Day 48

Well, it looks like so far on the poll you, Constant Reader, enjoy the weekends, so I shall post this weekend.

Last night I'm working at llywelyns. Man has it been slow lately. It should pick up sometime soon though. And, exciting, the GM told me I can now pick up bar shifts when someone needs off. In fact, on September 6 (after Pattersons wedding, of course) I'll be bartending, so make plans now!!!!!

But, while me getting closer to bartending (I also got my annual review, and it was good) is awesome, its not the awesomosity. You see, every once in a while, a few young pretty girls come in to hand out beer or shots as part of a promotion. Last night was one of those nights.

Some girls and their handler (as I like to call the rep) from Summitt, a distributor, came to promote Boulevard. They were also pre-promoting Beck's, our featured Oktoberest beer. If you listen to the Point, you may have heard of the mugcrawl thing they got going. We are participating in it with a special on Beck's (it starts tonight, come on up!).

Why am I telling you all this? Because today's awesomeness is free stuff from beer and liquor companies. I got a free Beck's shirt last night to add to my collection that includes several Guinness shirts, Jagermeister shirts and a sweet hat, an awesome Boulevard shirt and more. It is awesome because I tend to get pretty messy and dirty at work, and more free beer shirts not only promotes the beer, but let's me do laundry less often, which is always awesome.

One quick story. I was wearing a sweet free Jager shirt one night. One of our regulars wanted it and offered me her turtleneck. I said no. Then she offered me a shirt that says, "brave enough to live in America's most dangerous city". I said yes. Awesome.

I have included a few pics of my awesome free shwag. Also, my picture of the day, where you may notice that I shaved my stache.

See you tomorrow!!

Day 47

Day 47, Ryan Ludwick single-handedly wins the game for the Cards last night wearing number 47? Coincidence? Yes, totally.

Last night I hung out with a bunch of like-minded (mostly) people to discuss ways to better carry the message. Sometimes I wish churches (or at least my church) would do this, actively pursue people and strategize ways to better carry our message. But I digress.

After our get together, several people were hungry. A really good friend of mine, Jeff Gallo, bartends at The Tin Can Tavern and Grille. He was bartending last night and I planned to stop and say hey anyway, so I invited my friends. About 8 of us showed up and enjoyed some delicious food.

This is a picture I found of Jeff from way back

Today's awesomeness is easily the Tin Can. If you are the drinking type, it is a great place to grab a beer. They have over 50 cans of beer available, starting at $1.75. They also have Bud and Bud Light bottles, plus of course, 40 oz. of O.E. (Olde English) and High Life. Not to mention 3 drafts and a full liquour selection. But I don't drink. So why do I go there several times a week? The food.

40 of OE

My "usual" is wings and fries. The have some of the best wings around in my opinion and there fries (mostly the seasoning) are incredible. I am also a fan of the "Tin Can Ten" (2 5oz. burger patties), the Beef and Brick, and the Pot and Kettle (homemade pot roast over Texas toast and mashed potatoes). They have won "Best Macaroni & Cheese" from the RFT for several years, though its a little sweet for me. And they have popcorn on the cob. Fo Real.

The location I frequent is on Morganford just South of Arsenal, but they also have a location downtown at 19th and Locust. Rumor has it they are looking to open a location in Columbia (Missouri, not South America). It is a very cool place with a great atmosphere. Lots of TVs, but they don't dominate your attention. Can koozies cover the walls as people have bought them, decorated them, then leave them for the next time they come back.

For entertainment, they have a few video games (including new Golden Tee) and of course, a Sega Genesis with several games. Thursday thru Saturday they have live music, including "Rock Star Karaoke" where you sing with a guitarist playing the music. They usually get some pretty good bands in and you're guaranteed to have a good time. If none of this entertains you, the bartenders or regulars certainly will.

I have linked up to the Tin Can site, but here are a few other sites I came across while searching for the Tin Can. Wikipedia. Tin Can Blog (about a guy that failed to sail around the world). Tin Can Media.

