Can8ianben's Blog

Ballpark Update

2011-09-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

As we cross the country, we have a few ballgames scheduled.

Here are my updated ballpark stats:

No longer in use:

1. Municipal Stadium, Cleveland Indians
2. Tiger Stadium, Detroit Tigers
3. RFK Stadium, Washington Nationals
4. Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees
5. Shea Stadium, New York Mets

Still in use:

1. Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome), Toronto Blue Jays - dad took me to my first game here.
2. Progressive Field (formerly Jacob's Field), Cleveland Indians - mom's family is from Ohio
3. Comerica Park, Detroit Tigers
4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles
5. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds
6. Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
7. Citizen's Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies
8. Turner Feild, Atlanta Braves
9. PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Rangers
11. Angel Stadium, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
12. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers
13. Nationals Park, Washington Nationals
14. Petco Park, San Diego Padres
15. AT&T Park (formerly Pacific Bell, and SBC Park), San Francisco Giants
16. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (formerly Network Associates Col., and McAfee Col.), Oakland Athletics
17. Safeco Field, Seattle Mariners
18. Chase Field (formerly Bank One Ballpark), Arizona Diamondbacks
19. Coors Field, Colorado Rockies

2010-06-29T14:36:00.001-07:00

Ben's Ballpark Quest update

2010-06-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

Our recent trip to Phoenix has once again changed my lifetime ballpark's visited list. This time we saw the Diamondbacks take on the Yankees at Chase Field.

Here are my updated ballpark stats:

No longer in use:

1. Municipal Stadium, Cleveland Indians
2. Tiger Stadium, Detroit Tigers
3. RFK Stadium, Washington Nationals
4. Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees
5. Shea Stadium, New York Mets

Still in use:

1. Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome), Toronto Blue Jays - dad took me to my first game here.
2. Progressive Field (formerly Jacob's Field), Cleveland Indians - mom's family is from Ohio
3. Comerica Park, Detroit Tigers
4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles
5. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds
6. Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
7. Citizen's Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies
8. Turner Feild, Atlanta Braves
9. PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Rangers
11. Angel Stadium, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
12. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers
13. Nationals Park, Washington Nationals
14. Petco Park, San Diego Padres
15. AT&T Park (formerly Pacific Bell, and SBC Park), San Francisco Giants
16. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (formerly Network Associates Col., and McAfee Col.), Oakland Athletics
17. Safeco Field, Seattle Mariners
18. Chase Field (formerly Bank One Ballpark), Arizona Diamondbacks

2010-05-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

testing... one. two.

2010-05-21T11:17:00.001-07:00

this is not a test.

Ben's Ballpark Quest Update

2009-09-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

After my recent northwest trip, my goal to visit every ballpark in the major leagues has changed. This season saw me lose two of these parks as both New York teams opened new stadiums. They have been added to my "No longer in use" list and have been removed from the other list. Safeco in Seattle has also been added to the list bringing my total up to 17.

Here are my updated ballpark stats:

No longer in use:

1. Municipal Stadium, Cleveland Indians
2. Tiger Stadium, Detroit Tigers
3. RFK Stadium, Washington Nationals
4. Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees
5. Shea Stadium, New York Mets

Still in use:

1. Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome), Toronto Blue Jays - dad took me to my first game here.
2. Progressive Field (formerly Jacob's Field), Cleveland Indians - mom's family is from Ohio
3. Comerica Park, Detroit Tigers
4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles
5. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds
6. Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
7. Citizen's Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies
8. Turner Feild, Atlanta Braves
9. PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Rangers
11. Angel Stadium, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
12. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers
13. Nationals Park, Washington Nationals
14. Petco Park, San Diego Padres
15. AT&T Park, San Francisco Giants
16. McCaffee Coliseum, Oakland Athletics
17. Safeco Field, Seattle Mariners

Break-up letter

2009-05-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Toronto Blue Jays,

We have had a long and meaningful relationship, but I fear it is time to take a break. Losing 9 games in a row is one thing, but the way you lost today's game was almost too much for me to handle. Finally the bats woke up and twice the bullpen blew leads that should not have been blown. You ruined a great pitching performance and allowed the lowly Orioles to sweep the three game series. Right now it feel like I am in an abusive relationship - I give you my time and energy and support and in return I get nothing but disappointment.

At some point I'm sure you will change, and I'll come back to you, but for now I am going to put my time and energy into a more rewarding relationship - like say, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

I'll still profess that you are my first love, and that Roy Halladay is my favorite player. I may even watch the 92 or 93 World Series videotapes from when our relationship was at its best.

And in the end I'm sure I'll come crawling back, because I always do.

But for now, I need some time away.

Sincerely,

Ben

Things are getting tight...

2009-05-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

My beloved Jays have lost 5 in a row, allowing Boston and New York to climb back into the race (at least for the time being).

I really have enjoyed this season so far. I sure hope this isn't the end!

CBS has joined the bandwagon

2009-05-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

See who's on top of CBS's latest power rankings? Even more satisfying than the Blue Jays in first are the NY Yankees in 17th. Lovely. I hope this dream never ends.

How about that?

2009-04-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

Check out who is on the top of Fox Sports MLB Power Rankings! The whole list can be found here.

It sure is a great time to be a Jays fan!

2009-04-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

Look who sits on top of the American League standings (and in fact, all of baseball!). I'm on cloud 9. Especially after a 14-0 win over the ChiSox tonight. Wonderful!

Travis Snider home run reaction...

2009-04-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Travis Snider's second home run last night gave us some pretty awesome reactions from his teammates. Check out how happy Halladay is, and how stunned VWells is. Check it out here.

After week one...

2009-04-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

things are still looking good for the Blue Jays. Best record in the American League!

I know it's early but...

2009-04-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

Check out who's on top in the American League EAST!

Beer Wars - GO SEE IT!

2009-04-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

this post needs no title

2009-03-04T19:11:00.001-08:00

Beer Advocate releases the its "TOPS" list for 2008

2008-12-14T13:46:00.000-08:00

Check out the list right here.

A few highlights -

Stone Brewing was named favorite brewer and has 5 of the top 25 beers.
In the past few years I've visited 6 of the top 25 breweries.
And surprisingly, I've sampled each of the top 25 beers.

this is not right.

2008-12-09T22:54:00.000-08:00

2008-11-19T10:27:00.001-08:00

2008-11-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this? Sadly both of my blogs turned out to lean towards a female writer.

how does your team stack up?

2008-10-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

I saw this chart and thought it was pretty fascinating...

my Seinfeld experience...

2008-10-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

Sony Pictures doesn't think that college students are watching enough Seinfeld, so they have launched the Seinfeld Campus Tour. For starters this makes me feel very old. It wasn't took long ago that I was in college and watching several hours of Seinfeld re-runs a day. Anyway, being a big fan of the show, I went down to the Rose Bowl on Saturday to check it out.

Among the things on display was the doll that looks like George's mom...

the bro (or manzier, depending on who you ask)...

Jerry's expensive suede jacket that gets ruined in the snow...

and the pièce de résistance, David Puddy's Devils jersey.

All in all, a good day.

West Coast Ballpark Tour

2008-09-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a week of baseball games up and down the state of California. My good friend Aaron flew out to go to some games with me. He got out early enough to catch a Dodgers game on Sunday before we had returned from a wedding in Canada. At that point we began our trip together.

Game 1 was my first visit to Petco Park in San Diego. The Padres played the LA Dodgers and sadly they beat them badly. It was quite the park - fantastic views from every section, interesting quirky details like the warehouse built into the corner, loads of bars and restaurants around the park to watch the game at, and a grassy park and beach in center field to run around with your kids. A great experience!

Game 2 was at Angel Stadium, a place I've been to before. It was fun to go with Aaron and see his reaction to this park. Parking is only $8 - by far the cheapest of our trip. They played against the hated Yankees and the evil empire won handily. Aaron is a closet Yanks fan, so he was pleased. I was not.

Game 3 took us north to San Francisco to see the Giants play the Arizona Diamondbacks. This park has one of the best views of any park in the majors. It's located right on the bay and if you are up high enough you can see the boats and the Bay Bridge. Like most newer parks this one had a great team shop, it was easy to walk around, and had fantastic views of the playing field to go along with all that they have to offer the casual fan. The Giants came from behind in the bottom of the 9th inning to pull off the upset. Great game.

For game 4 we crossed the bay to Oakland for a game between the A's and the Texas Rangers. Two teams that are out of the playoffs, starting rookie pitchers, and having the game on a Thursday night meant that we were just a few of the lucky people to experience this one. Oakland plays at the massive Coliseum that is an old multipurpose stadium meaning that its not great for football or baseball, but both play there anyway. We went early for batting practice and snagged 3 balls! We sat 20 rows behind the plate and had a great time in great seats. It was pretty chilly that night and was kind of a blow out for the Rangers, but we still enjoyed ourselves.

