Changes are coming to this blog with the new year

I will be taking the helm on this, my blog, beginning next year, 2010. I'm looking forward to this project. I plan on keeping anyone reading it (if there's anyone left) on my continued fitness journey, my spiritual walk, our family life and other events going on. It should be an exciting year!

Steve really finally has a blog!

I've just recently been given the opportunity to post entries here, my blog. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my ghost writers for all their hard work in getting this blog off the ground. It's been fun posting through them and seeing what tidbits of my life they have deemed blog worthy, from simple Twitter and Facebook updates, stories I share or simply a random quote. I don't have anything exceptional to share, just a quick note to say "Hi" and let you know that now I really do finally have a blog. :)

Mi-Fi

The greatest thing since sliced bread.  

Posts

I'm sorry that I have not been posting lately. I've been busy moving pianos and being loved by my friends. More posts will follow. Eventually!

Oh, that Paul!

It figures Paul would put up this post. He is always looking for ways to make fun of Wisconsin...

By the way, don't you think all road signs in Wisconsin should be green and yellow?

I found a really great web site!

Yes! You have got to check out these year book photos. This is how I rolled back in the mid-80s. It's loads of fun.

A Soggy Bloggin' Boys thought....

I really wish the two musicians in the group, Paul & Greg, would write a song called "When Tuesday is another day". A video of this would be fantastic. Simply fantastic.

Until next time...

Last evening I enjoyed a night of putt putt, Sonic and family fun with my parents and sister before they leave today.

Family, birthdays, and pasta is a great combination!

We enjoyed celebrating Erin's 15th brithday at Olive Garden with the whole family last night. It's hard to believe we only have 2 more days with my parents and sister in town. It's going by too fast.

Wow! It's my birthday!

Lambeau Field continues to dominate pro sports stadium rankings

For those of you that somehow aren’t aware that I’m a Green Bay Packers fan, let me start by telling you that I am. I even have a cheese head that I wear on those special game days. I have several Packers t-shirts, a hoodie, two watches (SuperBowl I & GB Logo) and two blankets. The Packers are a unique sports franchise that plays in a historically rich and exciting venue… Lambeau Field; and I just had to share this news with you.

For the second straight year and the fourth time in the last five years, Lambeau Field is ranked No. 1 in stadium experience in all of professional sports in ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings.

The publication ranks all 122 North American professional sports franchises in stadium experience based on cleanliness, parking, security and promotions. Lambeau Field first hit the top spot in 2005 and stayed there in 2006 before dropping to second in 2007. Last year it climbed back to No. 1 and remained there this year.

"We're proud of the fact that fans continue to enjoy their experiences at Lambeau Field," Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said. "We're always looking at ways to enhance the fan experience, to keep things fresh while also maintaining the traditions inherent to Lambeau Field. We work hard to make it a great visit for all of our fans."

Stadium experience is one of eight categories ESPN The Magazine uses to create the Ultimate Standings for all professional sports franchises. The publication says the rankings provide a measure of how much teams give back to the fans in exchange for all the time, money and emotion the fans invest in them.

In the overall rankings combining all eight categories, the Packers finished 13th this year, good for second among NFL franchises behind the reigning Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Other categories that contributed to Green Bay's strong showing were fan relations (18th overall, 3rd in NFL) and affordability (22nd overall, 1st in NFL).

As a franchise, the Packers have finished in the top 10 overall in four of the seven years ESPN The Magazine has been compiling The Ultimate Standings, including No. 1 overall in 2003, the inaugural year of the survey. The Packers were No. 4 overall last year.

ESPN The Magazine's Jason Catania credits the G-Force campaign and the Tundra Tailgate Zone with contributing to Lambeau Field's top ranking. G-Force is known as the extra boost of energy the sellout crowd provides the team, while the Tundra Tailgate Zone is a tented tailgate area open to the public and located in the east parking lot of the stadium.

Lambeau Field has ranked no lower than fourth in all of pro sports in the stadium experience category since the inception of the survey, and has been the top venue in the NFL every year. For a look at the entire survey, click here.

My daughter is in Costa Rica!

