The Great Outdoors

(Not really the topic, but couldn't resist)

After a two-year hiatus I started playing golf again. The good, and bad, news is I am not far off of where I used to be talent wise. However, its cool because I am definitely not one of those guys you see who dress like Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods. I have been golfing since I was about 13 and have never paid for one set of clubs. I started using my grandfather's set and then my uncle's. Once a friend of mine got a new set he was gracious enough to pass along his old set to me, and the same happened a few weeks ago. Eighteen years of cheapness and counting!

I also think golf gets a bad rap some of the time. Granted it can require a good amount of money to get going, unless you want to be a cheapskate like myself. However, I grew up in Michigan, which has a lot of public golf courses, both nice and more "cost effective." Even out here in Oregon, I paid $10 for a 9-hole course on Sunday. It can be a nice hobby if you do it correctly.

However, this post is not strictly about golf, more so the outdoors in general. I realized when I was out playing this past Sunday how much I enjoy golf, but a majority of that joy comes from the simple act of being outside. Even when the conditions aren't the best, a bad day outside beats a good day inside almost every time. 

I think it's what draws me towards the hobbies and past times I choose: hiking, camping, golf, snowboarding, and even hockey. Its been awhile since I played hockey, but I always loved playing pond hockey or on an outdoor rink. Even if I just take a book outside, the fresh air and natural light helps a lot more than sitting inside, straining my eyes with artificial light. 

I think its something lost these days. I know I sound like an old man, but it seems like all anyone wants to talk about is TV shows these days. "Oh man have you seen Narcos?! Its sooooo good, I watched all 10 episodes in 2 days!" I have done things like this in the past, but I always felt like I had wasted a tremendous amount of time. 

When I got to Portland, Xfinity/Comcast wanted me to pay an absurd amount to have a technician come out to my apartment to "fix" something which I had nothing to do with. I immediately canceled my account, thinking I would find an alternative later. Although on occasion I miss it, I have not once missed it enough to call up Comcast. I will have plenty of time to watch TV shows when I am too old to do any of those activities I mentioned before. 

Oh Manuel

Tottenham is a good squad, even outside of Harry Kane. They are a solid, well built squad. But so is City, so much so that they sell off former high priced purchases for a fraction of what they paid and bring in new ones. They try to sell us on it being an "upgrade of talent," but thats not always the case (see "Bony, Wilfried"). However, this is not about the men on the pitch, rather their maestro on the sidelines.

I am not going to bash Pellegrini. I will leave that to people who make money doing this, and like to say outlandish things to get attention. I will say he has been an effective coach, who won an EPL title with largely Roberto Mancini's team, and has fallen short of expectations since. What happened today (4-1 drubbing away to Spurs) did not start today, it started last week when City lost to Juventus in their first match in Champions League group play, at home. A match where they led in the late stages and not only gave up the lead, but the win.

Now Juventus is not a bad side, but this was not the team which made the Champions League Final this past summer. No Arturo Vidal, no Andrea Pirlo and no Carlos Tevez, all three of whom were key pieces in last years side. This is about Manuel Pellegrini and what I have named "The Annual Pellegrini Skid." Every year since he has been Manager, City have lost a match, usually one they led late, then gone on a terrible run of games. Last year they blew a lead to once again Championship side Burnley and lost, then drew them. They were demolished by a very weak Manchester United side in the second meeting of the season, and barely righted the ship.

This is not Pellegrini bashing, this is a fact. The frustrating part is not so much the skid, but what its cost City and my fellow fans. Last season they finished second behind Chelsea. If they had beaten Burnley twice, like you'd expect a club like City to do, thats five more points, let alone all the other disappointing stretches in last season's slide where extra points could have been picked up. It cost City another title, or at least a run at one.

I am not sure where the disconnect lies. From what it appears on the outside looking in is that Pellegrini has zero ability to raise confidence after a bad or humiliating loss, which compounds to allow more and more losses to inferior sides. Eventually the talent of the players on the pitch turn things around and they are off and cruising again. However, for an ownership that wants trophies, European as well as domestic ones, this does not bode well for Manuel. The only thing saving him at the moment is the other big name clubs are also underperforming. I have a feeling if he fails to get past the first round of Champions League and/or falls short in England yet again, his days on the Blue side of Manchester are over.