All in all we had a fantastic time. Between games we were able to get to Alcatraz Island and around other parts of San Fran. On our way home we visited Hearst Castle and were totally blown away with that experience.

Here are my updated ballpark stats:

No longer in use:

1. Municipal Stadium, Cleveland Indians
2. Tiger Stadium, Detroit Tigers
3. RFK Stadium, Washington Nationals

Still in use:

1. Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome), Toronto Blue Jays - dad took me to my first game here.
2. Progressive Field (formerly Jacob's Field), Cleveland Indians - mom's family is from Ohio
3. Comerica Park, Detroit Tigers
4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles
5. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds
6. Shea Stadium, New York Mets
7. Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
8. Citizen's Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies
9. Turner Feild, Atlanta Braves
10. PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates
11. Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees
12. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Rangers
13. Angel Stadium, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
14. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers
15. Nationals Park, Washington Nationals
16. Petco Park, San Diego Padres
17. AT&T Park, San Francisco Giants
18. McCaffee Coliseum, Oakland Athletics

the other side...

2008-08-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

snagged this photo from my good friend Matt - check out his blog right here.

just in case you were wondering...

2008-08-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

click on the image for a fullsize view.

Wedding and Bike trip Recap

2008-08-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a rundown of my recent trip to the east coast...

After flying east, the group of cyclists met up in Philadelphia to begin our biking journey. The picture below is Nathan and I posing on the famous steps in front of the Art Museum - the very place where Rocky's famous scene of running up the steps takes place. We're doing our very best Rocky impressions (with bikes) at the top.

From there we crossed from into New Jersey on the Benjamin Franklin bridge by using the pedestrian walkway high above the car route - a pretty amazing view!

We travelled south through New Jersey and crossed on the Cape May-Lewes ferry. Our next stop was Rehoboth Beach and Dogfish Head brewpub. This brewery is known for their intense and bold beer and thinking outside of the box. Pictured below is a contraption at their Rehoboth Beach location which filters their 90 minute IPA through fresh leaf hops to give the beer an intense fresh hop flavor and aroma. India Pale Ale's are by far my favorite beer style, and DFH does them extremely well.

We spent an afternoon on the beach where we experienced this strange looking rainbow cloud. I'm still not quite sure how this works...

This picture is from our tour of the Dogfish Head brewery in Milton, DE. Free tour and free beer samples put some big grins on our faces.

From there we headed southwest to Janes Island State Park on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake. Unfortuately we met up with some intense weather including a hail storm (pictured here) that forced us out of our tents and into the safety of the bathhouse.

Here is a random image of our time on the road. This was a quiet country road which allowed us to ride in a pack instead of a straight pace line. Few hills and beautiful weather made for amazing riding conditions.

In Maryland we stopped off in Salisbury for a minor league baseball game. This park belongs to the Delmarva Shorebirds, a single A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. I love the atmosphere at minor league games and feel ashamed that I have yet to visit some of the minor league games in southern California.

Our trip wrapped up by heading north through Maryland, into Delaware, and back to Philadelphia. We ended up covering almost 400 miles and rotated driving the support vehicle. I ended the week with about 325 miles logged on the bicycle. From there I headed to Lancaster County to be in the wedding of my good friend Peter. Here is the bridal party posing for some pictures.

And the happy couple having their first dance together.

A great trip! I'm back in Pasadena now, really enjoying the summer sun and the chance to be back with my wife. More of the summer is still out there, I can't wait to enjoy all that comes along with it.

Ballpark Quest: Nationals Park

2008-07-05T13:22:00.001-07:00

I've talked before on this blog about my life quest of visiting every MLB ballpark. A few weeks ago I added the new Nationals Park to my list, bringing me back up to 15 current parks (I say back up because RFK was closed this past year, briefly lowering my total back down to 14). Here is my rundown in order of seeing them...

No longer in use:

1. Municipal Stadium, Cleveland Indians
2. Tiger Stadium, Detroit Tigers
3. RFK Stadium, Washington Nationals

Still in use:

1. Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome), Toronto Blue Jays - dad took me to my first game here.
2. Progressive Field (formerly Jacob's Field), Cleveland Indians - mom's family is from Ohio
3. Comerica Park, Detroit Tigers
4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles
5. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds
6. Shea Stadium, New York Mets
7. Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
8. Citizen's Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies
9. Turner Feild, Atlanta Braves
10. PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates
11. Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees
12. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Rangers
13. Angel Stadium, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
14. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers
and now...
15. Nationals Park, Washington Nationals

I'm hoping to get another 3 or 4 this summer (Oakland, San Fran, San Diego, maybe Phoenix). Both New York Stadiums will be closing, so that will lower my total slightly... it's kind of a never ending goal I guess!

Firework Video

2008-07-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

Just a little firework fun above the Rose Bowl from the Forth of July.

Obama vs. Dobson

2008-06-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

This article was recently posted on CNN. While the purpose is to demonstrate that Dr. Dobson isn't a fan of Barack Obama, I found the text on scripture particularly fascinating.

"Which passages of scripture should guide our public policy?" Obama asked in the speech. "Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is OK and that eating shellfish is an abomination? Or we could go with Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount?

"So before we get carried away, let's read our Bible now," Obama said, to cheers. "Folks haven't been reading their Bible."

He also called Jesus' Sermon on the Mount "a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our Defense Department would survive its application."

Bravo! I couldn't have said it better myself. Straight out of a Glen Stassen class.

good to know!

2008-06-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

Created by OnePlusYou

Images from DC

2008-06-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

This week I've been in DC for a Bread for the World conference. It was a fantastic time full of meaning, fun, and new friends. Sadly the best picture of the group that my camera captured is the one below...

And I'm not even in it! Our group was in DC to lobby our members of congress regarding hunger and poverty issues that Bread for the World is working on. It was a unique side of DC that I've never experienced before.

I also got a chance to wander around the city and get some classic shots of the area.

After the conference I made a point to stop at the Brickskeller, home of the world's largest selection of bottled beer. Kind of overwhelming, but a great experience!

Part of the Bread for the World baquet included making this prayer chain. This dinner was really a great time to meet people and eat some fantastic food (somewhat ironic having a lavish banquet when you are working for hunger and poverty justice... but that is a whole other issue).

This is our California delegation being prepped for our big day.

And a great picture of our group after our first meeting with Senator Baxter's office.

This is a stairwell in the capital building.

and a marquee shot of the dome.

The Jesus Trail

2008-06-19T04:53:00.000-07:00

My friend Dave Landis helped start the Jesus trail... Check it out!

2008-06-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

My "Grief, Loss, Death, and Dying" class ended tonight with a time of sharing. I was particularily compelled by my friend Evan's video tribute to his grandfather. Check it out.

National Parks: Sequoia and Kings Canyon

2008-06-03T09:17:00.001-07:00

We took a trip up north this past weekend with Meredith's sister and her husband to do some hiking and camping in two national parks. Our time away from urban LA County was great. We saw some amazing things and camped out under an incredible starry sky.

Some images from our trip...

The drive up the 5 and 99 are pretty bland and unspectacular, but then you turn off toward the park and things start getting hilly.

Once in, you are greeted with some spectacular sights. The roads through the parks are engineering marvels - skirting the mountains with breathtaking panoramas.

And then you start to see the big sequoias.

Sadly we were unable to leave the smog behind. Because of the incredible population that runs through central California, Sequoia National Park has lost some of the long distance views.

But it in spite of the creeping pollution you can still catch a glimpse at it's majestic beauty.

Oh, and did I mention trees? Here we check out some massive sequoias - you can see how they dwarf the car and people (that's me pointing up).

One of our day hikes took us past this beautiful meadow.

We also got to see the world's largest tree (by total mass), General Sherman. Click on the image to get a glimpse of how small the people are. I have to admit it was a pretty surreal experience. Nothing feels real - it reminded me of going to Disneyland... stuff just seemed way bigger than it should be.

This is us at the base of the General.

This picture looks cold - still snow on the ground in parts of the park, and into the 30s at night. So yes, it was cold at times.

We then moved north into Kings Canyon National Park. I was really blown away at the rugged nature of this place. I've never been to the rockies, but if these mountains are small I can't imagine how big those must be.

I can't believe how some of these images turned out. It was almost too easy to take pictures here - just point the camera and capture something beautiful.

This is us in front of some major mountains. My favorite view of the trip was right here at this spot.

I keep using the word "rugged" when I describe Kings Canyon, but I'm not sure if that does it justice.

Here we see Meredith toying with the edge of the cliff and trying to give me a heart attack.

