Nice! I was a kid when he was winding down his career in the sand. My dad played in Chicago and would finish near the top right below the Californian's. He might have known you if you played in the area ever.
He still goes to tournies to watch. He's going to Huntington next week!
I have some photos with Karch and Dain Blanton somewhere. I also was on the cover of Volleyball Mag! (blurred out in the crowd)
I'll be going to Manhattan this year for the first time so I'm excited.
Sitting in the backseat of a car in Mumbai, waiting for the driver to pick something up, window is half down, my friend and I were talking when an elephant trunk came in through the window behind her ... I must've gotten pale, she says: what is is? It took me, what seemd ages, to figure out what that was, .. there is an elephant trunk in our car??!! My brain just could not comprehend or find the words .. then it touched her...
total panick, she screams, I scream, she tries to roll the window up, I try to stop her, thank God it was a krank and too far down to squeeze that trunk!! I already saw myself squished to a pulp. Then the driver was there, yelling loudly and the trunk dissapeared. The guy with the elephant apologized and we all laughed.
I will never know why I didn't get out of that car right away...
My favorite trip to Niagara Falls was at 2am in the dead of February. It was completely dark, everything covered in a thick sheet of ice, with the falls roaring throughout.
I've got a couple amusing tales, one involving my closest friend, and one involving a random celebrity encounter at work many years ago.
Starting with my friend, he and I met up with a friend of his who used to be a small time radio host on a mission to swing up to LA for a concert where one of the bands said host used to help plug was opening for singer/songwriter Aurelio Voltaire. (He went only by his last name at the time.) If you're not sure who Voltaire is, ask yourself if you've ever seen The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, and then ask yourself if you saw the episode with the brain eating meteor that sings. If yes, congratulations, you've heard Voltaire. Now, Aurelio Voltaire is by no means a big artist. He's popular within his niche, but make no mistake, it's a pretty modest niche. Still, despite the comedic songs he writes about things like death and cannibalism and his numerous bawdy tunes, the man is extremely humble and grateful to his fans. Whenever and wherever he can, when he's performing, he will always try to host an after party at a local watering hole and invite those who saw his show. If he can't, he'll always try to meet and greet as many people as he can.
On this particular occasion, he met my friend, who was wearing a necklace that he custom made with a Cubone Pokemon toy hanging off of it like a pendant. Voltaire grabs the necklace and asks him what it is. "That's Cubone man, he's the coolest Pokemon."
To which Voltaire replied with a snicker and said, "Pokemanz?! Nigga ain'ts you a little old for Pokemanz?"
Cue the back and forth of these two gothed out Hispanic guys spitting out as much generic thug street slang as they could while discussing how cool and goth Cubone is because of how it wears the skull of its mother to protect itself. (That's the actual lore of Cubone, by the way. Because kid's games! lol) I don't think I've witnessed anything as funny in my life.
Well, except maybe for the time Rob Schneider randomly showed up in the grocery store I used to work at and the cashier I was bagging for didn't recognize him. Everyone else in the line did. Every other cashier and front end clerk did. I did, too. But Kelly Jo? Nope. Which of course made it hilarious when she looked right at him and said, "Wow, you look a lot like Rob Schneider."
"You know, that's funny, for some reason I get that all the time! But hey, you have a great day, Kelly Jo."
I had to explain to her after he left that he was, in fact Rob Schneider. She didn't believe me at first, until all four other people in her line also said, yeah, that was Rob Schneider. He'd been performing at one of our local casinos the night before and stopped in to grab some breakfast on his way back home.
Not that kind of nerd, I am the sort of old school nerd who likes to read old books, and build Linux computers. I was never much one for movies or video games. I guess I am part old school nerd, part culture snob, part old balding punk rocker, and part wilderness hermit. :-)
a funny story from when I was 5. I was told by my parents that I couldn't watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail so I just went and read the script instead.
On July 11, 2005, I called my manager and left a VM that I was feeling sick and wouldn't be in today.
I was fine.
I spent the entire day drinking. I endeavored to meet some friends at a strip bar on Olympic Blvd, south of downtown. I stopped at a brewery on the way, drank some martinis. One of my friends met me there and we decided to go grab some tacos in East L.A.
My friend told the police that I suddenly sped away on the Pomona Freeway, leaving him behind.
Duh. Why else would I drive a WRX if I never intended to spool up that turbo?
Apparently I kept speeding away. I don't remember anything, possibly due to my state of drunkeness (north of .20 BAC) or the concussion and coma.
I don't remember the tree that greeted me on the offramp, that's for sure.
And I never saw my Subaru again. In almost death I found sure life. It only took about ten years because I'm a slow learner.
And through it all, to this day I wonder if that accident was intentional.
Surprisingly, no! I fractured my C2 vertebrae, had multiple organ lacerations, and a big ol' laceration on my scalp. That section has no feeling due to nerves that were severed. I was banged up throughout my body, but it all healed.
My car got the worst of it...it was bent like a quater moon from where it impacted the tree.
I always felt I should be the voice of Subaru safety after that!