As most of you already know if you follow this blog (why you would do that, I have no idea though) that my daughter Erin is in Costa Rica on a mission trip. We helped to drive the team up the Charlotte on Monday night and dropped them off at a hotel. They departed on Tuesday morning and flew through Atlanta and on to San Jose, Costa Rica. I watched anxiously online tracking her flights. It’s actually quite incredible the information we have available to us through the internet. Greg and I searched yesterday for more information about this place… Grano de Oro in Costa Rica. I found a couple in Texas that was just there this spring and spent a couple minutes talking with them via phone. Joe was able to guide via maps I was looking at so I would know just “where” she is. It’s amazing, while you know God is control and she is safe, how knowing “where” she is brought me additional peace. I thought I would share with you my discovery and two maps that help to pinpoint their location. The one map is a general overview with the red star obviously being Grano de Oro and the second being a topographical map from Google Earth with some photos inserted for reference. The “bridge” picture is a well known bridge for those who have been there. All the passengers get off the bus, walk across the bridge and then the bus crosses over and they reload the bus to continue the journey. I’ve heard many stories about this portion of the trip. The other “landscape” picture is one I found on Google Earth labeled “Grano de Oro” so I’ve included that as well.

It is all good with the Doll's

I got to talk to Caleb in Costa Rica last night, WooHoo! Melissa and the little boys left this morning for Cincy... soggy bloggers lunch today, grilled steak and veggies & movie night tonight.

This week's episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" WITH BACON

Wow, just Wow! Zig is really onto something. He’s created a national phenomenom!

What makes everything better? Bacon! Whether it's on a burger or a donut, Food Network stars including Guy Fieri, Duff, and Aida Mollenkamp talk about their favorite foods made with bacon. From San Diego to Atlanta, LA to New York, find out where to get the BEST pork-a-licious dishes, and why these accomplished chefs say it's The Best Thing I Ever Ate...with BACON!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/shows/episode/0,1000011,FOOD_32078_63430,00.html

Airs again on July 11^th

I have it on DVR from last night as well. Unfortunately, I can’t burn to DVD like Paul though.

Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia!

Six flags over Georgia! First of day... Goliath... was great! Now on to mine train.

Because you need to know...

It's pronounced Crow-Shay

Not Crotch-It.

You're welcome.

My latest observation

I have noticed that I have a lot more material to blog on weeks that I have lunch with Greg, Paul, and Zig. Evidently these guys stir the inner writer in me. It is odd, but true. Go figure...

A sweet surprise!

This morning my beautiful wife stopped by the office to drop off a folder I had forgotten at home. She surprised me by including a Starbucks hazelnut iced coffee with the delivery.

Thanks Melissa!

I’ve joined the craze… of baconnaise!

My good friend and “fellow” blogger The Swell Guy gave me a special gift on Sunday… a jar of lite baconnaise! My wife was not nearly as trilled as I was because for some reason, she just doesn't understand our bacon craze which has also recently included bacon chocolate. Funny too; because she loves bacon, crispy bacon, maybe that's the problem, it's not crispy. That aside, I had my first taste yesterday as I prepared a turkey "club" sandwich (bread, baconnaise, turkey, lettuce and fresh tomatoes) with this tasty spread. Eli, my 6 yr. old son also had a turkey "club" with me (minus the lettuce & tomato for him of course since his regular sandwich is just mayo and turkey). It was wonderful in so many ways, fewer calories than even my usual lite mayo plus none of the calories from the bacon yet ALL of the flavor! Eli and I don't mind at all that the rest of the family hasn't jumped in with us since that means more for us. J

Speaking of Kittens

A little compilation video set to one of my favorite Japanese kid's songs. Sing along if you wish.

Celebrate!

Several reasons to celebrate today. 1) God's blessed me another day. 2) Lost another 1.6 lbs this week. 3) Kittens born this morning, free kittens anyone?

I Win!!

Sent from my BlackBerry Curve

Full Contact Aggravation

Just settling into an all out offensive battle of aggravation. I'm
currently in the lead but Eli and Melissa are ganging up on me.

Sent from my BlackBerry Curve

We really Tri-ed!

What a great day! Our TRI-NC Relay Team had a blast at the SC Festival of Flowers Triathlon. It was fun to do it together and we had a gorgeous day. The event was well organized and it felt cool to be competing in a top notch athletic event.