EPL Club Misspells The Great One's Name

(Exhibit A)

I understand hockey is not big in the UK. There is a growing presence, which is awesome, but I have a feeling its much like the MLS is here. Its big in some places and others people could not care less. I get it. I am not one of those people from Hockey Twitter that thinks unless you know every player on every team you're not a "real" fan (which I will get to that infuriating trend in a future post). But we live in this great age of technology where the knowledge of the world is accessible through a computer you keep in your pocket and you still can't spell someone's name correctly?!

Wayne Gretzky or not, how is this possible? I bet the conversation went like this:

Limey #1: "Oy James, how do you spell this Canadian bloke's name?"

Limey #2: "I dunno Oliver, look it up!"

Limey #1: "Nah, I'll just guess. Lets get a steak and kidney pie and a pint then!"

It takes less than five seconds to Google something! If my boss told me there was a hotshot Field Hockey player coming in from the UK and we were making a custom shirt with their name on it, I would Google their name and "Field Hockey UK" to make sure I spelled it correctly. It would take all of one minute, conversation included. So way to go Spurs, you can't even use Google.

Blazers Might Sign Anthony Bennett

(Anthony Bennett)

A lot of people here in Portland are not thrilled with the upcoming NBA season. I can't say I blame them either. Hope and expectations were running high the last few years, and the results were very disappointing. Then in one summer, four out of five starters are gone, and now there's talk of Anthony Bennett joining a group of guys most fans haven't heard of or could care less about.

Now Bennett is a former No. 1 overall pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and obviously it didn't work out for him in the Mistake on the Lake. He was involved in the three team deal that sent fellow Canadian to Minnesota, and now will be placed on waivers after the Timberwolves bought out his current deal. I for one would welcome it for a couple reasons. 

First of all the chances of the Blazers being good this year are slim. So slim in fact they are practically nil, unless Mason Plumlee becomes the second coming of Hakeem Olajuwon, but I doubt it. Therefore, stocking your team with guys looking to prove themselves on short term deals is smart. Sign Anthony Bennett to a one-year deal, and make sure he knows this is his chance for a big contract, then let the Magic overpay him next July. 

Second, the NBA salary cap is due for a huge increase once that new TV deal kicks in. If you have a bunch of guys on short term deals, you are poised to roll into doubled cap space with no long-term, crippling contracts on the books. Oh and you also have a premier PG, and most likely a good, young supporting cast from two years of high draft picks.

The third reason is none of the guys who left via Free Agency were worth what they got paid. I'm not saying Wesley Mathews, Robin Lopez and Lamarcus Aldridge are crap, but they aren't worth keeping around at the paychecks they are getting now. It would have been great to keep all three, but how many times has a role player (Aldridge excluded) received a huge payday and either did not increase production or even regressed (see Gerald Wallace)? 

Sure the next couple years won't be like the last few, but its been since 1977 since they won a championship, and 1990 since they were even in the Finals. Having multiple bloated contracts of role players is not how a team wins a championship, so rebuild away! Plus they probably won't win another one until 2077 anyway, so who cares?

Trailer Park Boys Do It Again! (Assume Every Link is NSFW)

(Julian, Bubbles and Ricky)

If you are unaware of who the Trailer Park Boys you can see a few amazing moments right here. I am a huge hockey fan, but in my opinion they are by far Canada's best export. Just three good Canadian boys looking to strike it rich in the trailer park. Its some of the funniest stuff I have seen in my life. They tried to get re-arrested because they were paroled before the big convicts vs guards roller hockey game, intentionally of course, so the guards had a better chance of winning.  

And now they have another title to add to their growing number of accolades: the most F-Bombs in a movie. Apparently their latest offering, Swearnet, takes the title, which if you've ever seen even just one episode its not shocking. Ricky alone could probably take the crown, and gets almost poetic with the use. Bubbles and Julian usually have some great uses of it as well. Its not just the three main characters either, pretty much all of the supporting cast is amazing too. Just more proof how awesome they are. 

