Well, I made my request and the Twins answered... I'm just disappointed to see a guy like Bobby Kielty have to be the one to leave. Even so, they're bringing in Shannon Stewart - a decent player in his own right - and hopefully his bat will bring some new life to the slumping Twins offense. Of course, the chances aren't always good, but I also hope that the "player to be named later" turns out to be a good useful minor league prospect. An up-and-coming starting pitcher would be especially nice. Please Blue Jays be nice and send us someone good.

It was a long, tiring drive roundtrip, the opening band was god-awful, but my trip to Chicago was worth it, because I got to see Blur! As one might expect, they played a good portion of songs off their latest album, "Think Tank," which is a great album anyway, in addition to many old favorites. I think "Leisure" and "The Great Escape" were the only albums they didn't play any songs from. Among the songs they played other than those from "Think Tank" were "For Tomorrow" (off "Modern Life is Rubbish"), "Girls & Boys," "Badhead," "To the End," and "This is a Low" (off "Parklife"), "Beetlebum" and "Song 2" (off "Blur"), and "Tender" (off "13"). I know there was at least one other song in there which I didn't immediately recognize, meaning it probably off "Blur," since I rarely ever listen to that album. I love it when a band really gets into their songs and plays to the crowd (like when I saw Radiohead in Chicago), as opposed to just showing up and performing some set list (like Bjök did). Damon and the crew were in it the whole way, blasting out lyrics at the top of his lungs and shooting out explosions of emotion from the guitar. This was in much contrast to the shitty opening band, who cranked their equipment much to loud - I'm sure the band could be heard out in Schaumberg - and who were full of all sorts of pretentiously manufactured excitement and angst. Can the schtick guys, buy a clue, turn down the volume and learn how to play your instruments. I think I can fairly say that this concert overtook Radiohead as my new favorite.

My trip down to Chicago wasn't all about the concert. I stopped in Milwaukee and picked up Molly. Then we drove down to her dad's place in Mount Prospect to drop off some power tool. We took the long and slow route to the concert down Milwaukee Avenue. After the concert, we went to Erik's apartment, and the three of us went and hung out at Golden Nugget - a restaurant near Erik's place. I should like to have stuck around and visited with Erik longer, but I was getting tired and Molly had to get up to get her car to the shop at 9 this morning, so we left a little after midnight and headed back to Milwaukee. We thankfully missed almost all of the storms on the drive back. We saw plenty of lightning and drove under about 2 minutes worth of actual rain, but for the most part we missed it. I'm not sure if we got hit with anything late last night, because I was so tired that I was out before my head ever hit the pillow. I got up this morning, Molly made breakfast for she, her mom, and I, and then I left about 11:30 to head home. I think I got back here about 1. Now I'm starting to feel tired again.

I go a whole week without writing anything and all of a sudden I have plenty to write about... imagine that.

For you avid followers of the Tavern Tour with whom I haven't already spoken, the two locales scheduled for today - Trim B's and Illusions - are being postponed until July 28. The reason for this change is that I will be in Chicago Monday night to see Blur. That's right, Blur! Molly called me Saturday and mentioned that Blur is playing tonight in Chicago, so I'm meeting up with her in Milwaukee Monday afternoon, and then we'll go down to the show together. After the show, I'm hoping to meet up with Erik, whom I haven't seen since New Year's, before heading back to Milwaukee to crash at Molly's. I'll head back to Appleton on Tuesday in plenty of time to go to Jade Tuesday evening.

You know it's coming: work-related banter. Yes, I'm finally trained on the jetbridge. Let's see... Tuesday night I left Dave and Corey for a while at Old Bavarian to head to work and have Jen train me before returning to OB. Jen had me practice a couple times docking with planes Thursday afternoon. Then Friday morning I called Harry and he had me come in early so I could dock a couple in his presence before signing me off. Yay! In more work-related stories, Corey and I had a nice little experience in the PM crew's first night of going to only 2 closers. Not only was our the plane carrying our late flight a complete and utter dump when we had to go about cleaning it, but there was one hell of a mess from vomit. According to the flight attendant, the girl did while the plane was first taxiing from the gate to the runway in Minneapolis, meaning she had to put up with the mess and the other passengers had to put up with the smell the entire 45-minute flight. The scene was like something out of The Exorcist - I swear the woman's head must have spun around as she vomited because it was just everywhere. With only two of us cleaning such a messy plane, it was 1 o'clock before we finished. After finishing up the work inside, I barely had time to make last call at Jekyll's.

I was not-so-pleasantly awoken Sunday morning by the sound of pounding as the roofers set to work replacing the shingles on my parents' house. They started work about 8 o'clock, but I think they got it all done now in just one day (it was too dark out when I returned home tonight to see).

What's with the Twins? Losers of 8 straight games - and 22 of their last 28 - going into the All Star break, one is left wondering where the questions even begin. They've played so poorly that they've now dropped all the way down to 3rd in the division - 7.5 games behind 1st place Kansas City and only 3.5 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland - and aren't showing any signs of a rebound. I know the starting pitching has been poor this season, but that's just a starting point. That doesn't even begin to include problems like the lack of any offensive spark or the fact that while not poor, the team defense hasn't saved them like it has in years past. I also know the team's stance on making trades, but sometimes you have to sacrifice some prospects for a player who is going to make an impact now. And speaking of the Twins, how does Torii Hunter keep getting passed over for a spot on the AL All Star team? I know his offensive numbers are less than spectacular this year, but that doesn't change the fact that he was 4th in fan voting. Isn't the All Star game about the fans? Don't the fans get to see who they want to see? Other than the fact that the game ended in a tie, name one single solitary play from last year's All Star game other than Hunter stealing a home run from Barry Bonds. Can't do it, can you? Fans want to see that stuff! C'mon Mike Sciocia, why couldn't you have put Hunter in as a replacement for - and nothing against Mags - Maglio Ordonez? Who, other than maybe a ChiSox fan, gives a damn about seeing him play in the All Star game?

