I, Shane › Shane Adams’ personal weblog

Appetizer
Who was the last person you hugged?

My wife. Every day.

Soup
Share a beauty or grooming trick or tip with us.

Washing your hair everyday is stupid. I probably wash my hair twice per week and that’s why it looks SO. GOOD.

Salad
What does the color yellow make you think of?

My wife’s painting in our living room.

Main Course
If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve around?

Sports. I was a sports photographer for my high school year book and I even won an award! (It’s a MAJOR AWARD!) I always enjoyed taking pictures of sports. Capturing that perfect moment. It’s way easier now with digital cameras that can shoot continuously.

Dessert
What was the longest book you ever read?

Outside of textbooks (which I never read cover-to-cover anyway), I read The Historian 2 years ago. 656 pages. I think that’s the longest.

via the Chimp

So I’m not sure about how this will work since there are many people who read this blog that I’ve actually never met IRL, but it’s such an interesting concept that I thought it would be fun. I first saw it on Rachel’s blog and then Alli did it and put her responses to comment on there, so I figured I would return the favor and answer her question, which was:

“on a scale of 1-10, how much do you hate that I am a vegetarian?”

At first, it was an 8. It was a hassle, particularly because it severely encroached on my meat-eating. You’ve always been very good about making stuff for me, but preparing food for one is a pain and I’d much rather eat together than eat separate food. Lately though, as I’m realizing that I’m healthier and my weight is coming off easier, it’s more like a 5. Do I wish you weren’t a vegetarian? Absolutely. But I understand your reasoning and I support you.

Now for the rest of you…here’s how this works.

Comment on this entry, and I will:

1. Tell you why I am friends with you.
2. Associate you with something - fandom, a song, a color, a photo, a word etc.
3. Tell you something I like about you.
4. Tell you a memory I have of you.
5. Ask something I’ve always wanted to know about you.
6. In return, you must post this to your own journal/blog.

For those of you I’ve never met, I’ll do my best.

Chimpotle

1. I read your blog because the title is absolutely genius and you are funny.
2. I associate you with the site Kissing Suzy Kolber because your shared items always appear in my Google Reader feeds.
3. I like that you were the first person to donate to my Heifer project.
4. I’ll say your favorite post of recent Yelp review of In-A-Tub. Made me laugh. Very Hard.
5. I’ve always wanted to know what you actually do all day long.

sirfwalgman

1. You’ve been a feed reader of mine since 2006 and you like poker.
2. I associate you with poker and a weird name.
3. I like that you come from nowhere to comment on my blog and I haven’t a CLUE who you are.
4. A memory I have of you was the first time I found you were reading my site. I was still using Bloglines and you could see the people subscribing to your feed. I saw you on there and I thought…who is THIS guy?
5. I’ve always wanted to know where you found my blog.

Alli, my loving beautiful wife

1. I am friends with you because you are my emotional equal. We have different interests and talents, but we communicate well and we work. Our conversations can be stupid or deep and I always love them.
2. I always have and always will associate you with Georgia O’Keeffe. I didn’t know about her before you and now I will never forget the beauty of her art.
3. If I had to pick one thing I like about you it would be how you smile with your soul and also how you encourage me to be the best version of myself.
4. Man, there are too many memories to count. One of my favorites from the past year was sitting in the sunbeam that shone through the oculus of the Pantheon in silence in Rome.
5. I have always wanted to know: “If you ever managed to meet Gwyneth Paltrow, what would you say to her?”

Jen

1. I have known you since childhood. We have gone to the same church for well over 20 years and our friendship has certainly grown in adulthood.
2. I associate you with the clarinet. You’ve played for so many years, but I’ve only recently come to appreciate just how wonderful it is and how much I wish I played an instrument.
3. I love how you parent Katie. She dotes on you and that’s totally obvious.
4. A memory that I have of you was sitting with you before church a month or two ago on that small bench in the foyer and talking. It’s one of the best one-on-one conversations I’ve ever had with you. Let’s do that again.
5. I’ve always wanted to know what it was that drew you to science.

