TOP TEN 04 August 2008

Music, friends, potato chips, and even animals – it really makes no difference what the subject matter is we all want to put things into a top ten list…and I am no different. So, I thought to myself, “self, why not share some of your top ten lists with Oneighty?” And that is what I intend to do.

Now in the off chance that you are not familiar with the Top Ten and its inner workings, please allow me to enlighten you.

Step one involves choosing a topic or subject or object or anything really that you want to categorize. For example, cars, bands, musicians, dinosaurs, movies, fairy tales, hair styles, magicians, stores in the mall, food, Lord of the Rings characters, books, bottled water brands, or even candy. As you can tell the sky is the limit with this step. Just about anything can be turned into a top ten list…you can even have a top ten list of top ten lists – whoa, did that just blow your mind or what?!?

Ok so, you’ve got your category…you don’t want to just throw anything into this list. That is why the next step is necessary.

Step two is the selection process. This is where you determine what ten things will even be lucky enough to enter your list. A necessary ingredient to this step is experience. For example: you can’t very well say that Irish Spring Soap is #4 in your Top Ten list of soaps if you have never experienced it…am I right or am I right? That’s right, I’m right. I’m saying right a lot right now, and its weirdin me out right here, right now. This blog just took a right turn for the worst. Uhhhh…alright, I had better keep writing… let’s move on.

Once you have determined what ten things make the cut for your list, it is time for the last step.

Step three is the organization process. Now, you don’t want to take this step lightly. You need to carefully consider each of your ten selections. Think about why they are even in your top ten. Ask yourself the tough questions like, “what is it about orangutans that I like so much?” or “can I live without mechanical pencils?” When you start asking the tough questions your selections almost fall into place on their own. And before you know it, you’ve got yourself a Top Ten List!


The first top ten list that I will be sharing with you is my Top Ten “Top Ten Topics”, and here they are:

10. TOP TEN BOARDGAMES
09. TOP TEN BURGERS
08. TOP TEN LAFFY TAFFY JOKES
07. TOP TEN TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
06. TOP TEN SWEET TEA’S
05. TOP TEN REALITY TV SHOWS
04. TOP TEN COUNTDOWNS
03. TOP TEN WEIRDEST NBA PLAYERS’ NAMES
02. TOP TEN MULLETS
01. TOP TEN LIST OF TOP TEN TOPICS (which is what you just read…wasn’t it awesome?)

Over the weeks to come I will share with you the top ten items of each of these top ten topics…in no particular order. And hopefully this blog will make your Top Ten! Also, if you have any suggestions for Top Ten Topics let me know, I’d love to hear ‘em.

s-dub out!

mice um er (My Summer) 31 May 2008

Hay won ate he, (Hey 180,)

Watt sup? (What's up?) Eye donut no uh bout ewe, butt aye yam in joying mice um er! (I don't know about you, but I am enjoying my summer!) Isle of thus un E whether. (I love the sunny weather.) An dire eel he ate thick old an dice. (And I really hate the cold and ice.) Lass tweak wee whir hat Camp Dry Gulch, an dye Ms. It doll ready! (Last week we were at Camp Dry Gulch, and I miss it already!) Tall cab out abe last! (Talk about a blast!) Use hood plant took oh necks umm her. (You should plan to go next summer.)

Wee when took amp fore thee hall eh day, two. (We went to camp for the holiday, too.) Thief ire work son d'you lie fort twerp rid eek ooh el. (The fireworks on July 4th were pretty cool.) Gray thymes whir hid bye y'all! (Great times were had by all.)

Sew, our ewe lie king yore daze width nose cool? (So, are you liking your days with no school?) Key pre ding oar yore gram err wills of her. (Keep reading or your grammar will suffer.) Tay kit fro meek id...aye no. (Take it from me kid... I know.) Any weigh, aisle sea hugh it won Haiti! (Anyway, I'll see you at 180!)

Havoc could won! (Have a good one!)

J. on pose he (John Posey)

scared stiff 31 May 2008

This weekend, a bunch of the guys here at work decided to go see a scary movie together. Now understand, that as a general rule, I don't subject myself to the intensity of sitting in a darkened theater, repeatedly being scared to the point that I want to bolt out of the room, but I work with some pretty cool guys and I figured I wouldn't be alone in my terror. So I obliged.

It was more or less your typical scary movie, where natural people take on supernatural qualities (like appearing out of nowhere in front of your face and being seemingly omniscient). It had some of the longest, most intense scenes that I have ever seen in a movie. Agonizingly long. And just when your nerves are wound as tight as they can be.....the bomb gets dropped and you find yourself involuntarily grabbing at whatever you can get your hands on, as if that will reassure you.

Anyways, after the movie, my friend Whit dropped me off at my house. When we got in the driveway, I had my keys out and ready to quickly unlock my front door. As I made the approach to the door, I had a fleeting thought that my dear friends might possibly have arranged to have someone run at me from around the side of my house. I stayed alert and hustled to the door and got in the house with the utmost efficiency.

It was nearly midnight and I walked in to find most of the lights off, save for a lone light above my fireplace which cast an eerie downward glow along the far wall of our living room and a small lamp which emanated through the glass of the french doors of my office. Of course, these are just normal lights in my house, but at nearly 12:00 am after seeing a scary movie, everything seems eerie. Still, it was an odd combination of lights for my wife to have left on.

