2007....A Look Back.

I had finished a post for New Years Eve , but I decided to scrap it. I remembered how last year at this time I posted a review of the year 2006 and I decided to do the same for 2007. Part of the reason was because a week or so ago I went back and read a bunch of my posts from last year. 2006 was not a happy year for me for the most part. My trips to NYC and Las Vegas were the exceptions. I entered 2007 with only one New Years resolution. That resolution was to find a new job. I expected to have a new job within 3-6 months. I even spent a lot of money to have a employment service help me find a new job. That ended up being a waste of time and money as the agency closed 3 months into my 6 month contract with them. I made one attempt after that to find a new job. I had an interview with Kellogg's that went nowhere. I'm not quite sure what my expectations are for myself this year. Socially , things started out promising early last year. I went out a handful of times (in group settings , mind you) with a friend of mine. But that stopped completely back in April. As a result , I lost a lot of the personal motivation I had going for myself. I completely stopped working out at the gym , which was something I had been motivated to do for awhile last year. That is one of my New Years resolutions for 2008. It's just hard for me to motivate myself without having a clear goal or reward at the end. I guess my motivation to lose weight this year is the fact that I will be having my 20th high school class reunion this year. I went to 3 concerts in the year 2007. I saw John Mayer in February , Michael Buble in July and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds in November. The concerts were my "trips" of 2007. I also unexpectantly bought a new car in 2007. I really hadn't planned on doing that to tell you the honest truth , although my old car was 7 years-old. My circle of friends didn't change a whole lot in 2007. I did make a few new friends at work and I became closer to other friends at work as well. My friends on-line pretty much remained the same , except for making a few new friends and somewhat becoming closer friends briefly with a few others. I tried in small ways to let all my friends know how I appreciate and care for them this year with mixed results. I think the one thing I learned from attempting to do that is "I have to take my relationships with friends for what they ARE and not what I WANT them to be." My sister agreed with me on that one. The year has closed out with a few bright spots. The Christmas season enabled me to re-connect with a few friends from the past. I've been able to see a friend of mine who I had become good friends with up until the time before I traveled to New York last year. I had only seen her once in over a span of almost a year and a half. I've also seen another friend of mine twice in the last 2-3 weeks. Someone who I had not seen in probably over 2 years. So , those were good things for me. In closing , 2007 was a little better than 2006 in some aspects , but not as good in others. As I somewhat mentioned , I am gonna try and make some New Years resolutions for 2008. Wish me luck , as I try to follow through with them. Happy New Year , everyone.

That's Not A Candy Cane!

Please , Do Me A Favor.

Not too long ago I read a review of Alicia Key's new album on iTunes. One of the songs on her new album is a collaboration with John Mayer. One reviewer decided to bash the song she did with John Mayer by calling John Mayer a "Douchebag". The reviewer further lost my respect when he said that Britney Spears new album was one of the best albums of 2007. Anyway , tonight I went to the John Mayer blog. John's latest post is all about the word "Douchebag". He readily admits that he knows that he is frequently called this by some people. Anyway , I have a link to John Mayer's blog on the right side of this page. Please , take a few minutes and read John's latest entry. I think it's a good read.

Reverand Al Says It Best.

Christmas "2007" Pics.

Pre-Christmas Post?

