LOOK AT THE SKY SEE IT DESIGN
Sometimes you get to look at things from another view or the other side. Monday night was like for me. We had tickets to the “If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something” Tour which featured Jadon Lavik, Barlow Girl, and Rebecca St. James.
What provided the different view was I volunteered to help load and unload the stage, lights, and sound equipment when the road crew got there. It was fun getting to see all the guys who work hard to make the show happen. I got the chance to meet the road crew, sound board guy, bus and truck drivers, the lighting team, and other guys who make the show go. They were great guys and pretty funny ones at that.
It is a lot of work to unload the trucks and bus and get a stage setup. Those guys were in good shape. Although, I been back at the gym for a few weeks was not in good enough shape. I was pretty sore the next day from all the manual labor work. This Code Monkey does not much manual labor. Maybe the other guys who also helped out are use to the labor, but I am not.
Joel, the road manger (and a signer in his sister’s band) greeted us and lead us in a prayer. Then we started unloading things and setting things up. It took us about three and half hours to unload everything and get the stage setup. Then we were treated to a nice lunch. It is funny how good food taste when you do physically labor.
During the show, I was one of the guys who served by moving things off the stage between acts. That was pretty cool. I was just so happy, I did not trip on stage over all the cords or hurt any of the artists while I carried things to the back. It was interesting watching from the show from the side of the stage instead of with the crowd. It was not as loud behind the speaker and I kind of missed getting energy from all the other concert goers sitting around me.
After the show we torn everything down and loaded it up. It would have been nice to not have so many stairs to carry things up and down on, but oh well. We got done a bit before midnight. So all and all our day went from 10 AM to midnight. For us volunteers we were done, but for the road crew they get to do it all over and over for the rest of the tour. One night here and there is enough for me. Everyday, that would be hard. At the end, we all got together again and prayed.
Here is a picture of a lot of the volunteers and some of the road crew when we were all done.
LikeMonkey Meditations
- Importance of Spring Training: Helps Rockies improve their golf game which is a needed around May when we are out of contention of playoffs.
- Rockies Marketing to Fans: R You In
- Rockies Fans to Marketing: R You Something something?
- Sounds like the ex-Nextel marketing team is now with the Rockies.
- Importance of Spring Training: A strong tan line means opening day victory.
- I think some national writers are starting to get it. See Here
- Coors Field is not about the home runs.
- It is about the dink and dunk hits.
- Importance of Spring Training: Only time the Rockies and Royals can enjoy dominating their divisions.
- Why the complaining about the VP hunting trip?
- Didn’t he live out the American dream.
- To shot a lawyer.
- Importance of Spring Training: It gives ESPN 900 something to boardcast besides reruns of classic amatuer soltaire championships.
TODAY WE REMEMBER TO LIVE
Someday days are tougher than others. Sometimes you just become overwhelm with all the problems that are going on around you. Yesterday, I got caught up in dwelling about all the bad things and it really sucked me down. Things like friends fighting heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, things like friends struggling with their little babies being sick, things like friends having a new babies and then being laid off, and things like troubled teenagers. Dwelling on these things really brought me down.
So I was not sure if I was up for the concert we had tickets for. It was going be a long drive, we were emotional burned out, and behind on time. Yet, it also meant a little fun time with my wife, so decided to fight the traffic and enjoy the show. It turned out that we made a good decision.
The concert was the “This Is Your Anthem Tour” which involved four bands, Eleventy Seven, Seventh Day Slumber, KJ-52, and Superchic[k]. The show was presented by 89.7 Way-FM and was at Southeast Christian Church in Parker, Colorado.
First up was the new band, Eleventy Seven. They were young (i.e. maybe they can drive but I doubt they can’t vote) and very energetic. They played about three or four songs, but they were very good. I have never seen a young, new band like them work the crowd so well. I was impressed with their stage demeanor and their music.
Up next, the band I really wanted to see the most of the four, Seventh Day Slumber. They did not disappoint at all. I was blown away by their music, the way they presented the reason for the music, their lives, and I love the way they ended their set. Lead singer Joseph Rojas gave one of the best talks I have ever heard from a band at a concert. Very moving and powerful like their songs. They did play, “Caroline”, as the fourth song in their set, which is a song I really like and was happy to hear them sing live.
Ok, now this is probably something you will not read much in my blog. I am about to say nice things about a rap artist. Christian or not, I am not a fan of rappers. Rap just does not do anything but annoy me. I am glad their are Christian rappers out there having a positive impact on people lives, but I just usually don’t listen to their stuff. However, KJ-52 is a little different for me because of his humor on his albums. My family loves him, so I have heard his stuff a lot. My favorite song of his is “Gimme Dat”, a funny take on Mountain Dew addiction. He did perform it at the show and he also provided a great thought. He said something like, sure some of you don’t have a Dew addiction but you get your kicks from Starbucks. Shame of you parents, quit blew you kids college tuition at Starbucks. Any one who shares the truth about Starbucks addicts is OK in my book. 