Kings Canyon also includes General Grant - the nation's Christmas Tree (kind of silly considering it looks nothing like a Christmas Tree).

One of the major problems with taking pictures of these behemoths is that you can rarely squeeze the entire tree into a picture. They are so tall (250 feet) and wide that you have to stand way back, often with other trees blocking your view. So you end up with pictures like the last two - one of the top, and one of the bottom.

So that is our trip! Hope you enjoyed getting to see a bit of it.

Bread for the World

2008-05-27T09:19:00.001-07:00

In June I'm heading to DC to participate in a Bread for the World conference. I can't wait!

my, how things change...

2008-04-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

it wasn't too long ago that I posted (with great happiness) that my beloved Jays had swept the Sawks and were perched atop the AL East. To say they haven't played quite as well since then would be an understatement. This won't be their worst April ever, but last in the AL East and six (!!?) games under .500 is not what fans and ownership had in mind. What throws salt in the wound is that they are now 2-8 in one run games including Roy Halladay's 3rd well pitched complete game loss of the year last night, followed by a gem of a start from Dustin McGowan tonight where the offense once again was offensive in the worst of ways.

Something needs to happen to shake this team from it's slumber. Coaching change? Management change? Or is it just that this team really isn't as good as we thought it was.

all I want for Christmas is...

2008-04-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

anyone got an extra 52 million just lying around?

how SWEEP it is!

2008-04-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite as special as when you sweep the World Series Champs to start off your first home series. Congrats Blue Jays - here's to many more!

Oh, and this picture is Frank the Tank being congratulated after his grand salami this afternoon.

blog roll

2008-03-27T13:39:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I posted any personal reflections or thoughts. I guess it's hard to take the time to put down actual thoughts on a blog when I'm not getting graded on it...

Anyway, the reason I write today is to showcase my blogging friends at Fuller and Pasadena Mennonite Church. A fairly comprehensive list of Fuller Bloggers and PMC Bloggers can be found on Wess Daniel's blog. It's where I discovered many of these fine works, but I've also come across a few on my own.

Gathering In Light is where you can read Wess Daniel's musings on everything from religion to how to successfully brave the graduate school world.

Amanda Valloza's blog gives you a taste of her artwork, thoughts on life, and other tasty treats.

Grow Something New is Daphne Hollinger's cross-cultural reflection on life as a seminary student in California.

Joel Shenk's blog is a fantastic mix of theological thought, sports, and humor.

Matthew Krabill's blog documents life with a great blend of photography and words.

No Rhyme or Reason is Josh Raskin's incredibly vivid photoblog documenting his travels around California and the rest of the world.

Our California Adventure is Tim and Debbie Morgan's account of starting out new life on the west coast.

Stan's Obligatory Blog is a bicycle rider's insightful take on life in Los Angeles.

Pasadena Daily Photo is Petrea Burchard's amazing look at life in Pasadena (and coincidentally the only other daily photo blogger of Pasadena that I know of).

Stick Shifts and Safety Belts is the blog of our good friends Brian and Megan Shope as they start life on the west coast with a new baby!

My Translation is our friend Eric's fantastic blog full of really creative and insightful musings.

StutzBlog is David Stutzman's creative and insightful look at religion, humor, and Chuck Norris.

There are many more out there I'm sure, these are just the few I've discovered so far. I love what you all do, keep up the good work!

a up and coming artist sings "Hey Jude"

2008-03-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Meredith found this on the internet. It's pretty funny, but all I can think of is this old drunk man in Mozambique who sang the same song (with about the same word accuracy) to try and earn a few cents from several of us at a bus station.

#75 - Threatening to Move to Canada

2008-02-26T00:41:00.000-08:00

This past week I discovered this blog - Stuff White People Like. It's good for a laugh, especially #75 which I discovered today.

Obama for President

2008-02-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

Uniwatch takes a unique spin on the presidential race....

http://www.uniwatchblog.com/2008/02/15/uni-watch-the-forgotten-presidential-caucus/

North Mississippi All-Stars at the Avalon

2008-02-13T00:27:00.001-08:00

Just got home from a Tuesday night concert at the Avalon in Hollywood. I went to see the North Mississippi All-Stars, a band I've really liked since I saw them a long time ago with my good buddy Mike. It just happened that the headliners were the Drive By Truckers, a band I've heard many great things about. Here are a few pictures of the show...

The Felice Brothers opened things up. I'd never heard of these boys from New York, but they put on a good show. The lead singer had a raspy voice that kind of reminded me of the Decemberists.

Any band that can pull off having an accordion player has to have something going for them. They are on tour with the Drive By Truckers for the next little while which has to be a big break for these guys.

Next came my All-Stars. They rocked the house as usual. This was the fourth time I'd seen them and they seem to get better with age. I'm completely mesmerized by the musical abilities of all three of these guys.

One of the coolest things about their set was this cigar box guitar that was played incredibly well by Luther. This guy can make anything sound amazing. I've never seen such a hodgepodge instrument be used in a show, but it was great.

And finally the Drive By Truckers. Seems like everyone in the audience was waiting for them to begin. There were only a handful of people there at the start of the show, but by the time they came on the place was packed.

They really have a great sound. I think I expected them to be a bit more uptempo, but they were great none-the-less. On a side note, the Avalon is a great venue to see a band play. They have a huge floor area and a great balcony with padded seats.

Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle.

2008-01-28T14:30:00.001-08:00

Republicans, bicycles, and sarcasm do not mix.

hockey, only different....

2008-01-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

check out this story, it's pretty insane.

A "reverend" and a "revolutionist"

2008-01-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

I've been fortunate enough to experience two very interesting speakers in the last week. While both are extremely different in many ways, they have one very important thing in common - trying to sell the idea that Americans need to slow down their consumer patterns.

Last Tuesday I traveled to Bel Air with a few friends to hear Shane Claiborne speak. He has become relatively notable for his book, "The Irresistible Revolution". Dave Stutzman has a fabulous account of the entire strange night posted on his blog. It was wonderful to hear Shane speak yet surreal to be in such a wealthy and upper class location.

Tonight Meredith and I went to see Reverend Billy of the church of Stop Shopping. We recently saw a screening of his movie, "What would Jesus buy?" and were excited to see him in action. Much like the Claiborne event, it was an interesting experience. We were situated in the basement of a church hearing this over-the-top man give a powerful message about peace and consumerism. Rev. Billy was in town to be the grand marshal of the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade and it was interesting to get his take on that crazy event. He said it was one of the most democratic events he had ever been a part of.

I'd love to write more about both of these events, but they are still soaking in. Send me a personal note if you want to push me on these a little more.

Funny guy. Scott Rolen is a funny guy.

2008-01-16T19:20:00.001-08:00

Okay, I know there is a ton of time left before pitchers and catchers report for spring training, but I'm getting excited. Most of this excitement is due to the fact that Scott Rolen had an incredibly funny press conference yesterday and seems like he's ready to prove he's not a club house cancer and his career isn't on the downside.

Interesting note that the Cardinals left side of their World Series infield is now reunited in Toronto.

Interesting note number two is that I get to cheer for a former Philadelphia Phillie. Is it just me or has that rarely been the case in Toronto? I can't even recall the last player who played for both teams in his career.

Goals for the 2008 season include - getting to a handful of ballparks I've never been to, going to at least one and hopefully 5 different California League games, attending the Dodgers/BoSox exhibition game in the LA Colosseum, seeing the Blue Jays make the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

American Gladiators plus Fuller Seminary equals...

2008-01-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

ANDY KONIGSMARK. If you watched tonight's show, you saw him dominate the eliminator. Gotta love it when you go to school with an obscure tv athlete. Good luck Andy as you continue on your quest.

A Vision of Students Today

2008-01-13T17:44:00.001-08:00

Grand:PM - Party In Your Basement

2008-01-06T22:18:00.001-08:00

Weekend in the Silver State

2007-12-16T13:28:00.001-08:00

Outside of Paris

Meredith and a lion at MGM Grand

Me at the dam

the dam

New York, New York

thank you Mr. Halladay

2007-12-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

In early August I sent this photo to Roy Halladay to see if he would autograph it. By now you can imagine that I had given up hope, but it arrived in the mail yesterday! Merry Christmas to me.

images of thanksgiving

2007-11-23T10:23:00.001-08:00

the conversation

2007-11-10T18:12:00.001-08:00

Timmy Morgan - funniest LA Comedian without his own show. Someone please change that.

a concert in the evening...

2007-11-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

A very cool set put together by Panther, Glass Candy, and the headlining Architecture in Helsinki down at the historic Troubadour in Hollywood. All three bands seemed to be direct products of the 80s. All had some creative Atari-like samples running through their sound.