I swam first and while I missed the time I wanted by just a little, it felt great when I was finished. It was my first time competing in open water and I did not quite know what to expect. Once I had completed the 1500 meter swim I was so energized that I knew I could have continued on a bike. This is encouraging as I hope to progress and do longer triathlons later in the year on my own.

Zig and Raye both did the time splits that they expected. Raye had a new personal best and we were within 4 minutes of 3rd. place in the Relay Team competition which would have netted us a "Place" and a trophy. It was also a blast hanging around to see our friends Ruthie , Josh, and Brian and Greg complete their individual events. I'm almost ready for next time!

Time to Tri

I am nervous, but ready for the Festival of Flowers triathlon in the morning. Glad I'm just doing the swimming though. :) Thanks Zig & Raye for biking and running on the team with me.

Debunking Billy

I started a bible study MANY years ago here. I actually started it at my previous church and after a brief hiatus I restarted it. It has grown from 1 or 2 regulars to about 10. One of our new additions (the past 2 years) has been Billy.



Billy is quite the unique character. We have had many discussions ranging from going for the PGA Senior Tour to how to start a home church. Somewhere in between those topics we have discussed food.... and the bible.



While I have listened patiently while he has spoken of eating Kosher (per the Old Testament), several of my friends (Paul, Karl Allen, and Greg) have had difficulty accepting the whole "ban on pork" thing. After Billy sent me a link on Pork Tapeworms in the Brain, I just had to do some research.



I think we have all seen the You Tube video clip of tapeworms coming out of two pork chops after pouring coke on them. While that was an upsetting thought, did any of you actually see tapeworms. I saw something white.. but have no idea what it was. Plus with the "time breaks" I would say that the likelyhood of this being true is unlikely.



When I searched for information that went deeper into the subject (from Billy's article) and did some Snopes.com searching I found a lot of debunking information. I can sum it all up in this. If you do a good job cooking the meat, you will not be growing tapeworms in your brain.



So Zig, Paul and Greg - eat all the pork you want, just stay away from the bacon sushi.

A New Blog Post

This is it.

The Pattern in Prime

I posted last Friday about the importance of prime numbers in weight loss and physical fitness. That got me to thinking. I wonder if prime numbers are random (like this post) or if there is a pattern to them. I found this great website on what you can see in prime numbers.

It's our anniversary!

It's been 19 years and she still loves me. How could a guy be more blessed? Happy anniversary. I love you Melissa!

Halfway

Today I reached a milestone. 35.6 pounds lost, 35.4 pounds left to go. I
have officially past the midpoint.

If you haven't guessed, my goal is 71 pounds. Not divisible by anything; a
prime number. What an interesting phrase "prime number". Say it with me
one time "prime number".

Greg and I are going to form the "Prime Time Losers Club". I think my next
target will be 19 pounds.
Sent from my BlackBerry Curve

Debunking

A while back I wrote about being a Geocache enthusiast. Another minor hobby that I have is Debunking. I try not to invest too much time into this activity since I am a devoted family man. Fortunately I have developed skills that allow me to Debunk quickly and efficiently.

Here is a quick outline about Debunking:

Definition: To expose or ridicule the falseness, sham, or exaggerated claims of

Word History: One can readily see that debunk is constructed from the prefix de-, meaning "to remove," and the word bunk. But what is the origin of the word bunk, denoting the nonsense that is to be removed? Bunk came from a place where much bunk has originated, the United States Congress. During the 16th Congress (1819-1821) Felix Walker, a representative from western North Carolina whose district included Buncombe County, carried on with a dull speech in the face of protests by his colleagues. Walker later explained he had felt obligated "to make a speech for Buncombe." Such a masterful symbol for empty talk could not be ignored by the speakers of the language, and Buncombe, spelled Bunkum in its first recorded appearance in 1828 and later shortened to bunk, became synonymous with claptrap. The response to all this bunk seems to have been delayed, for debunk is not recorded until 1923.

How it works: Let's say a guy like Paul, or Greg, or Zig publishes something that they believe to be true because it was in the newspaper or on the Internet and I get this feeling that something is not quite right (some have called this "Stevedar"). I do a quick bit of research and relay my findings to the publisher. We all love this. It is great team work and we all appreciate that we have done the best reportage possible. As a bonus, I get to debunk my own blog. It is a lot of fun.

