Some favorite pics.

I was looking through my picture files and thought I would share some of my favorites that are hanging around! :-)

The top left is a photo of Reggie. This is what he does most of the day when Cherol is working at home. He watches the road ( computer room is on the 3rd floor....good view) and makes sure the traffic keeps moving. Nice job....may have to look into that! :-)

2nd photo is my favorite...Dad and his boy fishing...doesnt even matter what was caught...it was the experience and bonding!

3rd photo is what greeted me last night as I drove in the driveway. A simple work of art from my son. Makes the snow that more special.

4th is a shot of Grandma and I a few Christmas's ago. I like the look on her face. I remember that moment well.

We are celebrating New Years in a pretty low key way. We have already went off to see KING KONG ( more detailed review later) and are off to have a nice italian dinner in a hour or so. I am sure I will be the lone soul in this family that makes it till midnight ( well maybe the reg. will make it).

Happy New Year to all !
Mike

A fresh coat of white

Awoke today to a new 1/2 foot of snow. This is the time of year that I acually enjoy the snow and dont grumble about having to go out and shovel or snowblow it away.

But....once the middle of January comes around....I get tired of snow and cold. Its the inner native Californian the still bounces around inside me that makes me wonder why I live in this climate. But April comes and the snow melts away. Spring is a dramatic 'pulling open the shades' event and life seems much more full of energy.

Geez...that got a bit poetic for snow in December! Sorry. The mood struck! I will not be composing odes for ice in January!

My Christmas Gift.

Sit down. Call the neighbors. Put a cold compress on your head. Mike got something music related for Christmas! SHOCKING!

What you are looking at is the Tivoli Sirius AM/FM radio. I have been scouting this thing out for the last year or so. Its very small in size, but has a nice full sound.

Ok, so big friggin deal. Its just a radio! No, No , No it isn't. Its a Sirius radio. Satilight radio my friends! 140 channels of radio without commercials and music that you don't hear on your local boring station. A dedicated Elvis station, Blues, hard rock, soul etc..... I love it. And yeah, Howard Stern will be on Sirius in January. ( I purchased some headphones to be kind to the rest of the house that will not appreciate it ) :-)

This radio is in my bedroom because I love to listen to music at night. So far the reception is very good ( had to fish the antenna outside my window to get a strong signal) I even hooked up a CD player on it so I can enjoy my own cds. I still have a few bucks left.....may hook up a sub. and really make the house shake.

I smell family meeting! :-)

A day back in reality

This has been the longest day at work ever! At a building that usually has a couple hundred people running around it.....there are about 20 here today! As I blast some funky "Sly and the Family Stone" out of my stereo....the clock is creeping slowly!

As you can tell...I had a very good Christmas and enjoyed the time off. I wish we could have 2 weeks off for Christmas like we did when we were kids!

Oh well.....3 days until the New Year break! We are planning to have a nice dinner and then go and see the movie "King Kong". Should be a nice way to bring in the New Year. APE Destruction and good food!

Better Watch Out!

Yep. Santa Claus is coming to town!

With Christmas Eve hours away.....make sure that you take time to remember all of your blessings and special gifts that you have around you.

I love Christmas, its my favorite time of the year. Its a time to remember those around you, and also those departed. Its also first and foremost the time to remember the birth of Jesus and what a wonderfull gift of love he gave us.

From the Youngs to your computer.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

Steven gets his first taste of the musical stage!

Last night was my son Steven's first band concert!

He is the one sitting behind the drum kit with the huge smile. Click on the photo for a closer look.

The young man has the performing blood running through his veins. Like father like son, he just loves to work the crowd :-) Ever since he picked up the drums 4 months ago, he has become a huge Peter Criss fan ( KISS drummer). I couldnt help but love the fact that my son had his sticks held up high and crossed, just like his current idol...when the band lurched into a rousing version of jingle bells! :-)

What the greatest thing is that he had the biggest smile on his face as he played. I know he loved it....but I loved it more. ROCK ON STEVEN! :-)

Snow is here!

For those that are craving the white stuff for Christmas.....We have it! Enjoy!

Melody Dimberio

On Monday December 12th, my Grandmother Melody Dimberio passed away at the age of 90. I was present along with my cousins Gina,Chris, Uncles Frank and Greg, Aunt Bev. and my Mother Anita.

She had been in poor health for the last few years, but throughout it all kept a admirable spirit. She passed with many loved ones around her and with very little suffering.

Today was the funeral. I was asked to speak on behalf of the family, to share some memories of her. I spoke from the heart and shared what I felt I knew about her and how she influenced my life. One of the greatest things that my Grandmother did throughout her life was to help others when they were in times of need. I noticed this about her at a young age. It left a mark on me that still is part of what I am. To look beyond your own spot in the world and to look at the people around you . I know I am not even close to her when it comes to how much I help others. But....I do try to do my best. I also spoke about her humor and cooking skills. It went well, and many people came up and told me how much they enjoyed my style of speaking. Made me feel good on a day where there is so many emotions swirling around.

My Son Steven had a hard time today. It was his first funeral. He loved his Great Grandma and just visited with her a couple of days before her death. It will be a day he remembers for a long time. Another step on the road to becoming an adult.

Its always hard to see a loved one pass away. But in grandma's case, I know she will be in heaven. I know it. It makes it easier to accept, and also a inspiration for my own life.

I love ya Grandma....thanks for all that you were and will continue to be in my thoughts.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my Moms birthday! When I am asked about my biggest influences in my life, she is always around the upper reaches of the list.