Panther was simply a drummer, a singer, and an iPod playing some really crazy stuff. The lead singer some kind of an echo effect making his lyrics sound very trippy. They were alright, but just not my style - I think I may be a traditionalist in the fact that you really need more than one instrument on stage to be a real band... meaning that I felt very similar about the second act.

Glass Candy was a female vocalist (who also used some kind of echo effect) and a guy with a keyboard and beat box. They did a lot of running on the spot much like I imagine bands of the 80s doing. They had a really creative sound, very dancy and poppy but again, I like a few more instruments to be appearing on stage.

Architecture in Helsinki played last and really rocked the house. As you can see by this picture the house really started to fill up by this time (Panther probably played to about 50 people). This band has a lot of energy. They like to switch instruments and places on stage quite a bit and have both a male and female singer. It makes for a very captivating show. While they do use quite a bit of sampled music, they also have at times a few guitars (acoustic, electric, bass), a trombone, drums (full set, bongos, electronic), and two different keyboards.

All in all, a great night. The Troubadour is a pretty intimate setting. You can tell it's been around forever. There are two small balconies and a very tiny floor with a raised stage. Seems like there are no bad seats in the house as I moved around quite a bit. I'm definitely looking forward to getting back there someday.

a movie in the morning...

2007-11-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

Angelina Jolie is filming a movie in Pasadena right now. It's called The Changeling. By chance I stumbled into part of the set yesterday - right at City Hall. Apparently something like this is typical in this town, but I'm still not used to it. There is even a website that you can go check out what's being filmed around town. Crazy!

Unfortunately I did not catch a glimpse of Ms. Jolie.

an afternoon with Pasadena's most famous son...

2007-10-22T14:26:00.002-07:00

in front of city hall with his brother...

the site of his parents home at 121 Pepper St...

little league park

Jackie Robinson Center items donated by the Baseball Reliquary

And my favourite, the patron saint of baseball's integration....

The Price is Right

2007-10-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

Meredith and I made our TV debut on Monday... the link can be found here - we're at the 16 second mark of the video clip.

Ben builds a big mac...

2007-10-09T22:50:00.001-07:00

I know, it's probably illegal to try and reproduce a copyrighted item in your own kitchen, but I had a craving and didn't feel like giving any money to the corporation. In an act of social activism, I whipped these beauties up in the kitchen. Two (hand formed) all-beef patties, special sauce (miracle whip and relish), lettuce (romaine), cheese (freshly sliced cheddar), pickles (hand cut homemade dills), onions, on a sesame seed bun (minus the sesame seeds). They were delicious.

A quick rundown of Pasadena's bike shops - if you are ever in the area.

2007-10-05T17:03:00.001-07:00

First off, Google shows 5 within a small radius (A, B, C, D, and F). There is one further south in South Pasadena, and one a little north in Altadena, but for the sake of what is near Fuller, this is what I found...

View Larger Map

A. Pasadena Cyclery - Closest to our home, and also the smallest. This shop is not without it's charm. For starters they have the coolest name out of the bunch, and seem to know the insides of the area bike culture. They also spent the most time with me even though I had no intentions to buy anything today.

B. Performance Bike Shop - The big chain store is just that. Everything is neatly organized and all employees wear their required outfits. Looks like most of their business is from people who don't really want to look any farther than Oldtown, Pasadena and they are the new kid on the block - just opened for about a year. The one highlight for me is that they are a Fuji dealer which gives me hope that there are a few other people in this town besides me who ride one of these amazing cycles.

C. Velo Pasadena - Another great name, this shop seems to be catering toward the upper end crowd. They have an impressive collection of vintage bikes hanging from the ceiling and a very interesting selection of road bike items. I think this shop made me stop and stare more than any in town.

D. Incycle Bicycles - An interesting blend of bikes for the masses, high end gear, and tattooed shop staff. This place seems to be the place to go if you don't want chain store issues but still want a big selection and great service. It was pretty busy inside, even for a Friday morning.

F. Open Road Bike Shop - By far the most bizzare place I visited today. This place boasts that it is the largest bike shop in the San Gabriel Valley and I wouldn't challenge them on that. Their showroom is chaos with bikes stacked on catalogs and frames and huge piles of clothing, helmets, tires, whatever strewn all over the store. It reminds me of East Coast Bicycle Academy back home in the 'burg only bigger. I'm sure only the owner knows where everything is and even then it's probably going to take him a few minutes to dig through everything. This place is a Bianchi dealer which was cool to see and had the largest selection of jerseys I'd ever seen in one place.

Ben's visit to Dunder Mifflin Inc.

2007-09-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

Today I took a little driving adventure to try and find the setting of one of my favourite TV shows, NBC's The Office. I had read online that it was possible and was even able to locate an address for the business park. Mapquest gave me a driving time of 25 minutes and that seemed doable. I figured it would be fun to check it out.

For those who are new to the Office, go watch the show! It's really great. If you've seen it before you know that it is located in Scranton, PA. Funny then that it is filmed in a shady part of Van Nuys, CA. Today's weather seemed more like late September in Pennsylvania than California, so the setting was almost perfect. As you can see from the picture below, the outside isn't much to look at...

It's basically a big gray warehouse with Valley Center Studios listed on the outside. There are a bunch of trailers for the actors, and on days when the show is filming (such as today) there was also an angry looking security guard by the big gate. There is one telltale sign that you are in the right place, just above the hedges...

Yup! A very odd place to put this, but there it is -- an advertisement for the fictional Dunder Mifflin as well as their TV neighbours, Vance Refrigeration. AWESOME. It's hard to find a place to park on weekdays, but I eventually found one and wandered up to the chain link fence where I was met with such a wonderful sight...

The front door! I had to take this shot through a chain link fence, and I couldn't get much closer than where this picture is taken from, but still very cool. Also...

if you are an astute fan of the show you will recognize this little blue car (complete with Pennsylvania license plates) as Pam's. Hopefully will also recognize that it was where the audience first found out that Pam and Jim were dating and then saw them kiss in the season 4 premiere. The parking lot also contained my favourite item of the day...

Yup! Meredith's van! (ugh, what is her problem?) It looks pretty beat up in real life, which I guess is the way the show implies. Very cool to see that. To check out the loading dock around the corner involves walking a little into another business, but fortunately no one was around to ask me what I thought I was doing. Remember when Michael went to get a joke from the warehouse guys? Here's where they were sitting...

And here's the dock, complete with a nice sign.

While circling looking for a parking spot I discovered the corner from the fun run where Jan offers water to Toby and Michael (don't believe me? watch the episode)...

and I also drove past a Staples store which I can only assume is the one that Dwight breifly worked at (however that is a pretty shaky claim considering the outside of the store was never shown in the episode and this appeared to be a pretty rundown location...

That's all, but it was fun while it lasted. If you have any questions or comments, please post them and I'll try and answer.

And keep watching the Office.

That's Mr. Glen Stassen....

2007-09-27T15:08:00.001-07:00

...sitting there with his hands folded in front of his mouth seated at the same table as the President of Iran. And he's my professor of ethics at Fuller! Check out this article for more on what he has been doing this week (besides giving me a lecture in class on Monday).

something new...

2007-09-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this for a while, now it's a reality. Based on what I see from my friends (links found at the right) daily photo blogs can be really cool... and I think it could also give me something to strive for - kind of an attempt to be devoting myself to an artistic quest :)

Here's the link for the few of you who check this thing from time to time...

http://theskyisbig.blogspot.com/

Ben's Toys

2007-09-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

One of my guilty pleasures is collecting McFarlane Sports Action figures from the Maple Leafs and Blue Jays. I've been quite successful in keeping my collection complete but it's kind of trailed off recently due to being married (being more financially "responsible") and moving into a smaller apartment with less room to keep stuff that just stays in its box.

I enjoy this collection for many reasons. It allows me to be young again, it's a fascinating way to get an up close look at a team's uniform and player history, and it is exciting thinking of being able to show these to my grandkids someday. As you can see from the newest release above, the detail on these items continues to get better and better all the time.

For the sake of my own sanity I'm going to use this blog entry to keep my track of my collection and what it still needs. It's really an interesting hobby once you get involved. McFarlane releases a number of players every year but also does some random things such as issuing players in former team uniforms or with an alternate jersey on or even with a mohawk. From time to time players are also released in miniature 3 inch form (typically players are aproximately 6 inches tall). These items have not been my focus, however I do own a couple and wish I owned a few more. For clarification: want it/have it

First the Blue Jays:

Eric Hinske - Series 4 (won ROY and got an action figure - what has he done lately?)
Roger Clemens - Series 6 (a rare item, re-issued in Blue Jays uniform from Cy Young seasons)
Carlos Delgado - Series 10 (unfortunately traded shortly after this came out)
Roy Halladay - Series 11
Troy Glaus 2 - Series 17

A few notes here -- the fact that Canada is a hockey first market may be the reason for such a small amount of players to be released. It's tough on collectors that 2 of these items are almost impossible to find without using ebay. It is also worth noting that Glaus is actually a repaint of a previous release and Hinske is also available in home and away uniform (with home being the rarer of the two). And finally, there also exists a Frank Cattalanotto/Orlando Hudson 3 inch pack which is pretty hard to find, only handed out at a game in 2005.