I have a hit counter

I just loaded a hit counter. If you are looking it is in the lower left corner of my blog. It is completely amazing how many visitors have already come by to see me. Thanks people. Keep up the great work!

Team Tri-NC

The month-long celebration known as the Festival of Flowers here in Greenwood begins in June; that’s less than 2 weeks away. For years enjoyed seeing our community transform as gardens are prepared throughout May and the activities begin the first weekend of June. However, this year the Festival of Flowers is impacting me personally. I am participating in the triathlon on Sunday, June 7 as a member of a relay team “Tri-NC” and my portion will be the .93 mile swim. During my journey to lose weight and get physically fit I have come to enjoy the endurance sport of triathlons. I completed my first sprint triathlon of the season (300 yd swim, 12.4 mile bike & 5k run) last month in a personal best time of 1:32:04. I completed the same tri back in 2007 in 1:45:23. This international distance (1500 meter swim, 24 mile bike & 10k run) triathlon is more than I care to “take on” alone right now so I’ve recruited some team members for the cycling (The Swell Guy) and running portions. Having grown up with a pool in my back yard and swimming in lakes throughout my life, I’m not afraid of the water; however, this upcoming event does have me nervous. There’s just something about swimming with a couple hundred other people that has me wondering, perhaps it’s just because I’ve never done anything like this. My friend Heather has also been helping me prepare with swimming plans and tips to make sure I’m ready. I’ll be sure to let you know now Team Tri-NC does and keep you updated on my other upcoming events.

Historic Lambeau Field - Best in the NFL

Star Wars

If the first 3 Star Wars movies are referred to as a trilogy, what are all six referred to as?

Time for Learning New Things with Steve

Last night my teammate and I had the opportunity to defeat Paul and Zig at horseshoes after they had already beaten all other challengers. Afterwards a number of people asked "Steve, how did you do it?". It was actually quite simple. With a quick review of these instructions you too can throw championship horseshoes.

If you are just a beginner to the game of horseshoes then the first thing you need to do is learn how to throw them. If you are a professional horseshoe pitcher, then it never hurts to revisit the basics and get your game back on track. For the purpose of this article we will assume that you are right handed. If you are left handed, just apply everything in the opposite way.

A key thing to remember when reading this is that horseshoes is just like any other skill in life. It takes practice to become accurate. So if you are serious about developing this skill, be prepared to invest many hours practicing your pitching. However, unlike many other sports, this game can be fun for everyone even if you can barely hit the pin!

So it is time to pick up the horseshoe. But before you go and throw it at the pin, take a good look as to how you are holding it. What you want to do is hold the horseshoe on its side like a backwards "C". Grab the bottom side of the horseshoe so that the last knuckle by your fingertips is on the inside edge. This will let your fingertips curl up from the inside edge of the horseshoe. Your thumb will be on the flat side of the horseshoe so that the tip of your thumb meets up with the tips of your index and middle finger.

The placement of your grip should be roughly in the middle of the leg, or shank, of the horseshoe. This type of grip is called the 1 1/4 turn. This is one of the best grips to use for a beginner. This grip requires much less wrist motion than other types of grips. This lets the pitcher focus more on the throw than the wrist action which usually gives you more control. When throwing a horseshoe with the 1 1/4 turn you want to let it have a little more speed during the throw. The best way to get a ringer with this throw is to have the horseshoe come in and hook the stake from the right side. It will be able to hook that stake well and help you get those ringers landing throw after throw.

The most common mistake when throwing a horseshoe is forcing it to turn in the air. When thrown correctly, the horseshoe will do the work for you in the air. If you force it to turn you are not only losing accuracy on the throw, but you are also causing an unusual turn in the air which can cause the horseshoe to land on its side and roll. The object here is to get the horseshoe to land flat or "dead" around the stake.

Now that you have a grip on the horseshoe it is time to look at the swinging motion of your pitching arm. Hold the horseshoe out straight in front of you at eye level and aiming at the stake. Your feet position is really optional. You can either stand with your feet together or with your left foot about 6 to 8 inches behind your right foot. In either case, you want the majority of your weight to be on your right foot. As you begin your backswing, you want to take the horseshoe and turn it into a vertical position (like shaking hands). The horseshoe should stay in a vertical position for the entire backswing. On your upswing, as the horseshoe passes your right leg, bring the horseshoe back to the level or horizontal position. Release the horseshoe when it gets back to a line between your eyes and the opposite stake. Keep your wrist locked and straight and release the horseshoe in a level position to have it land flat or "dead".