I am lucky to have a person like Anita Claire Young as my Mom.

Happy Birthday!

Love
Your son
Mike

BRRRR

Woke up this AM to a nice brisk -5! Time to slap on the running shorts and take a nice run around the neighborhood. I will think about it and get back to you. :-)

UPDATE!
No running. Too cold...snuggle with dog and keep sanity :-)

Christmas Decorations Are In Place!

The Youngs humble abode is all decorated for my favorite time of the year. Christmas!

Looking at the picture, you can tell that its a family affair. My job is to decorate the outside ( Lights...inflatable Santa and Snowman...and slide projector) and to put up the tree with lights and wooden beads. Cherol and Steven hang the numerous ornaments.

The house looks great!

Thanksgiving went very well. Plenty of food left over! My Mom, Cherols Mom and Dad and the rest of us gathered together and had enjoyed the day! What else could you ask for!

Snow is falling outside my window as I type. I love snow this time of the year. But once the New Year comes......I could just as well do without it! Ahhh yes, the inner Californian still exists!

So....how is the shopping going???? Who is done??? Who has started????? :-) I am about 1/3 of the way towards finishing...not bad!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Best wishes to all on this day of thanks. Take the time to really sit and think about the blessings in your life and try to shut out the things that distract you from what is important. Faith, Family, Health and Freedom.

There are many other things that are blessings, the hard thing is sometimes seeing them.

God Bless.
Mike

Madonna -Confessions on the dancefloor. 2005

Mike Young. Alice Cooper lover.....RAWK guy....Black Crowes freak.....Madonna? Hey! It happens!

I am proud to admit that I have a soft and sensitive side to my music. In fact, a large amount of my music can be classified as R/B and dance music. Jackson's,O'jays,Spinners, Village People....errr maybe only one disc of the Village People is enough to satisfy my "inner macho man" cravings! :-)

Anyway. Madonna. This is a great new CD . Nothing more than a nonstop dance CD. If you are in your mid 30's to early 40's, you remember when Madonna was first on the scene as a club/dance artist. As the years went by, the image obscured the fact that she can make great dance music when she wants to. This CD is not just a trip back to her eighties sound, but also dips a bit back into that dreaded word. DISCO! But like it or not, disco had its pluses and she takes advantage of its strengths. All of the tracks blend into each other, like you are in a club and your are hearing the cd "mashed up" by a DJ.

There are no big deep statements on the CD, the sound is state of the art and will sound great on even the most crappy stereo system. Its a Cd that should be heard because of its simplicity and how it makes you just want to move your feet! Get it! Dance and forget your worries :-)

What month is this?

November the 16th. Thanksgiving is around the corner,Christmas thoughts are starting to creep in. A time of the year when the outside temps are a bit on the mild side ,30's with some nice soft snow and maybe a 40 here and there.

Fast forward to what is going on here in Minnesota. We are looking at single digit lows tonight and highs in the low 20's for the rest of the week! This time last week I was knocking off early from work to enjoy the mid 60's weather to hang up my Christmas lights ( no! I am not one of those that turns them on before Thanksgiving!). Good thing I had such foresight, I would be sliding off my roof if I decided to do that today!

I guess its all part of living in this region. I still have a fair amount of California blood left in me, and I really dont enjoy January temps in November. But I know things will change, they always do! :-)

A Night Out With My Boy!

Just got back from a night out with Steven. We decided to take in some high quality entertainment, WWE Wrestling :-)

We purchased tickets about 6 weeks ago, and it was all Steven could talk about! He was very excited because this was a rare "supershow" where both RAW ( the Monday night cable show) and Smackdown( the UPN network show) were being taped on one night. So all of the superstars would be here tonight.

About a hour before we were about to leave, it was announced that Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room. 38 years old. He had battled drug and alcohol problems, but had been sober for 4 years. No cause of death has been announced , but I am sure its a heart related issue. Just a hunch.

The night became a much more somber event. It was filled with tributes to Eddie and it was pretty emotional to see these huge men cry. It was a good learning moment for Steven. Who would have thought I would have had such a lesson taught to a 10 year old at a wrestling event. One never knows when or where they will pop up. I was glad to be there.

Reggie begins agility classes!

Reggie and I began a new chapter in his training "journey", agility !

Agility is designed for dogs that are active and love to be active. That is Reggie to a tee. I wont say that he has mastered traditional obedience training but he has become a bit bored with the repetition of it. So we are taking a little break from the sit stay....downs.....comes.....heals....and figure eights and now are concentrating on jumps...A frames....tire jumps and weaves.

First night went very well. Reggie was very happy and I had a smile on my face. He seemed to enjoy the release of energy and I loved watching the natural athleticism that he and the other dogs have. Its amazing how effortless Reggie and some other dogs make these excersises look.

As I write. He is asleep at my feet. I can tell that he had a fun night and kinda got to be a Sheltie again! We will be back next week and I am sure that he will have his tail wagging.....as I chase him through the course!

ALICE COOPER- GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN (1974)

Ok, this DVD is not for everyone. In fact I am sure its probably for only about 1% of the people that even read this blog!

The Movie is a document of Alice's record breaking 1973 Billion Dollar Babies tour. At the time, Alice was every parents nightmare and was thought to be the devil incarnate. Compared to todays artists, he seems downright tame, but you certainly see the influence that he has had on the shock rock genre. The movie is typical of 70's rock movies. Lots of zany stuff that you had to be stoned to even possibly get, and lots of out of focus concert footage. Sounds pretty bad huh? Wrong!

