Wednesday was my one-year anniversary here at Northern Illinois. I promised myself I wouldn't get all reflective about it, since I've done enough of that over the past year ... but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it is ok to be reflective.

I've been here only one year, and I've met so many great people. Some of those people are here by choice. Some of them are here out of necessity. Some are here simply to make a name for themselves. I respect all of those stances. I'm here by choice, but I'm also here out of necessity and to make a name for myself.

I've learned a great deal about collegiate athletics in the past year. If it enables me to move on this year or in another year or two, that doesn't matter to me. I'm comfortable here. Do I feel like we run like a well-oiled machine? No. But we will. There is so much potential here at Northern. I hope I am here to see it all succeed.

So next Thursday, we are hosting Maryland. It is a huge game for this university. I am not sure if I've ever been involved with a game that meant so much to one program. Maryland is good. Hell, they are great. But NIU has put up some damn good numbers in the past. It'll be interesting to see where the game ends. I honestly believe we ... Northern ... will beat Maryland. Call me crazy. Call me an idiot. Regardless of what you call me, you MUST watch the game Thursday night. It is on Fox Sports, national ... so check it OUT.

I suppose it was only a matter of time before I got sentimental. In my one year, I've allowed two women to get close to me. When I say, "get close," I mean I've allowed myself to think of them as possible dating prospects. Really, what it boils down to is that I have no prospects. I was having to defend myself tonight. I used to be the man in Winston. Right? Didn't I have a lot of girls to choose from? I think I did. Here though, I have nothing. It's kinda sad, but I realize things go in cycles. It's not that I'm some horrible person ... it's just that I'm not finding decent women to surround myself with.

***Omitted upon request.***

So this week is the Maryland game. There is so much to do, but I feel so much better about things this year than I did before the Wake game last year. The biggest thing I'm worried about this week is getting our mid-field logo in place. We are fortunate enough to have Field Turf as our surface in Huskie Stadium. The turf was installed over two years ago, but no mid-field logo was ever placed. This past spring, our director of athletics made the decision to name the field after a former NIU AD. Because of the delay in the decision to name the field, we were having trouble nailing down a date for the logo installation. The project was handed over to me, and I've begged and pleaded with the fine people at Field Turf to get this project done before August 28. Why? Well because our game is on national TV and we are having a half-time ceremony for the naming of the field. The logo has finally arrived in DeKalb, and installation will begin Monday night after practice. Honestly, this was a project I was unsure would be completed. Considering its magnitude, I realized how vital it was to have this project completed. My hero in this story is Kenny Gilman at Field Turf. He has been nothing but professional throughout this entire process, and the logo will be installed before out game Thursday night. I'm relieved. Our AD is relieved. Obviously I won't be totally thrilled until I see this thing in place, but it's nice to know it is in town and ready for installation. I have a dream last night that they brought the wrong logo. Just goes to show that I can't escape work, not even in my dreams. I'll post a picture of the installed logo on here hopefully this week. Or you could just look for it on national TV this Thursday.

Our volleyball coach had a little party Saturday night. It was good to hang out with some cool work friends. I am hoping that this year, being my second at Northern, will be as much fun as my second year at Wake. That probably isn't fair, considering the great times we had at Spring Street and where ever else we roamed in Winston. I shouldn't complain. I've got a great new apartment, plenty of friends living close by ... I know I'll make the most of it. I just hope everyone around here does as well.

That's it kids. Pull for the Huskies Thursday night. We can use all the help we can get.

ps - Don't forget about the ARGUS show September 6, at Fatty's here in DeKalb, IL.

Hello all. I hope everyone has been doing well over the past week. I've been out of things due to my apartment move, which started last Sunday and didn't end until Friday. Yeah, I was homeless for a few days. Ok, not homeless ... but I was back to living out of boxes. That all changed Friday morning when Flip and I moved into the new 4-bedroom apartment.

I really like this place. There is plenty of room for us, with even enough room for us to expand to three roommates if we want. There is talk of the softball assistant moving in with us, so we shall see. I've been working hard over the past couple of days to get this place situated, and I promise the DeKalb crew a party in the near future. That's the way you gotta do it 'round herrr.

Flip's fiancé, Katie, was in town this weekend. What a great girl. They really both amaze me. Doing the long distance thing is not easy, but they've made it work. They've got a lot of tough decisions to make before next August 7 rolls around, but all of their decisions will be worth every moment lost in thought. Oh yes, I'll be at their wedding ... hopefully finding lots of cute, single women. I've actually been handed a daunting task: selecting 40 songs for their reception. Their deejay gave me a huge list, of which I get to pick 40, or half, of the songs to be played. The deejay picks the other 40. Thank the Lord though ... there is a place to write in songs that should NOT be played. That's right ... so long to "The Electric Slide," and "YMCA."