I walk through the entry and give me wife fair warning that I have arrived home, "Hey, hon." I didn't receive the immediate response that I was expecting. I took several more steps through the kitchen into the living room. Out of the corner of my eye, my peripheral version picked up the sudden movement of a figure rising up from behind the opposite end of my kitchen island.

I tensed as the adrenaline charged through my body and my mind raced as it tried to process what was happening. My first conclusion was that this was my wife playing a joke on me and I was instantly furious that she would have the audacity to try to scare me when I just came home from a scary movie. Then I realized that this person wearing a pillowcase on their head was much too big and much too manly to be my wife. It was at this point I think I may have wet myself.

I yelled something at him and he reached up to pull off his pillowcase ...

It was Jared Hogue- one of my co-workers who went to the movie with us. Just then, James Kruse (another co-worker and so-called friend of mine) jumped out of my pantry and Becka, my traitorous wife, came out from behind one of the drapes and everyone started laughing. I had so much pent-up adrenaline I whipped my keys down and proceeded to make threats about what would happen if they ever tried this again.

Apparently, everyone who went to the movie that night was in on it. I just hope I gave them the reaction they were looking for. Honestly though, it's great having good friends (even if they lie in wait in your darkened house with pillowcases on their heads with the goal of helping you stay regular). A good time was had by all.

ja

Deep thoughts 30 April 2008

Today I was reminded of a Deep Thought by the great Jack Handey. As I chuckled to myself, I thought it would be a shame not to share this laugh with others. So, in honor of that random thought I had today, here are a few of my favorite Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey. Enjoy.

01. If you're in a boxing match, try not to let the other guy's glove touch your lips, because you don't know where that glove has been.

02. It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.

03. The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.

04. If you saw two guys named Hambone and Flippy, which one would you think liked dolphins the most? I'd say Flippy, wouldn't you? You'd be wrong, though. It's Hambone.

05. Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that, I'll be over here, looking through your stuff.

06. It's not good to let any kid near a container that has a skull and crossbones on it, because there might be a skeleton costume inside and the kid could put it on and really scare you.

07. I wish I had a dollar for every time I spent a dollar, because then, yahoo!, I'd have all my money back.

08. When I found the skull in the woods, the first thing I did was call the police. But then I got curious about it. I picked it up, and started wondering who this person was, and why he had deer horns.

09. If you ever crawl inside an old hollow log and go to sleep, and while you're in there some guys come and seal up both ends and then put it on a truck and take it to another city, boy, I don't know what to tell you.

10. Laurie got offended that I used the word "puke." But to me, that's what her dinner tasted like.

May all your thoughts be deep!

John

On The Road Again 03 March 2008

Alright, I am guessing it is safe to assume that everyone reading this blog has been on a road trip at one point or another. In my 26 years, I have been a part of a large number of road trips- both solo and as a part of a larger group (plus a couple of caravans). In fact, I have just recently returned from a road trip with the gang here at Oneighty. Being that Spring Break is just a few short weeks away, I thought this may be a good time to discuss some of the finer points of making your road trip one to remember.

01. Final Destination

As obvious as it may seem, the proper selection of your final destination is vital. I don't know if you can count taking a road trip to Inola, OK as a win. Set your sights high when planning. Your destination doesn't necessarily have to be exotic, but you should consider big cities, maybe someplace with a beach or perhaps mountains.

02. Your Posse

Do not blow this one. Who you decide to roll with could very well make or break your road trip. Consider the dynamic of the group you will be road-tripping with, while keeping a few points in mind.

First, you need a good navigator/co-pilot. This person should be steady, reliable and an innovator. Oh, and of course they must posses a natural awareness of direction. As much fun as life on the road can be, there are few things worse than wasting time cos of a missed exit. It's awkward for everyone involved.

Second, avoid people with TBS. Tiny Bladder Syndrome. There's nothing more frustrating than someone forcing a bathroom break when you are in the driving groove. Don't let their flow interrupt yours.

Third, make sure you have at least one person who you can rely on to bring some life to the trip. You want someone who is a good conversationalist and who will still be right there with you when you are settled in for the long haul.

03. Soundtrack

What would a road trip be without music? Before your trip, get your music collection together. Obviously, the time you must spend on this is directly proportional to the time you will be spending in the car. Lean towards high-energy songs and throw in several that will get everyone singing. Watch for a theme song to emerge. This is usually one that gets everyone in the car to react. Also, be sure to build a power set. When you are pushing 500+ miles, you will need a boost.

04. Snack Attack

This one is easy: you need something chocolate (but not too much), something crunchy (branch out from chips- maybe give wheat thins a whirl), something sweet (red vines) and something sour (sour gummy worms). Get treats that will stimulate the palette and give you energy to keep going. However, you must stick to the basics. A road trip is not the time to be off exploring the periphery of the food families (this includes ethnic foods). You can't afford to run the risk of unknown side effects. Do it for the sake of everyone else in the car.