I loved this DVD. I really think it finally gets Alice the way a long time Alice Cooper fan has wanted to see him. Raw and dangerous. I was very skeptical when going to purchase this. Because I have been burned by other Alice DVD's. Most of the early Alice material has been of very poor sound quality ( this DVD is in very clear Dolby Digital 5.1) and Alice usually doesnt sing on key at all! This DVD corrects all of these issues! Plus its at a quality priced $12.99! I will reccomend it highly and buy a copy for my moms Christmas stocking! :-)

In other news. Life has been busy and have been trying to get the house ready for winter. Outside, the leaves have been chopped up to blow down the hill....hopefully! All of the outside items have been placed into the fabled shed. So much to do and so little sunshine!

I have recoved from my chest cold and now have my voice back. Time to hit those Freddie Mercury like high notes while listening to my music in the car! Uhhh yeah right!

One more music related item! Neil Diamond. New CD. I am not a huge "Diamond Head" but I have been hearing great things about this CD. "12 songs". Its produced by Rick Ruben, he is the same guy that worked with Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Black Crowes etc. This is Neil stripped down without the glitz and shiny shirts! Anyone that has bought it...leave me a review!

Ok....till again....good day!

Halloween

Steven had a great time last night. As you can see by the smile on his face....he loves Halloween!

He is dressed as a Jedi Knight. The sword is a special one, because it makes sounds when he swings it around!

We took our sweet time last night going around the neighborhood. Steven made sure to say thank you to all of the people that gave him treats ( guess my constant nagging of him to have polite manners have paid off!) and he also liked to comment on what people had for decorations! Yep he soaks it all in! I loved just hanging back and watching him have fun!

We had about 100 kids come to our door. Cherol is the stat keeper for this. :-)

Hope all of you had a great Halloween!

Revenge of the computer monster.

Yep, Thursday I was fat and sassy thinking that perhaps this computer thaaaaang was in the rearview mirror. Like a cheesy horror movie, the computer monster that I thought I slayed came back from the dead!

I spent about 5 hours fixing the latest issue. Our new router was the culprit. I figured out the right settings to get it to play nice with our modem. Now we have speed on a regular basis. ( I am still listening from rustling from the deceased :-)

Spent a fair amount of Saturday helping out with Steven's Student Council. They gather yearly to help out the elderly rake leaves. We raked 2 very large yards and 2 smaller yards. It felt good to do something good!

Have all of you pushed time back a hour? As you can tell by the early hour of my post....I did! I am not a huge fan of waking up in the dark and then coming home from work in the dark. Ahhhh well I will play nice!

Information superfrustration!

Funny how quick we become for lack of better word....addicted to the speed on which we get our information on the internet. That becomes more of an issue when that information is dependent on the ability to do a job and not just really important stuff like YOUR FANTASY FOOTBALL SCORES!.

As some of you may know, my Medical Records Technician wife Cherol, is now working from home. The journey to the point of getting her home to code was nothing short of a modern miracle! ( the movie of this struggle is in production at the moment and Mel Gibson is producing!). All of the excitement of getting home to code became a bit of a frustration when our internet connection became "all over the map!"

I started to be able to detect the sounds of Cherols chair ( she works in the computer room right above our bedroom) by how wildly it was rolling around to how good the speed of the internet was. Fast rolling= bad connection Slow rolling to little rolling = good connection. I knew if she was rolling around really good , I was about to be summoned to try and fix the connection. She starts work around 4:30am, so getting up that early for me can be a bit of a test of my normally jolly "I like to help" motto!

Well, long story short. After several dozen calls to our internet provider and 2 routers. My raspy, cold damaged vocal cords demanded that they send someone out here to look at what was going on. Must have scared them with my yodeling vocal style and they made a appointment to come out here.

They installed a new modem and created a "cleaner" connection. Fingers are crossed and the sky is now bright. Let us hope that this is the last I have to write about this topic!

My Mom is in California visiting one of my "proxy moms" Mavis Teal. Mavis is a person I will always hold dear to my heart because she was one of those that was there for Mom, Dave and I when we were going through hard times. Mavis recently lost her husband Bill and is making the hard adjustment of living alone. I am glad Mom is out there and I hope they can share some laughs and some tears.

Thats it for now!

Checking in.

Feeling a bit of a cold coming on. Should be heading off to bed, but.....I must carry on.....for the readers....its all about my readers :-)

So far the World Series has been entertaining....baseball wise. Being that I am rooting for the Astros means that I havent enjoyed the end result of these games.....still have faith though and think the Astros have a good chance of winning a couple of games down in their home park.

The Vikings pulled off a dramatic win over the Pack. Always a big deal when you get to send a drunken cheeser home all sad, because they lost to the Purple Clad Warriors. One funny observation. The Vikings enter the field through a big inflatable Viking ship. Before they enter, the Vikings Cheerleaders run out of the ship. It gives the illusion ( now because of the Vikes "love boat" exploits) that the Vikes cheerleaders are running away from the Vikings as they chase them off the ship. Yep my nyquil sparked mind is running wild!

Bought a new CD today. Aerosmith Live at the Hard Rock Hotel. Target has a special edition that has 2 bonus tracks. All for $9.99! Very good live CD from the lads. Pick it up!

Time for your illlin author to lay down and get some rest.

