loui MO,y,n,34
Gemini Cedar Point OH,y,y,35
Revolution Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,36
Flight of Fear Kings Island OH,y,y,37
Avalanche Kings Dominion VA,y,n,38
Voodoo Dorney Park PA,y,y,39
Flight Deck Kings Island OH,y,y,40
Demon Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,41
Sierra Sidewnder Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,42
Superman - Ultimate F Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,43
Pony Express Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,44
Raptor Cedar Point OH,y,y,45
Scream! Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,46
Bizarro Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,47
Fav Vekoma Invertigo Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,48
Mamba Worlds of Fun MO,y,n,49
Volcano: The Blast Co Kings Dominion VA,y,n,50
Batman - Dark Knight SF New England MA,y,y,51
Incredible Hulk Islands of Adventu FL,y,n,52
Nighthawk Carowinds NC,y,n,53
Patriot Worlds of Fun MO,y,y,54
Griffon Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,55
Hydra the Revenge Dorney Park PA,y,y,56
Dueling Dragons-Fire Islands of Adventu FL,y,n,57
Wicked Twister Cedar Point OH,y,y,58
Iron Wolf Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,59
Loch Ness Monster Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,60
Vortex Carowinds NC,y,n,61
Flight of Fear Kings Dominion VA,y,n,62
Ninja Six Flags St. Loui MO,y,n,63
Steel Hawg Indiana Beach IN,y,y,64
Superman The Escape Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,65
Dark Knight Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,66
Vampire Chessington UK,y,y,67
River King Mine Train Six Flags St. Loui MO,y,n,68
Space Mountain WDW Magic Kingdom FL,y,n,69
Big Thunder Mountain WDW Magic Kingdom FL,y,n,70
Backlot Stunt Coaster Kings Dominion VA,y,n,71
Backlot Stunt Coaster Kings Island OH,y,y,72
Rock n Roller Coaster Disney's H Studios FL,y,n,73
Runaway Train Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,74
Shockwave Kings Dominion VA,y,n,75
Wild Thing Valleyfair! MN,y,y,76
Fav Wild Mouse Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,77
Fav Galaxi Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,78
Whizzer Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,79
Fav Spinning Mouse Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,80
Steel Force Dorney Park PA,y,y,81
Excalibur Valleyfair! MN,y,y,82
X:\No Way Out Thorpe Park UK,y,y,83
Vertical Velocity Six Flags Great Am IL,y,n,84
Steel Venom Valleyfair! MN,y,y,85
Manhattan Express New York New York NV,y,y,86
Fav Loop-Screw Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,87
Dark Knight Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,88
Skull Mountain Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,89
Montezooma's Revenge Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,90
Ninja Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,91
Adventure Express Kings Island OH,y,y,92
Gold Rusher Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,93
Colossus Thorpe Park UK,y,y,94
Tennessee Tornado Dollywood TN,y,n,95
Iron Dragon Cedar Point OH,y,y,96
Cedar Creek Mine Ride Cedar Point OH,y,y,97
Spongebob Squarepants Nickelodeon Univ MN,y,y,98
Fav Intamin Bobsled Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,99
Vortex Kings Island OH,y,y,100
Anaconda Kings Dominion VA,y,n,101
Fav Powered `Coaster' Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,102
I know what you're thinking. Nick, how they hell did you rank Manhattan Express over Colossus. My answer is this: atleast I expected Manhattan Express to suck, Colossus blew it.