Brother Jake

1. I am friends with you because you are my brother, my business partner, and my buddy. You make me laugh and you interrupt my days with random six degrees challenges.
2. I associate you with poker. You may be better than me, but the last time we were heads up, I won. So I still have scoreboard.
3. I like after 27 (almost 28!) years of living with you, being annoyed by you, fighting with you, ignoring you, that you haven’t held a grudge against me for the way I mistreated you as a little brother and you and I are now best friends.
4. Our 21st birthdays. Even though they occurred 3 years and 3 months apart and I remember them for very different reasons, they were both memorable because of you. Your multi-national rendition of Happy Birthday made me laugh harder than just about anything I’ve ever laughed at in my life.
5. I’ve always wanted to know what your favorite songs of all-time are. Perhaps non-311…

Brian D

1. I am friends with you because your brother told me I should be friends with you. We like the same stuff. We’re both nerds. We both blog. If we lived in the same city, we’d hang out.
2. I associate you with two things: curling and Washington DC
3. I like your commitment to a financially secure future. It seems like a really boring thing to like about someone, but we need more people like you that are vigilant about their finances and don’t rely on Washington politicians to bail them out of the debt they put themselves in.
4. A memory that I have of you is really around the first time that we started reading each other’s blogs. I remember that I just started one day and you started one day and there was no introduction. We just kind of became friends from the start.
5. I’ve always wanted to know who exactly where you work. I for some reason think that you work for the State Department and can’t tell me. But I wanted to ask.

KC Sponge

1. I am internet friends with you because you linked to me before you’d even commented. That was cool.
2. I associate you with blogger meetups, even though I have never been to one.
3. See the reason I’m internet friends with you. I remember reading your post about my blog and thinking…wow…this is pretty cool. You also contributed to my Heifer project, which is pretty cool.
4. My memory of you involves the YouTube video you posted of the kids you teach hip hop to. That was sweet.
5. I’ve always wanted to know what kind of law you plan on practicing. And can you get me out of my ticket I got a couple months ago?

Laura

1. My friendship with you goes back to Graceland, but really took root after we got married and were attending the Olathe congregation (with it’s incredible new website) on a regular basis.
2. I associate you with singing in church. When I was growing up, my dad’s voice was the only voice I could ever distinguish when hymns were being sung. With him being gone so much, I’ve found that I can hear you. And that makes me happy.
3. I like that you and I have matching computers now. Wonder Twin Macbooks UNITE!
4. Provocative. Shane. Need I say more?
5. I’ve always wanted to know what your favorite movie of all-time is.

Mike D

1. I am friends with you because when we were 17 and you were 18, your volleyball team took it easy on us at a tournament and we spent some time together in Iowa playing ball and being nuts.
2. I associate you with Chicago. No matter how long you live here, I will always associate you with the Windy City.
3. I like that you came to my wife’s art show. And I like your volleyball swing. I always have. You have the single best volleyball swing that I’ve had the fortune of playing with.
4. FFB. Thanks for that. You suck.
5. I’ve always wanted to know what it was like being Mr. Mom.

Christy

1. I was initially friends with you because we lived in the same neighborhood and thus went to the same schools, etc. I think we became better friends through theater and I reconnected with you thanks to Heidi’s blog
2. I associate you with…duh…YOGA. I am determined to come to one of your classes once you start teaching again, but I am completely terrified.
3. I like that I have known you for over 20 years, but my first memory of you is similar to my last one. You’ve always had a strong sense of self and I think that’s really cool.
4. The last time I saw you was when you came to Alli’s art show. That meant so much to her and so it meant a lot to me. Your appreciation of my wife’s art is something I will absolutely always remember.
5. I’ve always wanted to know what your favorite theater role you played was.

I have the right to change these at any time, but I thought I’d throw out all my predictions for the major awards today…

Best Picture

Nominated: Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood

Winner: No Country for Old Men

I have only seen Atonement and Juno (the latter of which was my favorite of the two), but it seems to be a Very Coen Christmas this year.

Best Director

Nominated: Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Jason Reitman for Juno, Tony Gilroy for Michael Clayton, The Coen Brothers for No Country for Old Men, Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood

Winner: The Coen Brothers.

If there’s anywhere that there might be a minor snag in the Coen’s night, it’s here. I think it’s a toss-up between The Coens and Anderson, whose oil movie was lauded (but I also did not see).

Best Actor

Nominated: George Clooney for Michael Clayton, Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood, Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd, Tommy Lee Jones for In the Valley of Elah, Viggo Mortenson for Eastern Promises

Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis

There’s no way that DDL doesn’t take the prize here. By most accounts, he’s the most talented actor of our era (followed closely by Mr. Depp). He makes one movie every 2 years and is usually nominated. His turn as Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York was inspired. Johnny Depp is probably the second place winner here…he should have won an Oscar by now.