Yesterday I went to the Chiefs vs. Lions football game in Detroit. It was very cold and windy outside yesterday. Thank goodness the game was indoors! Speaking of pro sporting events , what is with the inflated prices on everything at these events? "Special Parking" at Ford Field in Detroit cost $45.00. $45.00 to park your car in a parking garage next to the stadium? Yeah , that's worth it! For the record , my friend and I parked a few blocks away from the stadium , but we still had to pay $20.00 for parking. It was a cold walk to and from the stadium yesterday. Next , comes the topic of the prices of the food at the concession stands. A hot dog cost $5.50 , a 20oz bottle of Gatorade was $4.50 , a 20oz bottle of water was $4.00 , a can of beer was $8.00 , a small pop was $3.50 and a 32oz pop was $5.50! How ridiculous are those prices?! Our seats at the game were in the 3rd row of the 2nd level in the endzone. It wasn't a sellout , so we had plenty of room for much of the game. However , as it always seems to happen , we had some jackass sitting a row in front of us. He was one of those season ticket holders who comes to the game and feels that he needs to share his opinions on the football game with everyone within an earshot of him. Comments such as: "Oh boy! First down and they gave the ball to Kevin Jones! That fooled everybody! They didn't expect that!" and "It's third down , we can all make some noise now!" He made dumbass comments all throughout the first half. I said to my friend Mark "It reminds me of that McKenzie Brothers Christmas song where Doug says "Next year , I'm asking for a chainsaw!" At halftime , the guy got up and wished everyone a Merry Christmas and then he left. The guy was an ass and we were glad he left! As for me , I didn't wear my Chiefs attire , but I did root for them. I was disappointed that they lost the game 25-20 to the Lions. Probably the biggest highlight of the entire game was the fact that the Lions honored their former running back Barry Sanders and his offensive line from 1997 at halftime. Barry rushed for over 2,000 yards in 1997. The crowd gave Barry a standing ovation during the game's coin toss and also during the halftime ceremony. For the record , the Lions do not have cheerleaders. They have a lame drum line that basically drums to the beat of "D-Fense!". Another complaint is the fact the Lions have some guy sing a fight song after every Lions score. The Lions fight song is the lamest fight song I have ever heard! I got damn tired of hearing that song! Anyway , that's the story of my first Lions game at Ford Field.

The Great Swindle Of Christmas 2007!

In one of the greatest swindles in recent memory , my 7 year-old niece
traded a $20 bill for a little bag of M&M's at school today. She swiped
a $20 bill from my 19 year-old niece and took it to school for "Show
and Tell". Of course , my sister would never allow her to do something
like that. Anyway , my niece's teacher took the $20 bill and sealed it
inside an envelope , so my niece could take it home without losing it.
However , this little boy named Ethan offered to trade my niece a
little bag of M&M's for the $20 bill and my niece took him up on his
offer. After she got home from school , my sister found out about the
twenty dollars and asked my niece where the money was. She wouldn't
tell. A little while later , Ethan's Mom called my sister and told her
how excited Ethan was when he got off the school bus today. He was
really proud of the trade he made. So , the $20 bill will be returned ,
although the M&M's are all gone!

Remember This?

*Shakes Head*

A few nights ago , a friend of mine asked for my address so she could send me a Christmas card in the mail. I pretty much assumed that since we have been friends for a few years , she knows my first and last name. Anyway , I get her card in the mail today. Guess who it was addressed to? "COREY SHANKS". Yep , she didn't know my last name.

Did You Get A Flu Shot This Year?

That was a question my Dad asked me a few weeks ago. I told him , "No. I never get one. Besides , I never get the flu anyway." That is , until yesterday. I got sick at work yesterday morning. Diarrhea and vomiting. I left work about 15 minutes early. As soon as I got home , I got sick. From about 5:45 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. I was getting up every half hour and getting sick in the bathroom. I was miserable. I had not had the flu in probably at least 15 years or so. My stomach was extremely upset yesterday. The only thing I had to eat all day yesterday was a Lipton Cup A Soup. I'm feeling a little better right now , but not 100%.

Christmas Miracles?

Last night my phone rang about 7:00. I answered it and it was my friend Diane. I used to work with her about 5-6 years ago. We've remained friends over the years. I had not talked to her in a few months , so it was a nice surprise to get a phonecall from her. A short while later I received a text message from another friend. This friend wanted to know my address so she could send me a Christmas card this year. I don't exchange Christmas card with all that many people , so if a friend of mine is nice enough to think of me at Christmas , I guess I must have done something right. I don't take that kind of thing for granted. That was surprise number 2 for me. Moving on...as I was getting ready to leave for work , I checked my mailbox. There was something from work that was addressed to me. I opened the envelope up and inside was a Christmas card that had been signed by all the people who work in the front office (management) at work. I have NEVER before gotten a Christmas card from the people in management at work. That was surprise number 3. We had our Christmas dinner at work last night. At the dinner last night they gave all of us longsleeved white t-shirts that said "Southview 2008" on them. We used to get free t-shirts for various reasons all the time at work , until they decided it was too expensive and stopped doing that. That was surprise number 4. I'm not saying that last night completely restored my faith in all of mankind , but it helped restore it some.

