Monday, January 26, 2009

Random Things

So I keep getting tagged on Facebook by people filling out these 25 Random Things notes, so I figured what the heck, I will fill mine out too... For all my friends who read my blog, but are not on Facebook (this means you Ted) here you go.

25 Random thought and things about me...Share

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right-hand corner of the page), then click Publish.)

1) Turning 35 was way harder than turning 30… 36 is coming on like a freight train.

2) I have been married 12 years, which means my wife is a saint.

3) I am at least on cordial speaking terms with almost all of my old girlfriends… which is odd because I was kind of a lousy boyfriend in general.

4) I am a hypocrite because I used to make fun of anyone with a blog and now I have one. Reavo.blogspot.com in case you are interested.

5) I have an unhealthy addiction to teen TV melodrama. I love 90210, Dawson’s Creek, Degrassi ect…

6) I love my new job (I guess it’s not new after a year and half), but miss my friends from my old job.

7) I have a gift for telling a good story. I can take the most mundane event and turn it in to a epic tale of intrigue. Just ask my friend Ted who is often at the center of my tales. Let me be clear I do not lie; I enhance the real events to make better fodder for storytelling.

8) I am a horrble speller.

9) My High School girlfriend helped me cheat in advanced economics my senior year or I would not have passed; she went on to become a successful prosecuting attorney.

10) When I was in sixth grade I got everything I wanted for Christmas, then our home went up in flames four days later and we lost everything but the clothes on our backs. So now I have this little piece of me that hopes I don’t get everything I want. I fear something bad will happen if I do.

11) My mother is the strongest person I know to have made it through #10.

12) I love to gamble and I live for trips to Vegas. My #1 item on my bucket list would be to play in the WSOP, at least once.

13) I was a Camp Counselor the summer before my senior year of college (I guess I should say 4th year of college because I was way short of senior credits) and it was by far the best summer of my life.

14) My favorite Superhero is the Green Lantern, who I never felt got his props from the rest of the Justice League, oops I slipped into geek, sorry.

15) I love eggnog and could drink it all year long.

16) I wish I had a full size skiball game in my house.

17) When I was a kid I wanted to be a pro-kickball player. I really thought it would be a pro-sport one day.

18) I like mustard and ketchup mixed together with fries, I learned this trick for Sam Goldsmith in 7th grade.

19) My favorite food is sushi.

20) I am firm in my belief that the Justice League would kick the X-Men arse in a cross over comic, damn there is that geek again.

21) I really enjoy circus peanuts.

22) Generally people love me or hate me, there really is no in between with me.

23) I have written five chapters in a novel that I will never finish, but I do feel I have a better than average book in me.

24) I miss my grandpa Mark all the time and would do almost anything to have a good cup a coffee and shoot the bull with him, I got my storytelling gift from him.

25) I always thought Blossom was hot (in a weird way) and even dated a girl in college that I never really liked that much because she kinda looked like her… I guess

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Reavo's Asked and Answered

Alright here we go with the inaugural edition of Asked and Answered. Remember if you would like your question answered you can e-mail me at reavo73@yahoo.com.

What's with The Wire spoilers?! – Sarah Tizzel

I assume that you are referring to me writing about Stringer Bell's death in the previous blog post. I hardly think you can call giving a fact about a show that has been off the air for over a year a spoiler. By the way Ms Tizzel if you have not seen the Sixth Sense… Bruce Willis is dead.

Do you think Wes is teething already? – Brooke Arnold

Well I am no doctor, but I spend all kinds of time on WebMD diagnosing my own illnesses (hypochondria anyone?). So using my mad WebMD skills I can tell you that it is my medical opinion that young Wes is indeed teething. You are in for some sleepless nights, sucks to be you.

What was it like to meet Chris Hansen? –Me (Hmmm who could this be?)