So, next time you're in the city and hungry, give me a call, we'll meet up at the Tin Can and have some great food and an awesome time!

Here's my picture, in my parents 70sesque downstairs kitchen.


See you tomorrow!

Day 44 Picture

Here is the picture I promised of me being a softball coach. You may notice my niece Lydia looking confused. I got that a lot that day.

Enjoy!!

Day 46

46, oh what to say about 46. I know. Vote on the poll. Click on the ads. Tell your awesome friends about the awesome blog. Comment on the blog. Add up your awesome points and let me know.

I am playing baseball as I think most of you know. I used to play baseball in high school and for 1/6th of my years in college (that's just one year). I used to play 10+ years ago. I currently play less than 3 days ago.

I thought it would be a ton of fun, which it is. I thought I would pitch well, which I have to an extent. Here is what I didn't think. That I would need to get in shape. What, just because I'm gonna throw 100 or so pitches every 10 days or so I should be in some kind of shape? (And I guess I am kind of in a shape, just not in shape.)

So, long story short, my team, not doing so hot this year. This is our team's (Million $ Men) page, and this is the league's (MSBL) page, if you're interested in seeing more about that. In fact, we have lost 16 straight. But hey, if we get hot in the playoffs, anything can happen, right, right? Ok, maybe not, but I gotta keep some hope alive.

Ok, back to topic (like there is a topic). I didn't get in shape and pitched a bunch. My arm hurts. Duh. Well, I had a doctor's visit recently and asked him about my elbow. He said I have Golfer's Elbow (I explained to him, that while I golf, I think pitching a baseball is what caused the issue. Apparently Golfer's Elbow is just the name, there are a lot of things that can cause it, check out what else causes it here.) The doc recommends I stop pitching (we all know that won't happen) or at least get some physical therapy (like I can afford it).

A physical therapist calls me to schedule an appointment. I explain that I am poor, she says, "Let's see what your insurance will cover." It covers up to a $25 co-pay. Like I said, I'm poor. She says, "How about a $5 co-pay?" I say, "When can I come in?"

There are many kinds of treatments available for those that have golfer's elbow and won't quit using it. Basically, I need to ice it several times a day, take I-B-Profen (I can't spell the real word) a few times a day, and stretch regularly. But it won't heal until I quit using it (6 more games). In addition to all this, the therapist says that I should get some medicine called Dexamethasone Phosphate. According to Web MD, it can treat all kinds of stuff.

Anyway, they give it to me using a treatment called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). They squirt some meds on a pad thing, then they hook it up via two sticky pads on my arm and shock me. Basically, they are making a negative current go through the pad, through my muscles (boy, that's a long way, what with all those big, hug muscles) and into the damaged tendon. It is pretty awesome. I show up and they do some ultrasound (can't tell if its a boy or girl yet) and then they shock me for a half hour or so.

Physical therapy is awesome. They can help heal all sorts of stuff. And, they totally cut me a deal. I was trying to remember what this therapy was called, but I knew it had to do with negative ions, so I googled negative ion physical therapy. Apparently there are some serious medical breakthroughs happening with this technology. Seriously, you should check out the Google results.

Enough already, physical therapy is awesome, especially when they shock you.

Here is a picture, you better enjoy the stache while it lasts, there's no telling how long it'll be around or what is next.


See you tomorrow!

Day 45

Half way to 90! Hooray!

Today's awesomosity comes from a good friend of mine and his wife. Michael Sharp, aka Tommy Bahama, and his wife Lauren Sharp invited me to their home for dinner last night. Well, actually, Michael and I have been trying to get together to smoke cigars for a month or more, but both have some pretty ridiculous schedules. Last night, the stars were aligned and we smoked cigars.

Michael called me in the afternoon to see if I wanted to also eat some dinner with them, they were having pot roast. I, knowing that Lauren is an incredible cook, said, "Absolutely!"

