The Great White North

Well, we had an eventful Christmas around the Gong household. We had what would be called baby drama I suppose. We found out shortly before coming to the Good Land that one of Wendy's cousins had a baby. Wendy's mom did not even know she was pregnant and we are talking about the family in Wisconsin the Gong's are closest to! If you want the full story call Wendy or Dora, it is jacked up.

What else...

Owen made out like a bandit this year while his parents did not get much of anything. I cannot even begin to count the number of toys that were opened just here in Milwaukee. Never mind all of the stuff that was already received in Cincinnati. I hope Owen is happy because he is not going to get anything new for a while.

Guitar Hero III rules. I finally was able to play this best selling game yesterday at Von's place. He finally bought a house and we played cousin Ken's Wii. Another thing that rules. Wendy really liked Guitar Hero III so there is hope for a new console gaming system in the house yet! It's all apart of my plan to take over the world. Muhahahaha.

It's Been A While

Hello people. Yes, I have not updated my blog in a long time so I guess there is nothing like the present. Not much has been going on lately. Work has been busy with all of the end of year stuff going on around Luxottica Retail as well as getting ready for SAP.

Owen is running around like a crazy man. Check out the NEW and IMPROVED Picasa site for photos. Wendy has the most recent website on her blog, I will update mine shortly. We are also trying to update YouTube as well to get some funny vids out there of the little man doing bazaar things.

Now that college football is over I have moved on to college basketball and the English Premier League full time for my sporting entertainment. SU basketball might have a tough year, our best player just went down with a torn ACL, not good. Newcastle sits in 10th place in the EPL and well, they have won the last couple of games but it's been UGLY. Function over form I guess but it is tough to watch.

We are once again headed up NORTH to the Good Land for Christmas. I am not saying holidays because it kind of makes me mad that we have done our best as a culture to not recognize anything anymore. Anyway, I digress. We'll see how Owen copes with being in a much smaller abode than our own. When we were in Milwaukee for Thanksgiving he got some serious cabin fever because he is used to a ton of space to run around in. Hopefully it will not be as bad as last time, we shall see.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Owen and The Kitchen

Owen Video of hime goofing around at dinner:

Owen Video

We also did an upgrade to the kitchen by replacing our crappy white counter tops with new beautiful granite ones. Check out the pics below:


We still have a few things to do to the kitchen before we are satisfied including new paint, new appliances, except the fridge, and new lighting over the island. All in due time.

Nana & Papa Are Coming, Nana & Papa Are Coming!

Nana and Papa Riker are coming to Cincinnati for a few days to hopefully watch their grandson Owen take his first steps around the house by himself. I am sure this will be another proud moment for him when it does happen. It seems like when ever he does something important for the first time he instantly recognizes his achievement. The smile that comes across his face is hilarious because he is so damn proud of himself. It's the little things right?

What else...

Wendy has been busy as heck with her Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean projects. I think maybe I should get one of those magnet's for the side of the Big Red Beast that says "OWEN TRANSPORT". That would be funny I think, sort of, well, maybe.

I guess the other big news is that we are replacing the counter tops in our kitchen with granite. That's right, we don't mess around. I cannot wait til that is done, it should look amazing I believe.

I hope all is well in the hinterlands and I will talk to everyone soon.

Wendy in Germany, SU Stinks!

For those of you that do not know, my wife is in Germany for training. Frankfurt to be exact. She could have waited 6 months to take the training in Cincinnati but her superiors wanted her to go much sooner. If you have any requests please let me know. I have requested a Schalke 04 jersey which, is a football team from Gelsenkirchen.

In lieu of Wendy being in Germany Sam and Dora have come down from the Great Land to help me out for a few days. Last night we went to Sichuan Bistro for dinner and you would have thought Owen had not eaten in days. We put all kinds of food in front of him and most, apart from the food that ended up on the floor, ended up in his belly. The kid can eat.

SU football, I don't even know why I am talking about it. I bet Mike Tirico wishes his alma mater were much better. I wonder what kind of schtick he gets from his peers. Anyway, they are 0-3 for the first time in 21 years and have only scored 34 points in 3 games. Pathetic.

I told everyone I knew that Greg Robinson should NOT have been hired but the AD was worried about plucking someone from a very successful USC team and it looking like he was biased. What the heck, are you serious? That is exactly what we want. We want a good coach and who can get the most out of his players! I wanted SU to hire Norm Chow but no, we get Greg Robinson instead. I normally say you should give a coach 4 years but in this case I will happily make an exception.

Flickr

Got an email from Flickr today concerning my new account and the new limits and restrictions that will be imposed once my free Pro trial ends. What a bunch of crap. Instead of this service being much like Yahoo photos they are deciding to charge for those same services we received for free from Yahoo prior to the switch.

So just to warn all of my friends and family, as of November 9th there will be some limitations according to sucky ass Flickr. You will only be able to see small photos and the last 200 that we have uploaded to Flickr; among other things. Why not just leave the service the way it was instead of charging for it?

This feels like buying a car. If you had power windows and locks and you want to buy a new car there is no way in hell you will get a new car without those amenities. Now you know why car dealers add weird features to the cars they have on the lot. If you get a car with some goofy feature you never had before chances are when you buy your next car you will order that feature.

Anyway, I digress. I will be looking into Google Photos more closely now I think. Tell all your friends Flickr sucks!

