Potatoes, sausage, eggs, and a some hot sauce. PROTEIN
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Week One Rewind
Well my first week of graduate school is complete. It seems like just yesterday that I decided to come to LSU for school and now here I am with the first week finished. Everything has gone smoothly thus far. I am really liking the program and everyone in it and am actually enjoying my classes for the first time in years. LSU is quite a bit different than UT and it has taken some getting used to. Here are a few thoughts/observations from week one:
1. LSU's campus is much nicer than UT's. You can tell that some master planning (by a landscape architect might I add) went into the school before construction occured. There are actually open spaces with grass on the campus instead of the campus being completely covered with concrete.
2. People here actually sit outside and enjoy the weather between classes. This probably has a lot to do with all the fields, quads, and patios to enjoy.
3. 75% of people on campus wear either purple or gold, literally. I thought there was a lot of orange on UT's campus but it doesn't even compare to here.
4. LSU's rec center is weak. TRECs is about twice as big as the rec center here. The rec building here is getting renovated and there aren't even any indoor basketball courts to play on until December.
5. Mike the Tiger actually lives on campus right next to the stadium. Pretty bad ass.
6. I am ready for some of the football and tailgating.
I really enjoyed my first week on campus at LSU. I spent 50 hours on campus in the studio this week which is probably not a good sign of things to come with all the projects that I will be working on. Many late nights are on the horizon for me. While I miss Knoxville and all my people, Baton Rouge is a cool place so come on down people and we'll have a good time Louisiana style.
1. LSU's campus is much nicer than UT's. You can tell that some master planning (by a landscape architect might I add) went into the school before construction occured. There are actually open spaces with grass on the campus instead of the campus being completely covered with concrete.
2. People here actually sit outside and enjoy the weather between classes. This probably has a lot to do with all the fields, quads, and patios to enjoy.
3. 75% of people on campus wear either purple or gold, literally. I thought there was a lot of orange on UT's campus but it doesn't even compare to here.
4. LSU's rec center is weak. TRECs is about twice as big as the rec center here. The rec building here is getting renovated and there aren't even any indoor basketball courts to play on until December.
5. Mike the Tiger actually lives on campus right next to the stadium. Pretty bad ass.
6. I am ready for some of the football and tailgating.
I really enjoyed my first week on campus at LSU. I spent 50 hours on campus in the studio this week which is probably not a good sign of things to come with all the projects that I will be working on. Many late nights are on the horizon for me. While I miss Knoxville and all my people, Baton Rouge is a cool place so come on down people and we'll have a good time Louisiana style.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Milton Bradley...
I'm not sure if anyone has seen some of Milton Bradley's recent comments but he is a complete clown. Bradley has been running his mouth the last couple of days because he is upset that the Cubs fans have been booing him so much this season for poor play. Milton has had some recent gems in the quote category. Here are a few to ponder over:
- "Somehow, someway, everything revolves back to me. I guess I'm kind of a big deal or something. People like talking about Milton Bradley. Not to my face, always behind my back."
- "When I go home and look in the mirror, I like what I see."
- "All I'm saying is I pray the game is nine innings, so I can go out there the least amount of time possible and go home."
- I don't regret anything. I regret that there are idiots in the world, that's what I regret."
- "I feel love for me"
Sunday, August 23, 2009
WD Forte
The Grundle Mansion fantasy football league finally had our fantasy football draft tonight. I pretty much owned it:
QB: Jay Cutler
Ben Roethlisberger
RB: Maurice Jones-Drew
Marshawn Lynch
Derrick Ward
Fred Taylor
WR: Calvin Johnson
Terrell Owens
Donald Driver
Nate Washington
TE: Owen Daniels
D: Tennessee Titans
K: Robbie Gould
Now if anyone thinks they are beating that team, they are kidding themselves. Pay me.
QB: Jay Cutler
Ben Roethlisberger
RB: Maurice Jones-Drew
Marshawn Lynch
Derrick Ward
Fred Taylor
WR: Calvin Johnson
Terrell Owens
Donald Driver
Nate Washington
TE: Owen Daniels
D: Tennessee Titans
K: Robbie Gould
Now if anyone thinks they are beating that team, they are kidding themselves. Pay me.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Big Easy
Sara and I went down to New Orleans yesterday to check out the scene. It was my second trip to the the big ea
sy but my first really checking out the French Quarter and other sites in the city. The hour long drive from Baton Rouge was sunny but right when we got parked in the French Quarter it started raining. We waited out the rain for a little while and then decided to go eat lunch at the Crescent City Brewhouse. We both got some local food: Sara ordered a fried shrimp po boy and I got Jambalaya pasta. Overall it was pretty good food but not necessarily a local creole restaurant. After l
unch we went and walked around the French Quarter. It wasn't really what I expected. Of course we went and checked out Bourbon St. It was full of shops full of junk (kinda like Gatlinburg), bars, and cabarets. Pretty crappy if you ask me. The rest of the French Quarter was full of much of the similar except with quite a few nice restaurants and shops mixed in.
