Day 83

Ok, so I have to go do a home inspection (not golf, sorry Michael a.k.a. Tee Tyrant) soon, so this is gonna be short and sweet. Toda'ys awesomeosity stems from a request I got from my friend Jeff of Goldtooth fame last night. He called me at 2:30am (we were both just finishing up our jobs at bars) to say that Motley Crue is having a contest to be the opening band for their upcoming tour. All he needs is a video to show them. I have videoed several of their shows, so I was the man to get the call.

I had taped a show they did at the Bluebird (a pretty cool place near SLU) last May. Then I cut it into individual songs and put it on DVD for him to upload to his website. Jeff is sketchy on knowing how to check his email, so nothing happened with them. I told him I would take care of it, thanks to the Fu Mac Chu. However, I don't have internet, so I went to the local Saint Louis Bread Company (Panera is you're from out of town) to use their free wi-fi. I successfully created a goldtooth youtube page and uploaded a video from the show. I will get more on there and pimp the youtube page soon, but today, I just dont have much time. You can check out the video for "Gun Shy" here.

But that is not today's awesomeness. Today the winner is everything bagels toasted with plain cream cheese from Saint Louis Bread Co. It has to be from STLBC, because I have tried other places everythings, and they are simply not as good. To evidence how awesome they are, here is a picture of the Sesame Seed bagel I had.

But Ben, you said it was an everything bagel, not sesame seed, right? Exactly. They are so awesome that STLBC was sold out of them. Dangit!

For that thing you do today, go to a local bakery in your neighborhood and get something they specialize for. Like my friend Joe said, if in doubt, get the thing that has the name of the restaraunt in the title, chances are its pretty good. And you should have a lcoally owned, mom and pop bakery somewhere near you. All the good bakerys are like that. If youre in the area, try World's Fair Donuts, at Shaw and Vandeventer, there is a older couple that runs it and they rock.

So, here is my picture in STLBC, sorry I gotta run.

Thanks for reading, see you in the am.

Day 82

Today's awesomosity comes from a meeting I had last night. Well, it was technically a meeting, but not the one we had planned on it being. Let me explain.

I go to a church called First Free. More specifically I attend a service called Quest. One of the big problems I have had with the church (read as a whole, not just my church) is that it is way to inward focused. Come join us, we are here, at church. I personally believe that the church should be a place with an outward focus. Very few people are going to come to the church because it is there. More people are likely to come if we come to them. We have to be thinking about people outside of the church.

I want the church (my church, well, and every church) to exist outside the walls of the building we meet in. I love what I see several churches in my area doing.

The Journey is a church that has a main campus near where I live. From what I understand, they have more of an outward focus than many churches. The get out and do things.

There is a church in Kirkwood called Greentree Community Church. From what I understand, their plan is to never own their own building. They meet in a school. Their reason is that the church is a people, not a place. The rent they pay to the school helps their community. A building could be seen as a waste of money. Not that I totally agree with everything I just wrote, or that they believe that either, its just what I understand it to mean. Very cool stuff.

Another church that meets in the city is called Mosaic Christian Church. They have a motto of sorts that says, Love God, Love people, Serve the world. Now, that is what I'm talking about. The other cool thing is that they also meet in a school and have to pack up their church every week into a trailer to store somewhere else. They say it is like, "have a church, will travel." Awesome stuff. One of the things they do to serve the world is meet in popular public places and hand out water bottles on hot days. I love it, they just get out and love people.

So, where am I going with this? Well, my church has never been good at service outside the church. We have probably one of the best kids ministries in the area, if not the country. There are always a ton of volunteers. But if you want to serve outside of the church, there are a few people that can point you in the right direction, but no programs set up. That is where last night's meeting comes in. I am going to be a part of the Get Out team. Our goal is to provide a way to serve our community. We have a lot of planning to do to find opportunities our community needs, then equipping and recruiting people to fill those needs. But we have started.

I was considering leaving my church for a while, until I found out that we were actually going to be emphasizing service. I am really way too excited. So, service is today's awesomeness.

For the thing I suggest you do to make your day a little more awesome (make sure to vote in the poll so I don't have to continue to type all that out) is obvious, do some service work. Look up homeless shelters and stuff (i.e. Sunshine Ministries), or popular charities (i.e. the United Way), or even the Red Cross. Just get out and do something for someone else. Also, if you want to help with my churches Get Out team, totally let me know.