NJ and Other Things

Just got back from Princeton, NJ and I miss my family severely. When you grow up in a great family I don't think you realize what you have until you are away from them for a long time. This weekend was one of those times where I tried to cherish every single moment that happened over the course of 4 days. Pictures on our Flickr site will be coming soon.

Yesterday I read an article in the NY Times that was talking about Newark airport as the king of New York City airport delays. On average planes can depart anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple of hours late. My sister says "I wouldn't worry about that, most planes are on time it's only a few that skew the departure times." Wouldn't you know that our plane took off 75 minutes late yesterday.

Another interesting thing about this weekend was the fact that I had no idea I got to meet one of the foremost conservative minds in our country, Robert P. George. He is on Bush's bioethics committee and is a professor at Princeton University. What do you think we talked about most of the time? College football and baseball. My father and Robbie reliving their youth talking about all of the great baseball teams they saw while growing up.

Lastly, here is to Lisa and Bob for planning such a wonderful weekend. It is always a joyous occasion when the family can get together and celebrate just a little bit.

Brown Dog Cafe

I know our anniversary is still a couple of days away but we decided to celebrate a few days early. A busy week is ahead culminating with a trip to NJ for some partying. Due to this we went to Brown Dog Cafe on Friday night and it was splendid.

We started with a couple of appetizers, a crab and lobster spring roll and a fancy take on a Mexican salad with beef. For dinner Wendy had lamb and I had duck and they were both magnificent. To finish some key lime pie and coffee. All in all we rate the "Dog" DTU, double thumbs up. A link to this wonderful restaurant is below.

Brown Dog Cafe

All in all it has been a weekend of great food because last night we went to Dewey's. Regarded as one of the best pizza places in town. They serve all kinds of wacky pizza including one that is called Edgar Allen Poe. A link to Dewey's is below.

Dewey's Pizza

Only 5 more days til we are in NJ and we can't wait. That is all for now.

Upbeat Casual

What is upbeat casual anyway? My sister says that on Saturday, during her 5th anniversary function, we can wear upbeat casual clothing. I think one could surmise that depending on where you live that could mean completely different things. Lisa thought that folks only in places like New York or Chicago would have a clue. I will refer back to my wedding for a Cincinnati example but there is one caveat. There is a huge discrepancy as to how one dresses depending on if you reside on the east or west side of town.

We asked for Black Tie Optional hoping that people would wear at least suits and nice dresses and not the typical hill billy wear that I have seen at many a Cincinnati wedding. Fortunately for us we succeeded but for a couple of cases. Most of our friends are like us and are socially astute and wore appropriate attire. We did however have a couple of people wear khakis and a collared shirt which in my mind is not wedding appropriate if Black Tie Optional is requested. The people wearing said clothing were locals so as we all know, it is all relative.

My brother says you would not want to ask for upbeat casual in Rapid City. To be honest, I am not sure in Sodus the upbeat casual attire would be any better. Regardless I am going to wear some slacks and a nice shirt; most likely a button down. Hopefully that will suffice on my sister's 5th anniversary.

Birthday Parties and Summer Heat

We had a birthday bash for my son Owen on Saturday. We had 6 kids in the house under the age of 4, only 2 of which could not walk. It was entertainment to say the least and some would call it birth control. All in all it was good time but in some regard I am glad it's over.

Below is a picture of Owen eating his birthday cake:

Below is a picture of Owen opening his presents:

Humans as Lima Beans?

According to many scientists humans are regarded as lima beans by great white sharks. So I ask, why are we so afraid of them? Check out the video below:

Great White Shark Video

Tonight is golf night and it's supposed to 100 today. I can't wait, it will be so much fun!

Heat Advisory

Some people are getting rained on every day, some people get no rain and their lawns die. Below is a picture of my back yard and as you can see someone has built a pyramid back there. It is amazing what happens when you are not looking.

What else is going on... Owen turns 1 in 13 days which is pretty exciting. I see that my John and Patri survived Maia's birthday so hopefully we can do the same. We have planned a party on the 11th which coincides with the start of the English Premier League season.

I am also fortunate to be assigned to the SAP project here at work. SAP stands for Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung ("Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing"). Yes, that is German if you are wondering. This project is huge for our organization in trying to modernize our systems to the 21st century. This is no small task because we are upgrading from 20 year old technology. In IT terms that is like going from a Model T to a Ferrari Modena 360.

Golf is Not Great!

My scorecard from last night: par, par, triple, bogey, triple, bogey, bogey, birdie, par. In numbers that is: 5, 3, 7, 4, 7, 4, 5, 3, 5 which totals 43. That is terrible for me but I know I should not complain since most golfers only dream of such scores.

Weather note: IT IS HOT!! Supposed to be 96 in Cincinnati today with humidity of 100000%. I know I should not complain about that either since J, P & M are dealing with sun like temperatures in Rapid City.

I hope all is well in the four corners of our great nation. I can't wait to see everyone in 4 short weeks! That is all for now...

Golf is Great

Played golf last night, shot 37. 6 pars, 1 birdie and 2 bogies. Both bogies were avoidable too. My putting can be so horrible sometimes I think it drives my partner to drink. If I could just putt in an adequate manner I could have been -1 or -2 easily.

Owen is doing well these days, crawling all over like a crazy man. He really likes it and is always excited to move about our lovely home. For those of you concerned about Rocky he also is doing well.

The Democrat Debate

If you missed it the Democrats did a debate last night and answered questions via You Tube. What a novel idea, trying to answer questions straight from John Q. Public. The thing that is frustrating is how every candidate, in some cases, talked about policy rather than answering the question.