Everyone's ballot is different, and I tend to differ from the norm a bit among enthusiasts. Don't pay attention to the y's and numbers on the right. This is a complete ranking of my steel coasters. Honestly though, after around #50 things sorta meld together as "mediocre" or "bad"
NAME FOLLOWS THIS LINE (LEAVE THIS LINE A S IS IN Ballot)
~"Nick.Miller"
RANK THE FOLLOWING RID ING SENSATIONS <-LE AVE THIS LINE AS IS
Abrupt Airtime________ ___________________ __,y,y,1
Floating Airtime______ ___________________ __,y,y,6
Lateral Forces________ ___________________ __,y,y,5
Out of Control Feeling/Directional Change
_,y,y,2
Positive G's/Loops____ ___________________ __,y,y,4
Sensation of Speed____ ___________________ __,y,y,3
COASTER NAME PARK LOC <-LEAVE
X2 Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,1
Favorite Wood Coaster Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,2
Magnum XL-200 Cedar Point OH,y,y,3
Bizarro SF New England MA,y,y,4
Maverick Cedar Point OH,y,y,5
Tatsu Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,6
Dueling Dragons-Ice Islands of Adventu FL,y,n,7
Diamondback Kings Island OH,y,y,8
Millennium Force Cedar Point OH,y,y,9
Dominator Kings Dominion VA,y,n,10
Riddler's Revenge Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,11
Alpengeist Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,12
Apollo's Chariot Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,13
Nitro Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,14
Afterburn Carowinds NC,y,n,15
Nemesis Inferno Thorpe Park UK,y,y,16
Saw - The Ride Thorpe Park UK,y,y,17
Raging Bull Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,18
Revenge of the Mummy Universal Studios FL,y,n,19
Silver Bullet Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,20
Talon Dorney Park PA,y,y,21
Mantis Cedar Point OH,y,y,22
Kingda Ka Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,23
Top Thrill Dragster Cedar Point OH,y,y,24
Stealth Thorpe Park UK,y,y,25
Firehawk Kings Island OH,y,y,26
Mystery Mine Dollywood TN,y,n,27
Goliath Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,28
Superman - Ultimate F Six Flags Great Am IL,y,n,29
Viper Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,30
Fav Half Pipe Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,31
Batman The Ride/Clone SF & Other Parks **,y,y,32
Deja Vu Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,33
Mr. Freeze Six Flags St. Loui MO,y,n,34
Gemini Cedar Point OH,y,y,35
Revolution Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,36
Flight of Fear Kings Island OH,y,y,37
Avalanche Kings Dominion VA,y,n,38
Voodoo Dorney Park PA,y,y,39
Flight Deck Kings Island OH,y,y,40
Demon Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,41
Sierra Sidewnder Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,42
Superman - Ultimate F Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,43
Pony Express Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,44
Raptor Cedar Point OH,y,y,45
Scream! Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,46
Bizarro Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,47
Fav Vekoma Invertigo Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,48
Mamba Worlds of Fun MO,y,n,49
Volcano: The Blast Co Kings Dominion VA,y,n,50
Batman - Dark Knight SF New England MA,y,y,51
Incredible Hulk Islands of Adventu FL,y,n,52
Nighthawk Carowinds NC,y,n,53
Patriot Worlds of Fun MO,y,y,54
Griffon Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,55
Hydra the Revenge Dorney Park PA,y,y,56
Dueling Dragons-Fire Islands of Adventu FL,y,n,57
Wicked Twister Cedar Point OH,y,y,58
Iron Wolf Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,59
Loch Ness Monster Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,60
Vortex Carowinds NC,y,n,61
Flight of Fear Kings Dominion VA,y,n,62
Ninja Six Flags St. Loui MO,y,n,63
Steel Hawg Indiana Beach IN,y,y,64
Superman The Escape Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,65
Dark Knight Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,66
Vampire Chessington UK,y,y,67
River King Mine Train Six Flags St. Loui MO,y,n,68
Space Mountain WDW Magic Kingdom FL,y,n,69
Big Thunder Mountain WDW Magic Kingdom FL,y,n,70
Backlot Stunt Coaster Kings Dominion VA,y,n,71
Backlot Stunt Coaster Kings Island OH,y,y,72
Rock n Roller Coaster Disney's H Studios FL,y,n,73
Runaway Train Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,74
Shockwave Kings Dominion VA,y,n,75
Wild Thing Valleyfair! MN,y,y,76
Fav Wild Mouse Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,77
Fav Galaxi Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,78
Whizzer Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,79
Fav Spinning Mouse Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,80
Steel Force Dorney Park PA,y,y,81
Excalibur Valleyfair! MN,y,y,82
X:\No Way Out Thorpe Park UK,y,y,83
Vertical Velocity Six Flags Great Am IL,y,n,84
Steel Venom Valleyfair! MN,y,y,85
Manhattan Express New York New York NV,y,y,86
Fav Loop-Screw Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,87
Dark Knight Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,88
Skull Mountain Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,89
Montezooma's Revenge Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,90
Ninja Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,91
Adventure Express Kings Island OH,y,y,92
Gold Rusher Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,93
Colossus Thorpe Park UK,y,y,94
Tennessee Tornado Dollywood TN,y,n,95
Iron Dragon Cedar Point OH,y,y,96
Cedar Creek Mine Ride Cedar Point OH,y,y,97
Spongebob Squarepants Nickelodeon Univ MN,y,y,98
Fav Intamin Bobsled Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,99
Vortex Kings Island OH,y,y,100
Anaconda Kings Dominion VA,y,n,101
Fav Powered `Coaster' Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,102
I know what you're thinking. Nick, how they hell did you rank Manhattan Express over Colossus. My answer is this: atleast I expected Manhattan Express to suck, Colossus blew it.