You have no idea how true that is. And when it comes to death certificates, physicians (at least here in this area) get very little training on how to complete one appropriately. And yet, these official death records are what we base the majority of our information on mortality causes on.
See you’d think that would be part of training. In the UK military we get training even on subjects like filling in forms correctly and the main ones we use etc.
Last weekend I was bear hunting with a buddy in remote north Idaho and we were way up a drainage on a forest service road when we heard a very loud rumbling sound. We looked over as four F-15 fighter jets came down the drainage at eye level a few hundred yards away from use. Some kind of training run I guess but pretty cool to see it. Like going to an air show.
I'm quite lucky that I've been on the flight deck of the Queen Elizabeth as the air craft took off. About 30ft away. The rumbling just vibrates your whole chest.
I was a ball boy on the AVP and got to pepper with Karch Kiraly, the greatest volleyball player of all time.
See I love stories like these!! Everyone has one and now I have to google that person just to learn a little about them.
My wife got to meet Karch and Kent Steffes at a tournament at the beach in Milwaukee and has a T-Shirt with their signatures
That's cool! I think I have their autographs as well. My dad played in some tournaments in Milwaukee back in the day.
Nice! I was a kid when he was winding down his career in the sand. My dad played in Chicago and would finish near the top right below the Californian's. He might have known you if you played in the area ever.
He still goes to tournies to watch. He's going to Huntington next week!
I have some photos with Karch and Dain Blanton somewhere. I also was on the cover of Volleyball Mag! (blurred out in the crowd)
I'll be going to Manhattan this year for the first time so I'm excited.
Pretty cool!
Sitting in the backseat of a car in Mumbai, waiting for the driver to pick something up, window is half down, my friend and I were talking when an elephant trunk came in through the window behind her ... I must've gotten pale, she says: what is is? It took me, what seemd ages, to figure out what that was, .. there is an elephant trunk in our car??!! My brain just could not comprehend or find the words .. then it touched her...
total panick, she screams, I scream, she tries to roll the window up, I try to stop her, thank God it was a krank and too far down to squeeze that trunk!! I already saw myself squished to a pulp. Then the driver was there, yelling loudly and the trunk dissapeared. The guy with the elephant apologized and we all laughed.
I will never know why I didn't get out of that car right away...
That sounds hilarious. I've just had the thought of the elephant curling i's trunk around your friend and pulling him/her out through the window lol.
It was ... once it was over!! LOL
We all feel so powerful and in charge but then a peanut- searching little trunk comes through the window and we lose it!!
😂😂
😂😂😂
Possible stories:
Living in India
Living in Egypt
Learning to fly
Playing golf w/ NFL Legend
Parachute jump that broke my back
Bartending in Maui
Learning a Trade at 42 yrs old
Bilateral Lung Transplant
You pick!
I agree. Bartending with a parachute jump second!! I bet the rehab for that was awful!!
My favorite trip to Niagara Falls was at 2am in the dead of February. It was completely dark, everything covered in a thick sheet of ice, with the falls roaring throughout.
Exquisite.
Was the ice walkable?
No. Lol.
I've got a couple amusing tales, one involving my closest friend, and one involving a random celebrity encounter at work many years ago.
Starting with my friend, he and I met up with a friend of his who used to be a small time radio host on a mission to swing up to LA for a concert where one of the bands said host used to help plug was opening for singer/songwriter Aurelio Voltaire. (He went only by his last name at the time.) If you're not sure who Voltaire is, ask yourself if you've ever seen The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, and then ask yourself if you saw the episode with the brain eating meteor that sings. If yes, congratulations, you've heard Voltaire. Now, Aurelio Voltaire is by no means a big artist. He's popular within his niche, but make no mistake, it's a pretty modest niche. Still, despite the comedic songs he writes about things like death and cannibalism and his numerous bawdy tunes, the man is extremely humble and grateful to his fans. Whenever and wherever he can, when he's performing, he will always try to host an after party at a local watering hole and invite those who saw his show. If he can't, he'll always try to meet and greet as many people as he can.
On this particular occasion, he met my friend, who was wearing a necklace that he custom made with a Cubone Pokemon toy hanging off of it like a pendant. Voltaire grabs the necklace and asks him what it is. "That's Cubone man, he's the coolest Pokemon."
To which Voltaire replied with a snicker and said, "Pokemanz?! Nigga ain'ts you a little old for Pokemanz?"
Cue the back and forth of these two gothed out Hispanic guys spitting out as much generic thug street slang as they could while discussing how cool and goth Cubone is because of how it wears the skull of its mother to protect itself. (That's the actual lore of Cubone, by the way. Because kid's games! lol) I don't think I've witnessed anything as funny in my life.
Well, except maybe for the time Rob Schneider randomly showed up in the grocery store I used to work at and the cashier I was bagging for didn't recognize him. Everyone else in the line did. Every other cashier and front end clerk did. I did, too. But Kelly Jo? Nope. Which of course made it hilarious when she looked right at him and said, "Wow, you look a lot like Rob Schneider."
"You know, that's funny, for some reason I get that all the time! But hey, you have a great day, Kelly Jo."