Politics. I wish I could make a wish, like Jim Carrey's son in Liar Liar, to have everyone tell the blatant truth for a whole debate. That would be truly amazing. Below is the link to the transcript of the debate.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-07-19-debate-transcript_N.htm

I am not a registered Democrat but if I were, I would vote for John Edwards. Much of what is in this transcript says why I would vote this way. Look at the answers, look who is talking common sense vs. doing the circle route on the questions. I hope lots of people agree with me, it would do this country a lot of good.

My Brother is Home!!

For those that don't know my brother has returned from his deployment in the Middle East. Anyone who reads this send your love and best wishes to Patri, John and Maia!!

My Clock is on Military Time

In observance of my brother being deployed my clock was switched to Military Time, or the 24 hour clock.

Immigration: Illegal or Otherwise

I ran across an article on the CNN website about immigration which, is a touchy subject in this country right now. I know some people just want to kick all illegals out and I know some people that say give them amnesty. Both are impractical for a multitude of reasons that don't need to be discussed here.

I just wanted to give everyone an idea of one example as to why people who are willing to work for lower wages helps our economy. One person interviewed for the article said he was willing to pick lettuce for $52,000 a year. Granted this is in California but, that is roughly the same amount an average family of 4 makes in the whole U.S. of A.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/16/navarrette/index.html

Too Many Birthdays!

Wendy and I have decided that there are way too many Riker associated birthdays in the summer. I will gladly take another month if it will help lighten the load. Maybe I can pick March, not much going on then is there?

US and Columbia

The US lost, again, to Columbia this time 1-0. The following headline pretty much says it all: Colombia 1-0 U.S: U.S. finishes tourney winless.

US and Paraguay

The US lost again last night, this time to Paraguay. The final tally was 3-1 which was not a good reflection of the game. The US actually dominated proceedings but could never get that second goal they desperately needed. Unless a miracle happens the Copa America for the US is effectively over.

Tonight we head to Milwaukee for our yearly July 4th pilgrimage to the "Good Land". Rocky has been hanging out in Milwaukee this whole time on vacation. I wonder how fat and happy he will be when we get there. Something tells me I will have to play ball a lot to get him back in shape.

If anyone else is travelling this week please be careful as always, the roads get a little wacky this time of year. Chicago should be filled with heart stopping splendor, I can't wait.

Rabid Fans and Voter Turnout

I was asked if I knew how well Americans turned out for elections. 2004 was the highest ever since 1968, at 64%, based a small bit of research. This is based on a percentage of registered voters. In total, if you count registered and non-registered voters above the age of 18, it's 55.3%.

As a side note all 3 elections in the 60s had over 60% turnout of all people over the age of 18. Registration data for the given period is not accurate due to many states not having their registrations properly counted. Regardless no where near the 80% Patri is talking about

Lisa and Patri have brought to note that they feel it is disturbing that some country's fans are so rabid. Lisa pointed out that many in Argentina feel as if it is a reflection on their economy. If it is doing poorly people act in a more liberal way and vice versa if the economy is doing well. On the outside looking in it appears they are crazy all of the time.

We did have one extraordinary event happen on the Owen front. Owen pulled himself up for the first time at approximately 8:30 PM on Saturday night. He was able to get himself up on a plastic picnic table that the Donoghue's own. We were of course at a party and Owen was not tired enough to sleep until after 11 I believe. The party animal lives on!!

Man I love the internet, check out this blog for knitters!!! I was just farting around clicking Next Blog and I came across this---> http://chrissythegreat.blogspot.com/

The US and Argentina

Last night the US Men's National Football team played Argentina last night. They were invited to a competition called the Copa America which is a tournament that is held every 2 years for the South American Championship. Why then is the US playing in this tournament? They were invited by the South American Football Association more or less along with Mexico. Don't forget, Mexico is actually on this continent.

Anyway, the US lost 4-1 and to be honest, this is not a surprising scoreline. The US basically sent the crappiest team they could get away with and still be allowed to play. The effort was a valiant one but none the less they were way out classed.

I guess the biggest reason I bring this up is because with Lisa being in Argentina she gets to have a first hand account of how 'rabid' the fans are about their football. She said the streets were empty while the game was being played and every hole in the wall bar had people in it glued to the TV.

Another reason I bring this up is because I am not sure Americans ever get this passionate about anything. In a way this is a sad reminder of the malaise our society has for everything. Our political system is in shambles and we have rich people trying to represent the poor; more like giving everyone the facade of representing the common man. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out most in DC don't give two craps about the average American.

I was reading an article the other day they said an average election cost over a million bucks just for the House of Reps. For the Senate 8 million bucks. The presidency? How much money will it take to buy that chair in 2008?

OK, I digress. On a positive note I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!!

Golf, Food and the Big Red Beast

I played golf this morning at Yankee Trace, they used to play a Nike Tour event there until fairly recently. I think I know why this is too. When a hack like me can step onto a golf course and shoot 74 the first time and 76 the next time, it's too easy. During my round I had 3 birdies and then a bunch of crap in between. Regardless I am very happy with a 76.

Last night Wendy and I went to dinner at a restaurant called Boca. It was absolutely fantastic. Our bill wasn't small but since we love good food it was worth it. There really is something to be said for wonderful food and good company. Happy Birthday to me!