I know there were other things I wanted to write about, but I've already forgotten them since I started writing. It doesn't matter much, for I should be getting to bed soon anyway. I need to get up at a reasonable hour to head down to Chicago. Night y'all.

I almost shat myself this morning when I walked into the family room only to discover a deer head mounted on the wall. I guess my brother finally got back the head of the deer he shot last Thanksgiving from the taxidermist over the weekend and my dad must have decided to mount it on the wall last night. Fucking hunters.

Speaking of my brother, I hear him in the bathroom right now clipping his toenails. It's about time! Because he usually wears socks with his sandals - and y'all thought I have no fashion sense?! - I had never noticed how long his toenails are. Then finally about a week ago he was actually wearing sandals without socks and I was about ready to implore him to put some damn socks on. *shudder* I just kept thinking of the scene in Dumb and Dumber where Jim Carrey's nails had to be trimmed with a rotary sander.

I had to get up early this morning for my hair appointment. Being up earlier in the day didn't make me utilize my waking hours any better, so I guess it really doesn't matter if I sleep until 8 or if I sleep until noon. I called Harry after I returned home from my haircut to see if it would be possible to train me on jetbridge today. I had checked before I left yesterday and seen that we were pretty full today with both our inbounds and outbounds, and Harry said they were too busy to train me. He said I should try calling Jen tomorrow about doing it then, but if that's the case, then it's not even worth calling.

I finally got off my ass and made out a TT schedule for the next two weeks. I hope people catch tonight's scheduled places before it's too late. Then again, I don't even plan to eat at Clancy's and for all I know the Capitol Centre may suck ass, so if they miss out it may not be a total disaster.

I don't remember what I was going to write, but I just checked out Molly's site, and I guess she won some contest from Jones Soda concerning Mr. T. Check this shit out.

I just walked in on one of the saddest sights I've ever seen. I returned home from work to find all the lights off and my brother's car and some unknown car parked outside. After parking my car in the garage, I opened the door to the house and discovered my brother with random female lying on top of him on the familyroom couch making out with UHF on the tv. Barry White dies and now the kids are making out to Weird Al?

Here comes another of my posts full of random thoughts. I've been so inconsitent in my posting lately that these things seem to pop up more often.

Fuck, is it ever humid outside! How could anyone ever handle living in some of the southern states where it's like this all summer long? If I were in that position, I'd just say: Fuck it, I'm moving to the desert! Then again, I'm sure they say the same things about our winters. The storms keep missing us lately, but with the humidity as high as it is outside, I just can't see how the storms could stay away much longer. I can see this fourth of July being really ugly.

Speaking of which, Happy Fourth of July to all!

That reminds me also, I guess yesterday was officially the third anniversary of my first blog entries. I won't even bother linking to them, for they're not even worth reading.

We - Carrie, Corey, Matt, and I - went to the Cold Shot tonight. There was a local cover band playing which brought new meaning to the word suck. Thinking back upon a certain Ben Folds video, I kept hoping the band would turn down the suck and turn up the rock, but it never happened. Ugh.

Today is going to be the most pointless day at work. I come in at 1:45 and stay until close (about midnight). We have a flight arrive from Minneapolis right about the time I clock, which will come in and go right back out. Both of the Detroit flights I would normally work are cancelled due to the holiday, which means I have 3 hours to kill before the next flight comes in. In those 3 hours, I have to check in a whopping 5 people for the 7 o'clock flight to Minneapolis. Then, because the second Detroit flight of my shift is cancelled, I have to sit around waiting for another 4 hours just for the late flight to come in. What a waste. Let's just cancel all the flights and be done with it.

Hide-A-Way sucked Wednesday night. I had heard from more seasoned drinkers than you or I that it's a cool place, but I failed to see the coolness factor.

I really am intending to update the TT website! I know it's been over 2 weeks since the last time I updated, but I've just been a lazy, worn out bitch boy lately. I think it's a combination of the heat and my job. Don't worry - I've been keeping track of it all in the TT journal I take with me to every bar, so I won't forget anything, it's just a matter of actually typing it all up and posting it.

If there is one thing I've learned on the Tavern Tour it's that people don't like having their photo taken. I haven't taken hardly any photos at most of the bars recently because people start giving me nasty looks or getting a bit huffy. I guess people will have to just live with my stunning prose to imagine what these places look like on the inside.

I'm tired and it's hot as shit. My parents seriously set the a/c to 76 during the day and 77 at night, so it really doesn't do much good. Nevertheless, I'm going to attempt to sleep. Nighty night.

Yes, it has been two weeks since I last updated the TT website. Hell, what can I do? By the time Monday and Tuesday roll around, I'm so burned out from another week of work that it's hard enough to want to get out of bed in the afternoon to use the bathroom let alone actually accomplish anything. Unannounced even most of the TT crew, I went yesterday to Applebee's for a drink. Tonight, Carrie, Matt, Dave, and I met up at Good Company. Later yet tonight I intend to try hitting the Hide-A-Way again. Hopefully they'll actually stay open this time.

Ummm... we interupt this post for an important announcement. Matt just called me and said that he and Carrie are already down at the Hide-A-Way. I guess I'm going to be delinquent even longer in favor of going out drinking once again.