After we got done in the French Quarter we decided to take the streetcar down St. Charles Street to check o
ut some of the architecture and schools in New Orleans as well as the Garden District. The houses on St. Charles have many different architectural styles making it pretty cool to see. We also rode past Tulane University and Loyola on the ride. Both campuses are like none I have ever seen before. The city campuses were very compact and composed entirely of similar architecture. Pretty neat to see a campus lifestyle other than what 
I am used to. After our trip through the Garden District we came back to Canal Street and checked out the Business District before going to dinner. We decided to eat dinner at the semi-famous (Man vs. Food) Acme Oyster House. This was more of a local restaurant. Here we ate some outstanding creole food. Sara got the New Orleans medley consisting of red beans and rice, gumbo, jambalaya, and sausage. I had the Fried Peace Maker Po Boy (fried shrimp and friend oysters) which is #4 on the Food Networks list of Top Ten Sandwiches. It was an awesome dinner.
Overall, New Orleans was a pretty cool city to visit. The French Quarter is ok, pretty
overrated in my opinion unless you are there to party. The food around the French Quarter is outstanding though. I really enjoyed taking the street car to check out some of the other sites in the city. NO wasn't one of my favorite cities but it is definitely an interesting one to visit with great food. A trip to Mardi Gras will definitely be in store.
sy but my first really checking out the French Quarter and other sites in the city. The hour long drive from Baton Rouge was sunny but right when we got parked in the French Quarter it started raining. We waited out the rain for a little while and then decided to go eat lunch at the Crescent City Brewhouse. We both got some local food: Sara ordered a fried shrimp po boy and I got Jambalaya pasta. Overall it was pretty good food but not necessarily a local creole restaurant. After l
unch we went and walked around the French Quarter. It wasn't really what I expected. Of course we went and checked out Bourbon St. It was full of shops full of junk (kinda like Gatlinburg), bars, and cabarets. Pretty crappy if you ask me. The rest of the French Quarter was full of much of the similar except with quite a few nice restaurants and shops mixed in.After we got done in the French Quarter we decided to take the streetcar down St. Charles Street to check o
ut some of the architecture and schools in New Orleans as well as the Garden District. The houses on St. Charles have many different architectural styles making it pretty cool to see. We also rode past Tulane University and Loyola on the ride. Both campuses are like none I have ever seen before. The city campuses were very compact and composed entirely of similar architecture. Pretty neat to see a campus lifestyle other than what 
I am used to. After our trip through the Garden District we came back to Canal Street and checked out the Business District before going to dinner. We decided to eat dinner at the semi-famous (Man vs. Food) Acme Oyster House. This was more of a local restaurant. Here we ate some outstanding creole food. Sara got the New Orleans medley consisting of red beans and rice, gumbo, jambalaya, and sausage. I had the Fried Peace Maker Po Boy (fried shrimp and friend oysters) which is #4 on the Food Networks list of Top Ten Sandwiches. It was an awesome dinner.Overall, New Orleans was a pretty cool city to visit. The French Quarter is ok, pretty
overrated in my opinion unless you are there to party. The food around the French Quarter is outstanding though. I really enjoyed taking the street car to check out some of the other sites in the city. NO wasn't one of my favorite cities but it is definitely an interesting one to visit with great food. A trip to Mardi Gras will definitely be in store.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Mansion...LSU Style
Bedroom
Closet (courtesy of Sara)
Living Room 1
Kitchen/Bar
Living Room 2
Porch and beautiful backyard
The new place in LA is real nice. It's a 3BR/2BA house in University Acres about 2 miles from LSU's campus. It's really big for the two of us living here right now. We've got a huge yard but it is a work in progress. Also, a two car garage that cars can actually fit into. We have plenty of space for whoever wants to come visit so come on down.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Road to BR...
Toilet Bowl of America
YO
Uhm?
BR
The Road
My new spot
11.5 hours and 750 miles later we made it to Baton Rouge. Just a quick, easy drive. So for anyone who wants to come visit PLEASE DO.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Bald River
I went on my last backpacking trip for a while last weekend with Sara and Abe. We went to the Bald River in Cherokee NF. The road drives right up to a really nice waterfall. It's probably one of the best ones that I have seen in the area. After taking some nice pics at the falls, we hiked in to find a campsite for the night. We ended up hiking for about 2 miles and found a really nice secluded campsite next to the creek. There were many spots along the trail but we were the only people out camping that night. We started up a fire and cooked some hotdogs for dinner and then relaxed until bedtime. The Bald River area is really awesome for anyone looking to do a short hike into a backcountry campsite. I would definitely recommend it for anyone.
Back to Back to Back?
Buick Open: check
WGC-Bridgestone: check
PGA Championship: ?
Tiger is a stud. He's going for his 71st career win and 15th major. He's the leader after day one. Does he win the PGA? Guaranteed
EDIT: I forgot about Y.E. Yang, sorry.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Patrick Kane Arrested???
WHAT???
He decked a taxi driver over 20 cents????? The second coming of Wayne Gretzky better get it together. Yikes.