The Soviets Had Some Crazy Ideas

(Abkhazia)

The Soviets did a lot of messed up stuff, but they also did some really cool stuff as well. Fast Company highlights some of the best bus stops...yes bus stops. However, you can see above these are nuts. The Soviets were not much into expression outside of the prescribed state sponsored variety, but this looks like straight up LSD inspired stuff. 

The crazier thing is where they put these. If you live in Abkhazia, which is the northwestern part of Georgia, in the 1970s chances are you've seen a lot of crazy stuff. You've probably lived through purges, Germans and Romanians invading in the 1940s, and a bunch of shortages and other hardships, then all of a sudden this insane seashell looking thing gets installed where you wait for the bus. I would have seriously thought it was a capitalist invasion.

Cascadia's Push Toward Playoffs

(Cascadia Cup)

To those of you not located in the PNW probably view MLS as a marginal league, at best. I'm not saying there aren't fans of MLS anywhere else. I know there are other teams around the league that see amazing support and have no trouble selling tickets. I also know a lot of the sports media take great pleasure in marginalizing soccer as a sport and barely acknowledging if at all. However, in the PNW an MLS is huge.

The Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps have no issue with selling tickets or getting attention. Matches between any of three sell out immediately, and if you want to buy a ticket second hand, get ready to pay for it. It also creates an amazing atmosphere.

The season started with all three teams at the top of the Western Conference standings, but its been a long season. The Timbers have fallen off the pace as of right now, currently clinging to the final playoff spot, which is an all too familiar position the last few years. Should be a wild finish to the season yet again, especially if all three teams make it.

Meet the Father of the Century

(Travis Nielsen)

Travis Nielsen and family were just chilling in their backyard on Vancouver Island when a freaking cougar decided his two-year-old looked delicious and decided to take a bite. This guy sees his daughter in the jaws of a cougar and what does he do? He goes after it with his fists. He doesn't look for a shovel or any type of weapon, just hauls off and punches the thing. Ok, a father sees their child in distress and acts right away, that makes sense, but the chilling part is the cougar stuck around. It even tried to get around him to get his daughter again. He just stood his ground and shouted it down until it ran and hid. 

Now I know the cougar was acting on its instinct, its a wild animal. But as Joe Rogan likes to say "I'm on team people." Especially when team people doesn't even have to use a weapon. Travis Nielsen also acted on instinct and is a certified bad ass. 

Lets Hit Vegas, in 2022

I get wanting to hammer out a schedule far in advance. You want to secure a scarce resource or a reservation at a popular restaurant, or resort even. I feel like College Football is going a little overboard with that. I recently saw how Oregon has signed on to play BYU...in 2022. That is seven years from now, seven! Ok, Oregon wants to lock down a name opponent, that is relatively close so ticket sales are assured, but a lot can happen in seven years.

Coming from the state of Michigan it would have been unheard of seven years ago for a top recruit from anywhere choosing Michigan State over the Wolverines. But in the last seven years its happened a ton. Mainly because Michigan went from Rich Rodriguez to Brady Hoke and were a non-factor for high school recruits, mainly because seven years in college football is an eternity. 

Think about it, these kids start coming up on college coaches radar Freshman year of high school at the earliest. They will usually make a decision in their junior year. That is three years. I am sure they watched football when they were in elementary school and middle school, but other than memorable plays/games you think they can recall who was the best team in the Big Ten in 2008? They know who has been good over the last three to four years, and the big names (Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.). Who knows what can and will happen in the next seven years to BYU.

Kam Returns

Kam Chancellor is back! For the record I am not a Seahawks fan by any means. However, I find myself gravitating to liking players more than liking teams these days. I am not sure if thats from 31 years of being in an abusive relationship with the Detroit Lions, or after being in the working world I sympathize with these guys a lot more than I did. If someone came along and offered me four times the money I am currently making to do the same job somewhere else, I would not have to think to hard about it, and I am not even getting my body and brain destroyed.