One last note... As many of you know we have bought a new car; the GMC Acadia. It is sweet, we love it and are very glad we made the purchase. Wendy calls it the BIG RED BEAST. Pictures of the new ride are below for your viewing pleasure...

It's Friday!!

I know, I know. I am a blog slacker. It's been very difficult to write lately and the blog is not exactly top of mind on a daily basis. While Wendy is taking care of Owen or vice versa, we are cleaning and doing other things around the house.

Anyway, tonight is dinner at Boca. The number 2 restaurant in Cincinnati according to, none other than, Cincinnati Magazine. It trails only Jean Robert at Pigall's for fine dining in our wonderful urban sprawling metropolis. Wendy and I are very excited to go to Boca and have been talking about it for a while, we just needed an excuse to go. Luckily my birthday has arrived and that was good enough for us.

I hope all is well in lands afar, I will report back with all of the details tomorrow. After I play golf at Yankee Trace, a superb track in Centerville, OH. The last time I played there I shot a 74 but I have no illusions of grandeur. I would be very surprised if I equal that score once again.

Blogger Slacker

I am a blogger slacker... Oh well.

What language you choose will determine what people think of you and how they perceive you to be.

Owen Belly Laugh

Hello all, wanted to share some video of Owen laughing hysterically at our friend Kristi playing with a towel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9wQRAsQNAI

Buffalo Wild Wings Stinks!

Last week on Tuesday I took Owen to BW3s to spend time with some friends since Wendy was busy enjoying Lion King downtown. I have decided, without a doubt, their wings are the crappiest on the planet. The are tiny and over cooked so badly you need to add water to eat them. I don't know why I continue to make this mistake every time I go there but cheap food sucks you in like a black hole.

24 is on tonight, Jack is going after the Chinese, should be interesting. That is about the only weekday TV I watch besides CSI. I just can't get into anything else. Nothing has struck my fancy besides those shows. When they both finally run their course I am in trouble. I guess I will catch up on my reading. Or maybe I will take the time to actually learn the Chinese language, that being Mandarin.

I do have a beef this week and it is with the CBS golf announcers. During the last round of the Masters all these idiots could talk about was how Tiger was going to win because of several factors. Those included the fact that he is Tiger Woods and all should tremble in his presence. Just because of who he is the rest of the field would clearly buckle and he would make his standard back 9 run to win his 5th green jacket. This pissed me off because instead of focusing on the fact that someone else was playing better all they could talk about is how amazed they were that both of those things did not happen. Poor Zach Johnson, barely getting his due until Tiger finally finished his normal, human looking, round of golf.

That ends my rant for this week.

Puerto Rico & Easter

I have been slacking with the blog lately but a lot has been going on none the less. Went to Puerto Rico with Patri, Maia, Wendy, Owen, Lisa, Mom and Dad. We had a blast and can't wait to go back again. Lots of pictures on the yahoo sight.

This weekend Von and Wendy's parents are in town for Easter. We will probably head out to eat tonight to a Chinese restaurant to eat great food somewhere. King Wok or Sichuan Bistro are probably the top 2 choices.

That is all for now, until the next time, get the beers in! Cheers!

Dinner

I am adding to my blog tonight for the benefit of my sister. We had steamed fish and assorted sides, see below:


Wendy enjoying our wonderful meal:

The Riker Big Dance

I just want to note I am in first place... :) GO UCLA! Click on the green link below to check it out.

RIKER MARCH MADESS Standings

SU Wins... Barely

Well the NIT started last night for my beloved Syracuse Orange. They beat South Alabama 79-73 on the back of Eric Devendorf's 32 points. Demetris Nichols forgot to show up but we were fortunate to win anyway.

Newcastle plays the 2nd leg of their UEFA Cup tie with AZ Alkmaar. Newcastle won the first leg 4-2 but AZ has those 2 pesky away goals to deal with. Ha'way the Lads!

Owen Rolled Over!

We had a monumental moment last night; Owen rolled over. The unfortunate part of this story is he decided to try his stunt at 10:45 PM. After which, he stayed up until 1 AM or so. The boy would not go back to sleep. He was just laying there all cockeyed at a 45 degree angle against the side of the crib and wailing his brains out.

First we tried to put him back on his stomach again. We are lying in bed and we hear this thumping noise coming from Owen's room. Wendy says "What is that noise?" I say "Sounds like he is kicking the side of the crib." So I go in and guess what, Owen has rolled over again but this time more successfully. He is just hanging out looking at his mobile. I walk in, he giggles at me and starts to play. This is when I know we are in for trouble and it could be a long night.

Almost 2 and a half hours later with about 97 feedings, Owen is finally getting groggy. Although he caught a second wind and decided to get up on his elbows, lift his head up all the while lying on Wendy's chest. He is cooing away, eyes are wide open and we are both laughing because we have no idea when this will end.

Finally, after his 98th feeding, Mr. O-Monster passes out. Praise the Lord, halleluia, thank you Jesus, Owen is asleep! Let our sleep commence...

SU Not Dancing

SU, for some unknown reason, other than the selection committee smoking dope, has not made the Big Dance this year. Jim Boeheim said "If 10-6 in the Big East isn't good enough to get in, then I don't think we should be in the Big East." I completely agree, WTF? My mom says it's better for the sanity of my dad and me, I disagree. I would rather have a hope and a prayer that SU could make a run. Wendy would agree with mom however.

The ACC, for whatever reason, which is the most over rated conference in college basketball, got 7 teams in. What a load of crap. I would like to see the 12 ACC teams take on the top 12 Big East teams. I think I have a feeling I know what the outcome would be.