A day off!

Decided to take the day off from work to spend some time with the family! We decided to go to the rat that serves pizza ( ie: charles e. cheese), we had a great time!

Saw the movie Wallace and Grommet, Steven laughed at most of it and I caught only about 10 minutes of a cat nap! Not bad!

Purchased a new router for the home network. The hospital provided one has been nothing but irritating and it was time to take matters into my own hands! Better router, happier wife, Mike gets more sleep! Ahhh yes solutions solutions!

Capped the evening off with another movie ( yep 2 in a day!) The life and death of Peter Sellers. Very good movie. Geoffrey Rush is great in the role, and really shows a side of Sellers life that most fans probably had no idea about. Recommended!

Mikes Music Corner

I have slipped on the smoking jacket, settled into my favorite cozy chair and have a small fire roaring in the background. The scene is set for another chapter of Mikes Music Corner. ( good start considering I have no fireplace or smoking jacket.....how about a Robe and a nice computer chair!)

Lets start with a couple of my current library projects. I have spoken in the past about my love of going to the library and finding music. In the last 4 months or so I have been ordering and collecting cds on my computer hardrive. I then make cd's out of these collections. I stumbled into the Time Life music series that has a collection of year by year hit cd's from the 70's. So if I want to hear Kung Fu Fighting ( and who wouldnt!) from Carl Douglas (1974) I dont have to buy a entire CD from him! I have about 6- 80 minute cds worth of the stuff! I did the same thing with KISS music. Steven is into them in a big way at the moment. I collected all of the quality stuff I could get my hands on, that resulted in 5 cds worth of GOLD! :-)

Now on to the stuff I have purchased recently.

Stevie Wonder - A time to love-

I am a huge fan of early Stevie, ( Talking Book, Innervisions, Fullfillingness first finale, etc....) great creative music. Then came the 80's , Hotter than July was a solid piece cd. After that, Stevie has made music that goes against the grain of those great 70's records. I think the problem is that he tinkers way too much with technology and the sound of his music sounds too sterile. Please, just lock yourself into a room with a electric keyboard, a real drummer and a bass player and sing......I will buy many copies and recomend it to all my friends! :-) Now on to the review. This cd is a mixed bag. It took 10 years for him to release this. So its hard for me not to have big expectations. After a couple of listens, I feel a little let down. Too much of what he has been doing after 1985 and too little of what "uncle mike" would like him to do. It still is great to hear his voice singing new material after such a layoff. Also it is worth noting that he sounds as great as ever. Maybe its time for him to find a producer that kicks him in the butt and makes him focus on what made him great.

Rory Gallagher -Self titled ( 1970)

I know most of you are saying "who?" This guy is a great lesser known gem for fans of the blues. Born in Ireland...this guy sounds like a cross between clapton and a little of jimi hendrix. He had a strong folowing in europe , but not very well known in the states. His career was cut short by illness and alcoholism. This is his debut Cd. At 24 years of age you would never think a young guy could write such songs about hard living and loss of love. Its not entirely a sad cd, because of the stunning guitar work. The blues are like that, the sadness of the lyric mixes with the joy of the instrumentation and you find yourself smiling at it all. I strongly recomend this and just about any Rory CD. You will not be let down.

Ok... writers cramp setting in...smoke is billowing from my imaginary fireplace. Smoking jacket is making me sweaty. Till next time.

Random News

Its been awhile since my last post. Rather than my traditional multi-paragraph novel like ramble ( have I developed a tradition???) I will just scatter some thoughts and news.

Looks like a World Series between 2 teams that have very little World Series Experience. White Sox ( last time 1959) and Astros ( maiden voyage). Should be fun to see a couple of "greenhorns" face each other.

Speaking of voyages. The Vikings "love boat" scandal has dominated the news around here. I cant believe the stupidity of these guys. One good quote from one of the clueless lads was priceless. "uh they cant do nothin to us because we are in international waters"! He must of heard that on a epidsode of Cops or something....I am sure it wasn't in a geography class!

The Shed ( geez he is still talking about that thing!) now is spruced up with some fencing to cover the blocking and to keep little rodents out from under the blessed building. I am very proud to report that I used major power tools to construct a loft for storage and did a great job! All ten fingers are still wiggling!

Well that is all for now.....have purchased some music that needs to be reviewed.....stay tuned...I am sure you cant wait!

Great News!

Found out today that my Son Steven has been chosen to be on 5th grade student council! I am very happy for him. First of all because he decided to make the effort to try something new, and second because he will have a great chance to meet a lot of new people.

Those who know Steven, know of his early talent of being able to name all of the presidents. He has always had a interest in Government. In fact his "greatest place on earth" is Mt. Rushmore!

Congrats Steven! Remember your Pops when you make the Whitehouse! :-)

Sunday Service With The Black Crowes

It indeed felt like going to church....for a music fan. Last nights concert was one of the best shows I have ever been to. Almost every style of music was represented in the show. Rock,gospel,soul,country was all mixed up into a 3 hour blast of fun.

Its really hard to put into words what last night was really like. I guess the best way to describe it was, after 5 songs I looked down at my arms and the hair was standing up. Chris Robinson is a total rock star. Works the mic. stand like a young Rod Stewart, struts around like a hybrid of Mick Jagger and Robert Plant....and yet is a total original. The rest of the band is playing better than ever.

Below is a setlist of the show....I will give some short comments by some of the songs.

