The Killers, Taxes & Open Mouthed Selfies

This was a pretty good weekend.

It started with a quick 10k run.  Then a homemade egg and turkey sausage sammich.  So far so good.  But then came the thing I dread all year – doing our taxes.  Ugh.  But I was able to fight through it and get em done.  My reward?  A free concert by a band I really enjoy – The Killers!!!

The Killers in koncert.

Why are they in Dallas?  Why was it free?  Lemme splain.  The NCAA Final Four (college basketball) is being played in town (the championship game is tonight).

Someone graffiti-ed on the Omni hotel.

As part of this tournament, they put on a bunch of fun events for the community – including a bunch of free concerts.  Over the weekend they also had some country music acts, LL Cool J, Fun, and even Bruce Springsteen!

The only show I was able to attend was the Killers, and I’m fine with that.  Like I said, I’m a fan.  They’re one of the few bands that I follow that I hadn’t seen in concert before.

Everything seemed to align for this concert.

First, I got downtown with no traffic, I found cheap parking, then walked toward the venue.

I always watch my back when passing the building where they say Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK from (the square window on the 6th floor).

Also, the forecasted severe weather held off (that would’ve been bad at an outdoor event).

In the park! I’m not sure why every music festival has to have a ferris wheel, but whatevs.

And I was really happy this was FREE (their tickets normally start at $150 – ouch)!  Also, there were no annoying opening acts (they screened the basketball game, and as soon as it ended, the Killers started).

Watching some b-ball, waiting for the show to start, and tanning the inside of my mouth.

Also, since I’m old I have to get up early every day (for running and for kids), I was glad that this was an early show start with a fairly early end (the downbeat was at 7:30pm and the encore was over around 9ish).

The Killers were killin it.

It was first come (first serve).  Open seating (a field).  And I was lucky to get there early enough to snag a spot fairly close to the stage!

About 30 rows deep, my mouth agape with excitement.

The show did not disappoint!  The crowd was really into it, most of us singing along to each song.  The band was really into it – the lead singer even mentioned how they weren’t sure what to expect from the crowd (this was for a baskeball tourny after all), but they were really happy with our energy!  The only weird thing was that the cigarettes people around me were smoking smelled kind of ‘skunky’, I think their tobacco had gone bad.

I’m still not sure why I was taking photos when they’d play a song I liked.

And since it was an early start/finish, my old responsible self was home by 10 pm!

Post show walking. And no, I never did ride the ferris wheel.

That show was great, btw!  They were very energetic and made sure to play all their hits.  And since I was home at a reasonable hour, I was able to make it to yoga the next morning!  The whole experience more than made up for it also being my tax preparation weekend.

How bout  you?  How was your weekend (it was a big one for races – anyone race)?  Any good concerts lately?  Are your taxes done?  Do you watch the NCAA Basketball Tournament?  How many flies did I catch in my mouth?

PS – Today is the last day to vote for our video in the Earth Day contest.  Please vote “C”!!!! It’s the one with the little girl and a bag mobile.  Vote for “C” here: http://www.heb.com/page/offers-contests/earth-day-video-contest

-Scott

 

Running Through History #JFK50

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the President Kennedy assassination right here in Dallas.  I grew up in Ohio, and I wasn’t alive back then, but I know all about it…as most people do.  Being the 50th, it was kind of a big day in Dallas today.  They had a big ceremony at the site, and it’s all they’ve been talking about all week on the radio and local TV.

If you’ve ever been to Dallas, you probably did the tourist thing and visited the Texas School Book Depository and the museum on the assassination that it now hosts.  You’ve probably strolled the grassy knoll.  I’ve been down there countless times as visiting guests usually want to see it.

Now, what you may not know is that many of the road races downtown run right down that same street.  Right along the same path as the President’s motorcade.  Every time I run one of those courses, I always feel a little weird.  Especially since there is an X painted on the spot where he was shot.

Yes, we run over this in some races.

I don’t know if these race directors do this on purpose, or if it is out of convenience.  But I’m guessing it’s intentional.  Do races in DC go past Ford’s Theater where Lincoln was shot?  I have no idea, but I think it’d be weird there too.

I think I’m wearing the same sweet cargo shorts.

Anyway, I love love love history.  My dad does too.  And so pretty soon after we moved to Dallas, we decided to go see the sites dealing with the assassination.  We saw Lee Harvey Oswald’s residences, the Texas Theater where he was arrested, where Officer Tippet was shot, etc.

During that sightseeing trip, we had a really bizarre encounter.  We were trying to find one of LHO’s houses.  We were driving slowly down the street checking the addresses, when a woman came running out and asked us if we were “Looking for Lee Harvey?”  We said yes, and she invited us into his old house.  Then she took us into the backyard where the famous photo of him holding the gun and paper were supposedly taken.  She went back into the house and came back with a rifle and newspaper, and instructed me to pose in the exact same spot as LHO had.  It was weird.

I’m just a patsy!

All she asked in exchange for the photo op was our address so she could send a Christmas card.  Like I said, bizarre.

I’ve been to the JFK eternal flame in DC.  And I’ve seen a statue of him in Ireland.  As for LHO, I also saw where he was arrested once in New Orleans.  And on a tour there, the guide pointed out a hotel that he said Kennedy had once stayed while at the same time around the corner was a school that he said LHO was attending.  I’ve run two half marathons in New Orleans, and I always think about those to spots when we run past them.

I’m a sucker for the fleur de lis.

What about y’all.  Ever been to Dallas and visited Dealey Plaza?  Ever run by anything historical?  Do you want my address so you can send me a Christmas card?

Chilly Weather, Chili Food, & Twitter Advice

So they weather dude on the moving picture box says we have a cold front about to come through.  I personally am enjoying the current shorts weather, but that may change.  And in prep for this change, I went ahead and made some chili.  But here’s the kicker – I made it with Pumpkin.

You won’t be chilly after eating this chili. (I apologize for that last joke, especially to the people of Chile)

I know everyone has their own chili recipe, as do I.  But I also like to be different.  So as I was collecting ingredients at the grocery, I saw a can of pumpkin.  Yes, that’ll do.  So I made my normal chili, then added the can of pumpkin.  It turned out good!  And of course, it went well with a pumpkin ale!  Anyway, the cold weather and the chili fuel should be good for my upcoming workouts!!!

So there’s that.  Now here’s this.  Twitter Advice:  If you want to get a lot of action on your twitter account, just do this:  Get a Verified account holder to retweet your tweet and to talk about it on the highest rated radio show in town.  That’s what I did.

This morning I had a lot of action on my twitter.  You see, a local TV/Radio comedy dude (Gordon Keith) gave a bus tour that follows the Lee Harvey Oswald trail that he took after he left the Texas Schoolbook Depository after Prez Kennedy was shot 50 years ago tomorrow. 

This guy is obsessed with LHO.  And he posted a photo on his Twitter of the tour bus.  Wellll, the seat next to him in the photo was unoccupied.  I couldn’t help it, I quickly Photoshopped in LHO’s ghost sitting next to him.  Then I tweeted it to him.  He retweated it and talked about the photo on the radio.  As soon as that happened, my account started blowing up (relative to me).  Here’s the photo….

Hauntingly creepy.

So there you go, that’s all you have to do is get a celebrity to retweet you and talk about it on the radio if you want some Twitter action.  You’re welcome.

What about you?  Ever seen a ghost?  Any weird chili adaptations?  Any Twitter advice?