Jamie Cullum and Red Wing Jiri Hudler...Brothers?

Polite Dance Song.

Caption Me!

My Weekend: Part 2

On Saturday , my best friend and I went to Novi , Mi. It was my idea to go there and to go to the Hooter's in Novi as well. We've only been there a few times. It was the best idea I've had in quite awhile. Our waitress was smoking hot! The hottest girl in that place. Now , I realize that the Hooter's girls basically have the job of making guys feel good when they are at Hooter's. I mean , where else are two guys like my best friend and I going to have hot women come up and talk to us? Anyway , our waitress was a gorgeous brunette. I don't know what kind of perfume she was wearing , but it had a chronic effect on me. It smelled really good and I got a whiff of it every time she walked by. Of course , there is a danger in having a beautiful waitress who has a very friendly demeanor and a nice smile. That danger is the fact that my best friend and I have no will power when it comes to a woman like that. We had lunch and then she asked if we wanted any dessert.....OR......if we would like to buy some Hooter's calenders that all the Hooter's girls who were working could sign for us. As you can probably guess , we ended up buying calenders for ourselves. We got them signed by all 7 Hooter's girls who were working that afternoon. All in all , our time at hooter's on Saturday was a great escape from the sad reality we face everyday being two hopelessly single guys. After lunch , we went to Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi. My best friend used to live in the Novi area , so we used to go to to this mall quite a bit. Since we had last visited Twelve Oaks Mall , they have added a lot more stores. They built onto the existing mall. They now have a Nordstrom's department store as well 50 other new stores. We spent a few hours walking through the mall on Saturday. I saw some nice clothes that I liked at Nordstrom's , it's just that I didn't like the prices of the clothes! I had never been into a Nordstrom's before. Holy crap are they expensive! The mall has become quite pretentious on a few levels. They have two new stores "Puma" and "Metropark" that actually have DJs working in their stores. I saw two guys behind turntables playing music at both of these stores. What a job that must be , eh? "Yeah , I'm a DJ." "You are? At what club do you DJ?" "Actually , I DJ at a store in the mall. I spin tunes while people shop for shoes and clothes." "Fascinating!" I did spent a lot of time at the PetLand store in the mall looking at the puppies. I fell for this really cute King Charles Cavalier puppy. I didn't ask how much it was. However , a woman I work with told me last night that her sister breeds those kind of dogs. She sells them for $3,000! Woah! I didn't realize a dog like that was so expensive! Anyway , after spending a couple of hours at the mall , we went back to Ann Arbor. We ordered a pizza and watched hockey , basketball and anything else we could find good on tv that night. The weather was somewhat bad that night with snow and freezing rain falling down that night. Anyway , that is the rest of the story of my weekend.

My Weekend: Part 1.