-Set One-
STARE IT COLD -Great song to kick start the night off.
STING ME - One of my favorites...great Stones like riffs
SOUL SINGING -Cd version is a nice sing along.this live verson takes you to church for 15min.
SEEING THINGS -Another deep cut...another fave.
GO TELL THE CONGREGATION-Geez another fave....great hammond b-3 organ
DARLING OF THE UNDERGROUND PRESS - A rare electric version
NEBEKANEZER -A fun little cosmic ditty :-)
YOUNG MAN,OLD MAN -Nice percussion...
LONG LONG LONG - Brother Rich Robinson does a nice verson of the George Harrison song.
MY MORNING SONG -One of my favorites
VIRTUE & VICE - My favorite!

-Set Two-
SONG OF LOVE -Great jam
THORN IN MY PRIDE - Best song of the night....complete with drum solo that wasnt boring!
SING ME BACK HOME
CLOSE UP THE HONKY TONKS
SOMETIMES SALVATION
WISER TIME
SHE TALKS TO ANGELS
HARD TO HANDLE
A CONSPIRACY
REMEDY

-Encore-
HAPPY- Nice way to end the night...nice cover of Keith Richards Stones classic.

Great night....my hearing is back....and I still have a smile!

Black Crowes Concert

Tomorrow night I am going to the Orpheum Theatre to see one of my favorite bands The Black Crowes.

Its been about 3 years since I went to my last concert ( The Who.....ticket price forced me to wait 3 years before I could afford another concert!). The Crowes have been off the road for about 4 years and have been getting rave reviews about the shows. I am sitting in the 4th row! If you are going to go....might as well see well! Tickets were reasonable....for today's prices..$50.00 ...then you add the taxes and other ticketmaster fees and you are at 63.00.

For those who do not know...lead singer Chris Robinson is married to movie actress/Goldie Hawn daughter Kate Hudson. Thank goodness this hasn't ruined the music. I am sure everyone was waiting for a Yoko Ono moment when the news broke that he was marrying her.

The Black Crowes usually play 3 hour shows....so I should get my moneys worth!

A review will follow!

Happy Birthday Dave!

My brother Dave is 40 today!

Dave and I are one year and change apart in age. Its funny as you get older you see the similarities in your personalities instead of the differences.

Growing up, Dave and I were a little different than each other. Dave was the guy that could make friends in a blink of a eye, when I was the one that had maybe one or two people that I would call good friends. When we moved to Minnesota, I was known as "Dave Youngs brother" because he was known by the whole neighborhood in a matter of minutes! :-)

Dave is the kind of guy that would take chances and I was more likely to be cautious and slow to make big leaps. Dave likes to live in the moment and doesnt remember the details of the past like I do. Dave lived life like a young kid should, I tended to try to be a adult.

As we have aged very gracefully and kept our athletic builds :-) I have seen Dave grow as a person and as a brother. We like to go to the movies once a month or so, its a good time to catch up on whats going on. We both share the love and responsibility of being fathers and husbands. I have learned from him to enjoy each day....I hope he has learned some things from me also. I always know that Dave and I will be there for each other. Its a good feeling.

Happy Birthday Bro.

Love ya!

The Shed is here!

The wait is over. Our storage shed is in place!

As you can tell, its a pretty cool process how they deliver these things! That trailer had 3 full sized sheds on it, they just pull it into your yard , tilt it into place and then ( as in my case) use blocks to level it. The building ( geez calling it a building already and not a shed!) is 12x10 and was made in Millbanks SD. These two guys build them there and then drive them all the way here in the twin cities.

I am pleased! Ok enough shed errrrrrr building talk! :-)

Bye week on the horizon..bye bye Tice???

The locals have lost another one. This time to the hands of the Michael Vick "less" Atlanta Falcons 30-3.

After a victory over the "team on the road more than Bob Dylan" New Orleans Saints, the Vikings had a little bit of optimism coming into this matchup. It was apparent early that this game would not be competitive. Tices crew looked unprepared and offered little resistance. Normally I am not one that screams for a coach to be fired, but I think if they are going to make such a move...now is the time.

We are entering into our bye week ( for the less hardcore football fan...that means we have a week off on the schedule) and we would have some time to regroup if we were to find someone else to come in and shake things up. Owner Ziggy ( isn't that a cute first name!) Wilff is pushing for a new stadium and needs to have strong fan support to do so. Having a team that is a embarrassment this early in the season is not a product that the zigster wants to have staring his fans in the face. He needs results, and Tice will be his 'sacrificial lamb".

The pressing question is, who do we bring in? The local media has floated names like Mike Ditka ( would drum up publicity and color but is he the solution?) and Jim Fossil ( His last name tips off how I feel about his creativity). Those two names show you how bottom of the barrel we are at the moment when it comes to coaches available.

My opinion stands....do something now or just sit back and let this team finish the season 5-11 and start from scratch.

It will be a interesting week at Vikings Headquarters!

One funny little comment was made by my Mom at halftime ( I call her at that time so we can vent about the game!) she said that I "Remind her of Vikings Quarterback Daunte Cullpepper, beacuse when he makes a mistake you can see every little bit of anguish on his face!, Just like you!" Yep, Moms always know your achilles heel...that is exactly why I never play cards! My face is a "big screen" tv look into my insides!

For all those on pins and needles....18 hours until shed time! :-)

BREAKING NEWS!