I like watching Kam work, the guy is a beast. Plus he makes that whole defensive backfield work. After two straight weeks I would not be surprised if it comes out that Pete Carroll gave Kam his house to come back. Aaron Rodgers is one thing, but the St Louis Rams made the Seahawks defense look weak. Do work Kam!

Rollin' Down Highway 41

(Sydney from The Gap)

I have mentioned in previous posts my long history with road trips, which will play a part in this, but this is more about travel in general. By the time I was 14 I had been to quite a few states, and into Canada a few times. Although a foreign country, Canada is very similar to the US. I like to say the only difference between southern Ontario and northern Michigan are the license plates. However, when you're younger its pretty cool to go to a place with different money and everything is posted in English and French. However, it wasn't until the summer of 1998 that I truly experienced a unique travel experience. 

When I was in middle school we had a new student one year: Yotaro Mori. He was from Japan and his father had been transferred over for work. I was lucky enough to become friends with Yotaro and we spent a lot of time golfing and showing him around Michigan. Unfortunately after one year, Yotaro and his parents moved back to Japan. The next summer, he invited myself and another friend of ours to Japan. So, at 14 I got on a flight to Tokyo and it was incredible.

Everything was different. Sure there were similar companies and I recognized the shape of signs, but the wording was completely foreign. This was so far from everything I had ever seen in my life, and I loved it. Each meal was new, each location was new, they even drove on the other side of the road. 

I will say this was all made possible because of our hosts. Yotaro and his parents took us out to a spa-resort in the region of Mt Fuji, which in itself was amazing. Mrs. Mori was a trained chef and created some amazing homemade meals, as well as took us on a bus tour of downtown Tokyo. I still remember a lot of what I did on that trip, and will carry it with me always. 

Ever since that trip though, I have always approached each trip with a want to explore. Whenever I travel I rarely schedule anything. I have places I want to see and things I want to try, but my main goal is exploring. I would rather spend a day wandering around the city finding restaurants, cafes, bars and shops on my own. If I am going to Paris I am definitely seeing the Eiffel Tower, but I am not scheduling out my day. I have enough schedules to keep track of when I am not on vacation.

Some of my best times were had just wandering around (similar to a Walkabout, but with more purpose). I found my favorite pub in Sydney and Cairns Australia that way, and some of the best places I have eaten in Vancouver and New Zealand. But travel also energizes and inspires me.  When I travel somewhere I am constantly looking at things, especially when I travel overseas.

A good example is Australia and New Zealand. A lot of what they have is familiar, whether its the exact same or very similar. However, when you look closer you realize the differences, some good, some bad. Either way, discovering the methods and thought-processes used across the globe always makes me more creative and more open to trying new approaches to my day-to-day tasks, both in my professional and personal life.  

Walkabouts

I first heard the term “walkabout” when I watched the Crocodile Dundee movies as a child. Back then, I had zero clue what it meant. All I knew is this guy with the funny accent was humorous and there was some good action. Also, Carl Winslow was in the movies so it had to be good right? Fast forward about 12 years and I was on a plane to the homeland of Mick Dundee, and it forever changed me.

One of the ongoing themes that will organically emerge in this blog is my undying love for Australia. I have been there three times (5 weeks, 15 months, and 7 months), and consider it my second home. I was enchanted by tales from my brother who had visited four years prior to my first stint, and I was immediately infatuated when I arrived. The people, the land, the attitude, and so many more things, make Australia hold a special place in my life. However, for this entry, I will focus on the namesake of Mr. Dundee's fictional hometown of “Walkabout Creek.”


From the movies I had gathered a walkabout was a long walk/journey/trip into the wilderness. Later I realized its more of a spiritual journey, to find oneself, usually after a life-altering event or if someone feels their life is stagnant or in need of a change. However, as I found out, as it is a term in Australia, when you show up as the American, they aren't too keen on you using their terms and then explaining “Nah, its cool, I picked it up watching Crocodile Dundee.”