Best Actress

Nominated: Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Julie Christie for Away From Her, Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose, Laura Linney for The Savages, Ellen Page for Juno

Winner: Julie Christie

I’m only predicting Julie Christie because she won the Golden Globe. (So did Marion Cotillard, but she’s French.) I really want Ellen Page to win this one, but she’s in the “it’s an honor to just be nominated” category. She carries Juno, but won’t win. Laura Linney is someone who should also have an Oscar by now. She just continually puts out fantastic work. It’s a travesty that Amy Adams did not get nominated for Enchanted.

Best Supporting Actor

Nominated: Casey Affleck for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men, Philip Seymour Hoffman for Charlie Wilson’s War, Hal Holbrook for Into the Wild, Tom Wilkinson for Michael Clayton

Winner: Javier Bardem

If this is any other year, I think that Ben’s little brother, Casey Affleck, pulls this one out. He turned in two critically-acclaimed roles this year (the other being his work in his brother’s directorial debut Gone Baby Gone), but from everything I’ve heard…there’s no stopping Javier Bardem this year. I don’t know because I’ve seen none of these movies, but I love all of their work.

Best Supporting Actress

Nominated: Cate Blanchett for I’m Not There, Ruby Dee for American Gangster, Saoirse Ronan for Atonement, Amy Ryan for Gone Baby Gone, Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton

Winner: Cate Blanchett

I think that the sentimental choice here is Ruby Dee, but Blanchett played freaking Bob Dylan. I think that the “body of work” argument that Affleck cannot overcome above is not true here. I think Cate wins it.

The Rest

There are several other awards, but I don’t want to go over all of them in detail. If Ratatouille does not win Animated Feature, the Academy members should be forced to eat rat soup. I think Juno picks up the award for original screenplay and that Atonement will manage to eke out its only win (they might also get a cinematography one, if only for the 5 minute tracking shot) for adapted screenplay. Tune in on Sunday. I like Jon Stewart, but I liked Ellen last year more than his previous hosting stint. I’m expecting a HUGE over-the-top show to celebrate the return from the writers’ strike.

Appetizer
Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim?

Yes. Many. Next.

Soup
What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?

They are multi-colored and match our crazy multi-colored kitchen. They are a standard salt and pepper shaker shape.

Salad
Where is the next place you plan to visit (on vacation or business)?

I will be off to N’awlins in April for a work conference. Next trip after that will be Jamaica in June for the bro’s wedding.

Main Course
What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry?

I’m kind of a girl when it comes to this. I have some Pink Grapefruit anti-bacterial Bath & Body Works lotion on my desk. I like the smell.

Dessert
Make up a dessert, tell us its ingredients, and give it a name.

We tried to recreate something we had at Brett and Sarah’s the other night this week. Basically, it’s a cookie crust with Starbucks java chip ice cream, cool whip and toffee bits on top. I like to call it BEST THING EVER.

Elsewhere: Chimpotle and The D

Tonight’s episode of Lost was a perfect example of why scripted TV is so much better than so-called “reality” TV.

Here’s something to chew on: Aaron is Jack’s half-nephew.

For those who haven’t watched yet, I won’t say anymore. All I know is that Lost is back and it’s better than ever. We finally are getting answers and that is a good thing. I can’t wait for next week!

I don’t care too much for the NBA. I have friends who love it, but I could care less for the most part, and for all the standard reasons:

• The players don’t play hard enough
• The players are paid too much
• Free agency gives you no ability to root for teams because players move around
• The dunk contest is boring

Don’t deny that the last one is a reason the NBA has gone downhill. The dunk contest lost its luster after Cedric Ceballos dunked blindfolded. There haven’t been any really innovative dunks in probably 5 years. That is, until last weekend’s All-Star Weekend.

The dunk contest was between Orlando’s Dwight Howard and defending champion Gerald Green from the jump. Both of them had brilliant dunks in the first round and really it was a contest between the two of the them. When Howard pulled out the Superman cape, you knew it was over. Still, Gerald Green’s “Birthday Cake” was one of the most creative dunks I’ve ever seen.

Just before the trade deadline, the Cavaliers, Supersonics and Bulls managed to work out a blockbuster trade that sent Big Ben Wallace and Wally “Don’t try to spell it” Szczerbiak to the Cavs to help out LeBron James. A sidenote of the trade is that it sent former Jayhawk (and Cavs contributer) Drew Gooden to Chicago, where he’ll be reunited with former teammate Kirk Hinrich. Two Jayhawks on the same NBA team? I may have just found someone to root for. Now if they would have only managed to get Nick Collison from the Sonics to the Bulls, we would have really been in business.

At least the envelope is…

So there you go. I’m not sure if I’ll receive anymore than that, but hopefully, I’ll get a picture of the cow later. But I doubt it.

