i'm just sayin'...

House Tour 2

Sunday, February 24, 2008

It's coming along quickly.


Progress

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Our new home is progressing quickly now! The exterior is just about done. After wiring is completed in the next 10 days, it'll be time to drywall.


Changes

Wednesday, November 07, 2007



Sarah and I are building a new house. The process has been ongoing for a few months already. We ran into a few setbacks (septic field and badly placed water overflow valve), but are finally underway.

In other news, I'm now working at Sweet Briar College. It's quite a change from defense to women's education, but I love it at SBC.

So I think that I'll start posting updates on the construction to this site/flickr/youtube. More pictures can be found by clicking on pictures on the top right of this site...


I'm doing better

Friday, June 23, 2006

I had my wrist surgery on Wednesday. While being awake for surgery sounds weird, it wasn't that bad. It was a tumor...I will found out the lab results on Tuesday (scary!). developing... (touche drudge)


In other news, I was just given an advance copy of the new Sufjan record - Avalanche. WOW!!! It's really good/different yet similar than Illinoise. yummy


update: here are pictures of my inury and also pictures of sugar's injury....

Sugar was limping al around becasue of her bandage.. It was adorable and sad. She had her toenail ripped off while at the groomer because she flipped out in a little cage (poor thing).



Any Duke Loss is a good Duke Loss

Wednesday, April 05, 2006


I actually watched women's basketball for the first time last night (or at least the last 5 minutes of regular time and the whole OT). I learned a bunch of things which I'll get to in bullet form in a second.

It's always a good thing to see any Duke player/supporter upset. I already knew this transcended sports (lacrosse, hockey, soccer, etc), but I now know that it also crosses the gender line. I found myself rejoicing in the disappointed looks of the Duke women.

Things I learned:

  1. Women's basketball is completely unwatchable
  2. Many women wear mouthguards while playing basketball
  3. There are people that have an uglier basketball shot than I
  4. Women's basketball players flop like European soccer players when fouled


Blueberry and Chocolate

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

On Sunday, I was partaking in my new addiction (frolf...frisbee golf) w/ Nathan McGlothlin. Halfway through our 'round', the two guys in front of us stop us on a wooded hole and say, "Do you have any chocolate?". Nathan and I respond with a confused look...Prompting one of them to say, "Chocolate....Do you have any blueberry?". We once again look at them in utter confusion. He responds, "You know...grass....pot?". I respond with an emphatic no. He says, "Well the two guys in front of us said you two were smoking pot". In response, I take out my cell phone and my keys from my pockets and tell them that's all I'm carrying. After an awkward pause, they take off to the next hole. This situation begs a few questions:
  1. Do Nathan and I look like pot smokers?
  2. What type of action while playing frolf could we possibly have done that looked even remotely like smoking any substance...let alone pot...
  3. Since when is pot called Chocolate or Blueberry?
  4. Am I out of touch?


I'm so excited

Tuesday, January 31, 2006


I was at my parents last weekend. We had a death in the family. It was a rough couple of days.
On Saturday night, I was playing billiards in their basement with my uncle when Sarah burst through the door and yelled, "GUESS WHAT I FOUND?!?!" (she had been to the grocery store so I had no clue). She continued, "FLAVORED CREAM OF WHEAT!!". My uncle Mark gave me an inquiring, confused look as I laughed. Sarah had been looking for flavored cream of wheat for literally months in Lynchburg to no avail...and finally she had found her holy grail of breakfast health... Thank you Aberdeen Kleins (for you also provided crab meat for the crabcakes the next day).


Imogen Heap on Letterman .... then the dropcast

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Imogen Heap will be performing on Letterman tonight! She was supposed to be on last night, but was bumped due to time. Kudos to Dave for the quick reschedule.

In other news, Dan and I will be interviewing her before her Baltimore show this Sunday night for The Dropcast. Her new album, Speak for Yourself, is one of my favorites of the year. I heard her song, Hide & Seek, on All Songs Considered and was hooked.


Annoying Day at the Gym

Thursday, December 29, 2005

I worked out on the ole elliptical/stairstepper at the gym today. My workout started nicely as I watched the morning sportscenter. About five minutes in, my workout took a turn for the worst... (foreshadowing) An older gentleman started working out on the machine to my left. He had an anoying habit of clearning his throat about once a minute. Once a minute turned into once every 15 seconds (literally). I ignored it initally then started turning my head quickly at each "ahem". This method didn't seem to work so I stepped it up a notch to clearning my throat when he cleared his. I lasted about 7 "ahem"s in 90 seconds or so then gave up. I was so annoyed .... my ears were being assaulted. With 5 minutes of my workout left, a gentelman started working out to my right. He was an older man sporting some fashionable zubas and a tank top that had the long cut on the sides (so better to see his sagging man-breasts). He had on approximately 6.7 gallons of cheap musk. I literally felt sick to my stomach. I frequently wiped my face with my towel becuse my sweat smelled better than his cologne. I will brave the Y once again in the morning - hoping to avoid these men...


