Dinner!

I’m working with a bunch of young people right out of college. They all grew up in Alaska. One of the biggest differences between kids that grew up in Alaska and the rest of us? When I was living off ramen, I’d fancy it up by adding some mushrooms or onion. Or sometimes when I was getting really crazy, an egg. Today I discovered that kids up here add king salmon or crab to their ramen. It makes sense, but damn.

If you can read this, thank a teacher!

Both of my parents are public teachers. They work late into the night grading papers and creating lesson plans. They deal with limited supplies, classroom size that grows every year, little respect, classroom fights, budget cuts and kids that come from unbelievably sad backgrounds. They do it because they love to teach. They want to make the world a better place. They love kids. They certainly didn't become teachers because the pay was so amazing. If you hate unions, do your own electrical work, put out your own fires, teach your own kids, police your own communities, staff your own jail, work your own steel, build your own car. Walk a mile in the shoes of a working class union family. Sure, some people slack off and abuse the power of a union, but that is not the norm. And it is not the reason Wisconsin has a budget deficit. And whatever you do, don't talk shit about my parents (or public school teachers in general) or I will hurt you. I went to an inner city public school my whole life, don't think I can't fuck a bitch up. But I also got a damn good education.

Hello!

Normally, I get about 12-15 blog visitors each day. However, my NFL doppelganger posts generate more blog traffic. Especially on game days. Hello, Super Bowl! None of those visitors are going to come back to read about my super awesome life, which is their loss, but it was pretty awesome to see such a huge bump in traffic. Sure, it totally went to my head and I felt super popular for one day. But who wants to be popular anyway?

Calories don't count on your birthday

Happy birthday to me! I ate cheese curds for breakfast. No, I am not starting Atkins. My awesome parents sent me a birthday/Super Bowl care package with cheese curds, Leinenkugels and Packers paraphernalia. I finished off the cheese curds today. Which means I officially ate one pound of cheese in just under 72 hours. I also ate left over cream cheese frosting for breakfast. The cake was gone days ago. Technically that probably counts as even more cheese. I think my goal is to surprise even myself with how much food I can consume in one day. I am off to a good start.

Dirty Sanchez

I will deny this if it is ever brought up in front of my parents or any of my family/friends in Wisconsin, but I was kind of hoping for a Bears/Jets Super Bowl. Of course, Sanchez sucks and that was never going to happen, but nothing makes me more homesick than trying to watch a Packers game in Juneau. I feel like I have a lot of friends here, but I would say I only have a handful of really close friends. I am completely fine with that. I would much rather have a few really close friends than a ton of not so close ones. But I have watched every single NFL game this year with two people. One is a Steelers fan and one is a Bears fan. Since no matter what, either the Bears or Packers were going to be in the Super Bowl, I thought that if the Bears won and the Steelers lost, we could all still watch the game together. I guess the Packers/Jets would have worked too, but then they both would have been blase about the whole thing and that would have taken some of the fun out of it too.

Anyway, two weeks ago I knew I couldn't watch the Packers/Bears game with my friend and not get upset at some point. I also knew that he would much rather watch the game with the Steelers fan. I am not blind or mentally handicapped. I know I can't hold my own in a football conversation with two very smart guys who know what they are talking about and have more than 20 years of football knowledge on me. But that doesn't mean that I enjoy watching games alone.

Every year that I've been in Juneau I've watched the Super Bowl at the Steelers fan's house but I get it. I know I can't watch the game with a him this year. But it still pisses me off sometimes that I can't hold my own with the guys. And even though the Bears fan has said he won't root for the Steelers, I know it will suck for him to watch the game with me at some crappy bar instead of going over to the Steelers fan's house. Not only will there be better food over there, they will both be able to discuss the finer points of the game. I wouldn't ask him to do that, even if I was hoping I wouldn't have to.

But it's winter (which everyone already knows I hate) and now I don't get to hang out with either one of them for the game. I already see less of them in the winter because I am not a great skier. And since it's my party, I'll cry if I want to. Seriously, it was supposed to be my party. I mean, it's my birthday and the Packers are in the Super Bowl, I should be super happy.