He decked a taxi driver over 20 cents????? The second coming of Wayne Gretzky better get it together. Yikes.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
My Bears Preseason Predictions
Since NFL Training Camps have been underway for about a week now, I feel it is an appropriate time for my Bears season predictions. Coming off a 9-7 season in which they failed to make the playoffs, I believe that the Bears can both greatly 
improve on both offense and defense from last year. The Bears had the 21st ranked defense allowing 21.9 pts/game and the 26th ranked offense scoring 23.4 pts/game. I believe both sides of the ball can crack the top ten in total offense and defense. Jay Cutler will obviously be a great improvement on the offensive side of the ball. I know everyone questions the recieving core but I believe they will be a good, not great, group of recievers. I think Devon Hester is going to have a huge year as he continues to better understand how to play the position. I also think Earl Bennet
t is going to come out of nowhere and have a big year with his old Vandy teammate Cutler. Oh yeah, and Greg Olsen is gonna be a beast. In the running game, Matt Forte is gonna be huge again. I believe he will have a season equivalent to last year or perhaps better. The offense line has a couple new guys which hopefully will make them a little more athletic than last year. This should help in the running game although it might take a little bit for them to get clicking on all cylinders.
I think the defense will return to their dominance of 2005, 2006, 2007 with Lovie stepping back and calling the plays for the defense. Hopefully the D-line can stay healthy this year and keep Tommie Har
ris and Dvoracek big in the middle. The linebacking core will be huge as always with Urlacher, Briggs, and the new addition Tinoisamoa. I think the Hawaiian will make a huge impact this season on the strongside. The secondary is already a little beat up right now with Tillman out but hopefully he will return soon and they can get back to full strength. Look out for new guys, Zach Bowman, Kevin Payne, and Craig Steltz to come up big this season in the secondary. According to last years team records, the Bears play the easiest schedule this season. I'm not sure that stat actually means anything but it is what it is. That being said I think the Bears will finish the 2009-2010 season at 10-6 and win the NFC North in a tiebreaker over the Vikings.
My Five BOLD Predictions
1. Matt Forte will receive at least one MVP vote.
2. Jay Cutler will be a top five QB in the league.
3. Cutler, Forte, Olsen, Briggs, Urlacher, and Tommie Harris will make the Pro Bowl.
4. Earl Bennett will come out of no where and have 50+ catches.
5. The Bears will make it to the NFC Championship game, but lose.
SCHEDULE
improve on both offense and defense from last year. The Bears had the 21st ranked defense allowing 21.9 pts/game and the 26th ranked offense scoring 23.4 pts/game. I believe both sides of the ball can crack the top ten in total offense and defense. Jay Cutler will obviously be a great improvement on the offensive side of the ball. I know everyone questions the recieving core but I believe they will be a good, not great, group of recievers. I think Devon Hester is going to have a huge year as he continues to better understand how to play the position. I also think Earl Bennet
t is going to come out of nowhere and have a big year with his old Vandy teammate Cutler. Oh yeah, and Greg Olsen is gonna be a beast. In the running game, Matt Forte is gonna be huge again. I believe he will have a season equivalent to last year or perhaps better. The offense line has a couple new guys which hopefully will make them a little more athletic than last year. This should help in the running game although it might take a little bit for them to get clicking on all cylinders.I think the defense will return to their dominance of 2005, 2006, 2007 with Lovie stepping back and calling the plays for the defense. Hopefully the D-line can stay healthy this year and keep Tommie Har
ris and Dvoracek big in the middle. The linebacking core will be huge as always with Urlacher, Briggs, and the new addition Tinoisamoa. I think the Hawaiian will make a huge impact this season on the strongside. The secondary is already a little beat up right now with Tillman out but hopefully he will return soon and they can get back to full strength. Look out for new guys, Zach Bowman, Kevin Payne, and Craig Steltz to come up big this season in the secondary. According to last years team records, the Bears play the easiest schedule this season. I'm not sure that stat actually means anything but it is what it is. That being said I think the Bears will finish the 2009-2010 season at 10-6 and win the NFC North in a tiebreaker over the Vikings.My Five BOLD Predictions
1. Matt Forte will receive at least one MVP vote.
2. Jay Cutler will be a top five QB in the league.
3. Cutler, Forte, Olsen, Briggs, Urlacher, and Tommie Harris will make the Pro Bowl.
4. Earl Bennett will come out of no where and have 50+ catches.
5. The Bears will make it to the NFC Championship game, but lose.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
New Ride
I got a new car to replace the Beast. 2001 Jetta. Still trying to figure out how to drive the manual trans.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Clingman's Dome
Blake and I took a quick trip up to Clingman's Dome, the highest point in the Smokies and the third highest east of the Mississippi, on Saturday. Rain spoiled our plans for a backpacking trip. Here are a couple shots from the trip to the top. It was a little cloudy but pretty clear. We also hiked to Andrew's Bald which was about 4 miles round trip. It was a very nice bald with some nice views of Fontana Lake down below.
Side note: if you are looking for solitude in the mountains, never go to Clingman's Dome. There are about 5,873 rednecks, kinda like the Wal Mart of the Smoky Mountains.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
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