MMMBop, ba dubi dop ba doo bop, ba ba du

As I sat down to write this blog I the song “MmmBop” by Hanson came on the radio. It was followed up by Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” and then numerous memories of the past. It is amazing how a song can bring up specific memories in time from our past.

“MmmBop” was a huge hit “back in the day” when I was 15 and a freshman in high school. At that time, my brother was a senior in high school and fortunately, he let younger brother hang out with him and his friends every once and awhile. I would remember “cruising” around town in the Grand Am, or in his friends Reliant K car. Over the radio a “MmmBop” or two could be heard while extreme car dancing commenced. We had to keep our ‘cool’ status so we didn’t ever tell anybody we actually liked the song, but deep down in side, we knew we did! Summer cruising with my older bother, one memory that comes with the beat of the drums and 3 adolescent boys singin’ in harmony!

“Free Fallin’”, what does that mean to you? To me, it means remembering the time that I “just HAD to have a guitar”. Not only would it bring me fame, money, and of course, women, it would boost me into Harlan Community High School lore. Well, it didn’t really turn out that way. Instead, I found that learning how to play guitar isn’t as easy as Esteban makes it look on the Home Shopping Network. I couldn’t even grow the perfectly manicured finger nails to pluck to strings like the guitar master himself. Each time I hear the song “Free Fallin’”, I look back and remember playing a few riffs on the guitars that now collect dust on my wall between use.

There are many songs that remind me of my years as a Simpson student. My first roommate could attest to this next one. “Shaniqua (don’t live hear no’ mo’)” was a huge hit, at least in my mind. During move-in day my first year on campus I did not only play the song a billion-kagillion times, I played it at a billion-kagillion decibels!

The chorus of “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi was a so-called theme song for my fraternity. Each dance we held always contained the rock tune which was sung/screamed by each member. Just this past month I found myself being tossed in the air at my wedding reception by my fraternity brothers to the sound of Richie Sambora and Bon Jovi doing their thing.

“The Red and the Gold” is another song that takes me back to my college years. It can be heard at numerous Simpson events. The lyrics say it all! Take a listen for yourself at: http://www.simpson.edu/library/research/redgoldsong.html . It is basically a song of pride and remembrance of the 4 great years spent as a Simpson student. Each time I hear the familiar tune, it is hard not to smile and go back to those days!

What songs have you lived your life to? Maybe “The Red and the Gold” will become part of your life as well. Heck, I think I might have to go out and by a soundtrack to my life-it doesn’t look to bad!

GO STORM!

Andy

Gobble Gobble, Turkey Makes Me Wobble-My First “married” Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but it won’t be soon forgotten. Why? Because this was my first holiday as a married man. (to check out more pictures of the wedding visit http://www.reflectingstone.com/slideshow-english.html ). There is always something about “the first” that makes it special. A child’s “first” step, “first” word, or “first day of school” are all milestones, just as this Thanksgiving is a milestone for both Erin and me. Think of some of the “firsts” in your life-typically they will conjure up a good laugh, a tear, or even a knee-slappin’ laugh until you cry moment.

One of my “firsts” that brings about the latter would be the first time that I drove a go-cart. You would think that a guy that loves NASCAR as much as me would be pretty good behind the wheel of one of these 50 CC karts. Oh, but not this guy. After taking a corner a little too sharp and cutting off my brother, he spun me, knocking my wheel off and sending me into the wall. After another small accident with a golf cart (the bridge jumped right out in front of me-I swear!), I earned the nickname “Crash”. I guess there is a first time for everything, hopefully in the crash department, it will be the last!

Well, I best get back to Thanksgiving and the wonderful time that Erin and I had together during our first holiday as a married couple. We started with a Thanksgiving feast for just the two of us. Erin cooked all day long and we had a wonderful spread of food. It could have fed 10 people…literally! We had a GOOD sized turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, stuffing, watergate salad, cheese and crackers, and even pumpkin pie for desert. The meal was delicious and I left the table wobblin’ from all of the turkey and fixings that I decided had to be eaten!