Monday, April 4, 2011
In the words of Brittany Favre...
So this afternoon while I was intently checking twitter looking for updates from AFA (more on that later) I saw a tweet from Brittany Favre (yes, I follow her, but its only because someone else showed her to me. I admit its a little weird, and can't really explain why I do it) that was titled "Life is good, Long time, No Blog." and I instantly agreed with her.
Okay, back to things that are interesting to more people than me. Legoland (still theme parks, but I also work there, so it doesn't count) unveiled Star Wars: Miniland last week which look absolutely incredible. There are scenes from all 6 films made totally out of LEGOs. I was lucky enough to help out during the unveiling, which meant seeing members of the fighting 501st. For anyone not aware, the 501st consists of fans who dress up in incredible costumes from the Star Wars movies. I met about 10 Jedi (including Darth Maul and Qui-gon-Jin, who were chatting when I saw them, kinda funny) countless storm troopers, and a few rebels as well. Even Darth Vader made an appearance, but I didn't approach him. It's important to stay as far away from the force choke as possible.
Other than sweet dorky events, work is going pretty well. I'm learning as much as I can about California Labor Laws, and as it turns out, there are a ton of them. Way more than I thought, so it's kind of important that I learn them. So I'm not at fault for a lawsuit or something. Yeah.
I'm not sure what else to blog about to be honest. I know I've got opinions about stuff. For example, last week on April Fools woot.com had one of their vintage Bag of Crap April Fools jokes. Where they make all their fans insanely mad trying to win a Bag all night long. This years joke was a flash game that didn't really work for the first 6 hours or so. You needed to beat a certain level to win a bag, but when I beat level 4 when all I needed was level three I was not awarded my bag.
What I really don't understand about the whole thing is the amount of people that were upset that woot's servers, which constantly crash whenever a BoC goes up for sale, would work better during this game. It's April Fools, and whether or not the game was designed to crash, it was pretty funny to read the comments. :)
I'll do my best to blog a bit more in the future, and not just about myself. There are other things going on in the world that obviously my opinion thrown onto the interwebs as well, so look out for that.
Life is good. And I haven't blogged in ages.
I want to start by congratulating my amazing blugolds. They placed 9th in the nation at AFA. Best place since I think anyone can remember for the school, and an incredible feat for any team to achieve. If anyone can do it, its these guys, they have determination and drive like no one has ever seen. They set their own goals high, and they believe in themselves. I was so proud to be an alumni this afternoon at work as I saw UWEC in 3 finals. I kept talking about it, and none of my coworkers understood, but it didn't matter. They rock.
So I moved to California about a month ago, and I love it. Last Friday I was sitting outside having a drink with my roommate's friends and realized that I was outside, surrounded by palm trees, little bonfire going, sipping on a cocktail. It's like I'm on vacation, but I'm not. It's an amazing feeling to be able to jog on the beach 3 days a week (thats right firecracker four, you better watch out because I'm coming for you) while the sun goes down. The sunsets are absolutely incredible here.
 |
| Photo Credit: rcdb.com |
And as I'm living on the west coast for the first time, you better believe I've already been to a few theme parks. Knotts Berry Farm was pretty lame in my opinion. Back quarter of the park wasn't even staffed the whole day and the rides were meh at best. Glad I only paid half price, and I don't feel the need to go back. Think I'll drive the extra hour and head to Six Flags Magic Mountain. Was lucky enough to head there yesterday to ride some of the baddest coasters on the planet. I'm serious about that as well. X2 is the first and only 4D coaster in the United States, and its also my favorite roller coaster overall. The cars spin independent of the train, which means one second you could be facing forward flying forward, and suddenly be upside down going backwards while the train drops 90 degrees. I was able to ride the coaster back in 2004 when I was in high school, and after riding it again yesterday I can gaurentee that the ride hasn't lost a step. I didn't know where I was when it was finished. Totally mindblowing. And they added fire. Bonus.