I'm on yet another search committee here at NIU. I've been assisting our women's soccer coach with finding an assistant. His second candidate flies in today. I'll be picking this guy up from the airport and taking him to dinner tonight. Nothing like a nice big juicy steak paid for by the athletics department! WOO HOO!

A received a call from the Associate AD for operations and facilities at Arizona State last Wednesday. Their position of Director of Operations and Facilities is open. I applied for this position back in July, and it looks as if they will be moving forward with the search this week. Due to the fall seasons starting up and their hosting of Arizona Cardinals football games, they've been quite busy over the past few weeks. The call was short and pleasant, as he wanted to know if I still had interest in the position. I, of course, answered yes. From what I've seen on the internet and heard from friends who've been there and my one friend who does work there, the ASU Athletics Department is top notch. Their facilities are brilliant, and the area is incredible. They should be performing phone interviews over the next week, and I would be honored to receive a phone call for this job. Don't get me wrong. I've very comfortable here at Northern and I'm in no immediate hurry to leave. I've done some good things here in only one year, and I plan for even greater things this year. However, if the opportunity of working for Arizona State presented itself, I'd jump all over it.

With that happening last week, I decided it was time to update the resume on the web page. The resume I send out is always current, but the one here sometimes falls behind. As I was looking over it, I realized something ... I've done a hell of a lot. And I'm only 26. No, I'm not saving peoples lives, but I thoroughly enjoy the profession I've decided upon. You've read all about my goals, and so many of you have shown your support and belief in me. I just feel fortunate to be able to do something I love. I love being around athletics. I love being around a university setting. I love putting on events. I love working with the coaches. I love making things as enjoyable as I can for the student-athletes. I love making the game day experience a memorable one for fans. It's just a great career. No matter where I work, or where I end up, I'm lucky.

Got the opportunity to hit Wrigley last Tuesday with Ek. I tell you what, you give us tickets to a Cubs game and you'd better watch out. Ek is the guru or Wrigleyville, and we ALWAYS do it right when we head down there. We had two extra tickets, but couldn't find anyone else to go. So what do we do? Sell them for beverage money! That's right kids, we're smart. It was my third Cubs game, of which the Cubbies have been victorious twice. You've never be able to destroy my love for the Jays, but Wrigley is just a freakin' great place.

I've got a lot of tap this week. We are less than two weeks away from our first home football game vs. Maryland. Among the 1 million other things I've got going on, I'm responsible for making the credentials for football this year. It's actually kinda fun, and I have had some editorial assistance from my buddy, Flex. I'll be sure to post a picture of the credentials so all of my dork design friends can give me feedback. My boss is out Tuesday due to a death in her partner's family, so I'll be heading up the football operations meeting. Should be fun.

I hope everyone has a great week. I promise to start checking in more often now that I'm settled into the new place. If anyone wants to stop by and check out this PIMP palace, just let me know.

Until next time.

ps - Don't forget about the ARGUS show September 6, at Fatty's here in DeKalb, IL.

It's not nearly as sad or as important as the closing of Spring Street, but today I close the door on 1400 Twombly Road, #2034. Yes, my first real residence in DeKalb is getting led out to pasture. And good riddance. It's not that this place was awful or anything ... well, it certainly wasn't great. I'm sure this place was pretty popular back in the 60s and 70s, when they were built. But aside from the refrigerator, I don't think this place has been changed one bit since it was built. I call it the ghetto, but it's really not. It did its job of housing me for 7 full months.

"Where am I going," you might ask. Well, for the next five days I am moving back to my boss' place. This is the same place I lived the first four months I was here. I'm staying there until I can move into my new apartment, which isn't until next Friday. The new place is gonna kick ass. Flip and I secured a four-bedroom townhome on Fotis Drive (what is it with the strange street names?). We might possibly add a third roommate, but that will be determined at a later date. Needless to say, I cannot wait. It's Flip's last year of bachelorhood, so I have to make sure he enjoys it. Don't worry Katie, nothing bad will happen. Well, I can't promise anything.

So I won't have access to my web page for a few days. I'm basically lazy, and I don't want to download the programs at work, which are used to update this lovely blog. So I'll wait until sometime next week ... that is, if we can get our cable hooked up that early. That also is to be determined. But over the next week, three lovely women will celebrate their birthdays, so I feel it appropriate to give them shout-outs now.