And second, the Toronto Maple Leafs:

Curtis Joseph - an odd one, this was originally produced before McFarlane had the rights to produce NHL uniforms and was issued without the Leafs logo. It was then re-released once NHL rights had been purchased and is very hard to find (and typically sells for hundreds of dollars).
Mats Sundin - Series 1
Alexander Mogilny - Series 3
Tie Domi - Series 5
Owen Nolan - Series 7
Ed Belfour 2 - Series 8 (a repaint of a previous release in another uniform)
Gary Roberts - Series 8
Frank Mahovlich - Legends Series 1
Brian Leetch - Series 9
Mats Sundin 2 - Series 9 (the only one where I purchased both home and away)
Joe Nieuwendyk - Series 11
Bryan McCabe - Series 13 (released with helmet on, and with mohawk showing!)
Darryl Sittler - Legends Series 4
Darcy Tucker - Series 15
Johnny Bower - Legends Series 6
Jason Blake - Series 17
Grant Fuhr - Series 19
Doug Gilmour - Legends Series 7
Vesa Toskala - Series 20
Mats Sundin 3 - Series 21
Darryl Sittler 2 - Series 22
Terry Sawchuk - Legends Series 8
Tim Horton - Legends Series 8
Luke Schenn - Series 23
Jonas Gustavsson - Series 24

As you can see from this list, the Maple Leafs have been fortunate enough to have MANY current and former players issued wearing the blue and white (a big part of this may be due to the fact that Spawn/McFarlane creator Todd is Canadian). Another item to point out is that on two separate occasions a three pack of Leafs has been released in the Canadian market. There have been several 3 inch players issued but typically they come with a player from another team which makes me much less interested in collecting them, not to mention if they are released as a 3 inch figure, they most likely have already come out as a full sized issue. Most of the items listed have been released with both home and away jerseys and there does not seem to be any reason for which one is considered to be more valuable other than which one was issued in greater number.

Update, May 13 2010: I haven't bought or received one of these as a gift for quite some time. I guess you could say I've lost interest, but another big part of this stoppage has been that we don't have much space in our current apartment to display these collectibles. Some day when I've got a den of my own, I'll add to the collection and display it somehow.

a few items of note...

2007-09-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

I had a great birthday yesterday (and the two days before that!). Yesterday also involved more orientation info and a cookout hosted by Fuller's Theology department. Meredith and I actually celebrated my birthday on Monday night by going out for dinner and on Tuesday night by Meredith making dinner and spending some time opening gifts and watching a movie together. All in all a very good (3) day (s).

News of note is that the Blue Jays will finally introduce a throwback jersey next year going all the way back to their powder blues of their original season. I think it's awesome! You can see a tiny little picture here (until it gets taken down) and the website from which it came right here.

Half way there...

2007-09-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

15 down, 15 to go.

Last night marked the half way point on my quest to see all 30 major league baseball stadiums. Dodger Stadium was a great stop on this seemingly never ending journey of mine (4 new parks are set to open in the next 3 years).

Highlights and impressions:

- loved the old school pastel colors on the seats in the different levels
- thought it was awesome the way that this stadium was built into the side of a hill
- really enjoyed the tradition of the clean white/dodger blue uniforms that haven't changed in years
- Dodger Dogs are tasty but very overpriced
- the "THINK BLUE" sign reminiscent of HOLLYWOOD in the hills of Chavez Ravine is a nice touch
- fake flashbulbs around the stadium after a HR were tacky, but fitting with the LA crowd
- Randy Newman's "I love LA" playing after the game was a great way to cap off the win
- Dodger fans seem more blue collar and multi-racial than Angels fans (which gives them credibility in my books)
- getting in early for batting practice means being crammed into the small left field section
- the San Diego Padres are the bad guys !?!
- I think I very quickly find myself being a fan of this team

a day of baseball and fans of Angels

2007-09-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was crazy, I need to write about it...

My good buddy Scott tipped me to a autograph signing in the Anaheim area. I wasn't sure that I wanted to drive an hour to get a few Angels to sign, but combining that event with the fact that the Indians were in town and my aunt Suze suggested I be a supporter, my wife being out of town, and my recent fascination with catching baseballs at games (check out this guy -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsF0mPONeZc ) all in all I thought it would make for a fun day.

Anyway, the morning started out kind of bad - I arrived at the furniture store an hour before Howie Kendrick, Jered Weaver, and Reggie Willits were to arrive however the line already extended down past two other stores, around the corner, and behind the building. I would say I was probably about person 1200 or so in the line and I was an hour early! Incredibly people continued to arrive and it didn't take long to realize that it wasn't going to be possible for everyone present to get what they came for.

After three hours of waiting I was a few hundred feet from the store entrance. Unfortunately that was about the time when the doors closed for good. The store owners understood that they suddenly had a ton of unhappy people on their hands and started handing out a ton of free stuff including tickets to a future game - so I guess my pain was not all in vain.

From there I headed over to the stadium to see if I could get some autographs the old fashioned way. I checked the players parking lot and found out that most players were already inside. I did see a few others drive in, and one player (former Blue Jay, Mr. Justin Speier) even pulled over to sign my ball.

Once 3:30 rolled around I headed in and began watching batting practice. Some people think that the posted time of a baseball game is when you should arrive but a lot happens in the two hours before then. Fans get the chance to be up close to their favorite players and you get to watch batting practice take place. It's also a great time to try and snag an official major league baseball and get more autographs.

I've been close on several ocasions, but yesterday I actually snagged a home run ball during batting practice! It even has some great green smudges from where it banged off the Angel Stadium seats.

The game was fun too. I changed seats several times and didn't sit in the seat I bought for more than an inning. I wore my Indians jersey and the visitors won 6-1 making the team I'm cheering for two for two when I'm there. Don't tell any Angels fans! All in all a great day.

Come on down!

2007-08-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up before the crack of dawn to experience a TV Game Show. Of course we picked everyone's favourite classic "The Price is Right". What I will attempt to do know is give a window into what this is like.

Before hand, make sure to request tickets - we did this online which was easy enough to do, and you just print them off and take them with you.

We arrived at the lot around 5:30 am. By that time there were already over 50 people in line at the gate. At approximately 6 am, ushers came out and handed us tickets which held our place in line. We were told to come back at 7:15 to enter the studio lot.

Before 7:15, we returned and were told to wait patiently on some long metal benches. After a short wait we were told to get in order based on the previous tickets we had been given. More time passed and one of the attendants began to warm up the crowd. It was pretty entertaining to see how excited people got just at the thought of being on the show.

At approximately 8:30, maybe 9:oo, our tickets were checked and we moved to another seating area with more metal benches and more waiting in a ordered fashion. Have I mentioned that at this point we still had yet to enter the building? It was at this point where we were given a contestant card and the classic yellow TPiR name tags. In case you are wondering, you don't get to write your own name, and in order to be eligible for a prize you must put your full legal name on your tag so BENJAMIN was squeezed on to mine.

Somewhere around 10 am we were broken into groups of 12 to meet with the producers of the show. This is the time when they pick out which people might work well as contestants on stage. It's pretty intimidating to know that whatever you say could mean your chance at getting on stage!

From there we were herded around the corner to a security check and more metal long benches. This felt like the longest portion of the waiting, we were here until almost 1:00 when we FINALLY were directed into the tiny Bob Barker Studio. We understood that it would feel smaller than you imagine, but it feels different in several ways. The studio looks even wilder and more out of date than it seems on TV. The stage is very small, and it is freezing cold inside! It all happens very fast with a ton of noise and excitement and before you know it the hour is up.

For those who have been living under a rock, Bob Barker has been replaced by Drew Carey. He was pretty entertaining as a host and was good at keeping the crowd warm during commercial breaks. We were able to watch the first perfect game in his hosting history and 2 contestants spun the wheel to an even dollar to get a bonus. The winning contestant was from our row and we patted her on the back as she ran up front to contestants row.

It was a fun day. We aren't sure if we'd ever do it again, but it was fun to do once. Sadly we walked away without a prize or getting up on stage, but we had a great time.

If you have any questions about the rest of the show, let me know! I'll post when it will air at a later time.... they currently aren't sure of anything other than it will be aired after October 15.

Miss Teen USA 2007 - South Carolina answers a question

2007-08-27T21:24:00.001-07:00

Wow - just wow. Watch it and feel my pain.