Small side note, I hit 200 different coasters this weekend. Yeah, I'm a huge dork, but we all need hobbies. Also, Tatsu was amazing as well. #5 steel coaster.
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| What can I say? I love powerful Stormtroopers. |
Other than sweet dorky events, work is going pretty well. I'm learning as much as I can about California Labor Laws, and as it turns out, there are a ton of them. Way more than I thought, so it's kind of important that I learn them. So I'm not at fault for a lawsuit or something. Yeah.
 |
| Proof that I should have netted by 3rd BoC. |
What I really don't understand about the whole thing is the amount of people that were upset that woot's servers, which constantly crash whenever a BoC goes up for sale, would work better during this game. It's April Fools, and whether or not the game was designed to crash, it was pretty funny to read the comments. :)
I'll do my best to blog a bit more in the future, and not just about myself. There are other things going on in the world that obviously my opinion thrown onto the interwebs as well, so look out for that.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
UPDATE: SUPER BOWL CHAMPS!
Just wanted to mention my predictions for the Super Bowl. Special Teams did play a big role. Steelers got good field position the whole game due to bad kick coverage which lead to Mason Crosby kicking short to help the kick coverage. Also, the defense did hold when necessary despite big injuries to Woodson and Shields.
And, as predicted, Rodgers dominated. 6 of his incompletions were due to drops, and he made the big plays with perfect throws, along with two throws that would have went for TDs if his receivers (Jones, Nelson) would have caught them.
But lets be honest. Were Super Bowl Champions, and I couldn't be happier!!!
And, as predicted, Rodgers dominated. 6 of his incompletions were due to drops, and he made the big plays with perfect throws, along with two throws that would have went for TDs if his receivers (Jones, Nelson) would have caught them.
But lets be honest. Were Super Bowl Champions, and I couldn't be happier!!!
Being a Packers fan away from Wisconsin
The last time the Green Bay Packers were in a Super Bowl I was 9 years old, sitting in my living room which was filled with extended families and friends. Of the bits and pieces of that night I remember include where the TV was placed in the living room (the place where my Dad's chair sits now), eating lots of cheese and crackers, and all the excuses my Dad gave for the Packers losing (he bought me an NFC championship shirt instead of waiting for Super Bowl merchandise, he hosted a party so that's why they lost).
I can remember watching almost every Packers season closely since then with a couple of exceptions (occasionally theme parks took precedence) due to growing up. This season has been completely different than most. Instead of waking up 30 minutes before gametime (all of my former roommates can attest to this) and not leaving the house until the game was finished, I had to follow almost every game this year via gamecast on ESPN.com. Working here means working plenty of weekends, but I still made sure to try and catch the plays online and the highlights when I got home. Living here means following Kevin Siefert on twitter for updates instead of local news stories from WEAU or TMJ4.
Instead of watching with friends from home, twitter has replaced the living room for banter about how Mike McCarthy is going to blow the game, or making fun of how (awesome) Jordy Nelson has been playing that specific game. When I've been lucky enough to catch a game, its usually been at a bar instead of a home, but thats just made it all the more exciting. Finding fellow Packer fans in the sea of faces in New York has always been a pleasure.
Speaking with Jets fans all season about how well our respective teams have been doing has been fun, and watching my team beat every new york team in every way this season has been all the more rewarding. I try to apologize instead of brag, but sometimes I get a little sarcastic. Oops.
So for this Super Bowl I've done my best successfully beat any superstition I may have. I'm wearing the exact same outfit I've worn for all the other packer games during the playoffs. I'm watching with someone from Wisconsin like all the other Packer playoff games, and I'll eat something with cheese in it during the game.
For the game itself, I think the Packers have as good of a chance as the Steelers for a victory. If the offense can throw the ball against the Steelers I think our defense will do what they do best and keep the Steelers at bay. And special teams just need to not screw things up. I don't care if they gain a single yard or not, just have good kick coverage and don't fumble and I'll be happy. If you're at all interested in my gametime banter, go ahead and follow me on twitter. There is a button that says 'Follow me" on the side of this blog. Just be prepared for a tweet every 15 minutes or so depending on how the game is going.