So, we had some pot roast and mashed potatoes and corn and it was all delicious. But then, just when it couldn't get any better, Lauren sets this in front of me:


And (I know its a bad picture) just what is that you ask? Single serving peach crisp, I reply. And, yes, it is as delicious as it sounds. I told Lauren that this was a fantastic idea. She said she made a crisp at one point, but doubled the topping recipe, so now all she has to do is microwave some fruit, put on the topping and ice cream, and there you go. Genius. She also told me it is healthy, since she used low fat ice cream and some other stuff. I tend not to pay too much attention when someone tells me the deliciousness I am eating is healthy, it might ruin it.

Then, Lauren went to Aldi and Michael and I lit up the cigars we spent 10 minutes picking out. They were good. We also had some coffee. Don't believe me? Well, check this out:


HA! Like I would lie to you anyway. Come on.

Michael and I sat enjoying our cigars talking about life and stuff for an hour or more. Which is the official awesomeosity for the day. Smoking cigars and talking about life with a good friend. There's really nothing better than that. For a while, we were doing this quite regularly, but the summer has backed us off a little, being busy and hot and whatnot.

Michael also told me a great idea for the blog, which I shall try to implement in some fashion at some point, we'll see if I can figure out a good way. His idea is to award "awesome points" for people that have done that awesomosity before. So, if you have smoked a cigar with a friend recently, 1 point. If you own a Llywelyns cup, 1 point. If you voted, 1 point. I think you get the idea. Any idea on how to pull it off?

I leave you with my picture of the day, comparing it to the best thing I have ever been called when I have a mustache, Ed Rooney, the principal from Ferris Bueller. What do you think? Similarity?

Ed Rooney

Me

Thanks for reading. By the way, today is my 3rd anniversary, which is pretty awesome to me. See you tomorrow!

Day 44

44 Magnum that is. Ok, that was just dumb, sorry about that.

So, as anticipated, last night was very awesome. Let me explain a little about what went down. It was the 5th annual Llywelyns softball game. The 3 St. Louis area locations all get together for a no-holds barred drinking contest. Oh, and they play softball.

I'm gonna guess there were maybe 60-70 people there total. I know there were 3 kegs and well over 300 jello shots, plus who knows what else. All that was gone before the night was over, these are some drinkin' fools. But, like I said, there was some softball playing going on in between keg stands.

They played a round robin format, so each location played the other two. First up; Webster vs. West End. West End wins it 6-2. Next up; Webster vs. Soulard. Our team had spent a little time drinking in preperation, and were therefore totally unprepared to play. We lost 3-0. (I did have a single, but got doubled off on a line drive).

So, we played West End next. They win, they win the tournament. We win, its a 3-way tie. I am very proud to say that I got the scoring started in the second inning with a lead-off home run. Not out of the park, but I saw they had two girls in right field, so I picked on them. I did hit it pretty good though, I must say. We did not stop scoring, putting up 6 in the 2nd. By the bottom of the 4th, we put up 10 and won by 10-run rule, 10-0.

Now, a conundrum. Each team had won a game and lost a game. We scored more than either team, but had also been shut out. The owners decided on a one inning round robin play off. We stayed on the field to play the West End. They didn't score. I actually led off for us with a double, and was hit in by a gound out and single. We won, 1-0.

Then we play Webster for the Championship. We bat first, putting up a 4 spot. We then continued our solid defensive play to win 4-1.

Soulard won the Championship for the 3rd straight year!!!

So, all this is quite awesome. If you don't believe me, hang out with 60 or 70 totally wasted people while being completely sober and you'll see, its a good time.

