visiting versus home

I've had a run recently like nobody's business....oki, I know a few guys in the industry who've taken rougher trips....oki, I know many guys who've taken rougher trips, maybe I'm a bit soft. But it was long damn it! Let me vent.

I can't remember the last time I wrote in this damn blog. I bet it was interesting though!thihi.

I made a trip to the states socially. It was fun. For those relatives I didn't get a chance to visit, well sorry. Maybe next time.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful, haughty, or out of your league but I've come to realize that when a man moves to another country he must priortize his return trips to home. Since I first left home in 2000 I have made more than 20 visits to the U.S. I have had absolutely no visitors to any country I have lived in! Not too mention I have lived in the same country, Norway, for the last 4 years. It isn't that difficult, it is a matter of priorities.

Again, I'm not pointing fingers, I'm simply pointing out my mindset when returning to the U.S. I put some visits ahead of others and most of the time they surround visiting children, my niece and nephew, newborns of other family members and friends (sorry Kelly and Marth and Elsa I have no excuse in your case).

I have been back in Oslo now for 3 weeks. Prior to I was in the U.S for almost 2 weeks. Before that I was in Norway sleeping in my own bed 7 days...prior to which I was in the U.S. 20 days. Imagine for a moment what it is like to sleep in a bed that isn't yours, it doesn't smell like you, the sheets aren't familiar, the bathroom isn't in the right place and the nightly sounds aren't typical of your homestead....now you have just lived my life for over 125 nights of the year!

It's good to visit...but it's better to be home!
Thanks for listening.

Land of the fat, home of the bypass

Don't get me wrong, I love America I really do. It's my home, it's where I learned to play baseball, ride a bike and developed a love for democracy and fast food. But sometimes when I travel here and look around I think to myself....'self, this place is weird!'. Let me explain myself:

First, the majority of the population is, to put it simply, fat. It's just a whole lot of big fat people sweating in their giant cars and talking loud. The free market capitalistic approach has supplied Americans with an endless buffett stretching from sea to shining sea. Eating at restaurants in America is a simple solution to a fast paced life. One can simply stop in and grab a large plate of tasty food full of calories for a fairly reasonable price. Economically speaking I can't blame anyone for eating out on a regular basis.

The restaurants, and not just fast food chains, constantly market themselves as having more of their tasty morsels for a lower price. Americans, always loving a bargain and never wanting to be cheated stuff themselves trying to get their money's worth at every sitting. I should know, I do it as well!

On the other side of the food chain is a large market that has exploded in recent years pushing various weight loss methods from prescription medications to surgeries, to various dieting methods. It is giant industry honed in on fat people who don't feel good about themselves. To make matters worse the media is constantly reporting on increases in diabetes and heart disease. The country is literally feeding, eating, and spending itself to death.

In this great land of democracy and supply and demand I simply wonder why more fat people simply don't demand...well less supply??????????

Imagine a restaurant that is 40% cheaper but serves you 40% less food at each sitting. I imagine I am overlooking something with regard to restaurant profits, but am I so out of touch to think that nobody would lose out. Restaurants would save on food costs, customers would spend less, and eat less. The biggest loser of course would be the weight loss industry, but come on, would'nt we still need them to lose a few more pounds? Afterall, there's a whole lot of fat over here that needs to be burned.

The Best Day of Baseball....And the Field Always Calls

Currently I'm back in my old stomping grounds in Minnesota. Me and my significant other have come back for one of our attempts at a regular visit to family and friends. While home we were blessed with the opportunity to participate in number of activities, many of them surrounding baseball.

First I arranged a 3 day mini-camp for a group of young budding baseball stars at St. Anthony High School in the Twin Cities area. The Huskies are the reigning AA champions and are coached by my best friend. The mini-camp, scheduled for Friday to Sunday for 2 hours each day, was both a way for kids to learn some drills and methods of improving over the winter months and a chance for me to earn a little cash on the side.

Another gift we received or arranged was a trip to the Twins final home game of the season versus the Chicago White Sox. We planned this weeks in advance without knowing for sure if the game would mean anything in the seasons final outcome. Heading into Sunday's game the Twins were tied with Detroit for the Division lead, a quest the Twins had not been able to grasp the entire season. With Detroit having beaten the Twins more times than not throughout the season they were guaranteed the Division crown if both teams should finish the season with the same record. Simply put, in order for the Twins to win the division they had to beat the reigning World Champion White Sox and Detroit had to lose to baseball's worst team the Kansas City Royals.

We arrived only 20 minutes before game time and the near capacity crowd was already struggling to find joy in afternoon's events. The scoreboard in the outfield showed Kansas City was already trailing Detroit 3-0.

The White Sox struck first in Metrodome scoring in the first inning and the Twins mustered little in the 1st couple of frames all the while the outfield scoreboard showing Detroit had stretched its lead to 6-0. I had already discussed with my friends the possibility of leaving after a the 7th inning to beat traffic and to get me back to the park in time for mini-camp.

Midway through the game the Twins put together some runs to take the lead 4-1 while Kansas City showed some life and notched a few runs of their own. It took only a matter of minutes and the scoreboard showed Kansas City was threatening to tie up the game. With the Twins in command of Chicago hope still loomed for a division title.

In the 7th Kansas City tied it up and the the crowd was going crazy with everyone staring at this scoreboard waiting to see who would score next. Seemingly, nobody was really watching the game in front of them anymore but instead imagining the drama unfold in detroit.

Kansas City soon took the lead and Metrodome erupted. Only an inning later however Detroit notched another run to tie it up 8-8. So there we sat, the clock ticking as I had youngters planning to meet me at 4:30 to learn about the game, while the Twins were holding their lead, and the Royals fighting to give Minnesota it's first sole possession of 1st place in almost 6 months.

Well, duty called! As always I had to dash and race off to the field. I learned from the sound of honking horns and joyous park goers that the Royals had managed to fend off Detroit in 11 innings while the Twins held off Chicago.

I saw on the news later that night that nearly all of the fans, except me and my friends of course,stayed at metrodome and watched the action in detroit unfold on the giant television monitors. Even the players stayed on the field watching with their faithful followers. It was truly a great moment in Minnesota sports.

I wouldn't trade an afternoon on the field for everything, but that game in Detroit, well, that has to be the best game I never saw.

We arrived at