2010 Blog

For this post we're going to go on a journey to 1995, when I was in first grade. 

I don't remember much from the time but it is the first time in my life that I started realizing and caring what year it is. Before you get to a certain age (Men of a Certain Age), what year it is doesn't even matter, you get fed and bathed and you don't have to worry about anything. In school we had a special assignment to color in the books that the town had made for the 150th year of the town that was also happening that year. I remember that everything said 1995 on it but I was starting to realize that the end of the year was coming and that the dates on everything were going to be a year off. This kind of upset me in a weird way but I think I felt like that because it was the first time I thought about how time passes and before you know it, it's some distant year... like 2010. 

Another thing about new years is when one passes I always mess up and write the last year in the date. It's frustrating that as an adult you sometimes still make the same mistakes you've been making since 1995. But, it's also pretty cool because you get the chance to make much more complex and fun mistakes as time goes on.

Bringing things to the present, it is 1/1/2010, I am sitting here on my computer digesting the orange juice and feeling a little hungover from the celebrations last night. Now I can't say that the parties at Sheila's aren't great parties, but the mix of people is usually very even and fun oriented. Last night was no exception. It got off to a slow start and I almost blogged about it. Thankfully I didn't. It wouldn't have been very good. I had only $5 for the entire night but somehow the 12 pack that me and Ryan bought for ourselves did us very well, considering it was straight Budweiser. I had a lot of jello shots, a shot of Maker's Mark (which was a mistake) and ate a lot of appetizers as I had no dinner last night. Midnight was celebrated with 72 poppers distributed to 15 to 20 young folks as well as plastic glasses of champagne. We counted down from some strange number and didn't even turn on the TV, which I thought was just not right but I didn't dwell... 

2009 was an incredible year, I spent a third of it in Korea and when I got back, had one of the most fulfilling semesters ever. Met a girl, enjoyed the camaraderie of my apartment, and made content. I couldn't have asked more of 2009. It delivered, oh boy did it deliver. 

I will leave you with a quote that I'm going to find right now by searching famous quotes on google, hold on. . . . . . . "100% of the shots you don't take don't go in." - Wayne Gretzky

From all of us at The Train of Thought Machine, Happy New Year and many many more to come,

Matt Spiro

Hat Blog

Hey ya'll, just wanted to let you know I got a cool new hat. It is faux fur on parts of the inside and outside and it is so warm and awesome. I've wanted one ever since I wore Sean's at the tribute rage. That's about it. Tomorrow is New Years Eve, I'm going to be wearing my hat all night and I'm going to ring in the new year with drinks and general holiday cheer. Heads up 2010, I'm going to make you my bitch!

Monday Blog

It's monday, but not just any monday, it's the monday between Christmas and New Year. It is a time when people prepare for New Years while still reeling from Christmas. What will I be doing with my day? I think getting a phone with working buttons is first, finding if I have any work I can do at the warehouse, and then just try to keep existing with very close to no money. On the brighter side of things, my Buddy Jim's friend is planning an ice skating thing at Millennium Park. That would be cool because I've never been there and I don't think I've ever even ice skated outside. My no money situation has be in trouble there and even more because a trip to Giordano's follows. I would like to go, it would be a good time, but can I get myself together before tomorrow night? Tune in to find out.

Christmas Blog part two

The presents were open and the brunch was had, everyone had a good time. Is there really anything better than a breakfast you only get once a year? People have cleared out for the most part and the afternoon limbo begins. Currently I'm burning a copy of the It's always Sunny in Philadelphia christmas special. It is taking forever to burn though for some reason. I also got a coffee grinder that is much needed in my apartment and indeed the rest of my years. Finally I can get some fresh beans up in my place. I got a book on Japanese swords that has a picture of almost my exact sword which is really cool. I've almost decided to get more in to swords, hopefully that doesn't interfere with my personal life... anyway, things are good here and it is Christmas and everyone is really filled with cheer. Boy do I love Christmas! 

Christmas Blog part one

It is officially Christmas, yes. But I still have some sleeping to get done. I got the bamboo cutting board for my mom. She really wanted it and I was concerned about how much it would cost because due to the decisions I make with money, I didn't have as much for presents as I initially intended. I think everyone will be happy with what I gave them, though I think my sister Annie and my dad may feel slighted. Annie got just what she asked for, and for my dad, it's impossible so I got him a starbucks card. Whatever. Everyone's gift will be useful in some way, even laura's, Twilight Scene-It edition. 

On a different note, I've been getting software from Laura's boyfriend Eric and one thing I got that's really impressive is the Toast 10 Titanium, which can basically take any kind of video and make it burnable. Awesome. This way I can follow through on giving everyone Christmas 1990. Last year's edition was awful and poorly executed in a perfectly wrong way. I can finally make up for it. 'll be burning all night and a little tomorrow it's looking like.

I also took a picture from facebook of my immediate family posing. My dad looks crazy thin compared to the picture that's currently at my grandpas so I'm giving him a copy to replace it. I'll post it here because it is a darn impressively attractive photo of the family and that only happens like once every 10 years. I'm happy I have the initiative to do things like this, because nobody else seems to care to. Well, I should be going to sleep soon, after I start this DVD. I have 4 more to burn. Good night and have a wonderful Christmas everyone. 

From everyone at The Train of Thought Machine, happy holidays and have a prosperous new year, I plan on it!

Keeping It Up

Blogs are funny. I'll go months without using it and then it becomes really useful. I found out about a sword that my grandfather got in Korea. He gave to me and it's really amazing. But I posted some pictures here so that sword enthusiasts could determine what kind of sword it is and where it came from exactly. This is what I found out: Made sometime between 1906 and 1945, (probably closer to 45) it was a sword for a low ranking Japanese officer during the occupation of Korea. It is rare because of the efforts to destroy all the confiscated swords at the end of the occupation period. My grandpa got it and brought it back to America then and it's been sitting in his closet since then. I really love the thing and since i received it I became a member of swordforum.com. I'm not saying I'm going to start collecting swords, but if I was to, this would be a perfect start to a collection.

This has also been a special week because an old friend, Dan Puzzo, and I watched Houseguestw with Sinbad on DVD. You might ask yourself, 'Why would anyone want to do that?' Well, let me explain myself. We watched it a number of years ago around the time that it came out on VHS. We tried to keep it the same as last time, except this time we had Rolling Rocks, popcorn and Chex Mix. It we had been planning this for 3 years, trying to do it almost every summer break we had but we never got around to it until 3 days ago.  

Oh and getting back to the title and the point of the post. I haven't been faithful to my 2 followers and with the christmas season upon us, I figured this would be the best way to share in the giving spirit of Christmas. New pieces of business include working in a warehouse bending metal hooks to replace them with caribeeners, rockclimbing type clip. I went to a Blackhawks game and it was sweet. Had Kuma's Corner for the first time, and built 3 huge snowmen over the course of a week. 

Christmas is tomorrow and the spirit is all up in me to a ridiculous degree. (ie. the sweater) I have one more gift to buy, for my mom. hopefully bamboo cuttingboards are under $30...AND HERE'S A VIDEO I MADE FOR YOU!

MERRY CHRISTMAS,

MATT SPIRO