Tuesday is Kristen's birthday. She and I have really become good friends over the past few months. For this, I am fortunate. She is a lovely person. I see a lot of myself in her. She wants to be successful in anything she does. She is compassionate. She is emotional. She is verbal at times, yet recluse at others. Unfortunately I cannot celebrate her birthday with her, as she's heading to a Rockford Riverhawks game. Typically I'd be jealous of someone going to a baseball game ... BUT, that same night, I'm headed to the Cubs/Astros game at Wrigley. Club Level. Parking Pass. Thank you, very much.

Thursday is Gretchen's birthday. She is the assistant track coach here at Northern. She has also been my work-out partner all summer. Poor kid loves to run. LOVES it. But she's been unable to run the past couple of years due to what seems like a never-ending injury to her leg. She's just started running regularly again. I'm hoping the pain stays away, and that she enjoys her birthday with her boyfriend, who just recently moved to Naperville.

Wednesday is mom's birthday. I actually ordered her presents last night on-line. I love the internet. I just wish I could be there to help her celebrate. The past year has been a difficult one for mom, but she's been strong and survived everything. Without question, I hope I have her strength when I am her age. She makes up a great deal of my inspiration. Mom, I love you and I hope you have a wonderful birthday. Make sure Dad and sissy take you some place nice!

On Monday, my buddy Steve Ekhoff will be giving his two week notice to the athletic department. His tenure as assistant director of marketing is now over. It will be difficult for Northern to find someone to replace Steve. He's a damn good worker. The office certainly won't be the same without him. Neither will football road trips. Hopefully he'll make at least one before the year is over. OH, and don't worry ... Steve's duties as ARGUS drummer for the September 6 show are still set in stone. He'll be there. Will you?

It's official. Michael Turner's name has been thrown into the hat of Heisman hopefuls. Michael is a hell of a football player and a really good kid. He's going to have a lot of hype around him this year, as will the team. Typically I'd worry. I worried about Quincy after his freshman year at Georgia, and we saw how his collegiate career fizzled out. Michael's different. He seems very humble, and appreciative of what everyone is trying to do for him. He'll be in the NFL, there is no question about it. I just hope he and the rest of the boys can add another championship ring to my mantel.

That's it kids. 1400 Twombly Road, #2034 is just about done. I hope everyone has a great week. I'll be sure to babble more when I get reconnected to the internet world next week. Until then, remember this ...

Evil will ALWAYS triumph over good, because good is dumb.



ps - Don't forget about the ARGUS show September 6, at Fatty's here in DeKalb, IL.

And I'm back. That's right kids. After a nice and long relaxing week in North Carolina, I've returned for to begin my second year at NIU. It really was a much-needed break. After Going non-stop since January, it was nice to return home and be spoiled by my family and all my great friends. Everyone needs a little rejuvenation every now and again. But the week was a great one, and I'll try to recap as best I can.

I rolled into Winston Friday, July 25. My parents and I went straight downtown to an outdoor jazz fest. Had a great time. I love live music, so this was up my alley. My great friend Jon Dube, came up from Greenville, SC, to visit for the weekend. Dube was a fraternity brother of mine at UGA, and has always been a trusted friend. Of course, I hit good ol' Burke Street Pub both Friday and Saturday night. Come on, you knew that was gonna happen. As soon as I walked in the door, everyone made it feel like home. From the doorman, to the bartenders. Gotta love places that you just consider "your bar."

Monday, I went with the family to Sugar Mountain, NC. Dad couldn't make it due to work, but mom, sissy and I were accompanied by my aunt and cousin, Shelburn. She brought her son, Kale, with her. We were all very lazy over the next two days ... except for mom. She kept cooking, God bless her. Two quick observations from being with the family in the mountains:

1) Babies are loud. Babies are loud at dinner, at lunch, at breakfast and ESPECIALLY at 6 AM.

2) Reality TV shows are horrible. I mean really, can't we have congress pass some sort of law that prohibits any more of these damn foul things? NBC's "The Restaurant," is probably the only one I can tolerate. It actually has a story, and they don't have to pull you in with sex, or stupid gimmicks. Regardless, there should never be another reality show again. Unless it is about me. Then it is ok.

So I returned back to Winston Wednesday, for a lunch with WFU Ticket Manager, Joe Arnone. He's hilarious. A really good guy, with a lot of stories. Joe was easily one of my favorite people to work with while at Wake.