While there I experienced my own version of a walkabout. During my 15 month stint, which was technically for grad school (at least thats what my parents believed), I lived the Macquarie University Village. It was a 200 unit apartment complex with 5-bedroom apartments, filled with students from all over the world. However, very few Australians lived there. For instance, I did my undergrad at Grand Valley State University in the western part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Two of my neighbors in grad school were from GVSU. I was lucky enough to have a roommate named Marlow.


Now I will ignore Marlow's less than admirable traits, and focus on the fact he was, and remains, a real life Australian. He also introduced me to many more real life Australians, a lot I still speak with today, and miss dearly (ok, enough with the sappy stuff). While the apartment complex emptied during the summers, a few of us stragglers stuck around. It was myself, Marlow, Timmy, EJ and Monica most of the time, with a few stragglers. Every now and then we'd get bored and go “walkies.”

(Myself, EJ, and Marlow after a costume party, I hope)

It was usually just to find a party, or beers, or girls, or anything other than sitting around one of our apartments doing nothing. Rarely would it result in any great discovery or insane story, but they were some fun times, I can assure you.


I began to institute “walkies” when I returned from Australia, to some pretty great results. As I started to move around for work they began to take a different tone. When I got to Minnesota I used them as a way to get to know my neighborhood. I would set out (assuming it was not -35 and snowing) in a particular direction, but always keeping my bearing on home, and just wander around. If a restaurant, bar or shop looked interesting I would go in, but there was never a set agenda, or path.


These days I go on 3-4 each week. Whether its during my lunch break at work, or if I have an hour or so on the weekends, I find its the perfect opportunity to either clear my head, or when I've had to make a big decision. Before every move I have always taken a long walkabout. Its good to get away from everything and really weigh the decision, or just bask in silence every now and then. While I am not going on an 18 month walkabout like Mick, I highly recommend it every now and then if you can find the time. If you have a lot of time, maybe an 18 month long one wouldn't be bad either.

Sweet, Sweet Potatoes

I always had misconceptions about sweet potatoes. I was always under the impression that yams and sweet potatoes are the same thing. I am sure it started with Thanksgiving, where yams, heavily garnished with sugar and marshmallows, are a staple at most tables. A lot of the time, they are referred to as sweet potatoes, and I was never very fond of them. Not so much they weren't tasty, its just a member of the potatoes family slathered in sugar doesn't mesh well with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy in my experience.


In my research for healthy foods over the last few years, I kept seeing sweet potatoes pop-up. I was confused, but then realized “Well I know little to nothing about healthy eating, so why not,” so I thought I would give them another chance. I had been eating a couple of different varieties of potatoes with breakfast as it was, so why not make it healthier, or at least try?


Sweet potatoes are awesome. I eat them almost every morning now (“recipe” below) in what my coworker dubbed my “Shame Slurry.” They are a perfect substitute for Idaho, Russet or red skin potatoes. Plus, I learned the obvious, they are not as sweet as yams, and therefore mix much better with more savory ingredients and foods.


My staple breakfast is typically this:


-3/4 cup diced sweet potatoes
-diced onions
-diced green bell pepper
-broccoli
-chopped mushrooms
-3 egg whites, 1 yolk


There really is no exact amounts I follow. I dice sweet potatoes until I have roughly ¾ of a cup, and start those first in the pan, just below medium heat (4 on my stove) with some coconut oil. The sweet potatoes need the most time, so I dice the vegetables while those get a head start. Personally I get tired of mushrooms quick, but you can use most any veggies, and sometimes I will even use fresh jalapenos. Again, not much of an exact science, and I dice about a half cup of each. Once I put those in the pan (while stirring occasionally) I start the eggs. I put the 3 egg whites and 1 yolk in a glass and mix. Once the sweet potatoes and vegetables are slightly browned, I make a circle in the middle and dump the eggs in. You can add some cheese at the very end, I will add a little feta, but its not the healthiest, as well as some Frank's Red Hot sauce.



I love this breakfast and rarely get tired of it as the only two staples are sweet potatoes and the eggs. When I get sick of a certain combination, I will switch it up the next visit to the grocery store. Its also great if you use a little cheese to bond it together and put it on a toasted bagel. I have also used ground beef (lean of course) or turkey meat in addition to everything else, and it might even be more magical.