I understand the selection committee has a very tough job but, when every analyst out there says your team should be in, what factors are the committee looking at to decide SU to be out? Hopefully this will piss these kids off and they will win the NIT. Based on the field they certainly are one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the NIT.

4 AM Meltdown and Serving Sizes

This morning we experienced the 4 AM meltdown by one Owen Riker. It was completely out of the blue which makes it kind of funny. Normally he works himself up to the primal screaming and it's usually a slow process. Not this morning, 0 - 100 in a nanosecond. So after laughing for a couple of minutes I went and got him so he could graze on mom.

Wendy and were talking about serving sizes today in the car on the way to mall. I was making the comment that if I was a cookie company, for example, I would double what a serving size should be. Wendy was eating these graham stick things and the serving size says 14 which equates to 130 calories. I said I would make it 28 cookies and 260 calories. Are companies not allowed to set serving size? Does it have to equal say, 8 ounces or something? Does it have to equal 130 calories? I am just wondering if there is anyone out there that knows the answer to these questions. Maybe Wikipedia has the answer...

SU Loses, Newcastle Wins!

SU lost yesterday in the Big East tournament to Notre Dame, 89-83. How can you possibly beat a team that shoots well from behind the arc and you don't. The answer is you can't, that is what makes March Madness well; MAD! Joe Lunardi, who writes for ESPN.com thinks we will be a 10 seed and play the Dookies in the first round. I hope that is true and I hope SU beats the crap out of them.

On a positive note, Newcastle United beat AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Cup, 4-2. From what I have read and the highlights I saw it was a deserved victory and probably could have been worse. The only thing that is troublesome is this thing they call away goals. Should AZ win the second leg 2-0, they would go through to the next round of the UEFA Cup due to away goals. The aggregate score would be 4-4 but because of the away goal rule, Newcastle goes home.

On another note... I don't know why men refer to teams as "Us" or "We". I am guessing we like associating ourselves with something that is greater than who we are. That however, is just a SWAG, a stupid wild ass guess.

I Appreciate Comments

Thank you everyone for your comments, I did not realize there was a setting that controlled such things. Wendy will appreciate the ginger comments as well.

I was just reading something about the most stolen cars in the US. It popped up in my MSN messenger as a link and I could not resist. However, it was the LEAST stolen cars that was of interest because to me, it is funny to see what cars pop up on there. Much to my non-surprised glee here is the list of least stolen cars:

Ford Taurus
Pontiac Vibe 4WD
Buick LeSabre
Buick Park Avenue 4dr

All American cars, are we truly surprised by this? I doubt it. All of these are truly some of the ugliest cars in recent memory.

Syracuse is currently giving every one of their fans another heart attack by keeping UConn in the game it seems. The score is 40-38 as I write this with 18:51 to go in the 2nd half. I sure hope to God they go on a run and put UConn out of their misery. One would think we are in the Big Dance but somehow I have a feeling if we end the season losing to both Villanova and UConn we are NIT bound. Honestly it would serve us right for not beating teams we should have all season long anyway.

Wendy and Tom Need Help!

Today was the big shopping extravaganza. We went to Costco, Target, Barnes & Noble, Old Navy and Biggs. We tried to do the smart thing and make a list especially for Biggs because we are always forgetting something. I ask this question, if you make a grocery list and don't use it is it a waste of paper? It's in our pockets the whole time but we fail to use it.

So long story short, going to all of these places must have created a brain leak because we forgot all kinds of stuff at the grocery store. Namely green onions, ginger and coffee creamer. The only reason I even bring it up is because we have made Chinese food 3 weeks in row and 3 weeks in a row we have forgotten to get green onions and ginger.

Green onions and ginger happen to be the 2nd and 3rd most important ingredients when making steamed fish. The same steamed fish Bob and Lisa could not get enough of the last time they were here. It's essential and we forget it the last 3 times we know we are going to make this dish for dinner.

On another note it's Sunday already which sucks, we have to go back to work already. Weekends are too short especially now with Owen. Oh well, back to grind so we can pay the bills...

A Night at Slims

Last night Wendy and I went to Slims, a small restaurant in Northside, Cincinnati. Adam and Andrea watched Owen for us so we could enjoy a date night for once. Cincinnati Magazine just rated Slims as the #4 restaurant in town so we were definitely excited to take the venture.

There are a few things that make Slims cool. The owner, Patrick McCafferty, looks like a college professor and drives a lime green scooter. Slims has communal seating, big tables so many people, even those that don't know each other, can eat and socialize with everyone around them. Slims is BYOA, Bring Your Own Alcohol; this way you are not held captive to the wine list provided by the restaurant. Last and probably the most important, you can get world class food for a Prix Fixe price of 35 dollars. No, that is not a typo, 35 dollars. If this restaurant was downtown, he could charge whatever he wanted and people would pay it.

The meal started with two freebie appetizers, one being duck confit on puff pastry and a yam mash on the same puff pastry. Both a tasty morsel to start the evening off nicely.

Next came our appetizers, Wendy had the Vatapa. A sublime combination of curry, coconut, onions and tomatoes. I had one bite and was wanting more but Wendy drained the bowl. I had the Shrimp and Scallop Seviche, which again, was a wonderful combination with just enough spice to spark the palate.