This did not deter me from gorging myself at our 2nd Thanksgiving, or our 3rd. It is a strange thing really. You know when to stop and feel great, but you just can’t do it. I guess a few extra pounds aren’t all that bad. Winter is approaching quickly, and who knows when you will get stuck in a sub-artic winter storm and have to survive on your body-heat. You put me up against a 150 pound stick-person; I’ll be nice and toasty while skinny over there freezes his little-self away. A second great reason for not caring about those extra few pounds…The Simpson basketball season is now in full swing. Those bleachers can get a tad uncomfortable if you don’t have some padding if you know what I mean! And the third reason, I can use a heavier bowling ball now! I went bowling with Erin, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my brother’s in-laws and I found the pins have a bit more action when you are wielding a 13 pound ball instead of an 8 pound “house ball” that I used back in the day! We had an absolute blast and I didn’t do all that shabby.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did. I may have gained a few pounds, but heck, it has some great advantages. Now I can’t wait for the Christmas feasts!

GO STORM-

Andy

Yea Mon, No Problem

Hey everyone! I’m back and better than ever. I am now “hitched” and had a wonderful honeymoon in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The beaches were beautiful and the food and travels were great. Best of all, I had a relaxing week with my WIFE. Everything was “irie”, which is a Jamaican descriptive word for the feeling of perfection in the world.

When we were in Jamaica we met some great people. Two staff members at the hotel, Javed and Othneil were incredible and more than happy to lend a helping hand and give us suggestions of things to do around the resort and island. They had a wonderful outlook on life and it made you realize that money was not the center of the world. Instead, they believed in loving one another and enjoying what they had been given. Othneil’s smile and Javed’s humor will not soon be forgotten!

Although we had such a great time in Jamaica, it was nice to be back in Iowa as well. We missed our friends, families, co-workers, not to mention THE FOOD! The familiar faces and places welcomed us and we realized that you do not need beautiful beaches, fine dining, waterfalls, and tropical sunsets. Instead, we realized what our Jamaican friends had taught us, to enjoy the beauty of what we have.

Each place is great in its own way. Iowa is a great place to live with great people. Simpson is the same way. I am back home, and ready to help some of the best students around realize why Simpson is right for them!

Hopefully I will be posting some more wedding pictures and honeymoon pictures soon-so check back!

GO STORM

Andy

Going to the chapel and we’re, gonna get married

For all of you avid readers, I am sorry that it has been so long between posts. I have a great excuse though…WEDDING PLANNING! My wedding is this coming Saturday and I am VERY excited. The wedding will be on Simpson’s campus in the beautiful Smith Chapel.

With a wedding comes planning, and boy have we planned. We have everything in place for a wonderful day and although it has been a lot of work and effort, it will be worth every ribbon tied, and invite envelope licked.

A part of the day that I am really looking forward to is seeing all of our friends. Many of these friends are graduates of Simpson College as well, and it makes me think about how many great times I had during my years at SC. Those friends haven’t been lost, or forgotten, but remain as part of my life, and now Erin’s life too. You will make lifelong friends in college, and the friends I have made at Simpson have helped me become who I am today.

What a wonderful day is upcoming. I get to dedicate my life to the woman that I love in the presence of family and friends.

I’ll be unable to blog for about a week and a half, but bear with me as I am sure that I’ll have some great new material after my trip to Jamaica with my WIFE!

GO STORM-

Andy

Back in the day...

“Back in the day, I remember…”

I CAN’T BELIEVE I SAID THAT!

So there I was at the Subway in Sioux Center after a day of visiting high schools. A young boy was ordering ahead of me and when I rattled off my order of “footlong spicy Italian on white with double American cheese”, he turned to me and said, “man, you must eat at Subway a lot!”

“Well, I do eat at Subway a lot” I responded, “but I also worked there when I was in high school and college.”

The woman making my sandwich started talking to me about when I had worked at Subway and then it came out. The “back in my day (I am officially getting old)” saying. I mentioned that when I had started working at Subway we didn’t have pizzas, no special sauces, the choice of white or wheat bread, and BMT’s that had bologna on them and came pre-made on a sheet of deli paper. Nobody cared about how many grams of fat were in their subs. They cared about them tasting good.

I look back and think that it wasn’t that long ago. I applied to work at Subway on my 16th birthday, only 9 years ago. Times are changing quick, and these changes are offering more options, but they also complicate the process. It made me think about how some of the things that people, and myself, enjoy the most are the simple things in life. A picnic with a sandwich, a bag of chips, and some Coke-pretty simple, and a lot of fun! A cold glass of iced tea and a bologna sandwich after mowing the lawn on a hot day-very easy, yet very nice and refreshing. A warm cup of coffee on a cold winter morning. Very simple, very comforting.

