100 Random Thoughts
This is the 100th post on Random Thoughts (we lost a few when we switched to beta, so this could really be 125, but I'm going by the official count). To celebrate this dubious occasion, here are 100...umm... Random Thoughts.
Add your own Random Thoughts in the comments section.
1. The Saint rocks.
2. I used to be a political consultant. I like a good fight. But the latest stuff in Washington is ridiculous. Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada are almost a year away. The general election is ten months after that.
3. This is my favorite post on the blog.
4. This one was the most depressing, by far, but I'm glad I wrote it.
5. Every day, I read ten newspapers, plus Backstreets (old political habits die hard).
6. I also read these blogs, daily, as part of my news-gathering effort: Dan Kennedy, Seth Gitell and Dave Guarino. If you like politics, you'll like these blogs, too.
7. Working parents should visit Guarino's wife Heidi's blog. Don't let the title fool you. It's not just for working moms.
8. Because of this blog, I have at least twenty friends I haven't met yet, including folks in Norway and the Netherlands.
9. This is my favorite vacation spot.
10. As of right now, I'm 85,000 words into my new novel.
11. The best trip the Saint and I ever took with the kids was to Gettysburg and Hershey, last summer.
12. Of all the places I haven't visited in the United States, I most want to see Austin, Texas.
13. My kids are smarter than I am. Only my daughter knows this. She is three.
14. My last pilgrimage to the Stone Pony was over Memorial Day Weekend in 2004.
15. My parents are crazier than I am. I find this inspirational.
16. Contrary to popular belief, my favorite President was a Republican. You don't need the link if you notice that this is number 16 on my list.
17. I found five errors in the Wikipedia entry to which I linked above. That was on my first read-through.
18. I'm trying not to watch American Idol this year. So far, I'm succeeding.
19. The Saint also loves to write, and she's really good at it. She should start blogging.
20. If the History Channel didn't exist, I wouldn't watch TV most months.
21. I went to college here. I loved it.
22. I met both the Saint and Best Man and Godfather (aka Evil Republican Lobbyist) there.
23. I went to law school here. I hated it.
24. I've purchased exclusively Macintosh computers.
25. J.A. Konrath and I have the same literary agents.
26. I thought it would be easier to come up with 100 Random Thoughts.
27. I burned dinner tonight. Nobody complained. The lesson: Always use a good barbecue sauce when you're cooking pork chops.
28. This blog post pretty much wrote itself.
29. It's easier to give up ice cream for Lent if there is chocolate pudding in the house.
30. I believe gay marriage should be legal in every state, not just mine. I see this as a civil rights issue. Read the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment and get back to me.
31. The day after I met the Saint, I called my mother and told her I'd met the woman I was going to marry. Two and a half years later, I did.
32. I've now lived in Massachusetts almost as long as I lived in Cooperstown and Fly Creek.
33. My favorite guilty snack food is my Uncle Bob's homemade venison jerky.
34. Lt. Ed Novak spent a tour of duty at Abu Gharaib.
35. He claims he was safe the whole time he was there, but it's still better having him back here.
36. Contrary to what Dick Cheney might think, I can write number 35 and still be a patriot.
37. My Norwegian friend put up a blog post in English because I can't read Norwegian. It's a great post, and if his others are as good, I think I need to learn Norwegian.
38. This is not the nectar of the Gods, but it's close.
39. My cousin Matt in San Diego had the craziest wedding I've attended in a long time. Again, crazy is a good word. You can read the sanitized version here.