Go to the beach because we live so close...

2007-08-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

...we thought, so we did. On the advice of a few people at breakfast the other day we gave Paradise Cove a try. It was fun - lunch was tasty but pricy, and we realized that we don't need much time at a beach to consider it a good day.

#14

2007-08-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

The Jays were kind enough to be the first of my friends to visit us in LA. This weekend's series with the Angels was more than enough to encourage me to make my first visit to Angel Stadium of Anaheim (number 14 on my lifetime goal of visiting all 30 active MLB ballparks).

Meredith and I enjoyed the game and checking another park of my list and to top it off the boys in blue and black won 5-4. We may have had second thoughts on ordering food if we had read this article before going, but never the less we still enjoyed being there.

Feeling a little Fuller.

2007-08-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

So our trip from Harrisonburg to Pasadena is over and we're settling in quite nicely. Aunt Suze, cousin Steve, and my sisters provided some great conversation while crossing the country. I completed my goal of driving the moving truck the entire way - an event I don't think I really want to do again any time soon.

On the way we played the classic license plate game counting the states we passed. Here is our final list in order of appearance:

North Carolina, Vermont, Ohio, Virginia, Oklahoma, Maryland, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, West Virginia, Ontario (Canada), Texas, Maine, New York, Missouri, South Carolina, Georgia, New Hampshire, Louisiana, Quebec (Canada), Kentucky, Arkansas, California, Wisconsin, Delaware, Alabama, Michigan, New Jersey, Mississippi, Iowa, Colorado, Washington, Nebraska, Utah, Chihuahua (Mexico), New Mexico, Wyoming, Sonora (Mexico), Nevada, North Dakota, Minnesota, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska

Fun stuff! On our trip we drove through 3 new states that I hadn't visited - plus we stopped off at a Texas Rangers game giving my running total 13 current MLB stadiums (plus 2 that are no longer in use) and 4 new ones this summer alone!

Below are a few pics of our journey...

Top 10 things I will miss about Harrisonburg, VA

2007-07-19T05:34:00.000-07:00

Meredith and I now have less than one calender month left here in Virginia (even less if you consider that for two weeks we will be out of town visiting family). I decided to write down what I'm going to miss the most about this tiny town in the Shenandoah Valley...

1. Community Mennonite Church - while I still run into people who don't know who I am and who ask if I'm visiting even though I've gone here for 4 plus years, this feels like my home congregation. I love my sunday school class, small group, the church softball team, the passion this church has for social justice and global issues, and the desire to continue to sing mostly hymns in four part harmony. Regardless of where I go from here, I will think back with fondness to this group.

2. Taste of Thai, Dave's, Calhoun's, Blue Nile, Jalisco's, Earth and Tea Cafe, Indian & American, and Saigon Cafe - Harrisonburg has a great selection of chain restaurants, but the restaurant scene in town is special because of the small, family owned, one-of-a-kind places you find. The above list includes Greek, Ethiopian, Mexican, Indian/Nepalize, and Vietnamese and that makes me very happy. I am now going to have to scour the greater LA area to try and find something comparable to these wonderful places. You know you have eaten at a place long enough where you can state your favourite meal on their menu. In order of above: Chefs Special Chicken, Taverna Burger and Mozzarella Salad, Lunch buffet, Guadalahara Special, Pita Platter, Chicken Saag, Mushroom Clay Pot.

3. East Coast Bicycle Academy and Shenandoah Bicycle Company - my two bike shops. One is right around the corner, and the other is right downtown. These places both have people who are passionate not only about bikes, but about getting people to enjoy riding the bikes that they already own. I assume that the existance of each of these places is less about making a profit and more about getting people to ride their bikes and that is an amazing quality. I will remember them for fixing my bikes, but also for supporting the local Alley Cat rides, and existing as a place for people to hang out and talk about bikes.

4. Wednesday Night Club Ride - I'm going to miss that at 5:15 pm every Wednesday night from the time change to the time change, a group bike ride is leaving from the high school. I'm sure I'll eventually find a place to ride in Pasadena, but this group made it very easy to have an excuse to get out and ride 20 to 30 miles a week.

5. Harrisonburg AlleyCat Races - having attended the first 10 AlleyCat races without missing a single one, this is going to be a sad thing to leave behind. This weekend is the final event I will be attending and I can't wait. There is something so invigorating about flying around town on a bicycle scavenger hunt race that is costume themed. Highlights definitely include all of the great prizes I have won, but the most memorable things are the after party scenes where the winner and DFL prizes are handed out. Great times.

6. Skyline Drive, Reddish Knob, Switzer Dam, Blue Hole, etc - Harrisonburg and the surrounding area is home to some amazing geographical locations. I can now say that in my 6 years of living in Harrisonburg I really didn't take advantage enough of the great hiking, climbing, camping, and caving opportunities that you can find here. Nature is here and is very much in the palm of your hand. The experiences I had were great, if only too few.

7. Eastern Mennonite University - my alma mater and former employer. In a town with a large state university, it is the small private one that steals my heart. I still know many of the students and most of the faculty and staff. I'm sure that the longer I am away, the more this will change, but EMU will always hold a very special place in my heart. This is the reason I ended up in H'burg and the reason that I will continue to return to visit. I'm sure that I will always look to this tiny liberal arts university with pride as it continues to grow and evolve. I'm an admissions counselor for life, even if I'm no longer on payroll :)

8. Proximity to Charlottesville and Washington DC - Harrisonburg sits in a great location. Pretty much any touring sporting event, cultural event, or music event happens within 2-3 hours of here. I'll miss heading up to DC to cheer for the Maple Leafs when they visit the Capitals, or to Charlottesville for some show at Satellite Ballroom. It seems like there is always something to do in town, but if there isn't, you can bet that there is something to do in one of these places.

9. House Shows - Ben Schlabach introduced me to the incredible music scene in Harrisonburg. From Blue Grass to Hardcore, most music styles are represented in some way, and typicially concerts are held in small venues or even in someone's home. My suite at EMU even hosted a concert back in the day which was an amazing time. There is something very intimate and personal about an artist performing in a tiny place with little air movement. That is when a true concert is born.

10. The people - as Meredith has begun to look for a job, people have already told her that the people here are much more friendly than what you will find on the west coast. I'm sure that may be some east coast bias happening, but once you get south of the mason dixon line it seems that people seem to warm up a little bit. Harrisonburg is the friendly city and I've expereinced that in many different ways; from the downtown farmers market, to the Harrisonburg Turks games, to the Little Grill, to the charitable organizations seemingly popping up every day, this is a place where people want to interact with people. What has made this place so special for me are the friends that I have met along the way. Mostly through EMU, but in other areas as well. The nature of this town is that people are always moving away and moving back, but that's what makes it feel so alive. It is going to be a very different place when I come back to visit, but it's still going to have a quality that seems to remain.

Harrisonburg, I will miss you - bring on Pasadena.

the grandest of the grand

2007-07-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

Looks like the ink is dry on the album cover for GRAND:PM's newest release. If you live in Canada, pick up a copy at a record store near you very shortly.

emuTube...

2007-06-27T12:37:00.001-07:00

this is just the beginning, there's more out there.

Its been too long...

2007-06-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

But here is what has been happening lately...

1. Meredith and I went to Israel/Palestine. Even though I have a 38 page journal and a 9 page essay, I'm still not really able to informally say much about our trip beyond thinks like "it was a complex experience" or "it was something I'm glad we did". This is an area that I will continue to digest, and for that I am happy and grateful.

2. I was able to spend a week and a half down in Georgia helping Rouge River Farms out one last time in the sweet corn business. My week was great. Lots of hard work and hanging out with my good friend Aaron (which always includes some great ballpool talk) and visiting some familiar places like the Old Mexico restaurant.

3. I checked two more ballparks off my life list - Turner Field and PNC Park. Both were really great experiences even though I was at the Braves game all by myself. PNC park ranks second only to Fenway as the nicest park I've been to yet. Top picture is Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves (ballpark #10 on my quest for 30) and the second one is PNC park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates (ballpark #11 on my list).

4. My grandpa and his brother celebrated their 80th birthday party. It was a great experience to be with family and witness this celebration. Sadly Meredith was unable to come, but it was still fun.

5. I had a few days of no employment, and have now started working temp jobs. Bring on the rest of the summer!

Last day...

2007-05-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

While not quite as random as Brad's last day, it did include a great session of Text Twist, and a trip to the Blue Nile Ethiopian restaurant. Good times had by all, Admissions I will miss you.

2007-05-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my last day at Eastern Mennonite University. This place is home and I'm sad to be leaving it. At the same time I have a great deal of excitement for what happens next. Meredith and I will be heading to Israel/Palestine for the month of May, and then packing up our things for the drive out to California in August.