That evening, Erich and I decided to do a few songs at Rubber Soul's "open mic night." Surprisingly enough, we sounded really good. It was just E's guitar and my voice, which really makes me wonder how we pulled it off. Of course, this only begins to build on the excitement of the ARGUS show coming up in DeKalb next month. "Open mic" night was followed up by the old Wednesday Night Standard ... Karaoke at Burke. It was Lauren Cooper's last night in Winston before moving to Farmville, VA, and a job with Longwood University ... uhh huhuh huh uhhh ... I said ... yeah. So Big Red and I started the evening with a little of Bon Jovi's "You give love a bad name." Just a few songs after our evening debut, some chicks had THE NERVE to do Young MC's "Bust a move." Don't these people know that is jaylowe territory??? Well, they did a horrible job. Luckily enough, the DJ allowed me to do the song the CORRECT way about 30 minutes later. Red and I ended the night, serenading Coops with a little, "Brown Eyed Girl."

I spent most of Thursday visiting friends over at Wake. I can honestly say this ... sometimes when I return to UGA, I don't always feel welcome. Maybe it is just me being paranoid or silly, but sometimes I feel like when I come around, the people there are just waiting for me to beg for a job ... or are wondering, "why does this fool keep coming back"? But Thursday at Wake, I felt more welcome than I had at any place in a long time. I had some great quality conversations with a lot of people there. It was just nice to be around the kind folks there. Everyone honestly did make me feel like I was welcome.

That night I went over to visit with Steve, Christine and Jacob Adams. Damn, kids grow up SO fast. Last time I saw Jacob was over a year ago. Now he is walking, giving me high fives and almost speaking. It is amazing to see how fast these little things grow. It is obviously an amazing experience for both mom and dad. The family seems wonderful and in great spirits. It was a joy to be around all three of them.

Friday sissy and I spent some quality time. She and I actually hung out a lot over vacation, which was really nice. I had to take her to the mall on Friday though, so she could pick out some cool clothes for me. See, I'm getting older. As I get older, my "hipness" scale decreases. Sissy is always good on what is hip and what isn't. She and mom helped me pick out a few shirts from Banana, and I even broke down and bought a couple of DVDs at Best Buy. ***sidenote - Kristen told me they are opening a Best Buy in DeKalb, sometime in early to mid 2004. That is the greatest thing these ears have heard in some time.

After the jaunt to Best Buy, the entire family went out to dinner. Sis and I hung out both Friday and Saturday night at a few of the pubs. Good old fashioned bonding. I certainly don't get enough of that with Marian. I miss being away from her. She's turning into this great woman, and I'm only able to catch glimpses of it on vacations. Well, at least I know that I will make it to her graduation next May. I can't wait. I've got to come up with something fun for her and her friends.

Saturday afternoon I visited with Davis and his wife Nicole. He seems to be enjoying life at the ACC office, but I can tell he misses being around the actual college campus atmosphere. Who could blame him? It was great talking shop with him though. He had a lot of great advice and kind words for me. Even though we bickered from time to time at Wake, I owe a lot to Davis.

So Sunday rolls around, and there I am. Sitting in the airplane in Raleigh. In the airplane that was supposed to take off at 2:40 PM ... then 4:00 ... then ... oh wait, it was canceled. So I was luckily able to spend the night in Chapel Hill visiting with some friends I thought I wouldn't get to see over the break. Gotta love those Blue Cups at He's Not Here.

All in all the vacation was great, aside from two difficult realities my family is facing right now. My dad works for RJ Reynolds Tobacco. In case you didn't know, the tobacco industry has been taking quite a hit over the years. RJR is planning some serious lay offs in the September-October time frame. My dad is about 3 years away from retirement, so I'm hoping he gets spared. I'm not just saying this because he is my dad, but he is one of the hardest working people they have. And he's damn good at what he does. I hope they let him finish out his career. It'll be a stressful next couple of months for my parents for sure.

Also while on vacation, I found out my mom has been diagnosed with Diabetes. We have some history of it in both sides of the family, so it is a little nerve-wracking. Mom has been taking it well. The doctors tell her they've caught it very early, and that hopefully she'll be able to add foods and sugars back into her diet over the next few months. One thing I know is that it will help my mom eat better. Sometimes she worries so much about everyone else, she forgets to take care of herself. I think this will be a good way of making sure she stays healthy and eats right. She does so much for everyone in our family and for so many others outside our family. I just hope she starts taking care of herself and realizing that she is the most important part of our family. She keeps us all in line. She takes care of us all. I will admit it scared me a bit when she told me the news, but she is confident this isn't going to prevent her from leading a normal life. She just might have to cut back on those Cokes at 8 in the morning!

Well there is your wrap-up. Life is good ... and now it is back to reality. It hit me when i walked into the office this afternoon to plenty of emails, voice mails and regular mail. Such is life. At least I'm rested and ready for whatever is next.



ps - Don't forget about the ARGUS show September 6, at Fatty's here in DeKalb, IL.