Last up, Superchic[k]. I like them but I did not expect them to be quite as good as they were. I enjoyed them and I thought they did a great job. One of their guitar players was just amazing, he was so good on his guitar. Also, I loved the drummer, Brandon Estelle, or as I think of him Mr. T with no bling-bling.
It was a refreshing event for the soul. My ears are still ringing, I am tired, and the problems of life are still there. Yet, my focus is not solely on troubles. I continue to press on with life, as I remember to look to the mountains and remember where my help is coming from (PS 121).
WORDS FALL LIKE DROPS OF RAIN
So with the Super Bowl XL being this weekend, I thought I would write down some thoughts about the season. Most games, a few friends and I would watch the games here at the our home movie plex. We really had fun listening and making fun of the weird comments that the announcers would say. We also had fun picking apart some commercials. So I thought I would share our thoughts with you.
ANNOUNCERS COMMENTS
Ok, I am like most Bronco fans, I cannot stand listening to Phil “I hate the Broncos” Simms, but CBS keeps putting him on our games. So if you are a CBS executive reading this, please find a way that he does not do Bronco games next year. Our favorite stab at the Broncos this year was when he wore a yellow tie and a red vest when we played the Chiefs who colors are yellow and red. Way to stay partial there Phil.
Some of the quotes are from him, but a few of them are from other announcers. I was not smart enough to keep track of who said what for all of them, just the weird sayings.
However, none of this years sayings ranking up there with the quote from a game last year where another ex-QB on Fox who said something like “14 is more than 7.” Thanks for clearing that up for me. How many concussions did you have again?
So without further ado, here are some of my favorites deep football thoughts.
- “The official occasionally miss it sometimes” – I did not know that.
- “He just got Lynched” – That one was very bad. I am not sure why he did not get in trouble for it. We are thought he said it, but maybe all of us could have been heard it wrong.
- “That is how you stop a blitz” – We heard that so many times over and over from Phil Simms in the New England Playoff game, you would have thought it was Ground Hog Day.
- “I was wrong” – It was just nice to hear Phil say it even though he was using it to slam the Broncos.
- “I’ve been wet” - From the Fox guy during the Redskin game with it was raining hard. Wow, we are glad he showers and we bet his partner .
- “Sometime players have to play attention to the rules” – Thanks Phil, I did not know that sometimes they did not have to play attention to the rules.
Oh, one more great insight from an TV announcer came from a Avs games. It was from a guy who worked a few games for them this year and then was let go. We are not sure if it was because of his longing looks at his partner or great quotes like this.
- “It’s only the third period” – Thank God for the fourth period, that is where the Avs turn it on.
THE ADS
- Burger King – All their ads with the King are creepy. It feels like a horror movie when he saws up. You just want to yell to the people, run. The ad where the King Kong Burger falls from the sky is crazy. Seeing a big hamburger fall on a car and weird guys eating, is not going to get us to go there. Shot it might make you want to never eat “meat” again. The one with the Star Wars Storm Trooper starting the stove, that was funny. That is the kind of ads they should be doing.
- Sprint/Nextel – One of the guys in our group works for them. We have ask him to stop all their ads as they very scary. The dancing nerds is very offensive to nerds like me. I will give them kudos for the Elway being loney ad. That was good.
- Suzuki 4×4 – If this car is such a great 4×4 vehicle why does the guy have to sky drive from his house on the cliff to get to it? A good 4×4 would be able to get it up the hill and he could park it in his garage.
- Coors Train – How much money did they waste on that bad and annoying ad? Enough where they have to show it way too many times a game. If I was a drinking man, which I am not, I would not ever drink Coors again because the ad just is so annoying.
- Capital One – Most of them are pretty funny. I did like how they gave the Barbadians jobs. I did not like the Barbadians at first, but them working is pretty funny.
- Diet Pepsi Machine – Love those ads. Very funny.
So that is a recap of the season till the Super Bowl. Hopefully, the ads will be great, with an entertaining game that the announcers do not ruin.
GAVE OUR HEARTS, MADE THE START
It is the most romantic day of the year. Happy Groundhog’s Day!
What? You don’t think it is the romantic day of the year? Well, for me it is.
Four years ago today, I ask Mindy to marry me and she said yes. Yep, she did not think it was the most romantic day of the year, when I set up the date with her. I keep telling her it was and she keep giving me that you are crazy but I love you anyways look. We were hiking and I gave her the ring and then she understood that is the most romantic day of the year. A day for lovers.
So now, we can celebrate our love over and over and over and over again on Groundhog’s day.
Go head and tell that someone you love, Happy Groundshog’s Day.