Here is my picture, I'm doing laundry at the folks house today.


Thanks everyone, you all rock! Talk at you (as in, not with you, like I'm leaving a voicemail, but you read it) tomorrow!

Day 81

To catch you up on yesterday's events. My foursome at golf ended in a 3-way tie for first. We got second thanks to a score card playoff (let me know if you need the explanation on that, I did). Hooray! I got a $50 gift certificate to Forest Park golf for my troubles. Oh, and I got a hole-in-one. For real. Ok, so they had this thing where if everyone in the foursome payed extra there were some special events for the team. One was a hole-in-one contest thing. Basically, if anyone from the foursome landed on the green, you got to mark down a 1 (MARK IT DOWN, DONNIE, YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR ELEMENT!). Well, I was the only one from the foursome to land the green, so I got us a home-in-one!

And, apparently Joe Elder is awesome. I'll have a new poll out today, and apparently you all don't want to hear anyone else's ideas of awesomeness. If you said you wanted to contribute though, let me know your awesome ideas, we'll see if we can work something out.

Today's awesomosity stems from a text message conversation I had last night with a girl from Llywelyn's. Let me give you a little background first.

Ashley is the day bartender on weekdays. She is awesome, I have worked with her since I started there. She was planning to move in with Theresa, who serves during the week and is the Saturday night back bartender. Theresa has pets already, and Ashley wants some. It seemed like a match made in heaven. Then I got this text transcript last night:

Ashley: Hey...its ashley...so it looks like i wont be able to move in with theresa. how bout that kitten {ed. note. I have been trying to find homes for my parents kittens for a while now}

Me: That sucks, Ill bring it friday. see if wendi {our manager, who also showed an interest} wants one too.

Ashley: sweet...wait...are they short hair? thats what i want

Me: yes, black and gray striped. Cute as hell.

Ashley: and a boy! and the crazier the spots the better...but if theyre all one color mainly...then a darker color

Ashley: hell i'll take two...that way they have a cat friend

Me: Awesome.

{End text transcript}

Therefore, the 2nd litter of kittens that my parents outside cat (Puss. Boots dissapeared a while ago) are the awesomosity today. Here is a picture:

All together now....AWWWWWW!

So, the taskomosity for today is....get a pet. If you can, go to the humane society or stray rescue or something to save a pet from dying. If you cannot get a pet (like me, I'm just gone way too much) then consider volunteering or donating to a good pet organization.

Here is the picture, on the last day I get to see the kittens.

Remember to have your pets spayed and neutered!

Have a great night, thanks for reading, see you tomorrow!

Day 80

Today is a great day. It is totally clear and 80 degrees outside. And I'm going golfing. Awesome.

What is really awesome about me golfing is that its all for charity. KWCares is the charity I am supporting today. Who am I kidding, I really just want to golf and I am a friend of the guy who is putting it on, some of you may know him, Jay Phillips. Jay is a great guy.

So several of my business associates and I are headed to Forest Park to golf. For those of you that aren't familiar with Forest Park, you need to be. It has 27 holes of golf, one of the best zoos in the country, an outdoor theatre, and about 4 museums. There are tennis courts. There is a ton of other stuff that I just don't have time to get into. It is over 50% larger than New York's Central Park. In fact, Forest Park is so awesome, I'm gonna make it the awesomosity of the day.

So then, today's Task of Awesomeness (are any of these titles sounding cool to anyone?), I'm gonna say go spend some time in a local city park. There are tons around and most of them have a bunch of awesome stuff to do. So maybe take your lunch break to a local park and enjoy some nature.

Here I am all dolled up for some serious golfing.


Thanks for reading, see yall in the morning!

Day 79

A little bit of today's awesomosity actually happened today, if you are a get technical type of person. You see, I went to a benefit last night (I didn't know it was a benefit until I got there, but that doesn't really matter, now does it?). I went because my friend Jeff's band was playing. They rock.

Today's awesomeness is his band, Goldtooth. When you ask them what type of music it is, they answer, "loud". I agree. So, I am good friends with the singer, and the bass player rents the downstairs apartment from me, but I still think they are good.

Goldtooth at The Trade (Chouteau and Grand)

A few other local bands worth checking out:

Fundamental Elements - My friend Joe (all you need is joe) is the guitar player. I defy you to describe this band in 6 words or less. They are totally awesome.