40. My writing heroes are rock stars: Bruce Springsteen, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash.
41. My age when I saw my first concert: Almost 6 (Kristofferson at Saratoga).
42. Number of Springsteen shows I've attended: 10.
43. Number of additional times I've had Springsteen tickets in my hands and had to bag the concert: 7.
44. Number of Springsteen concerts I attended before the streak in number 43 began: 0.
45. Number of Springsteen swings through Boston I've missed since the streak in number 43 ended: 1.
46. Number of times I've seen Kristofferson in concert: 2. Both times, I went with my mother.
47. Years between those concerts (Don't look, Mom!): 30.
48. Number of Supreme Court Justices my mother knows: 1.
49. Number of jurisdictions where I am licensed to practice law: 2.
50. My three favorite novels: All the King's Men; To Kill a Mockingbird; and A Lesson Before Dying.
51. Number of Nick Alicino's former students with literary agents: (at least) 3.
52. Number with books available in a bookstore near you: 2 (here and here).
53. Both the authors in number 52 are high school classmates of mine.
54. Number of songs on my iPod: 694.
55. Number of Springsteen songs: Over 200.
56. My favorite piece of music ever: Beethoven's Ninth. Yes, you read that right.
57. The number of channels and nothin' on.
58. The Brogans are my most inspirational friends.
59. My four favorite movies: The Godfather (count the first two as one film; ignore the third); Casablanca; The Right Stuff; and Breaker Morant.
60. The one thing I hate most in the world: Driving. Owning a Jeep Cherokee helps, though.
61. Number of household jobs Middle Child can do before he gets bored: Nobody knows. He has yet to reach his limit. We once sent him outside and asked him to put away some toys in the garage. He did that. Then he rearranged the entire garage. He was six at the time. The job took him two hours. Then he asked for another one.
62. The Saint teaches high school English. Have I mentioned that she rocks?
63. Her little finger, on a string: Where Daughter stores her father.
64. 13, going on 20: Oldest Son's age.
65. The best summer drink I've ever mixed: peach sangria. The Saint agrees.
66. The Saint and I finally saw a U2 concert a year ago (to put this in perspective, Bono is the Saint's Bruce). Number of times the Saint shouted "I love you, Bono!": I lost count. All I can say in my own defense is that it takes a strong man to stand by smiling while his wife professes her love for Bono (a hundred times or so).
67. Writer's Block does not exist. It's a figment of a frazzled imagination. Write through it.
68. If writing through it doesn't help, try bourbon.
69. I've been lucky. I've run my own business and I've loved most of the places where I worked for other people. But this is still the best job I've ever had.
70. The best "Lent-friendly food" in the world has to be shrimp scampi pizza. With extra garlic.
71. Speaking of food, the Saint will tell you that I have a great "food memory." When she and I go out to a special restaurant (which, honestly, is any one we can hit without the kids), I tend to remember every detail of the meal--mine and hers-- forever. I used to think this was normal.
72. Middle Child is totally fascinated by Mozart. He wants to form a rock band. He already has a notebook full of songs he's written. Some of these songs are good. He knows none of Mozart's music, but he's enthralled by Mozart the musician.
73. Why don't we worship teachers the way we worship athletes and rock stars?
74. I'm hearing and reading that Martin Scorsese is thinking of a sequel to The Departed. With whom? The only characters left are the ones played by Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg.
75. I miss Ben & Jerry's Holy Cannoli ice cream. That was my favorite ice cream flavor, ever.
76. I also miss Diet Vanilla Coke.
77. I've forgotten what life was like before ESPN. Baseball Tonight might be the best show ever created.
78. My favorite Chris Berman nicknames: Donovan "Mellow Yellow-Sunshine Superman" Osborne and Dante Bichette Happens.
79. I've seen baseball games at Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, (Oriole Park at) Camden Yards and Memorial Stadium. I've seen Wrigley Field, US Cellular Field, Petco Park, Shea Stadium, Tiger Stadium, Veterans' Stadium, Pro-Player Stadium, Turner Field, Olympic Stadium and Kauffman Stadium.
80. I have seen the football stadiums in most of the cities in number 79, but my only NFL game was a pre-season matchup between the Patriots and the Redskins in 2001.
81. I've been to more college hockey and basketball games than NHL or NBA games (even though the last college hockey and basketball games I attended happened while I was in college).
82. Since 1980, I have attended 92 Red Sox games. The Red Sox won 90 of those games. Yes, I realize I should purchase season tickets, but I can't afford them.
83. My father's mother was born in County Waterford. My mother's mother is predominantly Irish. I have never been to Ireland.
84. The Saint and I, in choosing the middle names of our kids, named each of them after one of our grandparents.
85. Even though he is a Republican, Dennis Miller is my favorite comedian, but not my favorite Republican (BMAG and my Uncle Bob share that "honor").