To all my loyal Packers fans out there. Enjoy the night, we don't get here every day! I'll be in Wisconsin in spirit.
I can remember watching almost every Packers season closely since then with a couple of exceptions (occasionally theme parks took precedence) due to growing up. This season has been completely different than most. Instead of waking up 30 minutes before gametime (all of my former roommates can attest to this) and not leaving the house until the game was finished, I had to follow almost every game this year via gamecast on ESPN.com. Working here means working plenty of weekends, but I still made sure to try and catch the plays online and the highlights when I got home. Living here means following Kevin Siefert on twitter for updates instead of local news stories from WEAU or TMJ4.
Instead of watching with friends from home, twitter has replaced the living room for banter about how Mike McCarthy is going to blow the game, or making fun of how (awesome) Jordy Nelson has been playing that specific game. When I've been lucky enough to catch a game, its usually been at a bar instead of a home, but thats just made it all the more exciting. Finding fellow Packer fans in the sea of faces in New York has always been a pleasure.
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| The Bar exploded when Sam Shields intercepted Cutler in the NFC Championship |
So for this Super Bowl I've done my best successfully beat any superstition I may have. I'm wearing the exact same outfit I've worn for all the other packer games during the playoffs. I'm watching with someone from Wisconsin like all the other Packer playoff games, and I'll eat something with cheese in it during the game.
For the game itself, I think the Packers have as good of a chance as the Steelers for a victory. If the offense can throw the ball against the Steelers I think our defense will do what they do best and keep the Steelers at bay. And special teams just need to not screw things up. I don't care if they gain a single yard or not, just have good kick coverage and don't fumble and I'll be happy. If you're at all interested in my gametime banter, go ahead and follow me on twitter. There is a button that says 'Follow me" on the side of this blog. Just be prepared for a tweet every 15 minutes or so depending on how the game is going.
To all my loyal Packers fans out there. Enjoy the night, we don't get here every day! I'll be in Wisconsin in spirit.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Updates. Thoughts. Packing a Lovesac into an already full Jeep.
I'm sure many of you have already heard through various social networking sites, or maybe even a conversation in person, that I'll be moving in Southern California at the end of the month.
(!!!!!)
I can't describe how freaking excited I am for this moment to come. I'll be working in HR at Legoland California. It will be nearly 100% different than what I do now, and really is what I'd love to end up doing for the rest of my life.
When I went to college my goal was to graduate and work professionally behind the scenes at a theme park. Lots of people either giggled or gave one of those "encouraging" responses along the way, but yesterday it smacked me in the face. I'm working professionally behind the scenes at a major theme park starting March 7th. I'm well on my way to having a full time career in my dream industry. It's an amazing feeling.
This also means that on February 24th I'll have my last shift at Madame Tussaud's New York. It's actually kind of sad to be leaving right now, because only in the past two months have I felt like I've really been making a difference at the business. Right now I'm knee deep in multiple projects, and I'm not afraid to give out ideas to change the place for the better. I feel like my coworkers really trust me now more that I've worked with them for months, so to just pack up like that and leave it all behind isn't the easiest thing in the world to do.
Oh wait. i just looked at the weather in Carlsbad, CA. It's easing my pain a bit. One of my biggest goals for the next six months: learn how to surf. I know I won't be good, but I want to try. I also want to try and live as close to the beach as possible. I've been searching for places, and there are a lot of options. It's all pretty exciting.
You know what else is exciting? THE GREEN BAY FREAKING PACKERS!
The whole season I've been routing on my team from afar, talking smack to the New Yorkers whenever our team beat theirs (twice) and even though I've taken a few verbal beatings from coworkers and strangers alike, the Pack survived on to Texas. The last time we were in the Super Bowl I was 8 years old. I remember both the Super Bowls very well. How could I forget my Dad blaming the 1998 loss to the Broncos on the fact that he threw a Super Bowl party AND bought me an NFC Champions t-shirt instead of waiting for the Super Bowl merchandise. I have Sunday off from work, and I can't wait for the game. I'll be nervous, but it ought to be exciting.