I had to explain to her after he left that he was, in fact Rob Schneider. She didn't believe me at first, until all four other people in her line also said, yeah, that was Rob Schneider. He'd been performing at one of our local casinos the night before and stopped in to grab some breakfast on his way back home.
Imagine not recognising Rob Schneider. There's a similar story involving Rowan Atkinson and when he goes to places.
I can absolutely see that happening frequently with Rowan Atikinson.
I met Yngwie Malmsteen back stage once. He gave me a beer.
Same concert, Don Dokken left with the hot red head I just met.
I was not upset.
I know where her lips were bout half hour before that.
Oops. I need to edit to clarify...
Her lips were involved with a security guy ..not me.
See!! Everyone loves a red head!!
I know right!
I got mistaken for Neil Young by a biker chick in a California bar 20 years ago, lol.
I hope you capatilised on that 😂.
I didn’t, I was too shocked, lol.
I have no idea who that chick is, but I'd probably do the same if she touched my arm. Mind you I am 58, lol.
She’s in the last Terminator and she’s the queen of Dragon’s in game of thrones, you can’t be a nerd then 😂
Not that kind of nerd, I am the sort of old school nerd who likes to read old books, and build Linux computers. I was never much one for movies or video games. I guess I am part old school nerd, part culture snob, part old balding punk rocker, and part wilderness hermit. :-)
Ha sounds like a cool combo 😂 😎
I like to think so, lol!
a funny story from when I was 5. I was told by my parents that I couldn't watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail so I just went and read the script instead.
😂😂😂
On July 11, 2005, I called my manager and left a VM that I was feeling sick and wouldn't be in today.
I was fine.
I spent the entire day drinking. I endeavored to meet some friends at a strip bar on Olympic Blvd, south of downtown. I stopped at a brewery on the way, drank some martinis. One of my friends met me there and we decided to go grab some tacos in East L.A.
My friend told the police that I suddenly sped away on the Pomona Freeway, leaving him behind.
Duh. Why else would I drive a WRX if I never intended to spool up that turbo?
Apparently I kept speeding away. I don't remember anything, possibly due to my state of drunkeness (north of .20 BAC) or the concussion and coma.
I don't remember the tree that greeted me on the offramp, that's for sure.
And I never saw my Subaru again. In almost death I found sure life. It only took about ten years because I'm a slow learner.
And through it all, to this day I wonder if that accident was intentional.
Jesus!! Did you suffer any lasting injuries?
Surprisingly, no! I fractured my C2 vertebrae, had multiple organ lacerations, and a big ol' laceration on my scalp. That section has no feeling due to nerves that were severed. I was banged up throughout my body, but it all healed.
My car got the worst of it...it was bent like a quater moon from where it impacted the tree.
I always felt I should be the voice of Subaru safety after that!
I work around death all day, every day. The three things most eye opening about this job:
1) Human beings are WEIRD
2) The medical field is full of mostly guesswork
3) Just because you have an M.D. after your name does NOT mean you have any clue what you’re doing.
I feel like a lot of modern doctors now really on the doctors version of Google 😂😂.
I worked in an old home once for about 6 months. Hated it as you’d make friends with the old people and then the next week if so they were gone.
You have no idea how true that is. And when it comes to death certificates, physicians (at least here in this area) get very little training on how to complete one appropriately. And yet, these official death records are what we base the majority of our information on mortality causes on.
See you’d think that would be part of training. In the UK military we get training even on subjects like filling in forms correctly and the main ones we use etc.
Still baffles me that it isn’t a bigger part of the training as well. Especially considering death is not discriminatory.
Her mirth & joy matched the sunrise.
Her smile is amazing for real.
I’m glad you were doing good work for the RN. I spent most of my career supporting the USN.
If you have never been, I highly recommend Segovia. The castle and Roman aqueduct are both amazing.
I shall make a note of that!
Last weekend I was bear hunting with a buddy in remote north Idaho and we were way up a drainage on a forest service road when we heard a very loud rumbling sound. We looked over as four F-15 fighter jets came down the drainage at eye level a few hundred yards away from use. Some kind of training run I guess but pretty cool to see it. Like going to an air show.
I'm quite lucky that I've been on the flight deck of the Queen Elizabeth as the air craft took off. About 30ft away. The rumbling just vibrates your whole chest.
I’ve almost died 15 different times
Ok dude/dudette!!! You HAVE to list some of those!!
Suffocate
Drown
Sink in mud
Drown
Fire
Electric shock
Hypothermia(very bad)
Fire
Beat up and stabbed
Electric shock
Shot
Fire
Suffocate
Jesus!! They must be some scary stories. It seems you just need lightning strike and shark attack and you have the full quota!! lol.
I’ve been bitten by a swell shark but it was nowhere near life threatening.
On the best lasagna I've ever had: https://lorendean.substack.com/p/hasta-lasagna
Now I want some with Garlic Bread.
Mmm. Garlic bread...
now I want garlic bread! darn you
You’ll laugh at this.
https://youtu.be/Pw_kiIR8-z8