86. The number of years between the last two Red Sox World Series Championships. The Sox can go another 86 years between championships; all that matters is that I saw one in my lifetime. Yankee fans do not understand this. They can't even fathom it. I pity them.
87. Standing around and talking about being a writer is much easier than being a writer.
88. My parents are retired teachers. To them, retirement means selling real estate, running a catering business, and taking trips everywhere.
89. I agree with Bill Simmons (and his father, who said,) Dennis Johnson "was the best guard on the best team I ever watched in my entire life." DJ was the Celtics' starting point guard the last time basketball was relevant to me. And the Hall of Fame voters did him an injustice by not inducting him while he was alive to see it. If Larry Bird said DJ was the best teammate he ever had, then DJ deserves a slot in Springfield.
90. I've been working on this post since last Wednesday (the annual stomach virus scythed its way through the family over the past few days). Sometimes life gets in the way.
91. It was nice that Martin Scorsese finally won an Oscar. It's too bad the show dragged on for four hours. Yet another reason why a DVR is a necessity.
92. I still have eight more Random Thoughts to go? What the hell was I thinking?
93. Somebody found this blog today while searching for "bracciole." Another found it searching for "scrapple." One of these foods I love; the other I refuse to try.
94. I've finally started working on my taxes. Good thing I have an accountant to do the real work. I used to do it myself. I'd rather pay somebody else. My accountant has been giving me a great rate for years.
95. As of tonight, I've officially been called out on a blog. Well, sort of. But I'm the Adam H. who gave his friend Kris a ration...
96. Now that The West Wing and NYPD Blue have gone away, I confess that I watch Grey's Anatomy with the Saint.
97. If I keep watching Oldest Son play basketball, I'll like it again. The kid owns the low post.
98. I budgeted 90 minutes for this post. I think we're in the bonus round by now.
99. Why are you still reading this? It's not that interesting any more.
100. And I'm done. Have I mentioned that the Saint rocks? I'll say it again.
Adam
Add your own Random Thoughts in the comments section.
1. The Saint rocks.
2. I used to be a political consultant. I like a good fight. But the latest stuff in Washington is ridiculous. Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada are almost a year away. The general election is ten months after that.
3. This is my favorite post on the blog.
4. This one was the most depressing, by far, but I'm glad I wrote it.
5. Every day, I read ten newspapers, plus Backstreets (old political habits die hard).
6. I also read these blogs, daily, as part of my news-gathering effort: Dan Kennedy, Seth Gitell and Dave Guarino. If you like politics, you'll like these blogs, too.
7. Working parents should visit Guarino's wife Heidi's blog. Don't let the title fool you. It's not just for working moms.
8. Because of this blog, I have at least twenty friends I haven't met yet, including folks in Norway and the Netherlands.
9. This is my favorite vacation spot.
10. As of right now, I'm 85,000 words into my new novel.
11. The best trip the Saint and I ever took with the kids was to Gettysburg and Hershey, last summer.
12. Of all the places I haven't visited in the United States, I most want to see Austin, Texas.
13. My kids are smarter than I am. Only my daughter knows this. She is three.
14. My last pilgrimage to the Stone Pony was over Memorial Day Weekend in 2004.
15. My parents are crazier than I am. I find this inspirational.
16. Contrary to popular belief, my favorite President was a Republican. You don't need the link if you notice that this is number 16 on my list.
17. I found five errors in the Wikipedia entry to which I linked above. That was on my first read-through.
18. I'm trying not to watch American Idol this year. So far, I'm succeeding.
19. The Saint also loves to write, and she's really good at it. She should start blogging.
20. If the History Channel didn't exist, I wouldn't watch TV most months.
21. I went to college here. I loved it.
22. I met both the Saint and Best Man and Godfather (aka Evil Republican Lobbyist) there.
23. I went to law school here. I hated it.
24. I've purchased exclusively Macintosh computers.
25. J.A. Konrath and I have the same literary agents.
26. I thought it would be easier to come up with 100 Random Thoughts.
27. I burned dinner tonight. Nobody complained. The lesson: Always use a good barbecue sauce when you're cooking pork chops.
28. This blog post pretty much wrote itself.
29. It's easier to give up ice cream for Lent if there is chocolate pudding in the house.
30. I believe gay marriage should be legal in every state, not just mine. I see this as a civil rights issue. Read the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment and get back to me.