Shed is delayed till Monday......please try to continue with your everyday life like nothing has happened! :-)

A night out with the dog

Its Thursday night and I have just returned from my weekly trip to dog training. Ever since Reggie was a wee pup...I have had him in dog obiedience training. I really believe that I enjoy it more than he does...but that requires another blog entry complete with Freudian analysis!

Tonight was a wierd one for good ol' Reg. Not to brag but...he is usually one of the better dogs in class. Tonight.....well he could have cared less! He was too interested in greeting all the other dogs and doing his own thing. Even though I love it when he does everything flawlessly, I still enjoy the fact that he is such a social butterfly! So I dont get too crazy when he messes up.

Tomorrow, my storage shed is being delivered. We have saved for this for about a year. Its become a item that is needed. You know how it goes.....every year more junk shows up in your garage and basement ( sorry californians....its a Minnesooooota thing!) and you have a harder time finding places for it! Geez you think a creative guy like me that works in a warehouse could find a spot for this???? Nah.....time for a shed! Pictures will be posted.

Well, time to get to bed. Weather is dipping into the low 40's at night! Great sleeping weather for me!

Blogging...What does it all mean?????

One of the interesting things about deciding to create a blog site is the question of why would you bother to do such a thing. Is it a vanity project where you think people hang on every word with excited anticipation of what your rapier wit is ready to spew out? Is it a place where you nightly lash out about what makes life so unfair and how you are a victim? Or is it a place where you just like to sit down and try to in words, show people what makes you tick?

After about 3 weeks of assorted entries into this site, the handfull of people that read this kinda know where I am coming from when it comes to blogging. I have seen way too many blogs that have become personal pulpits that are nothing than just a waste of time for many. In short do you want some whiiiiine with that cheese?

In contrast to most of these blog sites, I have had some good examples to follow. I will share with you one that always makes me feel a little better for reading it.
http://laurelsthoughts.blogspot.com
She always seems to write from the heart and about normal life. I like that....hope to keep up to that standard.

On a much higher profile. Rock legend Pete Townshend today opened a blog site that he uses to distribute chapters of a novel that he is writing. He thinks that by letting people get their hands on the novel and being able to leave feedback he will be able to get a much better feel for what his audience thinks. Another novel idea on how to use the internet ( you can slap me now for the bad wordplay!) Here is the link for for that site in case you are interested.
http://boywhoheardmusic.blogspot.com

Speaking of comments. I always love to get them. I have a ego also. :-) I like to know who is out there!

Quick briefing on how to leave a message! And you all know who you are who need this! :-)
1. Click on the comments link below the post that I have left...that you want to comment on.
2. Type in the leave your comment box
3. Type the word above the word verification box.
4. Then click on the "login and publish" button.
And that is it!

Go Vikings !

Talk to you tomorrow!
Mike

A reality check.

Its been a few days since I have felt well enough to write. A unwelcome bout of kidney stones had me in alot of pain for the last 2 days. I feel much better now and also feel gratefull to be up and walking around! Funny how God gives you these reality checks and forces you to appreciate one of his greatest gifts. Health.

Hmmm....well let see what has gone on since my "horrible sabbatical!". We had some very nasty storms roll through here last night. They luckly missed us, unfortunatly they nailed people to the north of us. Several houses were damaged and tons of trees were uprooted. Winds were in the 80 mph range. It just makes you think of how awesome the power of these hurricane winds must be. Even in my hunchback state ( kidney stone shelp as I call it) I got up and watched the storm. I love it.....as long as there isnt golfball sized hail pelting my house or trees are not flying at my roof!

I spent some of my time (when I was up) catching up on getting my library music transferred onto cd. I sure love the computer for doing this. I remember (uh oh old guy pre-technology story about to follow) back when I was a 10-11 year old pedaling up to the libary in Fresno California to pick up albums that I would record onto cassettes. In fact, I remember my dad making tapes for me when I was even younger. I give him credit for "planting the seed" of my lifelong love of all types of music. My earliest tape that I remember him giving me was .

side 1. Jackson 5 ( debut album)

side 2. Paul Simon -self titled.

From there it became a nice long journey that continues today. I listen to everything...doesnt mean that I love everything, but I feel like I want to hear what its all about. I take alot of pride in the fact that my son Steven is showing musical talent. He has taken piano for 2 years and is now playing drums. Its great to see your child do something that you always wished you had some sort of talent to do!

Well I am rambling....must be the asprin talkin :-)

Till next time!

Viking ship adrift....captain is missing.

Well well. 2 games into the season and the town is in a tizzy! Our purple clad warriors have laid two big eggs already!

Today the lads decided to have Cincinatti Bungles toy with them for 4 quarters and feign the fact that they were even out there to make a effort to compete. 37-8 was the final and it wasnt really even that close.

Right now this club has a couple of things going right for them.

1. They play in a horrible division and they still have a chance.
2. They have a punter that punts!

Not alot to brag about there. The offense is totally confused...the quarterback has no confidence and the defense is so tired from being on the playing field for 80% of the game that they cannot stop anyone.

So what do we do at this point. If you complain...you should have a solution ...right?

We need to put our offensive head coach back to a line coach ( what he was good at) and let Tice call the plays! The man is swimming for his job at this point. At least he can control his destiny!

Ok that was a small solution...now for some humor. I became so irratated at this game today that I got off the chair, yelled at the TV and then.....

VACCUMNED THE HOUSE! Ahh yes I can hear wives all over praying for more horrible Vikings games! :-)

I feel much better, thanks for reading!

