Happy new year to all of you reading this blog. We have officially embarked on the year 2017, and I hope everyone was able to bring in the new year in a positive manner. I myself cannot complain as I was able to to spend with my little family, as well as my siblings and their families. It is rare that the entire Bumeter bunch get together, but Christmas is normally the most likely time for doing so. It was a blast!
As you can see that I am continuing with my new format, which sparks a bit of excitement when I decide to write. I think I’m already on a better pace in the last week, then what I was on during all of 2016. It’s early, and like a new relationship, it’s easy to get excited. I think however, my writing will be much more frequent in 2017. This format also allows me the ability to write sort of mini blogs on different topics, instead of just trying to focus solely on me. We’ve been over this I know, but just in case you didn’t read my last blog, I figured I’d give a bit of an update on that.
I’m eager for 2017, and I look forward to writing 2016 for at least a good month or two before my brain really acknowledges it. I’m ready to get out of my comfort zone and try some new things, and maybe improve on those that are already in place.
Chris
The Winter Classic Alumni Game
You may have seen in my last blog that I got some Winter Classic gear from my wife for Christmas. The annual Bridgestone Winter Classic game, which is an outdoor hockey game, was held here in St. Louis. The venue it was hosted in was the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, Busch Stadium. I didn’t exactly get to see the official game, but I did get to be in the stadium to witness the alumni game, which was pretty amazing.
It is an ongoing tradition to play the alumni game a day or two before the regular season game between the two participating teams. This year featured the St. Louis Blues alumni versus the Chicago Blackhawks alumni. What was fun about this was seeing some pretty historic players all on the same ice at once. A few key players that played for the Blues were Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Martin Brodeur and Bernie Federko just to name a few. There is a rich history with the St. Louis Blues, and the ability to see some of the greatest hockey players lace up the skates for a fun little game was amazing.
On top of seeing all of the great players, the fact that they held an outdoor hockey game in a baseball stadium was pretty incredible. I was a little skeptical about how well the set up would be portrayed in person, but there were no issues seeing the play on the ice. There was also something simply amazing about seeing Busch Stadium, normally a sea of red, now a sea of Blue. It was one of the coolest events I have ever been to, and cannot thank our friends Kim and Matt for giving us the tickets since they could not go. The support of St. Louis as a hockey town never ceases to amaze me.
A throwback gift of the parents
When the holidays come around, my siblings all try to find something fun to give to my parents. My sister Casey is normally the one who comes up with the idea for us all to execute. Something we all remember doing when we were much younger was taking one of those old time photos. If you see above, I’m the young chap in the bottom left of the photo trying (and failing) to keep a serious face.I think I may have been about five years old maybe.
In mid to late November, a group text began saying how we should all try and get one of these photos done, but with each of our little families. My parents are big on having photos around the hours of us all so this seemed like a perfect fit. I also have to mention that they kind of have a bit of an old time/western theme to the things in their houses, so it was only appropriate that we shoot for that era.
My first thought about getting this done was how the kids would handle it. Anybody who has kids or has been in a photo with younger kids knows that getting them to do something on cue is close to impossible. The only thing I was optimistic about was the fact that the kids did not have to smile in these photos. The more serious you look, the better.
So we got down to the place in old St. Charles and had the photos done. We all got our costumes put on, and the photographer arranged us to look as western and awesome as possible. The result was an amazing portrait that was just one of the six my parents were given at my families Christmas, and something I look forward to grabbing a picture of, once they are all placed on the wall.
It was a lot of fun and something I would love to do again sometime with my little family.
Sully: continuing my love for Tom Hanks
As you probably saw in my last blog, I am in a major Tom Hanks love affair right now. I watched Captain Phillips last week, and last night I watched Sully. The film is yet another “based on actual events” type of deal regarding the passenger plane that landed on the Hudson River in I believe 2009. Tom Hanks plays the role of the heroic pilot that successfully landed the plane on the river after they hit a flock of birds on take off.
The movie was another great film, and there is something about how normal Tom Hanks comes off that makes me really appreciate his work. He is obviously portraying an actual person in the film, but the way he conducts himself always just seems like the most lovable, loyal and wise guy.
I have a few more films of his I think I want to watch before maybe I become all “Tom Hanks Out”, but he has to be my favorite actor, right behind Fred Savage of course.
Sully ($24.00 at Best Buy)
The Great Outdoors and Pokemon GO
I took some time yesterday while my wife and kids were out running errands, to step outside and go for a lengthy walk. It’s something I rarely do as when I do go outside I tend to try and run. Last night I had the idea of turning on some music, bundling up and going for a walk to catch some Pokemon. I still play Pokemon Go, and I actually have been playing it more in the last few days, but the walk made for a perfect combination of relaxation and entertainment.
They have just recently opened up a new little cut through by our road that takes you behind a lot of the traffic areas in town, and leads you by a nice Lake with a bunch of soccer/football fields by it. The road is still fairly unknown and quiet and it’s paved with nice sidewalks that lead the way. I went out walking just as the sun was beginning to set, and it was one of the best times outdoors I have had in a while. Part of me wanted to walk all the way up to the Target that is in town, just to see if I could manage the cross walk traffic, but I chickened out and turned back. I also considered that I would be making the walk back in mostly dark, but mainly because I was chicken to try and cross the main road.
Regardless, the combination of just being alone with your head, while occasionally peaking at your phone to catch some Pokemon was fun. The thing with the park area, is that there really aren’t many Pokemon that appeared so I probably walked a good half mile just listening to music. It was super relaxing, and I didn’t think once about the 40 degree temperature. I again was bundled up pretty nicely in a snow cap and hoodie and sweats.
The entire walk just made me think how much I appreciated the walk, and how I feel like I could do that every day. Part of me feels like I could do it every morning, but when that alarm goes off, it’s hard to know you could sleep in an extra hour or so. It’s all discipline, but it was nice.
On the Pokemon Go side of things, I think I hatched about 5 eggs, with 4 of them going off all in a row. It was pretty awesome, and I think I even got a few new Pokemon I hadn’t had before. It was a great way to start off 2017, and I hope to do it much more.
I sadly have to go back to work tomorrow, but the recent holidays have helped rejuvenate me (if not spoil me a bit). I could take plenty of more days off, but I guess the money is not as good if you don’t have a job. I have built up a pretty decent amount of PTO time coming in to 2017, so maybe a small break for a week would do some good. I just know that a new year always feels like it brings new opportunities, even if those opportunities simply fall in to a different frame of mind. It’s too early to tell what 2017 will be, and there isn’t really a need to focus on that. The important thing is just living life day-to-day and taking excitement or difficulties as they come.
Let’s make 2017 Great ag- er……let’s uh have a great January how about.
Chris
chrisbumeter.wordpress.com 
Your parents old time pic is so legit
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