Summer of Dan

Everything's All Right

Just gonna leave this right here...(please ignore the misspelling, I didn't do it, I promise)

And while that is a very well done Saturday Night Live skit and mimics real life, below are real life sentiments. 

The Patriots are getting healthy at the right time and on the right side of the ball. Brandon Spikes is back, Chung seems like he is back fully, and McCourty has had a few games to get back into the swing of things. If we want to sniff the Super Bowl they all have to play like they are capable. I think they can and they will. The question is really can any team in the AFC keep up with them on the scoreboard?

Time will tell.

Is this Geocities 2.0?

Looking up information on George R. R. Martin, who wrote Game of Thrones, I wound up on his website. 

I thought I was back in 1996 on a Geocities website. The colors, the layout, everything. I was waiting for some God awful midi music to start playing and some flame gifs to erupt on one of the toolbars.

Amazing writer but he obviously needs a website consultant like yesterday.

Laying in wait

I have a friend. He is furry. He is smart. He is super energetic. He is strong. He is awesome.

His name is Statler.

He is a clever little fellow. He is exceptional at hide and go seek. He can hang onto a kong 3 feet off the ground for an inordinate amount of time. He can even read you bedtime stories.

Seemingly, he is invincible. He's fearless. 

But not when it comes to...

Furbies.

Now I have a marked history with Furbies. I, too, have a phobia of them, so much so that I destroyed the ear off of my best friend's mom one and only Furby. 

Side note: do you have any idea how hard it is to find a specific furby? Same color, same everything? Yeah, REALLY hard. Even at the height of their popularity I was worried I would be doing farm work for the rest of my life to make amends for the assault on the furby, no matter how warranted it was.

Now, Statler doesn't just dislike furbies, he gets scared of them. It's his personal kryptonite. We all have something like that. 

But what Statler needs to know is the next time I stay over Statler's place he can't go rummaging into my bag searching for cookies. And he can't eat them all on me. And he has to know that if he goes in there that one of those fluffy little creatures is going to be waiting for him.

And that no one will be able to help him. Especially his dad, because he'll be on Gas Street accomodating up to seven seamen per night. I mean, look at him, doesn't he look like he's ready for Deadliest Catch? Throw this kid on a crab boat now.

It is just time to get up and live your life the way you want to live

With all the bad shit going down in the news lately, do you think the Mayans screwed it all up and mean to pick 2011 as the year the world blows up instead of 2012?

• Sometimes I get sad. Sometimes I get pissed. Sometimes I need a reason to smile. 
  
  And every time that happens I will return to this. And do just that.
  
  
  
  
• I have a major problem with IKEA. In that I am always thinking about going to IKEA to get more stuff that I may or may not need and spend hours there and look at any and all things that may or not be limited to shit I would even want to buy.
  
  
  
  
• Do you ever go long stretches or time forgetting about some kind of food you love to eat? I'm not talking about oranges. Or Chunky Monkey. I'm talking about something you make on your own. Your own twist of baked Mac and Cheese. A peanut butter and honey wrap. An omelette with ricotta cheese and spinach. Ahhh, the problems of a fat kid. Forgetting kinds of food to eat. First world problems.
• About 8 years ago I tried to get my vanity plate at the DMV and was denied. I requested HYNDSY. I was told it was graphic and rude. The example I was given was "Look at that HYNDSY".
  
  
  Really? 
  
  I got it after I called a supervisor, but only after I was given HYNDS. I had to wait even longer because the plate I wanted was profane.
  
  Profane.
  
  If I had a dollar for every plate I have seen since then that was actually graphic and profane or just downright rude I would be able to single handedly be able to pay for vanity plates for everyone in New Hampshire.
  
   
  
  
• If you're looking for a couple inspirational stories, stories that will knock you off your feet and give you some serious perspective you should check out the book The Long Run by Matt Long. It's a true story about a FDNY firefighter who loses both of his legs after getting hit by a New York City bus and he keeps on going. 
  
  
   
  
  The other story hits closer to home. It's about a guy named Randy Pierce who lost his sight but not his vision. With the assistance of his guide dog Quinn, Randy is seeking to become the first person every to summit each and every 4000 footer in New Hampshire. Randy came and spoke where I work and I felt honored to hear his story and encourage everyone to take a minute to read about his story and his big plans.
  
  
   
  If Randy looks a little familiar it's because he is in one of the most iconic Patriots pictures ever with his late dog Ostend, right above the 5 in the Bruschi banner:
  
  
   
  
  I've talked before on here how I would love to hike all of the 4000 footers and before meeting Randy I was truly geeked about it, but right now I'm looking forward to climbing my first 4000 footer with Randy. He is one of the most inspiring, well-spoken, friendliest, amazing individuals you could ever hope to meet. I am truly humbled to have met him and cannot wait to see him again this May at our Annual Conference.
• Speaking of football, I am pretty confident the NFL Players Union and the owners will get things done so we will have a full season in the fall. $9 billion is at stake. Some players have enough money to hold out indefinitely. Most don't. Most owners won't want to lose a boatload of money. And most fans won't forgive them if an entire season is lost.
  
  
• This is one of those must see Rollins videos. Not optional. Watch this. Now.
  
   
  
  
  
• This will always be hilarious. 
  
  
  
• A little over 2 months have passed but congratulations needs to go out to Mark for getting the monkey off his back and winning his dodgeball championship. In the past Mark has been on the receiving end of tough losses but this time he pulled it out and is on the receiving end of a big, giant win.
  
   

See you in another life brotha

I love where I work. I almost never write about it on here and for good reason. Unlike my personal life my work life isn't something I like to get into. I love the work, I love the technology, I love the people, I love the building I work in. It could not be any better.

No, really, it couldn't.