05. The Running Joke.

On your trip you've got to have a good joke to refer back to throughout the duration. Don't force this- let it develop naturally during the course of your journey. When it hits, it will be obvious to everyone involved. It really is a magical thing. A good joke will last for the entire trip. A great joke will last for years to come. Think of it as a free souvenir. I still have jokes from road trips in the early 90's. You know, from before when some of you were even born. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

I hope these help you the next time you take it to the streets. I wish you great success.

ja

nicknames 29 February 2008

Hey Oneighty, It's J-Po here.
For those of you who don't know me as J-Po, which is most likely all of you, that is a nickname I gave myself during the height of Jennifer Lopez's (J-Lo's) popularity. (Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got, I'm still Johnny from the block.) It never really caught on with the general public, although a few people still call me that from time to time. But looking back, here's the reason it didn't stick: I broke one of the Nine Nifty Nuggets of Neat NickName Naming. Many of you are not familiar with the NNNoNNnN, but don't worry- I'm here to help. Here's all you need to know about nicknaming.

01) You can't give yourself a nickname. Self-glossed nicknames generally don't stick, i.e. J-Po.
02) The person who receives the nickname has to be cool with it. A friend found out the hard way that "Snaggle Tooth" didn't like to be called Snaggle Tooth. So run it by the namee for your own good.
03) It has to be funny. Dan the Man rhymes, but it isn't really funny, so the nickname isn't great.
04) It has to fit their personality. I have a friend named Laney, and we tried calling her "compLaney". Although it was funny, it didn't stick because it didn't fit her personality.
05) Some nicknames stick and there's no real reason why. For example, my friends include: Buddha (he's a Christian), Pooter (not particularly gassy), Jr. (who isn't named after his dad), and Blackbeard (who has brown hair and can't grow a beard). All solid nicknames, but there's no rhyme or reason.
06) Focus on the name. If they have a unique or quirky name, use that to your advantage. In college we had a friend who's last name was Urbanavage, so we called her the Suburban Savage. My good friend Sam has a number of nicknames, including: Sambassador, Samphibious, Samunition, and Samtastic. Other nicknames in this category include: Kruse Missile (Coach Kruse), Mountain Dewey (a guy named Dewey), Microphone Chuck (Chuck), and Hot Sauce (Chris Hemsoth).
07) Use a nickname that centers on their personality or a noticeable characteristic. Here are some examples of nicknames we used in college: Dirty Steve (his dorm room was filthy), Cowabunga Dave (crazy Malaysian friend), Sideburns (for obvious reasons), and Fast Eddie (looked like a mobster from the 50's).
08) Location is another good nicknaming tool. There was one guy who spent waaaaay too much time in the bathroom, so we called him Bathroom Dave.
09) Some nicknames are derived from someone mistakenly calling them the wrong name. Surprisingly, these nicknames have some staying power. Examples include a friend named Schmitty, who was mistakenly called Spivey; and Marcos, who is often called Marco or Mario. For some reason these nicknames are always funny.

So the perfect nickname incorporates the 9 nuggets. Here are some examples of great nicknames: Slim Sadi (her name is Sadi and she is slim.), Kristy Business (Kristy takes care of business here at 180), Bathroom Dave (mentioned earlier), and CupKate (my tiny daughter Kate.) Anyway, I hope this helps in your quest to give out the perfect nickname, and remember to keep to the code of the NNNoNNnN!

I would like to mention that I cannot take credit for a lot of the nicknames listed above, although I do appreciate the beauty and brilliance of them all. Godspeed!

John (aka: Papa Nacho. I'm trying it out...)

CHIP TIPS 15 January 2008

DISCLAIMER: I should say up front that I have done no formal study nor have I conducted any type of survey or random phone calls, a.k.a. telemarketing on the following subject.

Having prefaced this blog with that statement let me say this…97.23376% of Americans enjoy potato chips – and that is a conservative estimate. With such a large percentage of Americans who enjoy potato chips, one would hope that the potato chip consumer would take the consumption of potato chips a little more serious. However, the sad truth is that many potato chip eaters fail to fully appreciate the tasty potential of such delectable treats. Oh no, most people look at chips as some sort of “meal filler”, something with which to pass the time or fill up any empty pockets of air in their stomach. Consequently, the attitude of “any ‘ole chip will do” takes place. And that is unfortunate because the potato chip can be a meal maker or a meal breaker!

Allow me to give you some of my CHIP TIPS to help you ensure the best lunch/life ever:
(In no particular order)

01. SNACKABILITY – are you able to take your chips on the go? If you can put your chips in a backpack or coach purse then it is safe to say that your chip bag size has great snackability.

02. SIZEABILITY – this is different from snackability, this is in regards to the Actual Size Of the Chip (a.k.a. – A.S.0.C.). Sizeability is important so that you can conveniently stuff your face with a sizeable amount of delicious potato chips! Here are some examples of chips with excellent sizeability: mini-Pringles, regular Pringles, and Frito’s corn chips.

03. FLAVOROCITY – an incredibly important factor for an outstanding chip is the flavor. Now a’ days the chip selection is as wide and vast as the open seas or the never ending sky…which of course means, so are the flavors. Of course it ultimately depends on your personal taste palate, but you really want to look for something that will make you say one of the following phrases: “Wow, it”s like a party in my mouth!” Or, “Yeee hawwww, that’s a kick in the pants!” Or, “hay el dolor en la garganta!” Or, “I enjoy consuming this food item.” Or, “Mmmmmm.”

04. TEXTURFICATION – the texture of a chip can be just as important as any other part of your chip chompin’ experience. You don’t want something too brittle, but you definitely don’t want a chip that seems unbreakable either. You want a chip that is just right…a perfect blend of teeth resistance and crunchtasticness. On a side note…other chip connoisseurs refer to this “perfection” as crunchability.

