Happy Fourth of July - From an Unpatriotic Person!
Annoyed. That described me after what should have been a nice conversation with an elderly neighbor. We were talking about the beautiful weather, the holiday weekend, and just how nice it was to have both at the same time. She asked me where I was going to go watch the fireworks from, and I replied that I wasn’t, as I was no longer a fan of fireworks. Then I became unpatriotic! Yes me, Unpatriotic. Go figure.
Hell’s Kitchen Season Three(3) Episode Thirteen (13)
I just got around to watching the latest episode of Hell’s Kitchen. I really enjoy the show when they get rid of all of the morons and get down to the real chefs.
However from watching the earlier episodes I never figured it would come down to the contestant that burned Chef Ramsey two times in one night or the chef that couldn’t memorize the menu. Who would have guessed?
If I had to bet on winner of Season Three of Hell’s Kitchen, I would have to put my money on Petrozza. Although I do think Christina has a chance since she has won all of those challenges and Chef Ramsey has spent more time with her.
Expert Traveler? Yes I am!
For those that fly regularly or pay attention to the news, you may remember that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been modifying security checkpoints to accommodate three separate categories of travelers. From the TSA website:
“The self-select pilots are comprised of a series of lanes designated by signage that directs passengers based on their travel needs and knowledge – Expert, for the business traveler who flies several times a month; Casual, for passengers who travel less frequently, but are familiar with the security process; and Family/Special Assistance, for passengers traveling with small children or strollers, elderly passengers and passengers who may need special assistance.”
On my recent travels to Las Vegas, I departed from Milwaukee’s General Mitchell Airport which utilizes the new lanes. As I approached the checkpoint I noticed that the “Family/Special” lane was closed and that there were approximately 20 people in the “Expert” lane, with no one in the “Casual” lane. All the lanes converged onto one xray and metal detector line. I thought I was pretty experienced with flying but I figured I would take the “Casual Traveler” line as I wasn’t in a hurry. I expected to have to wait until the “Expert” line cleared out, but that wasn’t the case. As soon as I hit the front of the “Casual” lane, the TSA employee stopped the “Experts” and waved me through. I basically skipped in front of 20 air travelers by picking the lane that was empty and ignoring the signs.
At that point I decided I was indeed an “Expert” traveler…
Slam the Door on 2007, Walk into 2008
Normally I would have posted two New Years related posts. One would have been reviewing my resolutions from 2007, the other would have been publishing my resolutions for 2008. It appears that I was too busy returning to the US from Afghanistan last year to make or post 2007 New Year’s Resolutions. So I can’t review them.
I will take a moment to recap the year. I returned from my first deployment in Afghanistan and jumped right back into the swing of things with school. I finished out that Spring semester and decided to work at Ed Bryant Scout Reservation for one more summer. After a fun, interesting, and unique summer I wrapped up my schooling with an awesome internship in the Juvenile Services unit of the Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services. I graduated on December 21st, 2007 and am currently awaiting my state Social Worker Certification so I can get a “real” job. Yes, a lot happened this past year and I hope that 2008 is a little bit calmer.
On to the fun stuff…
Dan’s New Year’s Resolutions
1) Get in shape! To meet military height / weight requirements I need to loose 35 pounds. I don’t think that is going to happen anytime soon but its a goal that I am going to aim for.
2) Run a 1/2 marathon! I have my eyes set on the Las Vegas Marathon. Since it will be my first one, I’m planning on signing up for the Half Marathon. This will be a pain in my butt / legs since I hate running, but its something I am going to do. Hopefully I’ll be able to talk a few others into giving it a shot with me.