This blog really doesn't make much chronological sense. It may flow, but it has no order whatsoever. It's just one random thought to another. It's what happens when you don't blog for a month. I deserve this, but you, the fair reader, do not. I apologize.
I get to travel to Washington DC with a few employees (GM Included) to help set up for Madame Tussauds DC's huge Presidential Gallery opening. It's going to be a bit of a marathon working overnight and driving home the next morning, but I'm really excited about it. Just being invited to come down and help is fantastic.
I hope to write another blog surrounding my time in New York on another occasion. I feel like it warrant's its own blog post, because it has certainly changed me and my life. I've grown significantly in these past 6 months. I got thrown into the deep end, and in New York the deep end comes with a complimentary riptide. With one month to go I'll be mostly tying up loose ends and work and planning my trip to California. By the way, that trip will take a really, really long time.
Hopefully I'll be driving a brand spanking new car down to California. With cruise control. And rear shocks. I'm expecting absolutely nothing out to Nebraska and Iowa, but have huge expectations out of the Rocky Mountains. I hope they don't disappoint!
Bye everyone.
(!!!!!)
I can't describe how freaking excited I am for this moment to come. I'll be working in HR at Legoland California. It will be nearly 100% different than what I do now, and really is what I'd love to end up doing for the rest of my life.
When I went to college my goal was to graduate and work professionally behind the scenes at a theme park. Lots of people either giggled or gave one of those "encouraging" responses along the way, but yesterday it smacked me in the face. I'm working professionally behind the scenes at a major theme park starting March 7th. I'm well on my way to having a full time career in my dream industry. It's an amazing feeling.
This also means that on February 24th I'll have my last shift at Madame Tussaud's New York. It's actually kind of sad to be leaving right now, because only in the past two months have I felt like I've really been making a difference at the business. Right now I'm knee deep in multiple projects, and I'm not afraid to give out ideas to change the place for the better. I feel like my coworkers really trust me now more that I've worked with them for months, so to just pack up like that and leave it all behind isn't the easiest thing in the world to do.
Oh wait. i just looked at the weather in Carlsbad, CA. It's easing my pain a bit. One of my biggest goals for the next six months: learn how to surf. I know I won't be good, but I want to try. I also want to try and live as close to the beach as possible. I've been searching for places, and there are a lot of options. It's all pretty exciting.
You know what else is exciting? THE GREEN BAY FREAKING PACKERS!
The whole season I've been routing on my team from afar, talking smack to the New Yorkers whenever our team beat theirs (twice) and even though I've taken a few verbal beatings from coworkers and strangers alike, the Pack survived on to Texas. The last time we were in the Super Bowl I was 8 years old. I remember both the Super Bowls very well. How could I forget my Dad blaming the 1998 loss to the Broncos on the fact that he threw a Super Bowl party AND bought me an NFC Champions t-shirt instead of waiting for the Super Bowl merchandise. I have Sunday off from work, and I can't wait for the game. I'll be nervous, but it ought to be exciting.
This blog really doesn't make much chronological sense. It may flow, but it has no order whatsoever. It's just one random thought to another. It's what happens when you don't blog for a month. I deserve this, but you, the fair reader, do not. I apologize.
I get to travel to Washington DC with a few employees (GM Included) to help set up for Madame Tussauds DC's huge Presidential Gallery opening. It's going to be a bit of a marathon working overnight and driving home the next morning, but I'm really excited about it. Just being invited to come down and help is fantastic.
I hope to write another blog surrounding my time in New York on another occasion. I feel like it warrant's its own blog post, because it has certainly changed me and my life. I've grown significantly in these past 6 months. I got thrown into the deep end, and in New York the deep end comes with a complimentary riptide. With one month to go I'll be mostly tying up loose ends and work and planning my trip to California. By the way, that trip will take a really, really long time.
 | ||||
| Add another 16 hours from Newark to Milwaukee, and you've got yourself a 4 day drive! |
Hopefully I'll be driving a brand spanking new car down to California. With cruise control. And rear shocks. I'm expecting absolutely nothing out to Nebraska and Iowa, but have huge expectations out of the Rocky Mountains. I hope they don't disappoint!
Bye everyone.
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