Well, there ya have it. Four easy Chip Tips that will help you on your quest for the best possible chip eating experience. I will leave you with my top three favorite chips:

01. Miss Vickie’s Jalapeño chips – high in flavorocity and texturfication

02. Nacho Cheese Doritos – high in flavorocity; low in sizeability

03. Tostitos Bite Size Gold – perfect combo of sizeability and texturfication; great dipability

Until next time…Chips Ahoy (not the cookies),

sw

A Wintry Mix 21 December 2007

Over the past couple of years, I have been working on a collection of Christmas music and it's starting to get pretty respectable. I've dubbed it "A Wintry Mix" and it now includes 645 songs. So I thought it might be cool to highlight a few standout songs this year. You know, just to help make your Christmas more merry and bright.

Track 1: "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" Bruce Springsteen
I only recently was turned on to this gem. An outstanding arrangement of a classic song.

Track 2: "O Holy Night" Josh Groban
This is an absolutely moving version of one of my personal favorite Christmas carols. Josh Groban can flat out sing.

Track 3: "Wonderful Christmastime" Paul McCartney & Wings
If this is what Christmas was like in the '70s, count me in.

Track 4: "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" Bing Crosby
No Christmas collection is complete without the soothing sounds of Bing Crosby. Pick any song of his. It's like listening to butter dipped in honey- smooth.

Track 5: "Joy to the World" Mannheim Steamroller
Ok, this one is for nostalgic reasons. I spent my Christmas mornings in the '80s running out to our living room to find my presents with Mannheim Steamroller cranked up in the background. We were always jazzed- thanks, Dad.

There you go- 5 songs for you to check out here in the last few days before Christmas. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

ja

Bloggin' like its 1699 20 December 2007

(editor's note: This blog was written at about 2:30 am on Tuesday morning, December 11, 2007)

Tonight we are without power at the Posey abode, as are many of you I'm sure. It is crazy how much we rely on electricity. Without it, we don't know what to do with ourselves. There is literally nothing to do at my house without power. We were all sleeping in the living room by the fire and I think everyone was just bored, so we actually went to bed before 9:00 tonight. Right now it is about 2:30 am, and I am wide awake because I went to bed so early. I feel like I'm living on a farm in the olden days, and I woke up ready to go milk the cows and feed the chickens before sunrise or something. Anyway, I can't sleep, so I decided to go old school and "blog" with pen and paper by candlelight. (ed. note: Old school blogging did not consist of writing with pen and paper by candlelight, as John is suggesting. The word "blog" is short for "web log", as in "the world wide web". Back when they used pen and paper for everything, there was no such thing as the world wide web.)

Anyway, I don't really have a topic for this blog, so I decided to just ramble off some random thoughts I had while sitting in a cold room lit by a candle at 2:30 in the morning.

1. It is crazy how the internet has changed our lives. You probably don't remember life without the it, but it has totally revolutionized the way we communicate and obtain information. Without the internet, I'd have to waste your time with my random thoughts by sending you a letter or something. Thank God for the internet. That Al Gore really knew what he was doing! (ed. note: Al Gore did not invent the internet, he just thinks he did.)

2. Speaking of Al Gore, did you know his wife's name is Tipper? I always wondered... when she eats out at a restaurant, is she a good tipper? With a name like that you would have to be, right? If she hit a home run, do you think she would tipper hat to the crowd? When she gets mad, does she have a tipper tantrum? (ed. note: Tipper's name has no impact on how much money she pays her server,she doesn't play baseball, and there's no such thing as a tipper tantrum. )

3. One of the hardest things about not having power is trying to figure out how to charge your cell phone without having a car charger. My brother actually plugged his charger into the end of a strand of Christmas lights at Texas Roadhouse while waiting to be seated. My wife and I asked a nice lady at a kiosk in the mall if we could use her outlets to charge our phones while we did some Christmas shopping. (ed. note: It is not a very smart idea to leave your new phones with a complete stranger.)

4. At least I'm blogging like its 1699 AD and not 1699 BC, because I don't think I would be able to get very far trying to etch this blog on a rock using a hammer and chisel. Instead of a candle, I'd probably have to use some sort of torch, which sounds pretty cool at first. But I'm sure it is hard to hold a torch while chiseling, although I must admit that I've never actually tried. (ed. note: This cannot be verified, but in the movies there are always torch "holders" on the walls of the caves, so cavemen probably didn't hold torches while chiseling.)

5. Would you rather have freezing rain, or for it to literally rain cats and dogs? Freezing rain knocks out the electricity, so that's no good. Raining cats wouldn't do much, because they always land on their feet. So that wouldn't do any damage unless they landed directly on your face or something. But if you throw dogs in the mix, that could get messy. I imagine if I looked up and saw Great Danes and St. Bernards falling from the sky I'd probably rain my pants. (ed. note: I don't know what that means, and frankly, I don't want to know.)