31. The day after I met the Saint, I called my mother and told her I'd met the woman I was going to marry. Two and a half years later, I did.
32. I've now lived in Massachusetts almost as long as I lived in Cooperstown and Fly Creek.
33. My favorite guilty snack food is my Uncle Bob's homemade venison jerky.
34. Lt. Ed Novak spent a tour of duty at Abu Gharaib.
35. He claims he was safe the whole time he was there, but it's still better having him back here.
36. Contrary to what Dick Cheney might think, I can write number 35 and still be a patriot.
37. My Norwegian friend put up a blog post in English because I can't read Norwegian. It's a great post, and if his others are as good, I think I need to learn Norwegian.
38. This is not the nectar of the Gods, but it's close.
39. My cousin Matt in San Diego had the craziest wedding I've attended in a long time. Again, crazy is a good word. You can read the sanitized version here.
40. My writing heroes are rock stars: Bruce Springsteen, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash.
41. My age when I saw my first concert: Almost 6 (Kristofferson at Saratoga).
42. Number of Springsteen shows I've attended: 10.
43. Number of additional times I've had Springsteen tickets in my hands and had to bag the concert: 7.
44. Number of Springsteen concerts I attended before the streak in number 43 began: 0.
45. Number of Springsteen swings through Boston I've missed since the streak in number 43 ended: 1.
46. Number of times I've seen Kristofferson in concert: 2. Both times, I went with my mother.
47. Years between those concerts (Don't look, Mom!): 30.
48. Number of Supreme Court Justices my mother knows: 1.
49. Number of jurisdictions where I am licensed to practice law: 2.
50. My three favorite novels: All the King's Men; To Kill a Mockingbird; and A Lesson Before Dying.
51. Number of Nick Alicino's former students with literary agents: (at least) 3.
52. Number with books available in a bookstore near you: 2 (here and here).
53. Both the authors in number 52 are high school classmates of mine.
54. Number of songs on my iPod: 694.
55. Number of Springsteen songs: Over 200.
56. My favorite piece of music ever: Beethoven's Ninth. Yes, you read that right.
57. The number of channels and nothin' on.
58. The Brogans are my most inspirational friends.
59. My four favorite movies: The Godfather (count the first two as one film; ignore the third); Casablanca; The Right Stuff; and Breaker Morant.
60. The one thing I hate most in the world: Driving. Owning a Jeep Cherokee helps, though.
61. Number of household jobs Middle Child can do before he gets bored: Nobody knows. He has yet to reach his limit. We once sent him outside and asked him to put away some toys in the garage. He did that. Then he rearranged the entire garage. He was six at the time. The job took him two hours. Then he asked for another one.
62. The Saint teaches high school English. Have I mentioned that she rocks?
63. Her little finger, on a string: Where Daughter stores her father.
64. 13, going on 20: Oldest Son's age.
65. The best summer drink I've ever mixed: peach sangria. The Saint agrees.
66. The Saint and I finally saw a U2 concert a year ago (to put this in perspective, Bono is the Saint's Bruce). Number of times the Saint shouted "I love you, Bono!": I lost count. All I can say in my own defense is that it takes a strong man to stand by smiling while his wife professes her love for Bono (a hundred times or so).
67. Writer's Block does not exist. It's a figment of a frazzled imagination. Write through it.
68. If writing through it doesn't help, try bourbon.
69. I've been lucky. I've run my own business and I've loved most of the places where I worked for other people. But this is still the best job I've ever had.
70. The best "Lent-friendly food" in the world has to be shrimp scampi pizza. With extra garlic.
71. Speaking of food, the Saint will tell you that I have a great "food memory." When she and I go out to a special restaurant (which, honestly, is any one we can hit without the kids), I tend to remember every detail of the meal--mine and hers-- forever. I used to think this was normal.
72. Middle Child is totally fascinated by Mozart. He wants to form a rock band. He already has a notebook full of songs he's written. Some of these songs are good. He knows none of Mozart's music, but he's enthralled by Mozart the musician.