Buffalo '66

Friday, December 16, 2005

I love this movie ... I'm not sure what made me think of it though. Vincent Gallo's confidence\cockiness doesn't come off in his performance or directing. I think the loneliness of his character is what endears me to this film. The photo booth scene is seriously one of my all-time favorite scenes - It's awkward\quirky\loving\then awkward again.

Also, go listen to Pattern is Movement... I even catch my wife humming, "I know that I shouldn't, but I did it, I did it" sometimes. (and that's sayign something to have her appreciate mathrock)


God Bless The USA (by deleting this song from our collective memories)

Friday, November 11, 2005

the song...
First of all, I'm very much a patriot and agree that we live in the greatest country on earth.

Can't we all agree that Lee Greenwood's I'm proud to be an American needs to stop?? This was once again pounded into my skull by having to listen to a coworker play it over and over again in MIDI form. It was the backgroudn music for a powerpoint slideshow that someone sent him with crazy pictures of the war.

Shortly after 9/11, I was at a dinner theater in Delaware called 'The Three Little Bakers'. I grew up seeing shows at that place and it defintely holds a special place in my heart. At the beginning of the night, there was a special 'patriotic' moment where first God Bless America was sung by all in attendance. That was nice - I apprecited it. Then one of the performers took the stage and sang proud to be an American. On the centerpiece of our tables were small American flags on sticks. You guessed it - not only was it a peer-induced stand and sing-along, but we also all ended dup waving these little plastic American flags around. Once again, I love the flag, but c'mon now!! Does this song really represent patriotism or just makes us feel like we are somehow standing up for our country. BLAH!!


The New and Improved Cracker Barrel Menu

Monday, November 07, 2005


We went to Cracker Barrel after work for some reason today. (Sarah gets cracker barrel urges...Which we normally regret after eating of course).

They have a new menu now. It's definitely more aesthetically pleasing with the red highlighted items and contrasted browns, but the restructuring just doesn't feel right. There are no more 'country dinner plates' namely... boooo

We filled out a comment card on the new menu and expressed 'strong displeasure'. Sarah added "Bring back the s'mores!!!" and I added "Uncle Herschel would not approve!!". (uncle Herschel being the not-so-mythical figure from the breakfast menu...My grandparents once met him sitting on a cracker barrel rockingchair). So there I am once again, giving it to the man. Fell the wrath of my comment card Cracker Barrel elite!!


Jenn and Dave are gettin hitched

Monday, October 31, 2005



Congrats!!

This weekend in chilly Pittsburgh brought my sister-in-law a husband-to-be. Now there will be another sports fan in the family (Frankson side that is)...and for that I'm thankful.


Aaron Neville has bad taste in facial tattoos

Tuesday, October 25, 2005


Apparently, I'm the last one in the world to realize that Aaron Neville has some odd cross type tattoo on his face. I've always been a huge fan of making fun of his music and his distinctive falsetto/pull - the - mic - away - while - singing thing.

I saw this tattoo while he was singing during the 7th inning stretch at game 3 of the world series. It's hard to make me wince at "God Bless America", but I would've smirked less if Lee Greenwood would've appeared and sang, "I'm proud to be an American".

Tangent time: I hate forced reaction to a song (unless its momentous and governmental like the national anthem or the hallelujah chorus). The minute that you here Lee Greenwood's voice sing I proudly stand up....you know there will be the slow stand (cousin of the slow clap). Even worse is the Christian forced stand. The minute that you hear the opening of "I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb", you know that you will have to literally stand and pledge your allegiance to the Lamb or everyone will state at you as some sort of blasphemer. You've gotta love the first guy who stand sup and pledges...it's like it's this dramatic step of faith when actually everyone is just thinking - ok when is someone doing it...just get it over with. Enough already people, stay seated and will somone tell Aaron Neville that the cross/dove/chevrolet symbol tattoo looks dumb.


Dropcast #3 Justin McRoberts and The Traveling Guys



We just released the third episode of the dropcast (the podcast run by Dan Portnoy and I). In it, we talked to the travelling guys - two men doing random acts of kindness aroudn the world. They are currently helping out with the Katrina disaster.

We also talked to Justin McRoberts. He has been one of our favorite interviews yet. He's just a genuine, humble man. He was gracious enough to let us record and play his cover of, the pedro the lion song, "The Secret of the Easy Yoke". This song is one of my personal favorites of any musician. We'll definitely be checking in with Justin in the future.

check out the show