6. If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it still make a sound? I don't know. A better question is, If a tree falls on my house, and nobody is there to clear it, does it still make me mad? The answer: Yes. (ed. note: You can find the answer to the first question on the world wide web via Google or Wikipedia!)

thanksgiving is for Turkeys 28 November 2007

Hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving! I did... My husband, Nathan, and I love to play pranks on his family and we have played some good ones. My sister-in-law, Sarah, hosted Thanksgiving at her home this year. Sometimes the food I make doesn't quite turn out the way that everyone would like (i.e sometimes it doesn't taste good), so I was relieved to find out that I didn't need to bring anything to dinner. But as it turns out, my oven was needed to warm up the turkey. Nathan and I had to pick up the Turkey from Reasors on Thursday morning and warm it up for two hours. While we were there we decided to pick up a rotisserie chicken. Now if you can picture it, the chicken is about 1/4 the size of a the turkey but looks very similar. We baked the turkey according to the directions, and then we warmed up the chicken. We placed the chicken in an aluminum pan and covered it with foil, which is exactly how we got the turkey ready. When we arrived at Sarah's we left the turkey in the car and Nathan brought the chicken inside and placed it on the table. We were about 15 minutes late and everyone was pretty hungry. Nathan's dad was the first one to peek at the turkey. He just looked at it and looked away. Sarah looked at the Turkey, shocked and said, "this is not the turkey I ordered, go get the real one." Nathan let the joke ride a little bit more, saying that this is the turkey that Reasors gave him, but then we finally went and got the real turkey. It was hilarious. If you guys did anything special at Thanksgiving, I would love to hear about it... Also the Oneighty Christmas Service is coming up on Dec 12 and it is going to be awesome!

See you there!
Kristy

twenty-nine 11 November 2007

OK, so I turned 29 this month!! Pretty scary stuff…I am sooooooo close to the BIG 30. But ya know what? I’m not really that scared, I mean, I suppose it could be worse – in dog years I am 203 yrs old. However, in reverse dog years I am just over 4 yrs old! I guess I just have to find the silver lining ya know, and have a glass half-empty mindset. So, here are a few optimistic view points on my turning 29:

01. It could be worse, I could be turning 40.
02. It could be even worse, I could be turning dead
03. 29 is the new 19
04. Turning 29 is better than getting punched in the face
05. I heard somewhere that if you’re not 29 you’re not cool…so, sorry to all of you who aren’t 29
06. 29 kinda rhymes with plenty time, which is what I have until I die

Another upside to my birthday is that I share it with Pastor Kevin – November 6th. We had a little birthday party this past week to celebrate. Check out some of these sweet party pics, and remember, someday you too will be 29!

I am good 08 November 2007

What have you been up to? Everyone doing good?

It’s been a while since I last checked in, and I must say things are good. The last six months have been a whirlwind of fun for me. In May, my wife and I found out we are having our third boy this winter—two away from having my own basketball team!! In July we took a family vacation to California at a little place called Disneyland. It was out of control. If you want an awesome experience, take two boys under three and spend three days at Disneyland. I thought they were going to explode when we walked through the gate. So many things to see and do. The real life Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy walking around. And the rides, let’s just say we rode the Buzz Light-year ride like 20 times in a row. Every time through was just as fun as the first time. Amazing. So what could possibly happen to make my life a little better?

One simple phrase that I never thought I would utter out of my mouth… “Red Sox World Series Champions AGAIN!”
Just last week my wife and I were sitting in our living room watching the final outs of the 2007 World Series in amazement as the Red Sox beat the Colorado Rockies. So after never thinking it would ever happen in my lifetime, we have won the World Series twice in the last three years. What is happening? I was expecting Jesus to come back any second after they won.

So here is the deal.
• I have the best family
• The best job
• The best baseball team (Red Sox)
• The best basketball team (Celtics)
• The best football team (Patriots – how did that taste Peyton and PK?)
• A new addition to our family this January (boy number three)
• And in two months Jack Bauer returns to save the world again (TV show 24)

So yeah, I am good; thanks for asking.

Movin' On Up 29 October 2007

What a fabulous time of year. Seriously, the humid heat of summer has finally loosened it's sweaty grip, the holidays are quickly approaching and football is in full swing.

As far as the NFL goes, my Packers are looking pretty good this year and finding ways to win thanks to Brett Favre. Yes, he still has it folks. In actuality, he never lost it- despite what anyone says- we just needed to get some players around him. Case in point- last night's winning OT throw against the Broncos. Favre made two of the best cornerbacks in the NFL pay bigtime last night with pair of touchdowns (79-yards and 82-yards respectively) right in their face.

My fantasy football team is catching a 2nd wind. I am currently on a 4-game winning streak and slowly climbing the divisional ranks. Big things are in the works for the second half of this season, so those of you in the Pigskin Prophets league should consider yourself warned.

On the surface, my flag football team looks weak and unable to put all the pieces together. But I am hoping for big things as we move into our playoffs this weekend. Even with our top 2 players nursing injuries, I think we have enough potential to make a real go of it now that the heat is on. These are the kind of odds I like in competitive situations- there is nowhere to go but up, so let's find a way to win. Much of the time, people will underestimate you and that, my friends, is an advantage. There are few things more satisfying than taking down a team that thinks they should have easily owned you.

Wish me luck. Oh, by the way, if you are coming to Oneighty this week, prepare yourself now for the scariest film we've ever made. You have been warned.