EMU has been my home as a student and employee for almost 6 years now - 3 as a student and 3 in the Admissions office. It is hard to find anything to complain about when I think about this place, and I can't wait to be a proud alum encouraging people to check out this tiny little liberal arts university in the Shenandoah Valley.

For those of you interested in following our trip to the holy land, the seminary will be tracking our groups with website updates and pictures. I will hopefully post some of my own on our return, but until then www.emu.edu/seminary is probably the best way to follow our trip.

I thought this article was perfect...

2007-04-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

After a 5 game losing streak, dropping my beloved Blue Jays from the top of the AL East, all the way down to 4th, the team came out last night and pulled together a win. I found this article in the Toronto Star today and it made me smile...

Blue Jays' bats awaken

BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERS

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman John McDonald throws to first base to get the Boston's Manny Ramirez out in the third inning of their game at Fenway Park in Boston on April 23, 2007.

Apr 24, 2007 04:30 AM

Cathal Kelly
Sports Reporter

BOSTON–Just before the Jays began their pre-game stretch yesterday afternoon, Toronto starter Tomo Ohka made the long, soggy walk through the Fenway Park tunnels and into the visitors dugout.

As he emerged, he saw dozens of Japanese media types setting up their cameras. He stood stock still, eyes wide, transfixed by the crush.

"Horrible," Ohka said disgustedly to no one in particular. "Horrible!"

When a nearby photographer turned his camera on Ohka, the Japanese starter rebuked him sharply. When another tried wishing him luck, Ohka whirled and fled back down the tunnel.

Back inside, Frank Thomas was stewing quietly in the cramped clubhouse. After losing to Boston starter Tim Wakefield last Wednesday, the slumping DH said menacingly, "We'll see him again in five days, outdoors. Then we'll see."

A few seats away, Aaron Hill wasn't his normal, sunny self. More than anyone else in the Jays lineup, the quietly driven second baseman had been despairing about the club's five-game slump.

"It's been ugly the past week," Hill said after the game. "It had to click sooner or later."

As the sun set, Ohka went out under the figurative glare and held the hot Boston lineup for five crucial innings. Then Thomas sledge-hammered a Wakefield offering 490 feet into the Volvo sign rising above the seats in left field. Hill contributed a career-high four hits, including a ninth-inning two-run homer that sealed Toronto's 7-3 victory over the Red Sox.

Apparently what these Jays needed was a strong sense of outrage.

Manager John Gibbons had been talking for a few days about the little thing – a hit, an opponent's error, a defensive stop – that might turn his "snake-bitten" team's fortunes around. Last night, they got a corral's worth of lucky horseshoes.

In the first, Vernon Wells forced a throwing error during a steal of third that allowed him to score the game's first run. John McDonald, subbing at third base, made at least three grabs that could have shifted the game. Jason Phillips, starting at first after Lyle Overbay came down sick, knocked in the winning run with a two-out single in the sixth. Royce Clayton, who is quietly putting up strong numbers, got Hill to third with a sacrifice bunt in the eighth.

Again and again, the Jays got a timely hit or made a smart play – qualities the team has sorely lacked lately.

"We haven't been executing," Hill said. "That was the biggest part of our success tonight. We got the bunt down, we got him over, we got him in with two outs."

Ohka set the tone by going straight at a Boston lineup that had just ground through the Yankees in a series sweep.

He cruised until a J.D. Drew ground ball slipped by Phillips to start the fourth. Ohka loaded the bases for light-hitting Dustin Pedroia, who slapped a liner off the Green Monster, scoring two. But Ohka rallied with runners on second and third, striking out Julio Lugo and Kevin Youkilis to end the inning.

While their pitching was holding down the fort, the Jays' bats came out of hibernation.

Thomas's tape-measure shot in the sixth was the spark they needed, giving the Jays a 3-2 lead they wound not concede.

With the lead in hand, Ohka turned it over to the demoralized bullpen. But a combination of Casey Janssen, Scott Downs and Jeremy Accardo conceded only run and that was due to a Clayton throwing error.

New closer Jason Frasor came on in the eighth and ploughed through the heart of the Boston order in the ninth. He struck out Manny Ramirez to end the game. On the night, the fearsome combo of Ramirez and David Ortiz went 0 for 9.

"We'll bounce back (tonight), keep that rolling," Gibbons said. "We got the right man pitching."

A few feet away in the tumult of the locker room, the right man, Roy Halladay, was stalking the room as if he would have liked to go out into the darkened park and start the game right then.

Bah, global warming...

2007-04-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

Snow/rain/wind/cold was the reason that Meredith and I were unable to attend a Pirates game today in Pittsburgh. We had lofty dreams of meeting friends and the ballpark and crossing another stadium off my lifetime list - oh well, some other time I guess.

I better post this now before it's too late...

2007-04-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Blue Jays are off to a good start. Combine that with the ups and downs of their competition and here are the standings in the American League East as of Thursday April 12:

Team	W	L	PCT
Toronto	5	3	.625
Boston	4	4	.500
NY Yankees	4	4	.500
Tampa Bay	3	5	.375
Baltimore	3	6	.333

In related baseball news, I'm hoping to check another ballpark off my lifetime list this weekend. Meredith and I are heading to Ohio to visit relatives and show Meredith where my mom grew up and on the way there or the way back we're hoping to stop in Pittsburgh to see this beautiful park they call PNC. Should be fun.

Opening Day 2007

2007-04-02T17:49:00.001-07:00

Just a little something to get everyone in the mood for what is in store in 2007

Fuller it is...

2007-03-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was fortunate to visit my good buddy Peter Sensenig at his current home at Palmer Theological Seminary. It was great to see that he's at a great place and everyone still knows his name. It was fantastic to be able to compare one more school in the grand scheme, and was a hard place to leave and head home.

Following my visit Meredith and I decided on Fuller Theological Seminary in California. It's a huge change and a big move, but one that we are pretty excited about. Here's a mass e-mail I sent out incase you care to hear about our current futures... enjoy.

It's been a while since I last sent out a mass e-mail update about what is happening in my life. Since then a lot has changed for me including getting married and starting the search for a place to go to school in the fall of 2007.

There are two things that Meredith and I have been thinking about for quite some time and we would appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers. It is amazing how much those two things help you along your way.

1. In a few weeks Meredith and I will be heading to Israel and Palestine with a group from Eastern Mennonite Seminary. We will be visiting historic sites, meeting new people, and trying new foods; all as a part of a travel group of about 25 people. The trip is being led by two seminary professors who I have taken classes from and we are both VERY excited. Needless to say, this is an intimidating part of the world to be travelling to and we would love your thoughts and prayers as we go. If you would like to see what we will be doing, our itinerary and details of our trip can be found here -- http://www.emu.edu/seminary/crosscultural/

2. The lengthy search for a school has come to an end. Meredith and I will be moving to Pasadena, California sometime in August so that I can start classes in September at Fuller Theological Seminary. This is a huge decision for several reasons - moving across the USA, starting to live in a city with a much higher cost of living than what we have been enjoying here in H'burg, not to mention leaving so many friends and family behind. The plan is to try it out and if we like it there, to stay until the completion of my Master of Divinity and then take another look at what to do next.

This has been something that has weighed heavily on us for several months, and many of you have been a very big support through this time. We would love your continued thoughts as we plan for this new adventure.

Leaving the EMU community that I have been connected to for almost 6 years will be difficult but I am also excited about the change. The Admissions Office has been an amazing place to work, and I will definitely miss my co-workers and the different challenges of this job.

I will be staying in this role until just before we leave for Israel, and at that point I will most likely be switching e-mail addresses. You can get in touch at ben.wideman@gmail.com or can8ianben@yahoo.com .

Thank you once again for your thoughts and prayers.

Ben

Where have you been? Here's my map...

2007-02-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

create your own visited countries map

2007-02-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

create your own visited states map

I'll admit, it's random.

2007-02-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

This blog has become more random than I ever imagined it to be. Hard I'm sure for some people to continue to check in when they have no idea what is actually going to be posted.

Regardless, the blog continues. I'm considering just doing a photography one because that is what I initially hoped this would be and it hasn't really become that at all - more about a place for me to just talk about what I'm doing/thinking about.

Anyway - pictures from the most recent alleycat can be found here -- http://kastyer.com/bloggalleries/super/

If you want to check out some pictures of our recent trip to California and you have a facebook acount, you can check this out -- california trip gallery

All for now...

Turn Ahead The Clock Jerseys

2007-02-03T12:51:00.001-08:00

As a uniform junkie this is so important to preserve... and to hope that it never happens again.

And we think that merchindise is out of hand right now...

BikeMovement Trailer...

2007-01-24T10:37:00.001-08:00

2007-01-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

Quote of the day...