Well that question brings me to an interesting tale. I have a very good, yet disturbed friend. To protect his identity we will call him Theodore Softball, he is known for his wild behavior at parties and defiling the sanctity of a man’s kitchen. Anyhow Ole Theodore gave me a call a few years back and said he needed a ride as he had met a really cool chick online… well one thing lead to another and I had to testify in court against Theodore and that is how I met Chris Hanson who thanked for my help in the prosecution of this disturbed individual. I am happy to say after intensive therapy and relocation a differing state Theodore is doing much better.

That is it for this week’s edition of Reavo’s Asked and Answer.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Asked and Answered

I am starting a new weekly deal where you can e-mail me a question and I will answer it. You can ask anything, no holds barred. You want to know why I am so dope? Ask. You want to know the secret to being a fashion icon, like me? Ask. Want to know why Stringer Bell got killed on the Wire? Ask. Want to know how to make the perfect Whiskey Sour? Ask.

Questions can me e-mailed to reavo73@yahoo.com and put Asked/Answered in the subject line. You can also hit me on my Facebook with your questions if that is easier.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Chick Beer



Back in my fraternity days we debated a great many questions that faced society. Topics as varied as Nature vs Nurture, The Fall of the Roman Empire and Pythagorean Theorem were discussed with great zeal on a daily basis by the most impressive minds to ever step foot on the Indiana State campus. The one topic that was sure to cause the most heated debate was Chick Beer.

What is Chick Beer you ask? Well we were forbidden to have kegs at our parties so each member had to bring a case of beer for themselves and a case of beer for the ladies or Chicks (I know, how crass) before entry was allowed. Now where the debate starts is what constitutes a suitable Chick Beer? I enjoy a good Old Milwaukee as much as the next guy, but your average college coed seemed to prefer a lager with a little less after burn. So there needed to be a standard set for what is the appropriate bottom end for Chick Beer.

Our general rule of thumb was Busch Light or better. But there would always be a wiseguy (Rob Todd-- I am talking about you brother) trying reason that Rainier Draft (How do you call a canned beer draft?) was actually better than Busch Light?

These debates would go on endlessly. Was PBR better or worse than Busch Light? What about Keystone or Icehouse? To think of the hours wasted on this topic and yet never was an answer reached. One of the great tragedies is never having come up with a comprehensive charting of all beers…kind of like a “Terror Threat Level “ for beers. Yet again another idea for greatness missed.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Pops

So I am back baby! I am refreshed from a nice break and ready to rock out another kickin’ blog for my adoring public.

The subject of the day… my Pop.

Pop is not your average Ward Clever, Mike Brady type of father. Dude never helped me with my homework and seldom dropped knowledge on me that would have been helpful in class. This is odd considering the man has been a teacher for 30 years. But my Dad is not a Mr. Holland’s Opus type of teacher, he is more of a “hey this is a good gig and I get three months off in the summer type of teacher.”

But this not to say I did not learn anything from my old man, actually quite the opposite. He taught me all the most important lessons. He taught me life lessons that I use to this day. Pops schooled me on the art of point spread in football betting and staying away from the hook (which means a point spread with a ½ point attached to it… example a team needs to win by 7 ½ ). He educated me in the world of hangover recovery, showing me that a cold beer and greasy breakfast topped in A1 sauce is a tasty treat to cure a really bad hanger. Pops showed me his way with the ladies and whatever weak arse game I did run in college was all learned from him.

Hell he gave me my first Old Style!

Dude took me to at least 10 Cubs games every summer (CF bleachers baby) and got Colts season tickets so we could hang when I moved to Indy. We spent summers at Lake Michigan and Pine Lake, Saturdays in the fall watching college football at St. Joe’s Polish Men’s club (no Dad is not Polish. When I asked him why he was a member he said it’s cheap beer and you can cash checks there. So apparently before ATM and direct deposit you had to belong to a club to get money?)

No he is not perfect. He is not the traditional TV father, but he is mine and I love him.