Over and out.

ja

The Colts are back Baby! 8 October 2007

Well what can I say? My Colts are back at it again. For those of you who do not know the dominance that is Indianapolis let me give you a run down of this year’s schedule, current scores as well as my predictions on the season.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 41 – 10 W
Tennessee Titans 22 – 20 W
Houston Texans 30 – 24 W
DENVER BRONCOS 38 – 20 W
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (Colts will win by 10)
BYE
Jacksonville Jaguars (Colts will win by 17)
Carolina Panthers (Colts will win by 7)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (Colts will win by 3 “we have Vinatieri”)
San Diego Chargers (Colts will win by 6)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (Colts will win by 10)
Atlanta Falcons (Colts will win by 21)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (Colts will win by 3 “Vinatieri strikes again”)
Baltimore Ravens (Colts lose by 7)
Oakland Raiders (Colts win by 14)
HOUSTON TEXANS (Colts win by 10)
TENNESSEE TITANS (Colts win by 3 “Once again – Vinatieri”)

The Colts will breeze through the entire season. Beat the much-hated Patriots in the playoffs and go head to head against the Cowboys in the Super Bowl.
My prediction on the Super Bowl…you already know who will win!

Hey by the way, we have a great fall coming up here at Oneighty.
Look me up this Wednesday night.

it's all about me 8 October 2007

Hello! I'm pretty new to the Oneighty team and I'm super-excited to be here. Because most of you don't really know who I am, I thought I would tell you a little bit about Me. So here goes:

"Me" is a pronoun used when a person wants to refer back to himself, such as, "Hey, look at me!" According to Webster's dictionary, "me" is also used as a predicate complement with a linking verb, although the usage is objected to by some (i.e. "That's me.") ME is also the official abbreviation for the state of Maine. ME can also be used in place of the words: Master of Education, Mechanical Engineer, Medical Examiner, Methodist Episcopal, middle English, Most Excellent, and methyl. (It's true. Look it up.) It could be quite confusing to say, "That's ME!" because people don't know if you are referring back to yourself, or if you mean "that's most excellent", "that's methyl", or even "that's middle English". Perhaps that's why the phrase is objected to so much.

But enough about ME, let's talk about you. You seem pretty cool. I'm looking forward to hanging out with you and getting to know you all at 180. I've been up here for about 2 months now, working with Turn Life and the Jr. High service on the weekends, and I really believe this is the coolest place on earth. Not just because of the building or the games or the band or even Pastor Kevin. Well, Pastor Kevin is pretty cool, but I don't think this wouldn't be the coolest place on earth without you. It would just be an empty building. But when you are here, hanging out on Wednesday nights, there's no place like it. So what I'm trying to say is, you guys are stinkin' awesome!

Anyway, if you see a guy running around Oneighty who looks kind of like the picture here in the top left corner, that's probably me. Or my most excellent evil twin, who happens to be a Methodist Episcopal Mechanical Engineer with a Master's in Education. So it's "me" either way, I guess. But if you see me, stop me and say hello. I might give you a high five or a candy bar or something. It will be awesome.

John

VIDEO BLOG 7 September 2007

What's Coming Up at Oneighty

untitled 13 June 2007

Hey gang- hope your summer is off to a good start. Mine is. Last month, we added a new member to the Andersen house. My wife and I had our second kid- a son! His name is William (Liam) Edward and he weighed in at an even 7 lbs. He seems pretty cool so far, but all he really does is eat, sleep and fill his diapers, so time will tell. He has this neat little trick where any time you take his diaper off, he decides it's time to go to the bathroom and anything within a 2 ft. radius is a potential target. Loads of fun. Nora (his big sister) loves having another person around the house. You could say they play together, but it is mostly one sided and usually consists of Nora squeezing Liam's face while he is trying to sleep.

I am pumped about camp later this month. Those of you who have been to Dry Gulch know just how fun it is. This year is going to be great- we have some really cool stuff planned. I know there are over 300 of you going with us this year, so i think we are in for a pretty rockin' time.

Stay cool this summer.

ja

CAMP ONEIGHTY, HERE I COME! 11 June 2007

Man, it is just about time for Camp Oneighty and I can’t wait! It would be super easy for me to just say “I love Camp Oneighty.” So, instead of that I am going to give you my top ten reasons for loving Camp Oneighty, and here they are:

10) Free food for a week!
09) All the swimming I can handle
08) I get to drive around in a Steiner (its like a golf cart on steroids)
07) I am able to get in tune with nature – not too in tune, I still shower and everything out there
06) I have a chance to fulfill one of my dreams of living in the wild wild west… even if it is only for a few days, and I never wear anything that remotely resembles a western outfit.
05) I can really spend some much needed time working on my tan – I am pretty pasty!
04) Oh yeah, then there is the million dollar giveaway that everyone has a chance to win…just kidding, that doesn’t really happen…but you can imagine what it’d be like if it did right?
03) Uhhh, did I mention free food for a week?
02) The great chapel services
01) I get to create memories that will last a lifetime with the greatest students on planet earth, YOU!!! (this is where you say, “awwww, that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thanks Sam, you rock!)

Well, there ya have it, my top ten reasons for loving Camp Oneighty. Can’t wait to see you all out there.

sw

A Good Summer Read 27 April 2007

Well my little Oneighty friends, summer time is upon us.

With just a few short weeks of school left, I am sure you are ready to get started in some great summer-time activities like, sleeping in, earning some coin at a part time job, or maybe fitting in a few all night video game sessions with your buds. Another way you might want to get your summer on this year is to grab a beach towel, some sunscreen, a great book and head on down to the pool. Yes you heard right I said grab a great book, to some of you the term “great book” is an “oxymoron” to others of you your not even sure what “oxymoron” means….if that is you ….you may want to think about putting down the video game controller, grab a good book and give it a serious read.

