New Week, New City!

Well, here I am in one of the U.S.' greatest cities: Chicago! I must admit, this is my first time in this city, and it will NOT be my last! This is the most INCREDIBLE place! It is amazing to think that I get PAID to travel to these wonderful places! I am truly a blessed individual!

Another indication of my truly good luck is the timing of my visit! This last Saturday was "Venetian Night", which is a celebration of the Italian influence in the city, highlighted by a evening lighted boat parade and a fireworks display, launched from barges on Lake Michigan. I was told by one of the locals that this fireworks display is second in size to the 4th of July display. I must say, if this was 2nd, I cannot IMAGINE what the 4th looks like! Unreal! I also made the brilliant move to check on a boat tour of the city that evening, which wound up being an architectural tour of the city down the Chicago River, followed by a trip onto Lake Michigan for a lake view of the fireworks. I cannot begin to describe the wonder and beauty of seeing some of the most spectacular fireworks I have ever seen, and to see them against the majesty of the Chicago skyline! What an experience! If you ever want to take a trip to Chicago, make sure to come during Venetian Night and take this cruise! You will never forget it!

Seeing the Chicago skyline at night is another reason that taking a boat tour of the city toward the evening is a great idea. Try to go on the last tour, or the sunset tour. I assure that you won't be disappointed! The beauty of the sun setting behind the metal mountains of Chicago is breathtaking to say the least! The tour that I took (aboard "Chicago's Little Lady") was a marvelous way to see the city, and learn incredibly interesting facts about the city. There are things that you may never discover about the city if you don't take one of these tours. For an example, we passed a building that in itself was beautiful (a 6-7 story red brick building covered in ivy), but the building was not the impressive part; what occured on that site was. This was the very spot that Abraham Lincoln was given the nomination for President of the United States. The tour guides are incredibly knowledgeable, funny, and insightful. The guide that we had was also somewhat of a local celebrity, as he appeared in a scene of the movie "Risky Business". He was the waiter in the scene where Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay are dining in the restaurant on top of the John Hancock tower. While you may not end up with this local legend as your tour guide, I assure you will get just as good of a tour from any of the guides. This is a great way to see the city!

Another great way is by taking a ride to the top of the Sears Tower. This was breathtaking! The line to purchase tickets and ascend in the elevators is very long, so be sure to go very early, as part of a tour group, or around 5:00 pm, as this is the slow period (as it is dinner time). This is a must do in Chicago. The ability to stand atop (or nearly the top) of the 3rd highest building in the world (and the highest tower in the United States) is something you cannot miss. On a clear day, you are able to see 4 states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin). Unfortunately during my visit, there was not a lot of wind and was therefore quite hazy. Nevertheless, the view is one you cannot describe with words. I have placed a few pics on the site for you to see. This is one terrific site!

Oh, and let me just say that I got one of the greatest thrills a sports fan can have...I attended a Cubs game at the iconic Wrigley Field! "The Friendly Confines", as it is so nicknamed, is one of the most incredible places to see a game! I was able to get a wonderful seat (15 rows from the field, just above the Cubs dugout) and to see a game here HAS to be experienced. The history of the park, the splendor of the ivy-covered outfield walls, and the insane crowd are things that make a trip to Wrigley Field something that must be experienced even if you aren't a baseball fan! It was magical. The energy was amazing, and the fans of the Cubs are some of the most entertaining and wonderful I have ever been around! What a blast!

Needless to say, my time in Chicago has been marvelous! Next stop, back to Mississippi! I will be traveling to Vicksburg, MS (near the Louisiana border) for a project. I am looking forward to my return. It is actually a very lovely state, and hopefully there will be time for me to get to New Orleans while I am there. It is about a 3 hour drive, but it would be WELL worth it!

Home at LAST!

Well, I have managed to make it home for a few days before my departure to another adventure! I came back from New Mexico and immediately made my way back to the beauty and temperate climate of Temecula, CA. I LOVE it there, and I really would consider making that my home down the road. I spend the better part of a week there before returning to Vegas.

I'll be heading out to Chicago on Thursday, which will be very exciting, as I have never been able to explore the city before. Hopefully I will be able to make it to Wrigley Field and catch a Cubs game while I'm there! More from the road later!

Changing of the format

Thus begins the rant of the day:

Ok, so now that I AM the roaming gnome, I thought this would be a good spot to let all family, friends, and anyone else who might be interested, know about my travels around the country and the world as a corporate trainer in the gaming business! Having said that, I will catch everyone up on where I have been in the last two months.

June saw me starting out in Tunica, Mississippi (one week after my knee surgery, by the way!) I flew into Memphis, and drove 30 miles over the Mississippi border to Tunica. It is a very quaint area, and getting to see the Southern leg of the mighty Mississippi River was awe-inspiring! It is quite amusing to have seen the start of the river while living in Minnesota, and now the Southern portion! While on this trip, I was able to shoot back up to Memphis to tour Graceland (Elvis Presley's home), as well as Beale Street, the home of the Blues! The food was AMAZING! I got to eat world famous ribs at the Blues City Cafe (featured on the Food Network). I will post a few pics of the trip for all to enjoy!