HAPPY 41ST BIRTHDAY CHEROL!

Yes, today is Cherols birthay! Steven and I are going to let "Mom" go wherever she wants today. I will not drag her to Cd stores...or have her go to pet shops to look at the same dog toys we have looked at for the last year. Steven wont have her looking for comic books or collectable cards!

I will gladly go to all the stores she wants to go to. I will sit patiently by the dressing rooms as she tries on as many clothes that her heart desires. I WILL NOT COMPLAIN!

This is my mission. It wont be hard. I owe her. She does so many things for me that I hope she never feels that I take for granted.

Heres to you my Lindstrom Girl!

Happy Birthday
Love Mike,Steven and Reggie!

A update on my dad!

Great news. My Dad has his pacemaker in place and is doing great. Thanks to all that said prayers and kept him in your thoughts! He called last night and sounded very upbeat!

In other parental news. My Mom was informed that she wasnt needed at jury duty. It was a huge relief for her. When you are retired, the last thing you want to do is have to hang around downtown all day!!!!! I am happy she is happy! :-)

That is all from blog central... time for sleep!

What I have been listening to this week

1. Rolling Stones- A Bigger Bang-
Best Stones since Tattoo You in '81. Hard to believe they have this much left in them after all of these years.

2. Paul McCartney- Chaos and experiements in the backyard-
Geez do you have to be over 60 to make great cd's? Like the Stones...McCartney surprises alot of people by making a vital piece of music. Unlike his previous solo stuff that had filler in it...this is a CD that is strong from start to finish. A bit on the quiet side, it might seem tame to some...but it grows on you. Be patient! :-)

3. The Motels- All 4 one-
I found this at a used store for $5.99. Had it on cassette for years. Released in 1981 it was a nice mix of new wave and some surf music. Very poppy in some areas but not wimpy!

4. J.Geils -Bloodshot.
1973- before the 80's freeze frame era. Straight up r/b by the best white soul group in the united states at the time. Includes the hit "give it to me".

From time to time I will be sharing what I am listening to .....good way for me to indulge in my critic "inner child"!

Man's Best Friend

I got a message today about a friend of mines dog passing away after a long illness. I very quickly found myself feeling the same sadness that I felt about a year ago when our 16 year old sheltie T.J. passed away.

Dogs have always held a close spot in my heart since I was a child. I vividly remember taking long walks with our dog Ginger on lonely days when I felt I had no one to talk to. The unconditional love that came from that small dog was very comforting during those times. Ginger was the dog that was around us when my Mom and Dad divorced. I was 10 years old and I was trying to make sense of what was going on in my swirling world. The peace of just sitting and petting her and talking to her made me much calmer . We had about 6 years together before we had to give her away. We were moving from California to Minnesota and really had no idea if we were going to be living a place that took animals. We gave Ginger to a loving home. I wonder from time to time what her life was like after we gave her away.

I didn't have a dog for about 8 years.

I finally decided it was time to get a four legged pal about a year or so into our marriage. I was all set to start up that great close relationship that I had as a child. I found Jodie ( a West Highland White Terrier) in a ad in the paper. I was so blinded by wanting a dog so bad that I overlooked the fact that this dog was abused. We had Jodie for a couple months that were a total nightmare. It bit everything that came its way and drew blood when it did. I tearfully brought her to the animal humane society in hopes she could find a home that could handle her. As I turned back to her for the last time she bit me again.....ahhh yes love till the end! :-)

I cooled on the idea of a dog for a little while....what seemed like a couple of years was in fact about 4 months. We found TJ on a farm about 1 hour outside of the Twin cities. He was huge for a Sheltie and it was love at first sight. Even though one of his brothers was doing everything to get my attention..TJ just licked my hand and stayed right beside me. It was a easy choice. TJ was our first child. We made him the center of our newly married life world. I took him to training and he quickly became the buddy that I had as a child. We would walk down to the park and run and chase the birds....he would sit in the chair beside me and watch football or whatever was on. When Steven came..Tj had to adjust when it came to attention, but he handled that with flying colors.

The years kept ticking by and we noticed TJ slowing down and sleeping more and more. His ears didn't hear as well and his eyes got more cloudy. But he was still my buddy that always had time for me and always had that wagging tail to greet me. In the winter of 2003 we noticed him eating less and less. By July of 2004 he was gone. His body could not keep up with his strong spirit and I knew I had to do what I hated to do. I still cry like it was that day when I write about this. I did what I knew was best for him and to relieve his pain. For all the years he absorbed my pain I knew it was time for me to give back and let him sleep.

When he fell asleep in my arms I whispered to him "goodbye old friend"

I love you TJ!
1988-2004

A short vikings recap!

I will keep it short and simple....Vikings could not block a 90 year old grandmother trying to get into a shopping aisle. They lost cant you tell! :-)

Its a rainy day here in the land of rain basins . I love the rain...something renewing about a nice downpour. My son doesnt care as much for thunder and lightening, he gets really spooked and usually spends the night in his sleeping bag on the floor by our bed! I give him the "Dad wont let anything bad happen to you" thing....but he isnt buying it yet! :-)

Well better get back to doing what I get paid for!

Mike

Steven wins medal and praise!

Sunday Morning. Getting ready for church and feeling like sharing yesterdays activities. Stevens team won 2 of the 3 games played. They all played hard and were thrilled to recieve a medal at the end of the day. Steven had a big moment when he was chosen to be a shooter in the sudden death overtime. His shot was stopped but....he gave her the old Pele like fist pump when it was stopped. He has the old mans flair for the drama! When it was all over his coach told him that he was the most improved player that she had on her team. I felt good for him. :-)

For those that are wondering....I did sit in my chair and yell.