So, Emaw tagged me with this silly little Twilight Zone meme.

Recall and relate a time when you experienced a “paranormal event”
Explain it rationally if you can
Inflict this meme on 5 other people

Here’s the deal. Paranormal stuff doesn’t happen to me. I live a relatively simple life. It’s a great life, but a simple one. Wake up. Have breakfast. Pray with Alli. Go to work. Do marketing stuff. Sit in traffic. Eat. Watch TV. Sleep. Repeat. I love my life. I’m in a great marriage with a great woman. I have a good, stable job. I have an awesome family and a strong church.

Normal stuff happens to me, so instead of a “paranormal” event, I present to you a pair of normal events. I’ll try and make them interesting and hopefully, they’ll give you some insight into this Shane character that you are so enamored by on the Internets.

The Laugh Track

I was fortunate enough to enter college with my best friends in tow. I didn’t relate very well to my high school classmates. All my closest friends all came from different high schools. They were the clowns I had gone to church with since I was 6 years old and who I had played volleyball with since 7th grade. Most of those fools even read and comment on this blog. It doesn’t suck to have lifelong friends like that.

I loved college. Mike and I had a blast living together my freshman year. Every night we would know exactly when to go to sleep by the giant fart that Mike would blast right before bed. Our schedule looked a lot like this:

Occasionally, there would be a small change in the schedule, but for the most part, that was how I spent the first 2 years of college while living in the dorms. It was a blast.

One weeknight, a bunch of us on our floor had procrastinated on several projects that we had due and so all of us committed to staying up all night and getting our work done. I laughed harder that night than I ever have in my life. I don’t remember the project. I doubt I did well on it. Likely because of the Laugh Track we created that night.

For 2 hours that night, probably around 3 in the morning, we recorded several different laughs into our friend Dan’s computer. And we played them back. Over. And over. And over. I’m certain that part of the reason it was so funny was the hour, and you really had to be there to see why it was so funny, but it was trust me.

(See, I told you my stories were pretty boring.)

“I have a 10″

Very rarely, either Alli or myself has to go out of town for one reason or another. Every summer since she’s been coaching dance, she goes to camp at Emporia State with all her girls for a few days. At least once during those times, I’ll go hang out with my boys and play poker all night long. Low stakes cash games are a lot of fun with a small amount of people around the table set out Jason’s deck with 105.1 Jack FM playing on the outside speakers.

One night last summer, Jason, Jeff, Darin and I started playing around 9 p.m. It started slowly as we mostly just talked and played casually. As the night went on, we began to see a trend. Tens were hitting the board like crazy. I’m not exaggerating when I say that at least one ten was a part of the community cards 60% of the night. I don’t remember who started it, but we got more and more vocal during each time around the table. We began sharing the types of hands that we had. Then, we started completely telling the truth, particularly if we had a ten in our hand.

We were being so honest with our cards that we were even showing our tens after the hand was over. Over time, we stopped showing hands, but were still telling the types of cards we had. “Honest poker” we called it. It turns out that when you get good cards and are dealt tens all night long, you can win at honest poker without bluffing or anything. I managed to walk away the winner that night and I was more honest than the others.

I suppose it pays to be honest at cards sometimes.

So my penance has been paid. The Twilight Zone meme dies with me.

…but it’s OK, because they were free.

For the past several years, I’ve been a member of the Harris Poll Online, a collective of pollsters who fill out surveys on a variety of subjects. Each survey alludes to the promise of a sweepstakes win of $10,000 or more, but one thing is certain…you acquire points along the way that you can exchange for crappy stuff. It’s akin to the way we used to go to Fun Factory at Oak Park Mall to acquire tickets playing skee-ball and other terrible games. As in, it takes a VERY long time to acquire enough points to exchange for anything of merit.

Example: each survey will reward you with anywhere from 30 to 100 points. It takes 2000 points to get a CD.

Now, since the polls don’t take terribly long and you can coast through them, before you know it, you can acquire over 6,000 points. As is with gift cards and free money, the points have been burning a hole in my pocket for a while. I wanted to redeem them tonight.

All my purchases were very impulsive, but since they are essentially free, I’m not terribly concerned if they turn out to suck. Then again, when you buy Phil Collins Greatest Hits, there’s no way it will be bad. I paired up Phil Collins with a real stretch, picking Mika’s Life in Cartoon Motion, which features the great song “Grace Kelly” that was covered by the American Idol reject Josiah.

It could be a complete bust, but hey, it was free.

I also got a yoga DVD. Not a bad way to spend $0.