During the summer you will have 3 months to do what you want. That equals over two thousand hours of free time. Why not use just a few of those hours to learn a little bit more about some areas of your life. For example, if you have a little problem with a mean girl in your life there are two books by Hayley DiMarco tittled Mean Girls and Mean Girls Gone, that will give you some real insight on how to deal with this monster of mean.

Maybe you’re the type of person that is hoping to jumpstart a little summer romance or prepare yourself for next school year when you see that special someone in your 4th hour Social Studies class. If that is you, I would seriously consider picking up The 10 Commandments of Dating by Ben Young and Sam Adams, Datable Rules a Guide for the Sexes by Justin Lookadoo and Hayley Morgan, or Rating Your Dating while waiting for Mating by Ed Young Jr. Any of these books will give you some sweet tips on how to really be sure you have found your sweetheart.

If you are thinking that over the course of the summer you want to go a little deeper in your Christian faith, you may want to put your spiritual scuba gear on and dive into a book titled Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. This book will help you get out of the kiddy pool and start swimming in the deep end of your faith.

Whether you are a reader or not – think about picking up a couple of these books and give them a quick once over. You’ll be glad you did.

Have Rockin Summer and I’ll see you at Oneighty.

Who are the kids here? 19 April 2007

As you know I am a 24 freak. I love that show. This week was amazing if you have not watched it yet. “Say hello to your brother.” What a quote from Jack. Anyway we have our best friends over each week to watch the show and it is tons of fun. Here is the typical Monday at our house.

5:30pm - our friends arrive and my son Seth meets them at the door
6:00pm – we eat dinner made by my wife or our friends (always amazingly good)
6:30pm – we head out side to play with the kids
8:00pm – hide and seek commences and we end the game in Seth’s bed
9:00pm – 24 comes on with Izzie’s and dessert all around

The funny thing is I don’t know who has more fun on Monday nights. The kids or the adults? Last week our friends arrived at 5:30pm we had left a note that read “grab these and head upstairs” There were Nerf dart guns already loaded sitting on the bottom step. As they came up the stairs Jared (brother in law) came from behind and started lighting them up and my wife and I were at the top of the stairs. They were caught in the crossfire. The dart game then lasted about 30 minutes. That is just one example of the mayhem that happens on Monday night at the Kruse home.

My question is: Who are the kids here?

A: The adults, we return to our youth each Monday night with dart guns, backyard basketball, trampoline games, play doh and all kinds of ball fights.

Maybe you should stop buy sometime and remember what it was like to be a kid again.

JK

In your face! 6 April 2007

I realized something today! Facial hair is weird. I mean have any of you guys ever stopped and said the phrase, “hair is growing out of my face!”. Maybe some of you ladies have said the same thing – just kidding! Some of you younger fellas probably don’t worry too much about it because your facial hair is the equivalent to the fuzz on a peach. But don’t worry, soon and very soon you will look at yourself in the mirror and come to the same conclusion, that it is weird that hair grows out of your face.

What is even more fascinating to me is the amount of facial hair that some guys are able to grow in comparison to others. Lets take my good friends Josh and James for example. Well, James has a pretty meaty gotee rockin, and Josh can whip up a pretty mean beard in a matter of a couple of weeks. Then there is Mike (a.k.a. DynaMike), another friend of mine, who is probably the hairiest dude I know. He can shave in the morning and have a full beard by the end of the day. Its like he rubs miracle grow on his face or something.

But I have to be honest, having friends that have no problem growing ample amounts of facial hair kinda makes me jealous. Why you ask? Well, its because it would take me the better part of a year to grow anything on my face, and if I did, it would be sparse at best. In fact, I sometimes refer to myself as “Patches” because there are literally patches of skin on my face that I don’t think a single hair has ever come out of.

Its just that I think it would be really cool to say one day, “ya know what Sam, its beard time”, but I can’t; instead, I have to say, “ya know what Sam, its patches time” which is not nearly as cool. Oh well, maybe next year!

I will leave you with these golden nuggets for you and me to aspire to:

DOWN WITH WINTER!! 13 March 2007

Oh man – can you smell it??? Can you? The sweet smell in the air, the temperature rising, and the sun hangin out w/ us for a few more hours a day!! Ahhhh spring…it is finally upon us and I love it! No more icy wind in the face, no more operation slick streets, no more two stinkin feet of ice everywhere you go!! That’s right, in your face winter, you’re out – spring is in!

You may be curious as to why I have an unbridled hatred for the winter, and well, there is a good reason for it. You see, I am a Florida boy. Yep, I hail from the sunshine state where the winters would generally consist of me wearing just a long sleeve tee shirt and some shorts. If the temp dropped below 70 degrees we Floridians considered it freezing. But unlike her in T-Town, there was no need for parkas, sweaters, scarves, gloves, earmuffs, and boots to keep the ice out of your socks, or oversized down coats that make you look like a human marshmallow. In fact, my first winter here in Tulsa was the very first time that I had seen snow up close and personal.

I just don’t get people who are totally into winter. It blows my mind. I mean, think about it – not only is it crazy cold outside, but everything is dead! “Green country” is really “Brown crusty dreary country”. The trees look dead, the grass is all crusty, and it seems to be cloudy all the time, and everyone is all pasty; unless of course you are a “fake-baker” which is a whole other blog that I will get into later!