I think the most awesome was my uniform. Our bar manager, Sean, was our team captain (and he gave several very rousing and inspiring pep talks). He named me the assistant coach, a position I took seriously. I got to thinking, what does a coach look like? Well, a coach wears coaches shorts, obviously. And long socks. And a 3/4 sleeve shirt. And has a fantastic mustache. I looked good. My two favorite quotes relating to my outfit were from my nephew Ahren, who is 3, who said, "Uncle Ben, you look silly." Then I knew I had nailed it. The other quote comes from the GM of all 3 St. Louis Llywelyns, Tom, who said, "There is no way I would let you anywhere near my kids." Bingo.

I will post a picture of my outfit, as soon as one of the many people who took my photograph sends me a copy, which will hopefully be today sometime.

In the meantime, enjoy the 'stache in this picture, my picture of the day:


Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow!

Day 43

I gotta be quick with this awesomosity today, because I have so little to do and so much time. Wait. No. Stop. Reverse that.

Today's awesomeness comes from the web. I randomly ran into this, I think they were advertising on Woot when I saw it. I now check Woot everyday, you never know what'll be on there. Well one day there was an ad for this site:

tshirtgun.com

Yes, they sell exactly what all of you expect and have been looking for all these years. T-Shirt cannons. My personal favorite was this one:


They call it "The Deuce" and it can be yours right now for only $2999.00. What a deal huh? They say it is Rapid Fire Quick Reload Ultimate Power. And look at the thing. We may consider arming some of our soldiers with this thing.

They have all kinds of cool stuff there, enough to earn them the awesomeness of the day.

Like I said, this is a quick one, but don't worry, I am sure tomorrow's will be great, this evening is the Llywelyns company softball game. With 40 employees, 2 kegs and 200 jello shots, how can awesomeness not be the result at some point, right?

Here's the picture, you may notice that my upper lip is dirty, I scrubbed it for at least five minutes to no avail.


Have a great day! See you tomorrow!

Day 42

Day 42, oh what to write about.

Well, today has thus far been pretty awesome. I would have to say it was pretty easy all in all to pick an awesomosity though. You see, I have a bunch of family in from out of town. Well, out of town doesn't really accurately describe it.

Before I tell you about who all is in town, let me tell you what made it awesome today. I had a baseball game today at 3 at Wash. U. My family that lives in town has been wanting to see me play, but we have a lot of games late at night, or far away, or in East St. Louis, none of which worked well for the fam. (I still can't figure out why no one wanted to watch me play in Sauget).

So, today's game worked out very well for that. As it turns out, I have a bunch of relatives in town, I'll do my best to remember them all. Let's see, I'll start with who came the furthest and work in from there.

My Aunt Mary and cousin Anne Marie came from Bolivia (yes, South America) to take Anne Marie to college in the fall. My Aunt Janet came from Columbus (Ohio). My Aunt Bert came from Philadelphia on her way home to Kansas City. My Little Grandma came from South County. My parents came from Manchester. And finally my brother and his wife, Tim and AdrianneM brought their 3 children, Ahren (3), Lydia (2), and Ann Denny (almost 1) all came from Webster.

Now, here comes the awesome part (not that just having 12 family members watch me play ball is enough to be awesome, but it gets better). So, my team is not so great, and Bud Light, our opponent, is pretty good. I pitched for 5 innings, giving up 10 runs. We scored none. Actually, we didn't evn get a man to second all day. Like I said, we suck.

My two favorite moments of the day were when the whole family got there and cheered (quite loudly) as we took the field in the 3rd. The other awesome time was went I went on deck for my second at bat, which was in the 7th and final inning. My nephew Ahren yells, "Hey Uncle Ben!" several times quite loudly. Well, I never got that second at bat, but as we were shaking hands, I did get a few "hey uncle ben" and some "gonna go make some rice uncle ben?"

All in all, it was super awesome to have everyone come out, even if it wasn't a great game.

Oh, I suppose I should talk about the pictures for a minute. The one of the grass was the tree mom and I planted last week. It died sometime this week, in lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Arbor Day Foundation.

The other picture is of course the pic o the day, taken driving home (at a stoplight) from my game.

See you tomorrow!