73. Why don't we worship teachers the way we worship athletes and rock stars?
74. I'm hearing and reading that Martin Scorsese is thinking of a sequel to The Departed. With whom? The only characters left are the ones played by Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg.
75. I miss Ben & Jerry's Holy Cannoli ice cream. That was my favorite ice cream flavor, ever.
76. I also miss Diet Vanilla Coke.
77. I've forgotten what life was like before ESPN. Baseball Tonight might be the best show ever created.
78. My favorite Chris Berman nicknames: Donovan "Mellow Yellow-Sunshine Superman" Osborne and Dante Bichette Happens.
79. I've seen baseball games at Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, (Oriole Park at) Camden Yards and Memorial Stadium. I've seen Wrigley Field, US Cellular Field, Petco Park, Shea Stadium, Tiger Stadium, Veterans' Stadium, Pro-Player Stadium, Turner Field, Olympic Stadium and Kauffman Stadium.
80. I have seen the football stadiums in most of the cities in number 79, but my only NFL game was a pre-season matchup between the Patriots and the Redskins in 2001.
81. I've been to more college hockey and basketball games than NHL or NBA games (even though the last college hockey and basketball games I attended happened while I was in college).
82. Since 1980, I have attended 92 Red Sox games. The Red Sox won 90 of those games. Yes, I realize I should purchase season tickets, but I can't afford them.
83. My father's mother was born in County Waterford. My mother's mother is predominantly Irish. I have never been to Ireland.
84. The Saint and I, in choosing the middle names of our kids, named each of them after one of our grandparents.
85. Even though he is a Republican, Dennis Miller is my favorite comedian, but not my favorite Republican (BMAG and my Uncle Bob share that "honor").
86. The number of years between the last two Red Sox World Series Championships. The Sox can go another 86 years between championships; all that matters is that I saw one in my lifetime. Yankee fans do not understand this. They can't even fathom it. I pity them.
87. Standing around and talking about being a writer is much easier than being a writer.
88. My parents are retired teachers. To them, retirement means selling real estate, running a catering business, and taking trips everywhere.
89. I agree with Bill Simmons (and his father, who said,) Dennis Johnson "was the best guard on the best team I ever watched in my entire life." DJ was the Celtics' starting point guard the last time basketball was relevant to me. And the Hall of Fame voters did him an injustice by not inducting him while he was alive to see it. If Larry Bird said DJ was the best teammate he ever had, then DJ deserves a slot in Springfield.
90. I've been working on this post since last Wednesday (the annual stomach virus scythed its way through the family over the past few days). Sometimes life gets in the way.
91. It was nice that Martin Scorsese finally won an Oscar. It's too bad the show dragged on for four hours. Yet another reason why a DVR is a necessity.
92. I still have eight more Random Thoughts to go? What the hell was I thinking?
93. Somebody found this blog today while searching for "bracciole." Another found it searching for "scrapple." One of these foods I love; the other I refuse to try.
94. I've finally started working on my taxes. Good thing I have an accountant to do the real work. I used to do it myself. I'd rather pay somebody else. My accountant has been giving me a great rate for years.
95. As of tonight, I've officially been called out on a blog. Well, sort of. But I'm the Adam H. who gave his friend Kris a ration...
96. Now that The West Wing and NYPD Blue have gone away, I confess that I watch Grey's Anatomy with the Saint.
97. If I keep watching Oldest Son play basketball, I'll like it again. The kid owns the low post.
98. I budgeted 90 minutes for this post. I think we're in the bonus round by now.
99. Why are you still reading this? It's not that interesting any more.
100. And I'm done. Have I mentioned that the Saint rocks? I'll say it again.
Adam
Labels: Bruce Springsteen, Nick Alicino, The Saint, This Blog
posted by Adam Hurtubise at 8:45 PM
6 Comments:
Happy 100th post!
Thanks. Congrats on your 100th, too.
Adam, I didn't know your wife was a U2 fan. Now I think I like her more than I like you. Sorry pal.
Well done here. Well done.
Touche. I can't even put the damned accent mark on it.
When somebody says he likes my wife better than he likes me, my only real response is, "What took you so long?"
Hey Adam,
Was 88 intentional for the year Dad retired??
You have had a really interesting life so far.I'm glad to have been a part of it!!!
Mom: Yes.
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