Its official, Mother nature has spoken – winter is out and spring is in! Hooray for spring.

M-A-R-C-H M-A-D-N-E-S-S 02 March 2007

People are talking about… Fans are dreaming about it… Coaches are planning for it….Teams are practicing for it. That’s right its March Madness time. Time to pull out your fan gear, study up on your teams, and set your DVR. My love for March Madness has gone on for sometime now. In high school I would just fill out my bracket with out any rhyme or reason. I wouldn’t even watch the games I would just check the newspaper or ask friends which teams had won and which teams had lost. In college I found out about a team named Gonzaga and fell in love with there name, It was just so fun to say, so I would almost always pick them to go all of the way. By then I was watching basketball but only during the Big Dance. By now though my team selection has matured as I have. Now I can stand to watch basketball before the tourney begins, but I do have some limitations. For 1) I only like to watch the last 20 minutes of a game- by then you know if it is a game or if it is a blow out. 2) If it is a blowout, it loses its appeal to me (a blowout to me is losing by like 20) I know that crazier things have happened and there has been comebacks of mass proportions, however, I prefer to watch something else on TV and flip back to the game to just check the score INCASE one of those comebacks happen (who would want to miss a game like that?) 3) I only like to watch teams that I have heard of--- if some jim-bob team is playing some bob-jim team – I am not interested. I know they could be one of those Cinderella teams, but I figure if they are that good then I will have at least heard of them by the time the tournament begins. All that to say---Go Badgers!!!

On another NOTE … March 21st is going to be awesome. Its Oneighty Ladies Night. We have put a lot of thought into it to make it super girly. From the delicious pink cupcakes and Izze’s (which I have gotten a lot of questions as to what these are and they are awesome little sparkling water and fruit juice drinks) to the awesome Oneighty Lady Tote bags which are free to the first 500 ladies. Even the after service activities are going to have Oneighty lady touch… you have got to come and check it out!

-Kristy

Why? 20 February 2007

Seth is my son. WHY? Mommy gave birth to you almost three years ago. WHY? Mommy and daddy wanted to have a son. WHY? Because daddy is a sports fanatic and he wanted a boy first. WHY? Because we prayed that God would give us a son first. WHY? Daddy couldn’t handle a girl first. WHY? Daddy and girls are not the best match ever, frankly they scare me. WHY? Because daddy never had a sister and was too busy playing sports to care about girls until I saw Mommy. WHY? She was beautiful and I wanted to ask her out one day. WHY? Daddy wanted to get to know her and take her out on a date. WHY? So we could get married and have you someday. WHY? Because. WHY? Stop asking why. WHY? I am out of answers. WHY? Go play with your brother? WHY? ……..

That is the typical conversation with my awesome two year old son. He can ask why about a million times in a row with out hesitation. It is truly a gift. By the time we are done talking I have no idea what the conversation was about.

How awesome is that!!!

Can you imagine if my son interviewed some of today’s politicians? He would wear them down and get some straight answers for the first time.

JK

Super Bowl Champs...How sweet it is 07 February 2007

Last Sunday was incredible. We had a Super Bowl feast of Buffalo Wings, Nacho Bar, Brownies, Football Cookies, and a Cheese dip in the shape of the Colts Logo. WOW what a night. Sitting down with a plate of Wings watching Peyton and the boys dominate Rex and his "Teddy" Bears. What could be better than that?

To all my Colts brothers and sisters out there - drop me an email and let's celebrate our win together!

A spicy chicken-cheese dip that was a highlight of the Moore Family Super Bowl Party. You might want to give it a try next year during the Colts second Super Bowl victory. This thing is good. In fact it tastes so good - it will make a Colts fan out of anyone....even someone from New England.

Have a great week - and I'll see you at Oneighty.

Yeah for February!!! 02 February 2007

February is HERE!!! I love February. It is the month of love and this year Valentines falls on a Wednesday so it looks like I’ll be spending Valentines at a place I love, Oneighty. It is the month of my birthday (15th). It is the month that Nike’s Limited Edition Valentines Shoe are in stores. So far I have the past two years worth, my husband has been getting them for me for Valentines.

I haven’t decided, yet if I want this years. Let me know what you think about the 2007 valentine’s nike at kristy@oneighty.com

Another reason that I love February so much is because March Madness is around the corner and I can start scoping out the picks for my bracket. As of right now, I am picking Wisconsin to go all the way. My dad graduated from Wisconsin University, so it would be cool to see that happen. Well, enough about basketball and have a great valentines day.

Kristy

Here come the Colts 18 January 2007

Well what can I say? They broke my heart last year, but it looks as if my Colts are peaking at just the right time in 2007. Known as an offensive powerhouse, amazingly it has been our defense that has led us to victories over the Chiefs and the Ravens.

This weekend the mighty Tom Brady and his New England Patriots come rolling into Indianapolis. I’m usually not one for predictions but I predict that Dwight Freeney, Kato June and the whole Colts defense will send good ol’ Tommy Boy back to New England to eat some clam chowder or whatever it is they eat up there.

If you’re a Colts fan – drop me an email and we will celebrate together. If for whatever reason you’re a New England Patriots fan, well . . . I’ll pray for you.

Go Colts.