On Friday night I saw the singer Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds in concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills. His opening act was a singer named "Ayo". My tickets were 9 rows from the stage. Very good seats. The arena wasn't soldout , but the fans there were very enthusiastic. Ayo walked onto the stage at 8:15. She was wearing long white pants and a sleeveless top. She had a nervous smile on her face as she picked up her guitar and approached the microphone. Her first words into the microphone were "I'm so cold!" It was very cold on Friday night. She began to play her guitar. It seemed like she played an extended intro into her first song. In my head I wondered "Is she nervous? Maybe she's forgotten the words to her song?" She made it through her 30 minute set pretty well. During her next to last song she sang some ad-libs about her day. She sang about how she had performed at a bookstore earlier in the day and also how she had said that she was "So cold" but she was actually "Very nervous". So , I was right about that! She left the stage at 8:45 and the crowd patiently awaited the appearance of Babyface. At 9:15 , the Babyface's band took the stage and they began playing. Babyface then walked out onto the stage and enthusiastically waved to the cheering audience. He sat down and joined his band on guitar and sang "Knocking On Heaven's Door". After he finished that song he got up and said hello to the audience and said "I can see it in your faces that you are wondering if I'm just going to play my new songs or if I'm also gonna play my old songs too. You look like a cool audience , so this is for you!" o/' This is for the cool in you...o/' Was then heard. The crowd roared as Babyface sang "For The Cool In You". He followed that with "Every Time I Close My Eyes" and then he walked off stage. The band then launched into an instrumental which would turn into "Whip Appeal". That song is my favorite Babyface song of all time! The crowd roared again! All the women began singing the words , as did I! He followed "Whip Appeal" with the song "Never Keeping Secrets". Babyface then told the audience that he wanted to sing a few medleys of songs he had written for other artists. He was going to sing songs that he had written for male artists first and then follow that with a medley of songs he had written for female artists. He started the song "Two Occasions" by The Deele and he followed that with "Don't Be Cruel" , "Every Little Step" , "Rock Wit'cha" and "Roni" by Bobby Brown. He followed those songs with "My, My, My" by Johnny Gill and "Can We Talk" by Tevin Campbell. He closed the medley with the songs "I'll Make Love To You" and "End Of The Road" by Boyz II Men. He then switched to a medley of songs he had written for female artists. He began the medley with "Superwoman" by Karyn White. All the women in the audience knew the words to that song! He followed that with "Baby, Baby, Baby" "Diggin On You" and "Red Light Special" by TLC. He followed with a few Toni Braxton songs. During the Toni Braxton songs he brought out a singer named "Sasha Allen" (Who is hot!) and she took over the lead vocals. She sang "Breathe Again" , "You Mean The World To Me" by Toni Braxton and then she sang "Not Gon' Cry" by Mary J. Blije and then she sang the Madonna song "Take A Bow". She finished with the Whitney Houston songs "I Believe In You And Me" and "Exhale (Shoop,Shoop). After Sasha Allen left the stage , Babyface performed "Fire And Rain" by James Taylor. He also told a story about how excited one of his female assistants got after he told her that he was gonna perform with James Taylor a few years ago. She said she was a huge James Taylor fan , so Babyface invited her to go along with him to the show. However , at the show she was disappointed when she saw James Taylor. She said "That ain't James Taylor! He's not J.T. from Kool & The Gang!" After singing "Fire And Rain" Babyface sat down to tune his guitar. He planned to sing "Change The World". While he was tuning his guitar some fan yelled out "I LOVE YOU!" Babyface asked "Who said that?" A woman stood up and said "I did!" Babyface then started singing o/' I love you babe in the scariest way...I want you babe to stay with me...o/' Another fan then shouted out "Sing Sunshine!" Babyface asked his keyboard player if he knew that one. He did and Babyface sang some of that song. He also sang some of the song "What If". Another fan then yelled "WHERE WILL YOU GO!". Babyface turned to his keyboard player and he began playing that and Babyface started singing that song. I love that song! I was very happy to hear him sing that one! Finally , his guitar was in tune and he sang "Change The World". He left the stage afterwards and came back for a one song encore. He sang "When Can I See You". The funniest thing about the entire night was Babyface's impersonation of Michael Jackson. He asked someone to yell "I Love You!". They did and he responded in a Michael Jackson voice! He said "I LOVE YOU...AND YOU TOO....and ESPECIALLY YOU!" The crowd roared and he said "YOU'RE TOO KIND! STOP IT!" LOL! I had a really good time at the concert. I sang along all throughout the concert. And I am certain a feeling of happiness went through me that night. I haven't felt that happy in a long time!