For the official second course we each had the Crab, Mango and Avocado salad. This my friend was the highlight of the evening and worth the price of admission. It was delectable, creamy and melted in your mouth. The added Spanish influenced spice made it the most enjoyable and tasty dish of the evening. I could have eaten this salad for my meal. All they needed to do was find the biggest plate they had of the stuff and I would have been in heaven.

In between our salad course and main course we received a cheese plate with 3 different kind of cheeses and some roasted grapes. We also received a mango sorbet to cleanse the palate for our main course. Onto the main courses...

Wendy had Lamb Shanks on top of a Cuban flavored polenta which was fantastic. The lamb fell off the bone and had no hint of gaminess. Overall the flavors meshed well together but unfortunately one of the shanks was a little overcooked.

My meal was very good but I think erring on the conservative side was a mistake. I had the Pork Tenderloin which came with a mash that had so many flavors it was almost tongue overload. The pork came with, what I would describe as, a bechamel sauce flavored with a lot of butter and white pepper which complimented the pork nicely. It unfortunately saved the dish because the pork was over cooked and chewy. I could not believe after all of the master pieces we had eaten so far my main meal could be so disappointing.

Last and not least and probably second best thing we ate last night was the Pear Gelato. It was simply magnificent. It was so good I can not even do it justice here, you simply have to taste it for yourself. My mouth is watering as I type this right now.

Overall the evening was fantastic, we left undeterred and cannot wait until our next trip to Slims. I think the next time however, I will go for the gusto and order something with a little more pizazz. Wendy was very happy with her meal but mine being so simple, seemed to be handled with not as much care. I would have to guess had I ordered something more flamboyant I would have been happier with my main course meal.

March Madness Soon Cometh

There are 3 or 4 sporting events that supersede all others when it comes to Tom Riker's level of interest. It is more or less a meter that I measure all other sporting events by. Call it what you wish but there they are in order:

1) World Cup
2) English Premier League Season
3) March Madness
4) College Football Bowl Season

My wife would probably add a few more to this list but, since it is my blog her contribution is minimal. This is not the Sports Guy blog where the Sports Gal gets to have her sidebar interjections on basically nothing in particular. Anyway, as you can see, #3 on the list is quickly approaching and my divorce might be imminent, I just don't know it yet. :)

March Madness is only a week away with conference championships starting next week. If you love college basketball this is your time of the year. You can watch 3+ games every day of conference championship basketball. It's a spectacle to behold that is for sure. If you don't have a job you can stay up until 2 in the morning watching teams battle it out for NCAA tournament bids. Those who would like to keep their jobs and stay married should probably watch in moderation.

Syracuse won again last night which extends their current winning streak to 5. They are now 10-5 in the Big East and if they win again this weekend could get a bye in next week's Big East tournament. They have won the Big East tournament 2 years in a row and have been bounced in the first round of the NCAA's two years in a row. 4 games in 4 days takes it's toll as noted by the last 2 years.

Owen is now a crazy bouncing baby. If you have not seen him go berserk in his jumper look at my posts below. There are some videos that show how crazy he is when excited. Also check out Wendy's blog for updates on his 6 month check up. Apparently he was very serious and got in a stare down with the good doctor. He was pretty crabby after receiving 4 shots yesterday but like I said, nothing the jumper couldn't fix.

Another thing he is doing is making screeching noises to get our attention. If he is playing or bouncing in his jumper he will make crazy noises so you will look at him. It's not good enough to just play, oh no, we have to make sure mom and dad are watching at all times. Of course it is worth it because when you do turn around he gets the biggest smile on his face anyone could imagine. We are truly blessed with a wonderful baby.

Newcastle has moved to the bottom of the page because they lost to the 16th placed team in the English Premier League. It disgusts me to think we would put in such a paltry effort when European football is so close and within reach. Missing a penalty also does not help and has cost us a few points this year. There is always next year and hopefully the injury list will be much smaller than this year. We need guys like Michael Owen in the lineup day in and day out. Next year could be very exciting should our team stay healthy. Ifs, ands or buts; coulda, woulda, shoulda. We will see.

More Owen Bouncing

Bouncing Baby Boy

Owen Videos:
Sumo and His Mobile
Kill da Wabbit

CHINESE HOROSCOPE - RABBIT
2007 is the year of change for the Rabbit. 2007 is neither a lucky nor an unlucky year for Rabbits. This Year of the Pig is one of change. Whether the end results are positive or negative, they will each bring you to the next phase of your life.

'Star San Tai' and 'Star Jiang Xing' are the stars in your Central Palace (Central Constellation), and this will seemingly have Rabbits focus on certain needs for their relatives and community within this year. You will have the opportunity to deal with important matters or other topics, as well. In addition, you may decide to change your name to a prior one, or even one from your family's history.

Do not be disillusioned by your lack of accomplishment in 2007! The goal for you this year, Rabbit, is to focus on transformation. From the possibility of uprooting you and your family to a new location, to the possibility of a new career, change is in the air for you. You must allow yourself to recognize this so you are not frighted by how the year will reveal.

There will be no help from others this year; your energy will not allow that to happen, and this will affect many other things. From the way your tides of fortune flow; from your personal riches, to your relationships, and finally, to matters of health will all be of consequence. It is of importance that you become thrifty this year in all areas. This means you need to put aside some extra money, store a supply of provisions, and resist expending too much emotional energy. While it may be hard for you, Rabbit, you must limit how much you offer to others this year.