Jon Hardy & The Public - I was in a Bible Study with the bass player in high school. I saw them and was blown away. Very cool music.

One Lone Car - I saw these guys at a new music spotlight with Goldtooth (then Gordo). I really like their poppy style of music. I think they have been signed and are on the way to making it big.

I totally recommend checking out all these bands if you get a minute. In fact, that is too easy of an Awesome Challenge, see a local band, double points if it is one of these bands. I'll even make it easier on you, Jon Hardy is playing at the Bluebird (near SLU) on Thursday the 25th. I would like to go, all I wanna know is, who's going with me. Jan. Thank you Jan. (sorry, obscure Half-baked reference) Seriously, who's up for a show next Thursday? Let me know, we'll make plans.

Here is my picture, taken on my last day of training at Llywelyn's (I did pretty good on the server tests too!).

Hopefully I'll catch a show with ya'll soon, thanks for reading. I'll talk at you tomorrow!

Day 78

This is a picture of me sitting at my parents house wishing they had power. Therefore, my awesomosity of the day is elecricity.

I know, its been around for hundreds of years. Its how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids. Its how NASA faked the moon landing. It directly affected the Wright brothers first flight. It also helped Benjamin Franklin create the first printing press. Al Gore used it to create the internet and W used it to bomb Japan. Wait, maybe I've got all that wrong. I never was good at history.

The point I'm trying to make is that electricity is something we totally take for granted until its not there for us. Today it is directly affecting my effectiveness at work. Oh well.

So, for the Monster task (I'm looking for a sponsor, take note Red Bull competitors) today, try to do something you normally do with electricity without electricity. It could be as easy as opening a can with a handheld can opener or maybe have a charcoal barbecue instead of baking. Perhaps microwave something with your telepathic powers instead of the conventional method (what? You don't have telepathic powers, it just me?). Read a book by candlelight instead of a lamp. I'll let you decide.

Thanks for reading, enjoy the cool weather and come back tomorrow!

Day 77

Good afternoon everybody!

You should all feel very privileged to be reading this post, it is my first from the Fu Mac Chu. Hooray! I love free WiFi at public libraries (even if it is slow as snot)!

So, today's awesomosity is rain. That's right, rain. Rain is great for many things. Watering plants. Filling creeks. Dancing in. Helping fall asleep. Watching on a plantation-style front porch while rocking in a bench swing. Making those little pill things that turn into sponge figure things (does that make sense to anyone? Cause it doesn't to me). Canceling church.

Wait, canceling church? Because of rain? Yeah. Actually, it was the flooding directly caused by the rain that canceled church, but still. So, here's the story.

I got home from work around 3:30 (am). I had to be at church by 7:30 (am). That means waking up at 6:45 at the latest. Ooph. But, I did it. Band practice is going great, I mean they were really on today. The video I made was working properly. Things were right on schedule and time. Until our pastor walked up and said, "You guys can all go home, church is cancelled." Um, ok. What I would give to have known that around 6:30 this morning. Oh well. Now I was up and had my coffee.

So, I went to Llywelyns. They were having an all-staff meeting that I had said I was going to miss, but now I'm suddenly available. Sweet. It allowed me to use a great line on my GM when she saw me. I said, "I thought about it and figured, church, my eternal soul, or a part-time job, it was an easy pick." She looked at me quite wierd. Anywho. So we had a meeting. It was all right, I suppose. But after, I got to hang out with some of my co-workers.

We went to Gladstone's, a bar near there. They were supposed to have a great breakfast pizza, but today only had the buffet, so I had coffee (lots and lots of it) while everyone else had bloody marys. It was good to hang out and chat with the crew, since I usually only see them at work since I don't drink.

Since then I've been playing on the ol' Fu Mac. Getting ready to go home, maybe eat, maybe watch some football, maybe a movie, just taking it easy and not mowing my lawn.

What a great day rain (and therefore, God) has provided me with. Very awesome.

So, for the awesomask today, I say get wet. Play in the rain, or a creek, or a pool (if they are open), or a hottub, or a hose, or take a bath. Do something that brings some enjoyment while gettting wet. Giggity.

Here is the Buder Branch of the SLPL (St. Louis Public Library) with me in the foreground.

Thanks for readin' ya'll! See you tomorrow!