In today’s world, the picnic would include sushi and 5 courses. The iced tea would be one of 50 different flavorful choices, and the coffee was probably bought at a store where the beans are only found in only the remote and special areas of the world (AKA a 5 dollar up charge). As times begin to change we need to remember that sometimes simple is better and more rewarding. Slow down, take a moment, and look around you. It is fall and the leaves are turning beautiful shades, something that in our hectic lives we might forget to enjoy. It’s simple really, just realize the simple, good things in life and you will “simply” be happy!

So, back in the day may not be all that bad. Maybe I’ll bring some back in the day back to modern day!

GO STORM and enjoy all that is around you!

Andy

A man named Ken...

Travel season can be a time of loneliness. During the day it really isn’t. Why? Because I see some of the best students in northwest Iowa during my visits to their schools. But at night it can be a different story. It is just me and that unfamiliar hotel room.

This wasn’t the case a few weeks ago as I stayed in Cherokee. They have a very nice Best Western with a very good steakhouse. At around 6:30 I went to the restaurant and ordered supper. I sat next to an older gentleman that was watching “I Love Lucy” on their television near the salad bar. I introduced myself and he explained that he had to change it to “I Love Lucy” because the news station he had been watching was talking about Brittney Spear’s and her escapades.

We began talking and he said that he was visiting family members all over the Midwest. He had actually come across Iowa the day before venturing from northern Wisconsin. He was doing this as his hobby was tracing his genealogical path and making it into a database to pass along to his family. He was very passionate about this work and he told me about his family's past.

He also spoke about how he had fought in World War II as part of the Marines. He described landing at Iwo Jima and losing numerous friends. He said that his captain had asked him to make a list of men that would actually make the landing, which he replied that he couldn’t do. He couldn’t pick the friends that would more than likely parish.

He also went into the story of losing his wife and first son in a four month time period. You could tell that he really loved his wife, and we talked about how I would be married within a month. He gave me some advice including that my ears should be much larger than my mouth, and that a small gesture of love never hurts, even if you know that you love one another.

He told story after story ranging from what his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids do today to NASCAR trivia and our favorite drivers. (He wasn’t a big fan of NASCAR, but I think I convinced him to be a Stewart fan)!

After I ate that night and the man went up to his room, I thought about how nice it was to speak to somebody with that perspective on life. He had great things that had happened to him, and horrible things that were a part of his life, but he smiled and laughed because he knew that the good things were what we live for, and the bad just made him stronger.

Hearing a few stories from somebody that has “experienced” life can really help steer you in the right direction, or at least put you in the right state of mind. Take the time to call a parent, a grandparent, and just talk. Not about the hustle and bustle, but about what makes them, well, them. Remember the days of sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of your grandparents as they told you about the days of “no television and walking to school in a foot of snow, uphill both ways”? I do, and the way I look at it is that I can still sit cross-legged, and I am sure there are still some great stories to be heard!

Have a great day and Ken, if you are reading this…thanks for the company!

GO STORM-

Andy

A Story That Should Be Told…

Today I was at one of my high school visits and heard something that should be shared with the masses. Sometimes we focus on the bad in the world…just look at the 10 o’clock news. Well today was a DIFFERENT story. It reminded me that this world does have GOOD PEOPLE, doing GREAT THINGS.

I was speaking with the guidance counselor at Manson Northwest Webster High School this morning and he mentioned that he was also the head football coach. I asked how the year was going and he said that it had been a tough year, but his men were working hard. He then stated that the flood at the beginning of the year required them to miss the first 8 of 14 practices before their first game.

He then went into a story that made me want to write this blog. He said that when the flood occurred, that the football team came together and placed an ad in the local newspaper offering their help in cleaning out basements of homes that had been affected by the flood waters. The team didn’t have to do this, they could have been practicing, lifting weights, studying film, or going over playbooks, but instead, they did what GOOD PEOPLE do, they helped those in need.

The coach/guidance counselor explained that Manson had numerous elderly households and they needed to reach out to those that supported them on Friday nights. The team cleaned 40 basements of flooded houses. These young men deserve to be recognized as they went above and beyond in a time of need.

It made me feel really good leaving the school this morning thinking about how there are great stories out there that people should hear about. You often hear the phrase “kids these days”…well, the “kids these days” that volunteered are darn good kids!

So as you go through your day to day, remember to think about those that may need your help, and even though good deeds often go unnoticed, your own heart and soul will feel the benefits of lending a helping hand!

GO STORM!

Andy