Now before you swing away here, we need to talk about your feet positioning during the throw. Regardless of how you started (feet together or left foot back), you want to have a gentle transition of weight from your right to your left foot. When your backswing is at its peak, begin shifting your weight and stepping forward with your left foot. As your upswing starts to pass your knees you should have most the weight on your left leg. This way your arc isn't solely dependent on your arm muscles, but also the spring motion from your body and legs.

The most important part of your swing is then the follow through. After you have released the horseshoe, continue your throw. You will end up with your right arm almost straight up in the air and all the weight on your left foot. Just like any other sport or skill, the follow through can make or break your shots.  

Note: Actually there are several other ways to hold a horseshoe and throw them, but I wanted to start you with the easiest to learn technique. Please contact me individually for advanced instructions or if you would like to discuss private lessons.

Learn to Shallow Dive

My buddy, Zig, mentioned shallow diving on his blog this morning and indicated you may want to ask me about this ultra sport. OK. The first thing we need to review is that we are not talking about this so called sport of shallow diving which is as much a sport as TV wrestling. We are talking about the true sport of shallow diving that requires a combination of skill, courage, and athleticism.

Here are the basic instructions:

1. 1. Step1
      

      Stand at poolside and grip your toes on the edge. Your feet should be about six inches apart.

   2. Step2
      

      Bend at your knees and waist. Reach your arms down to the side of the pool, but keep your gaze on the opposite side of the pool.

   3. Step3
      

      Swing your arms up in back of your body almost to shoulder level; then reverse and swing them forward.

   4. Step4
      

      Thrust forward with your legs and push off with your toes. Spring off and out from the wall.

   5. Step5
      

      Leap forward parallel to the water, stretching your arms far out in front of you and your legs behind you.

   6. Step6

      Drop your arms and head slightly just before you reach the water so that you strike the water at a shallow angle.

   7. Step7

      Glide just below the surface of the water until you feel your speed begin to diminish.

2. Something to think about:

   - If you are standing on a bridge eight feet over the water it is much different that gripping the edge of a swimming pool with your toes.

   -Your dad's demonstration dive may have looked easy because he learned from past experience.

   - If the river bottom is only five or six feet down and loaded with sharp rocks it could be a problem on your first attempt. You could scrape your hands, wrists, arms, chest, and gash your head on the sharp rocks if your dive is not shallow enough.

   -Scraping and cutting yourself as descibed above could send women and children running from the water as well as require stitches. However, later you will have a great story to tell when people ask about the scar on your forehead.

   Things you will need:

   -Swimsuit

   -Swimming Cap (optional)

   -Goggles (optional, but it sure is nice to see sharp rocks as you approach them)

   -Towel

   -Extra Swimsuit

Technology is Wonderful

I am actually posting this from my Blackberry. It does limit me somewhat on
the amount of posting that I can do quickly.

Look for more "quick posts" in the future.

Mission Opportunities

In the summer of 1989, I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa as part of a team representing Oral Roberts University. One of the places we visited during our stay was the country of Lesotho (pronounced Li Soo Too). I spent eight weeks on the mission field that summer and have kept most of the momentos from the journey in a special memory box.

A conversation or two this week brought back memories of my trip. Lesotho is unique in that the country is essentially an island in the middle of South Africa. It is the southernmost land locked country in the world. The country is currently suffering greatly from AIDS/HIV. The disease affects nearly 30% of the population, one of the highest rates in the world. There are several important orphanages operating in Lesotho to help care for children left behind. One of the young ladies from our church may have the opportunity to go and help at one of the orphanages this summer.

I will add a few photos of my time there when I get a few extra minutes to post them.

My buddy Paul just put up blog post #1000. It is a masterpiece.

Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac... It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!
Congrats Paul!

Steve Trivia

Due to some minor sinus issues, my voice sounds like one of the following Brady kids in this clip from your childhood memories.

Toys for Men

ARRRRRGGGGGHHHH, ARRRRRGGGGGHHHH, ARRRRRGGGGGHHHH

Killer Prayer Tips