While this may dismay you, this year will teach you much, and will bring about a fresh drive to your life. In fact, you may even feel energized by it! 2007 is the impetus that will alter the years ahead, leading you to much luck, joy, and pleasure from 2008 and beyond.

Famous Rabbit: David Beckham, Brad Pitt, Hilary Duff, Bertie Ahern, Drew Barrymore, Harry Belafonte, Ingrid Bergman, St Bernadette, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, James Caan, Nicolas Cage, Thomas Carlyle, Lewis Carroll, Fidel Castro, John Cleese, Confucius, Marie Curie, Johnny Depp, Albert Einstein, George Eliot

What up people? Last night was another exciting episode of 24, the show that makes you go crazy you have to wait another week to watch. This year's version is interesting due to Jack Bauer's suicidal tendencies, truly bazaar and a break from years past. Also, finally a season with no inside help for the evil doers.

Wendy is finally back in the swing of things with work, although her days are spent on the phone and in meetings it seems like. I guess that is what happens when you are smart and are able to organize lots of people for a big project.

Owen seems like he is getting ready to explode either crawling or running around. He cannot sit still that boy. I better get my soccer field setup downstairs so he can run around down there without causing too much destruction. I think I am going to have to put rubber padding on everything I have a feeling.

The Daytona 500 is done, Kevin Harvick beat Mark Martin by a nose. too many crashes though, NASCAR needs to figure something out so these guys are not acting like idiots at the end of a race. On another note I have entered a NASCAR pool here at work. I thought I was going to end up dead last after the first week because the driver I pulled out of the hat was #6, David Ragan, some rookie I have never heard of. Fortunately for me, after all of the wrecks he finished 5th, truly amazing. Wendy was making fun of me all afternoon because every time I checked on the race he was laboring in 38th place or something crazy. I guess there is something to be said about hanging out in the back like it's a Sunday drive, avoid the wrecks and finish 5th.

The Ice Death is upon us! Or so the locals say. The grocery stores are crammed with people who are going berserk because of this goofy storm that is going through Cincinnati as I write this. You would have thought the apocalypse was coming with the way people are acting. Plus with the idiot drivers on the road that think 4 wheel drive makes it possible to go 100 miles an hour on ice it makes for an interesting experience. Note to those who have 4x4s, ice does not give a rats patootie about 4 wheel drive.

Here is a picture of ICE DEATH!

Wendy went back to work recently and let me tell you, getting her up in the morning is like trying to wake up a hibernating bear. DON'T DO IT! Even writing this one may think I am crazy but she would even admit she is a little unbearable in the morning. I just go with the flow baby.

Newcastle and Syracuse won this past weekend so that makes it a good weekend as far as sports go in the Riker household. The Orange are driving my father and I nuts these days, they are as inconsistent as it gets. I don't want to talk about it anymore because I will probably have a stroke sitting here typing this.

Owen is laughing at everything these days. It is a joy to have such a happy baby. He is getting bigger and stronger by the day. I swear he is going to walk before he crawls. He loves standing up and, one day before I even know it, he will be running around this place like a tornado.

The Super Bowl has come and gone so what next sports fans? In 2 weeks there is the Daytona 500 and a couple of weeks after that is March Madness. For me there is still footy, soccer for those who choose to call it by the American/Canadian name, to watch until May or so.


Back to the Super Bowl, or the Monsoon Bowl... Did anyone seriously think the Bears were going to win last night? They looked terrible. Grossman had a chance to play well but made a couple of mistakes, as usual, that cost the Bears the game. Or did he? The Colts had the ball so much can you fault a guy for only getting a couple of snaps every quarter? The Colts had the ball for 20 minutes just on the first half alone. The vaunted Bears defense couldn't stop a runny nose last night.


My boy Oguchi Onyewu made his debut for Newcastle United this past weekend and to be honest, he was their best player. That's pretty sad considering he is a defender, does not bode well for the scoreboard. Which obviously was true because we lost to Fulham, who stinks, 2-1. I guess NUFC stinks worse. We play Liverpool at home on Saturday, I hope they show a little more effort than they did this past weekend otherwise it could get ugly.


Owen is growing like a weed. He is getting to the point where everything is funny and is starting to really laugh. That is probably one of the things I get the most joy out of on a daily basis, making my son laugh. He is so cute it is ridiculous.


The weather is also ridiculous for Cincinnati... It was 0 this morning, ZERO! I am not complaining but I just wanted to say that it is cold here. The high today is going to be 12 which is 27 degrees below our normal temperature for this time of the year. I am guessing places like Autozone were doing great business on batteries this past weekend.

24 starts in 44 minutes, I can't wait, this show rules. My wife and I both love it. Something we both like and can enjoy watching together. Believe me, our TV watching habits are extremely different.

Mondays are kind of tough for the O-Monster. A) he doesn't want to eat from the bottle according to Barb, the woman watching our son and B) after a weekend of rest and relaxation for the boy, he is a crab apple because his wonderful schedule gets all out of whack. What about us Owen? Hmmm? Ha, just kidding of course... maybe. :)

NUFC do indeed look like they are going to sign Oguchi Onyewu, one of the biggest football (soccer) players I have ever seen. He is built for the Premiership, I can't wait to see him run someone over. Here is a picture of the big guy below...



My brother deployed overseas yesterday. It feels kind of bazaar knowing that he is going to be many miles away in a foreign land serving his country. It is a very surreal moment and Patri will be home with Maia for 6 months while John hangs out far, far away. No worries, we will be seeing her in 54 days and we all cannot wait. Puerto Rico watch out, the Rikers are coming!

