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