2007-01-18T07:37:00.001-08:00

"Hockey has never been perceived as all that sexy. Outside Canada, which has always known better, the sport has had a challenging time attracting television audiences and establishing itself as cool."

David Livingstone, Toronto Star Newspaper

Oh, Canada?

2007-01-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

I found this article while stumbling around the internet today, I thought it was wonderfully written, espeically as a Canadian living abroad :)

Canadians are not, by and large, patriotic people, but if there's one thing I've noticed from my years overseas, it's how our national pride swells whenever we leave. Yes, there's nothing quite like leaving Canada to make you feel Canadian.

Approximately 2.5 million Canadians currently live or work abroad. Although less than 10,000 of them bother to register with their local embassies, you can tell just by talking to them that their homeland is in their hearts.

They suddenly care deeply about curling or Senate reform. They like to instruct foreigners on how to react if they see a bear in the wild, and will go on at length about how their eyelashes and shoelaces freeze in the winter (never mind the ubiquitous story about the kid who licked the icy fence/pole/door knob). They tend to reminisce with their compatriots about the Degrassi shows, Trudeaumania and Timbits.

As Canadians, we boast about every single talent ever to come out of our country, and gleefully inform people that we invented basketball, telephones and the zipper (incidentally, we also invented garbage bags, lawn sprinklers and newsprint, not to mention Trivial Pursuit). We are vigilant about spelling with the letter 'u' and will tell people about how U.S. film crews throw trash on our streets to make our cities look more American. We're enthusiastic about multiculturalism, hockey, our low crime rates and free healthcare. And with good reason. From 1994 - 2000, Canada was ranked as the best country in the world in which to live seven times in a row by the United Nations Human Development Index (the 2005 report put Canada in 5th place).

Yes, we're proud. Proud of our politeness, humility and most of all, we're proud that people don't hate us.

"I have seen Americans verbally accosted over their government's policies and I have seen the English run down about their unruly behaviour in holiday resorts. I have pretty much heard or seen negative comments about most nationalities, be they tourists or immigrants, but I have never heard anything negative about Canada," reflects Wyatt Stephens, a 38-year-old from Port Hope, Ontario, who has lived in Düsseldorf Germany since 1998.

This positive international perception of Canada was confirmed by the 2005 Anholt-GMI Nation Brands Index, which ranks countries based on their global reputation and image in areas such as governance, culture, and people. The report places Canada as the world's second-favourite nation, behind only Australia.

Maybe that explains why some Americans will go so far as to assume Canadian identities when travelling abroad.

"There's the old joke, 'If you're going to travel, throw a Canadian flag on your backpack.' There seems to be that respect for a first-world country that actually acts in a first-world manner," says Moray Horne, a Saskatchewanian now studying law in Washington, D.C.

Mark Budzanowski experienced that first-hand earlier this year, when the Canadian aid worker was kidnapped by gunmen in Palestine, who thought he was American. His captors' treatment of him apparently improved when they discovered he was Canadian. "We love Canada," they said. One of guards proceeded to ask Budzanowski to say hi to Canada for him.

Of course, it's also possible that some people don't hate us simply because they know so little about us. I have found that many of the people I've met while wandering through Asia greet the news that I'm Canadian with an expressionless "oh."

Cullum McConnell, a 23-year-old Ottawa native teaching English in Taiwan, says that when he tells locals that he's Canadian, they'll smile and offer that Canada is "very great" or "beautiful."

"I don't think they actually know much about Canada, but they do have a positive attitude towards the country," he says.

I remember when I used to teach in Japan how easy it was to amaze my high school students with simple facts like that Canada had six time zones and that Vancouver was closer to Tokyo than it was to Halifax. They were dumbfounded when I told them that 26 Japans could fit inside Canada but that their population was four times the size of ours. "How could a country be so big and empty?" wondered the children of the nation that's perfected the art of miniature living.

I was surprised one day when a Japanese co-worker corrected my claim that Canada was the second-biggest country in the world. No, she told me, Canada is the largest and Russia is second. Oddly enough, she showed me the Japanese textbook to prove it. Was Japan playing us up or were we playing ourselves down?

My husband once had a similar experience. Some years back he was working as a biologist in a remote reserve in Madagascar studying the elusive collared brown lemur. With his field work done, he went to the nearby village of St. Luce to see if he could find a ride out. As he waited, an old man struck up a conversation with him – in French, putting my husband in that awkward position for Canadians abroad of having to admit that we're not all bilingual. But high school French teachers take solace, something does come back.

The old lobster fisherman was happy to meet a Canadian and proceeded to tell my husband all he knew about our land, including the importance of fur trapping to our economy. My husband tried to tell him otherwise but the man knew what he was talking about and pulled out a carefully-wrapped packet with his evidence: a well-used pocket-sized world encyclopaedia from the late 1800s.

Now, a bit of advice for when you make trips abroad. When bringing gifts for overseas host, leave the maple syrup at home. It's far too heavy and if the country you're going to doesn't have pancakes or snow cones, it's a total loss; they have no idea what to do with it. And honestly, unless you've been indoctrinated since childhood to believe that maple syrup is exquisite, it's just another sweet thing. And guaranteed, they've got their own really great sweet thing.

So on this auspicious occasion of Canada's 139th birthday, I would like to wish a Happy Canada Day to our legion of flag bearers abroad. May you represent Canada well and remember to pack up your patriotism when you come home.

Next Harrisonburg Alleycat...

2007-01-15T12:19:00.001-08:00

Holy bike shorts batman!

I am proud to announce that the next alleycat will be Saturday, Feb 3rd at 7 pm. Meet at Court Square. Since it is superbowl weekend it will be superhero themed, so make sure to be wearing your capes, tights and masks (are they really illegal in VA?) It is being organized by long time hburg bike super hero Thomas Jenkins and up-and-coming bike hero Jack Leetum. I'm sure you can also expect a super hero worthy course, some super hero prizes, a super hero party to follow and super hero good time.

Helmets, lights, pens, super hero costumes and $2 entry are all encouraged.

It will be followed Sunday morning by the annual Super Bowl Ride, watch here for details.

Hope to see you out there,

Ben

Broadcasting Basketball

2007-01-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

Adding to my list of life accomplishments, this weekend I was able to do play by play for EMU's internet broadcast of the men's basketball game against Hampton-Sydney. I was joined by Jason Good and I gotta say, while I was nervous heading into the game, I came away from it really enjoying myself.

If you want to hear our incredible call, check out this link and scroll down to the game on January 7th at 3:00pm.

Edmonton Oilers Fans sing O Canada

2007-01-08T09:06:00.001-08:00

This video gives me chills... I remember watching this game and getting goosebumps, I've never been as homesick as when this was on TV.

Merry Christmas, Uncle Ben.

2007-01-08T06:13:00.000-08:00

It's been very long since my last post. I have no idea how to catch eveyone up other than to say I had a great christmas at home and in Ontario. Probably a highlight was finally getting to see Aiden and Luther Wood, the amazingly cool twin sons of our good friends, Dustin and Julia. It was especially cool to be present for their playdate with Elsie Moore, who is just a day older and just as cute (although she lacks a twin and has more agression than the two boys). Pictures follow of all three babies. Thanks to their parents for showing them all off (for a while we were unsure if the twins were real or just made up because we had not met them until now :).

pics and famous mennos

2006-12-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

Two things, first off my buddy Scotty has some fine pics of Grand:PM posted on his website -- see it at side right.

Secondly, I just found an interesting website that contains some famous Mennonites. Good for a laugh and an eyebrow raise in a few circumstances. FAMOUS MENNONITES

something fun.

2006-12-04T19:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted...

Click on the bikemovement link on the right of this website and check out the trailer for the documentary that is currently being worked on. I think it looks very cool.

Talk to you all soon,

Ben

Players and a uniform...

2006-11-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

Toronto FC's press conference today unveiled 4 new players, as well as their new home and away kits. The look pretty sharp if you ask me! I can't wait to wear one.

Canada's Morneau wins AL MVP

2006-11-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

I was pleased to find out today that Justin Morneau won the AL Most Valuable Player trophy. Not only does this show great things about where Canadian baseball is headed, it also now means that 3 of the 4 major North American sports have Canadian's as their MVP.

Justin Morneau, American League MVP

Steve Nash, National Basketball Association MVP

Joe Thorton, National Hockey League MVP

Bring on the NFL.

2006-11-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have heard me talk about my friends from home in the band, Grand:PM, their new record hits store shelves this spring in Canada. You can hear snippets from their album at their myspace page -- http://www.myspace.com/grandpm

They are going to be huge, jump on the band wagon while you still can. Plus, some of you will have been able to say you saw them in our suite in Hillside. Pass this on to your friends, spread the word.

Ben