Next I went to Espanola, New Mexico (15 miles North of Santa Fe). I was able to spend time in Santa Fe, as well as meeting up with Millie and Ben (my aunt and uncle) and Jeff (my cousin) who lives nearby. The weather was challenging, but it is wonderful to see rain for once! Unfortunately, the system that we were installing was not functioning, so I wound up leaving the property and going to Temecula, California for a week.

Temecula is one of my favorite spots. It is just North of San Diego, one of my absolute favorite places in the world! I was able to visit Zarco's Cigar Lounge in old town Temecula, as well as get to some of the wonderful wineries in the Temecula Valley! I also enjoyed a jazz concert at Thornton Winery, and as most of you know, I am a HUGE jazz fan! I saw Hiroshima and Acoustic Alchemy. They were FANTASTIC! What a great show! An intimate atmosphere in the winery's courtyard, and only about 500 people there! It was like a private concert!

Today, I have returned to New Mexico to finish the project we began a few weeks ago. My fingers are crossed that things will finally be back on track so that we can complete the training. Next week, I will be back in Temecula. YEAH! Mom, Dad, and Kristie are coming out to meet me there! I am so excited!

Thus begins the rant of the day:

Welcome to March madness; an event every sports fan waits for all year, much like the Super Bowl. With March madness upon us there are a few things I like to get off my chest:

#1 -- Why is it that the "Western conference" is played in the East? The last time I checked, east and west are on opposite sides of the country! It frustrates me to no end that fans of colleges that reside on the West Coast are forced to travel across the country to watch their own teams compete in the tournament. How does this benefit the students of these colleges? I understand that television revenue drives everything nowadays, but it is ridiculous that the NCAA finds it appropriate to force Western-based colleges and their fans to spend exorbitant amounts of money on tickets as well as the cost of travel to go watch their favorite team compete on the other side of the country. This is just the latest in a long string of awful decisions by the NCAA and proves once again that the leadership of the NCAA needs to be summarily dismissed. At best this shows the NCAA's irresponsibility.

#2 -- Why does the NCAA feel it necessary to have a "game before the games" on Tuesday? Having a game to determine the whipping boy for the country's number one team is pathetic at best. When did we find it necessary to get more excitement built up for the tournament? They certainly did not require this in years past; why now? The answer is quite simple: revenue. The NCAA wanted to find a way to get even more money by getting ESPN involved in the tournament directly. Will this mean more money for the schools, I think not. This just proves the greed of the NCAA lives well in its "leadership".

#3 -- Why are several hours required to hold the NCAA tournament selection show? The answer to this question is quite clear: revenue. Are you starting to see the pattern in this discussion? The fact that they drag this 15 minute event on for hours shows the NCAA's greed, as well as the television networks. While we are on the subject of the selection committee, why is it so difficult for them to figure out who the best teams are? The fact that teams like Arizona State was left out of the tournament in 2008, which nearly everyone questioned, shows the ineptitude of the selection committee as well as the arrogance. Clearly, there is a bias toward the East Coast teams, but we certainly did not need a very evident reminder. Will someone please get rid of the NCAA or at least dramatically revamp it?!

As much as I enjoy the NCAA tournament, I find it necessary to bring up some very obvious points of correction. Competing in and winning tournament games is such a vital part of the schools' revenue, allowing them to hire better instructors, make improvements in the school, and generally bringing attention to programs such as Mount St. Mary's that may go overlooked otherwise, that it is pathetic when the NCAA decides to ruin this time with their own greed. Please don't get me wrong, I adore tournament time. There is nothing better than watching a full day of excellent basketball being played at the highest level, and seeing teams overachieve on a national stage. All I'm asking for is someone to look at the way the NCAA handles their affairs and to correct their many errors and their clear arrogance.

Basketball

Thus begins the rant of the day:

Welcome to my blog. I am beginning my barrage on the world by speaking of basketball, be it high school, college, pro, or any other incarnation of the sport. The first question that I pose is simple: when did travelling suddenly become acceptable in the rule books? Does ANYONE notice the fact that the "jump-step" is travelling? How about the fact that a pivot-foot is actually supposed to be established BEFORE the dribble ceases?

It amazes me that refs are now either trained to overlook these rules violations, or just choose to ignore them. If this is going to be the case, REMOVE THE RULE! While it is exciting to see Lebron, Kobe, Chauncy Billups, and the like cut to the hoop and force their way into the land of the giants, it drives me INSANE to see them take several steps before releasing the ball! CALL THE TRAVEL for goodness sake!!

While we are talking out rules that are ignored, what ever happened to the palming rule? I know I am starting to sound like Adolph Rupp or Bob Knight, but I am a purist, and if they are going to HAVE to darn rules.....ENFORCE THEM! I am all for removing the rules and having a much more fast-paced game, but this is much like the antiquated laws that cities still carry on their books (such as it being illegal to eat ice cream while walking down a town's streets during the summertime...yes, this is a real law in some cities), if they are outdated or just silly, get rid of the rules. If you are going to continue to carry them, ENFORCE THEM! You cannot have it both ways!

Ok, this concludes my rant for the day. Look for more rants to come!