Song of the Day

Just to clarify this is stems from Barstool Sports "Wake Up With" series. I have enjoyed that site for almost seven years now, and like this recurring post.

An old school video of Smokey and The Miracles singing one of their biggest hits. Might be because I am a little homesick, but I never need an excuse to listen to some Smokey. Have a good one!

Eleven Years In The Making

(Etihad Stadium)

For this post when I refer to 'Football' it is in regards to what some call 'soccer.' I do this because I live in a country that uses the term football, so therefore I use it. It's called 'assimilation,' so if you complain just stay in places where you call it soccer, because no one will want to hear you walk around telling everyone 'Well where I come from we call em French Fries!'

Eleven or so years ago I thought I would give football fandom a try. I was finishing up university and my one roommate would watch all the time. Up until this point the only English team I had ever heard of was Manchester United and David Beckham and was absolutely sick of it. When ESPN did show highlights it was only of that club and 90% of the time it was Beckham. If you're going to force something on me I will grow to resent it, which is exactly what happened.

Now my football watching roommate was an Ajax (Dutch League) fan, but would watch English Premier League on occasion. One time just as I sat down some hack on ManU flopped like a fish that just landed in a boat. I asked him 'Who is ManU's biggest rival?' He listed out some other teams like Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. My follow-up question was 'Which fan base just despises them though?' I'll never for get his answer: 'Well that would be Manchester City, but they're shit.' 

I have never been one to pick a team based on record alone, I mean I am a Detroit Lions fan. However, my fandom for Manchester City was born right then and there. I already enjoyed their stance on the club across town, and just enjoyed it more and more as I dug deeper into their history. 

As football's popularity has grown in the US, I was able to watch more and more matches, and even playing the FIFA games has helped me know who is on what team, and about other leagues. I even began to have access to apparel and forums where I could discuss City's matches, transfers and anything I spent years wanting to discuss but had no one else to talk to. 

This past weekend, March 5, 2016, I was able to attend my first City match. Making our way to the Etihad (got my buddy from Dublin to join me) was an incredible experience. Seeing the place I had viewed so many times on a television, thousands of miles away was now directly in front of me. It was surreal. I saw the spot where Aguerooooooooo brought the trophy back after 40+ years. I saw the man play in person, and he is even more incredible in the flesh. Silva, Yaya, Hart, and El Capitane himself, Vincent Kompany all in front of me. I still haven't gotten over the high of it all.

Manchester itself was a great time. The people, the ease of getting around the city and the prices (much cheaper than London) made this a great experience. I never got over seeing all sorts of City apparel around town. I got a few confused looks as I stared too long, but I mean I SAW PEOPLE IN ACTUAL CITY APPAREL. It was like a dream, one I hope to repeat as often as possible. 

So I Live In London Now

(View just down from my office)

So I know its been quite awhile since my last post, and for good reason. I hate making excuses but shortly after my last post I got into negotiations about a new position with my company. Fast forward three and a half months through a lot of decision-making, and paperwork, and I have now lived in London for just over one month. Its all still sinking in really.

The job itself has been great. I have much more freedom of how I approach projects, as well as in how I execute them. Our London office is a five minute walk from London Tower Bridge, and everyday there is something new to see and experience. I went from talking the streetcar through Portland on Friday, and the next Tuesday I was on the tube heading to London Bridge Station. The other day I had to pick up some professional clothes (new office dress code is a bit more professional than PDX) and decided to walk since it was such a nice night. I walked past Buckingham Palace, at sunset. It was definitely one of those "Oh yeah, I live in f***ing London now!"

Since my arrival I have already spent two days in The Netherlands, and on my third day in Germany. I've stayed in four hotels, and barely use a full week's travel pass for London due to all the travel. While it's been a bit daunting, its also been fun to get to know a whole segment of the company which I had previously only emailed with. I think once I get some more permanent/long-term housing in place it will be easier to handle. 

My goal with this blog is to now document my travels, and experiences as I go. With my new, expanded vacation allowance (thank you UK!) I plan on seeing as much of Europe as I can. I am already booked to see a good friend in Paris over Easter, and heading to Manchester this weekend for my first ever match at the Etihad with another old friend.

A lot has already happened, and a lot more is not far off. Hopefully all these new happenings will allow me less time organising and researching posts, and speed up my turnaround times. Cheers!

Living A Spartan Lifestyle

I have moved around a lot in the last decade or so. A lot of it was within Michigan, however in the last four years I have been to Ohio, Minnesota and now Oregon. Moving is not a particularly fun endeavor by any means. Its time consuming and can be a bit stressful. However, there can be a silver-lining if you approach it with the right frame of mind.

When I moved within Minnesota I had a fairly bad experience. The truck ended up costing more than I was quoted, I had to spend a night at a hotel, and the movers were over four hours late at my new place, which resulted in me unloading everything but the furniture that was too awkward to lift myself. Not very smooth at all, but the worst part was yet to come. 

Once everything was in my new place I took a look at all my worldly possessions and said to myself "Wow, I just paid to move a bunch of crap." Albeit everything was useful, but was it really worth all the trouble and money I just expended? My bed was well beyond its prime, the dresser and nightstand were Ikea specials and the desk was bought second hand from a coworker. Not to mention my desk chair had definitely seen better days. While everything had a use, none of it was irreplaceable. 

Needless to say, the next time I moved (into my current place) I took a much different approach. Everything was expendable for my move to Portland. I made the decision I was only taking what could fit in my Forester. Furniture, kitchen appliances and even clothes didn't make the cut. The clothes part was fairly easy as I was losing weight, and most were too loose. The real impact was felt about three months after I got to Portland, because that's when I realized I did not miss any of the possessions I left behind or sold.

I've tried to stick to that philosophy moving forward, but due to my cheapness and continuing to lose weight (I promise I am not bragging) its been a bit difficult. New clothes that fit better are purchased, and old clothes are kept because they are still in good shape. However, I now go through my closet once every three months, and will even donate clothes that fit if I just don't wear them much. An added benefit, which I did not consider was, while I have less possessions, they are usually of a higher quality than before.

The best bonus is my place is a lot less cluttered and I have more room for activities. Seriously though, its so nice not having a place cluttered with useless or unused possessions and clothes. Its made me realize how I can save for the things I want in life, without sacrificing the present. I am able to enjoy the outdoors, traveling and even pay off my vehicle and student loan debt quicker, without sacrificing quality of life. Whether it is on a small scale, or a complete lifestyle change, I highly recommend living a more Spartan lifestyle. 

    

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.