A team building exercise brought the Spirit team to Strikes bowling alleys in Boca Raton this Friday. I wish that I could say that I was throwing lasers at the pins, to be honest, I was just happy to hit anything. It had been 15 years since my last time throwing the ball and the rust was thick. The first game was painful, I didn’t even come close to breaking 100. But the second game, that’s when I started to warm up. I became a spare machine, highlighted by one frame where I picked up a split. Yeah, I was good… finishing with a score of 141. So admit it, admit that you’re jealous. I know you are.

Again with the lists… Well, what we have here is a list of the top 5 concerts that I have attended.

1. Lollapalooza 1992 – Pittsburgh, PA (1992)
   It was the end of the summer after I had graduated high school. The lineup was incredible, with Red Hot Chili Peppers as the headliner, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Ice Cube, Ministry. I still have fond memories of standing in a mosh pit at the base of the amphitheater’s hill looking up at the chunks of  grass and mud being thrown down into the crowd.
2. Vote for Change – Cleveland, OH (2004)
   Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, R.E.M., John Fogerty, and Bright Eyes. This was a concert tour in support of candidates running against President Bush. I took my mom to the concert in Cleveland, which had a much better lineup than in Pittsburgh.
3. The Flaming Lips, Thievery Corporation – Hollywood, CA (2006)
   I was visiting Beth in L.A., driving thru the hills of Hollywood and getting stuck in traffic for the Hollywood Bowl. I had no idea who was playing there that night, and to see it was the Lips I knew that I had to go. Highlight of the show was when the audience was encourage to throw glow sticks, that were provided, into the air during a song. It was a cosmic meteor shower set to music. AMAZING.
   
   
4. Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam  - Pittsburgh, PA (2005)
   The concert was at PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, I bought the ticket a couple weeks before the show while attending a Pirate game. I wanted to go for the spectacle but I was not ready for how amazing a concert it would be. Pearl Jam opened laying the best I had ever heard them, ripping through all of their best songs in 60 minutes. And then the Stones came out and topped that, what an experience.
   
5. Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds – Indiana, PA (1996)
   This was part of Dave’s acoustic tour of college campuses. I had no idea what to expect going to this show, and neither did anybody else at the school. When I went to purchase tickets there was no line, and tickets were still available up until a week before the show. What I saw that night was memorable, and I had my parents along with me for the concert.

What are your favorite concerts? Share below…

A trip to the pumpkin patch is always fun, families with their children running around trying to select a pumpkin to transform into the perfect jack-o-lantern. This year I went to a pumpkin patch, searching for the perfect orange gourd. Here in South Florida, an empty parking lot can be converted into a pumpkin patch, and there was one not too far from my apartment. You walk up and down the aisles of pumpkins looking over the selections, trying to select the right one. You must first look at the shape, and then the color, forget that… I looked at the prices ($15-20), and said “fuck that”. I drove to the Publix up the street and grabbed one out of a box for $5.95. Buying it there might not have supported some local club, Boy Scout troop, or pumpkin carny, but the pumpkin I selected was acceptable. When creating a jack-o-lantern, I feel that the personality of the pumpkin emerges as you cut it up. Of course, having a plan will lead to a more polished final product, but I am happy with my creation no matter how it turns out (see below).

Whether it’s arriving at a party with a sixer of Modelo, carving up some bad ass jack-o-lanterns or showing off his mad google skillz, Dave has exhibited the qualities that are needed in a Go, Go, Hero recipient. With the recent solution to the mystery of the Top Billin’ t-shirt, Dave has shown that he is definitely deserving of this honor. (Hell, I would have given the award to you just for admitting you added the Go, Go site RSS feed.) So cheers to you Big Wave, you are indeed a true hero.

In honor of my pups second birthday, I have added a bunch of photos to Lilly’s Space. These are pictures that were taken over the last two years.