Especially when I realized I am working in a super secret (not so much now, but...) Dharma station.

You might think I'm crazy, but I have other reasons to believe this as well. More details to come, but for now, I'll be thinking twice before I jump onto a plane to Australia...

Ultimate Trust

I'm a bit of a movie fanatic. I watch a ton of movies, whenever I can. Online, in the theater, hitting RedBox or my beloved Netflix.

You can imagine how big of a deal it would be for me to allow someone to select a movie for me to watch. A movie that is only 3 years younger than I am. A movie that could be really awesome or suck really bad ass.

 
That's right. 99% of the people reading this have no idea what the fuck that movie is. I didn't. But Flack does. And Flack told me to watch it. So I will. Even though it only got 3.5 stars from Netflixers. Then again, those ratings are based on random people's preference. I mean, shit, I rated Legally Blond as a 5 star movie.

The only recourse I have if it sucks ass is burning his house down when he leaves for New York next week.

He better hope I give it two thumbs up or I'm taking a road trip.

Always a lion

A few weeks ago before the BCS National Championship game I had a dream about Penn State playing Auburn for the title and winning.

The game was a battle, but the QB play by Penn State was outstanding: 21-24, 250 yards, 4TDs, 0 INTs, and couldn't be stopped. Short passes, intermediate throws, running when needed, just overall smart, athletic QB play.

The Niff was Penn State's QB.

She had 3 TDs in the game and her teammates had her on her shoulders, pigtails all bunched up under her helmet.

It was so vivid I talked about it for a few days and just had flashbacks about it. Maybe because of my Penn State hat? Maybe because Joe Pa is the man? Maybe because she embodies the heart of a lion: Dignified, courageous, magnificent? Maybe because even though it was a dream no one has ever made me prouder than the Niff?

Probably all of the above.

SOMEONE NEEDS TO GET THIS SIDE!

This is alarmingly similar to the night the Niff moved from Connecticut up to New Hampshire.

Only my sister was on one end yelling at us that "Someone needs to get this side!".

What she failed to realize at the moment was:

1. Because of how the couch was positioned no one could get to her side
2. The person that needed to get her side...was her.

I swear my sister would be the ultimate State worker.

A Memory of Lotus Rocks

I tend to take a lot of pictures on my Blackberry and I'm guilty of almost never uploading them or sharing them.

Not today. 

As you can see Ray likes to eat. I figured I would save him some time and just let him eat out of the container. What a great dad I am.

I really missed the shit out of this place this summer. The Niff and I went camping last year and rented this cabin. What a great little getaway. So awesome. I wonder if they are open in the Fall...more importantly, I wonder if I could convince the Niff to stay here in the Fall...

Whenever I would drive through Boston with my family to see my grandparents when I was a kid we would drive past this. For years it wasn't even a banner, it was just a giant shamrock painted onto the side of the building. I am willing to bet it is underneath the banner. This is when I knew I was on my way to New Hampshire.

Earlier this year at what is easily the coldest I have ever been at any sporting event in my short 30 years, James, Flack, Mark and I grabbed a bite before the Sox game down the street. I had to get a picture with Flack and John Locke. I wish I could blow this up poster size.

Boston is historic. Boston is beautiful. Boston is amazing.

Occasionally at work I need to relocate animals/insects/random living creatures. Either they get into the building or they put themselves in grave danger and require my AWT (Animal Whispering Techniques). This was Myrtle the Fertile Turtle. I moved her twice in one day, she was too close to the parking lot. She must have been pissed because the last time I saw her she was back where I moved her from twice digging holes and trying to lay eggs. She wasn't amused with me.

This is quite honestly the most disgusting thing I have ever drank. Yes, even worse than Diet Dr. Pepper's Cherry Chocolate soda. This was taken the day after a movie I saw with Jessie. I took one sip and had her try it. Needless to say the inside of her car was covered in this crap.

This is the side of a gas station up north in Lincoln that is dedicated to aliens. The bathroom is a museum and everything inside is insanely odd. Especially the clerks behind the counter.

This is Rusty. Rusty would be ours in a second if we had a house. DAMMIT.

Every now and then I get to climb up on top of the roof where I work. Such a fantastic view. I wish I could put a lawn chair up there...

Optimus Prime hanging out at Sal's in Hooksett. No big deal.

The tallest mountain in New Hampshire. Home of the craziest weather in the FUCKING WORLD. I'll get to the top of it someday.

I love bringing the Niff back to UConn as often as I can. Their student union is amazing. I just wish they sold replica suits of Jonathan the Huskie.

I picked this up at Goodwill for 10 cents. I would use it a lot more often but the thing holds half a cup of coffee at best. The handle is something kind of awful as well, but the picture is priceless. My tireless search for these people and Lotus Rocks will go on until the day I die.




Lola is quite the balancer. She climbed up our drying racks and was hanging out forever until we noticed her. I think she was just trying to reach The Complete Works of Shakespeare on the top shelf.

This is very common where we live. We live in a nice place, but for some reason I see entire couches in the dumpster, and in this case, what looks like a burned out couch. Totally logical.

The Niff conquering the outdoors in her sick ass snowshoes. Not pictured are the 12 times I fell, including the time I fell into a giant pine tree only to have 4 feet of snow crash down on top of me and not being able to get out without assistance.

Believe it or not but New Hampshire has some seriously good sushi. Take Ichiban for example. Awesome sushi, awful spelling. I think this adds to the authenticity of the food? Nothing like the Love Loll.



My ID badge for our offsite storage facility. Nothing more needs to be said.

Grizzly Adams

When I saw this I couldn't help think of Flack and I at Canobie this summer.

I imagine the scene was flip-flopped: a woman in one car bumping into two giant scary Grizzlies. Although she probably would have been more scared to see me trying to fit in the bumper car than bumping into us...