I had to DVR 24 on Monday because I did not get a chance to watch it. Wendy had a play to go on Tuesday so we finally watched it last night. Man, 24 rules, that is all I know. I know parts of it are fairly unrealistic, like being able to get to all parts of LA in 5 minutes. We ALL know that is a bunch of bunk.

Reports are that Onguchi Onyewu, the big American defender who was probably their best player in the world cup, is being touted to go to my beloved Newcastle United. I hope it's true but Glen Roeder, the manager, says he isn't interested in signing him. What a fool.

Owen is growing like crazy, it seems as though he is getting stronger by the day. He is getting to the point where he is able to sit up by himself and hold him self up when he is on his belly. Pretty impressive if you ask me. It is amazing to see the transformation unfold before your eyes. Pretty soon I'll be watching him run around a soccer field scoring crazy goals.

Well, what a week and a half... The national championship was decided, Florida crushed OSU, and the Superbowl is now set, Bears vs. Colts. "Are You Ready For Some Commercials?" I better trademark that now so I can make some money.

Florida vs. OSU:
What a blowout, I think OSU forgot to get off the bus. I don't care that Ted Ginn was out for the whole game other then his electrifying kickoff return, Jim Tressell was flat-out out coached in that game. That was the first time I had ever seen that happen to be honest. It was amazing to see OSU not make the necessary adjustments to get back in the game. I bet the OSU message boards will be going crazy for a while.
For Florida, wow, Urban looks like a genius. His team was so well prepared it was sickening. It did not matter what OSU tried to do they had an answer for everything. With Tebow coming back Florida has to be in the top 5 teams next year.

Superbowl
Colts vs. Bears, O vs. D. It does not get much better than this, Peyton vs. Bears D. I don't know who to root for in this game. I am a Cowboys fan so naturally I have an affinity towards NFC teams but I would love to see Peyton win a Super Bowl unlike Marino. All I know is we are having a party for the 4th year in a row and it should be a good time.

Newcastle United
These guys drive me crazy, we should be in the top half of the league table but we can't even beat the 19th place team. OK, we went down 2-0 in the first 25 minutes but after that it was total domination. If not for 3 or 4 tremendous saves by Carroll in the West Ham goal that game would have been 4-2 easily.

Syracuse
We beat Marquette on the road, then only beat Cincy by 1 at home and then lose to St. Johns who might be the worst team in the league not name South Florida. These guys drive me crazy too. Where is the energy? the effort is sometimes so pathetic I want to break something.

As far as the football team goes.... they suck. Greg Robinson should be fired and we should hire Norm Chow. That is all I am going to say about that.

Well tonight is the BCS Championship game and the culmination of a great college football season. Ohio State vs. Florida, it doesn't get much better than this, hopefully the game will live up to the hype. I live in Cincinnati and people are going crazy, many people are wearing Scarlet and Gray. Whatever the hell scarlet is anyway. I thought it was a character in Gone With the Wind? I saw a guy dressed like Jim Tressell, only in Ohio.

This year has been very interesting in the world of college football, Rutgers went 11-2, Boise St. beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and 3 Big East teams will probably end up in the top 10 when the final polls come out. No, you did not read that wrong, 3 Big East teams, the lowly Big East, the basketball conference.

Syracuse finally won a basketball game against a team in the top 25, Marquette in Milwaukee. I have no idea how they lose to Pitt at home and then win on the road against Marquette. Pitt is not that good, SU was just worse on that night. Pitt are a bunch of thugs posing as college basketball players to escape the law I think. I don't know how we got homered by the away team but it happened. What would you call that, Awayed by the refs? Ha, what a farce.

My son is almost 5 months old which seems crazy to me, I can still remember the day he was born. Next I will wonder what the hell happened to my life and I will be 50 and watching him graduate High School. It is so hard to take life one day at a time, the days just whiz on by, it's scary how short life really is.

I am applying for a job back in EyeMed. I said at one point I would never go back there but if this opportunity works out I cannot pass it up. However, I would only leave my current position for something that is equivalent to the level I would be should I get promoted soon. If this does not work out I will stay where I am, I will not take another lateral move. Besides, things are going well in my current department.

That is all for now.

It's Thursday and has been a great week of college football. Boise St beat Oklahoma, LSU killed ND and Louisville beat Wake. I honestly am not surprised by any of these results, I knew Boise St. would give Oklahoma all they could handle and possibly more.

So that begs the question, should there be a playoff? Maybe, there is no answer that is easy I can tell you that. Between money and these smaller conferences it's a mess. Ok, BSU beat OU but that was a one off, they had time to get healthy and prepare for the Juggernaut that is OU.

I think right now some type of plus 1 format would be best. However, when you look at the way LSU and USC both dispatched their opponents this week I think both could lay claim to being one of best 4 teams in the country. If OSU wins the point is mute and everyone goes home happy, especially the BCS committee.

I also posted a new picture of myself and Owen on my page. My future soccer(football) star, I hope anyway. SU plays Pitt tonight on ESPN, should be interesting. Pitt has been struggling and SU can't beat anyone who is decent, we'll see how that goes.

My XBox 360 crusade continues, I think I will end up getting one, just not sure when. I went over to my friend Matt's house since he just got one for Xmas and holy crap, it is awesome. I was playing Gears of War and that is one of the craziest games I have ever seen. The graphics are amazing...