The Demo Derby? It was fun....lots of smoke and lots of people in the crowd with missing teeth. Fed the family for $8, heard waay too much Garth Brooks music, and participated in several ooohs and ahhs as cars caught on fire or blew radiators! A spledid time was had by all!

Vikings vs. Bucs today......prediction- 17-10 Vikes.

I will be back later today to break down the Vikes game....frame by frame ....make plans to be thrilled. ( please tell me you have better things to do than to wait for this! )

A Busy Weekend

Friday night has arrived, the workweek is over! Time to relax???? Nah! Time to get busy doing what you want to do!

Tomorrow we are up early to go to Stevens soccer jamboree for 3 action packed soccer games that will probably yield a total of 3 goals! Soccer is not my favortite game on the planet..but it is entertaining to see the wide range of athletic skill on those fields . The great thing about Soccer is that everyone plays and gets tired and I get to sit in a chair and yell like I know what they should be doing :-)

Later that night we get to go to one of our family's favorite events...can you guess???? A picnic at a nice lake....a stroll through a favorite park? Perhaps a night of free music at a local bandshell? Nah!!!!! Demolition Derby at the Lions Park! Cheap admission and cheap food and the smell of old cars smashing into one another!!! Makes a city boy like me want to yell YEEEEEHAW! The funny thing is most people would assume that it is me leading the charge to go see such a cultured event..but no...its my Wife who gets into this. Yep the quiet ones are the ones to watch out for !!! :-)

Had a great talk with my Dad as usual. Dad and I cover all sorts of topics when we talk! Gee no wonder I have this blog to share my stuff with all 3 of you! On a serious note, my Dad is going in Monday Am to have a pacemaker installed ( sounds like something with directions and comes in a box when you describe it as a installation!) . Could you please include him in your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks again for reading!

Have a great weekend!

Moss is still the boss.

Here I sit watching the first game of the NFL season, Oakland Raiders Vs. New England Pat's. Big day for us football freaks, the beginning of a new season, a new beginning for all of the teams in the NFL. The corny cliche comes to mind...."they all start 0-0"! Fantasy football rubes are all huddled around the TV praying that thier 1st round pick doesnt blow out a knee celebrating a touchdown!

But alas its a somewhat bittersweet evening for your intreped reporter. I just watched Randy Moss catch a 73 yrd touchdown pass. As you know..I am a Viking fan (still a soft spot for my childhood love the Raiders) and it seems weird seeing Mr. Moss sporting #18 and wearing the silver and black. Its like seeing a old girlfriend and remembering all of the great things about her and forgetting all of the horrible junk that made you run away from her like your hair was on fire!!!! Yep, Moss will do that for you.

Beware Raider fans ( Yeah I am talking to you Gopman!) He will break your heart!!!!!!
sniff sniff!

ps....no I didnt have a girlfriend that ran over traffic cops or got in trouble like Moss.
And if I did I wouldnt tell ya! :-)

40 year old virgin- a critical review

I was tipped off to most of what would be in this movie from other people that had seen it. Usually that is a sure recipe for a letdown, and the movie usually never lives up to the hype. However, this movie met expectations and also passed it in a few important ways.

The story is about a 40 year old guy that has never had a physical relationship in his life ( duh Mike....The title gives that away!). His secret is found out by his male co-workers and feel the need to give him all of these tips on how to get rid of such a "stigma". Of course they are not as kind as I am here in print when describing what his issue is ( you can fill in the blanks on that one!). The funny thing about this movie is that is very raunchy humor and yet it has a edge that makes you acually feel a connection to the main character. Most of these type movies will have the same humor...but you could really care less about the guy they are piling on. By the end of this movie ( and I wont give it away) I found myself root for this guy to find LOVE and not just a artificial conquest to remove the "stigma".

I would recommend this movie to anyone that like a good laugh and is not offended easy. It earns its R rating in every way and certainly isn't a movie I would tell my Mom to see.

I give it a B+!

Ahh my first review....not too shabby.

Ps- thanks to the people that have left responses!

Till next post!!!!

Off to the movies!

My Brother Dave and I are off to see " The 40 year old Virgin". Should be good for some laughs...and very heavy on plot!!!!! :-) The movie has been getting some pretty positive reviews and its been something I have wanted to see for a while. In other words.....

ITS A R RATED FILM !

Yep thats how it is....cant take the young lad to this....and my wife would not probably love the subject matter! Sooooooooo.

The Young Brothers are off to the lively Delano Theatre!

I will check in with a review!

So until now.......the balcony is closed.

A proper welcome!!

(deep cleansing breath!!!)

Ahem....welcome to the first of a series of Michael Young rambles!Mr. Youngs intentions are first and foremost to be honest and occasionally entertaining. He hopes to be consistant in his postings and open to sharing his thoughts with his ever growing reader base!

Ok that will be the end of the pretentious 3rd person references and the beginning of a new venture. I am excited to share with whoever or perhaps myself some thoughts that ramble through my mind.

Anyone that knows me...knows my passions.....
Music
Sports
Movies
and of course....
Family! ( see pic on the top......my family....Wife Cherol...Son Steven.....Puppy Reggie and your buddy Mike!

Hope you enjoy this blog!
Mike