El Gaffney » mn

Friday, Two Months Ago

Seth — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 13:49:00 +0000

Oh, where does the time go? This should paint a fairly accurate picture of what moving looks like for GenGuYs post-college, pre-living with significant other…

You stop keeping track about a 3/5 of the way through.
Yes, that is a basketball hoop – I had a bit more room in my Minnesota apt.
No, books are not strategically placed and I may or may not have stolen Michael Porter’s Competitive Strategy from school. (I read it before going to bed every night.) Shhh.

Keeping In Contact

Seth — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:43:00 +0000

How is it that Ticketmaster can let me know my $60 Beastie Boys tickets have been confirmed as purchased, printed, and sent (all as separate updates), but my moving company can’t give me an update on all of my stuff? Thousands of dollars of items somewhere in Minneapolis (or New York) and thousands of dollars being paid to move them and I can’t get anyone to call me back to give me an update on the status. When I finally do get in touch they give me an extended timeframe. No, not the cable company sometime between 9am and 2pm on Wednesday timeframe; the sometime between June 28th and July 4th timeframe. Problem is, they didn’t even make that. “It’s a busy week, so the best we can do is deliver it Friday (July 6th).” So I’ve been paying rent on an empty place since July 1st, now have to take a day off in my first month of working, and still don’t have my tennis racquets, wine glasses, or Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind DVD (nor my DVD player). Thanks Liberty, Mohawk, United Van Lines and all the other companies you’ve swallowed up to make this move a more difficult, costly, and a generally unpleasant experience.

P.S. Please call me back if know an hourly timeframe for Friday.

Forget Superman

Seth — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 13:56:00 +0000

Read about our local hero in action: http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S16799.html?cat=1

In My Hood

Seth — Mon, 08 May 2006 17:31:00 +0000

OOH (out of home) media is at a premium in Minneapolis. Wouldn’t you expect to see such billboard advertising (sitting at 3 stories high) in New York City? But of course if you know me, you know why I snapped this photo – notsomuch for the medium as the message. It’s hard to believe no one in SuperAmerica’s marketing department knows the slang meaning of Hot Lunch. Well, on second thought, maybe it’s not that hard to believe. Either way, thanks for giving me a giggle at the bus stop.

I’m (Way) Below Average

Seth — Wed, 03 May 2006 18:41:00 +0000

Until today, that is.

According to Technorati, which now tracks over 35.3 Million blogs, 19.4 million bloggers (55%) are still posting 3 months after their blogs are created.

So now that I’m back in the game, I guess I can go back to being part of the majority. Though I don’t know the stats on blog resurrection, I do have to believe that I’m part of a smaller group of “fighters” who believe it’s better late than never. Kind of like the Dwayne Wade commercial for Converse, except that I’ve only fallen once and it took about 2 months to get up rather than 2 seconds. (In my defense, the lapse period included St. Patty’s Day and a sprained ankle… unrelated incidents.) Anyway, I’m back (I think) and reporting live on – wait, what was my original vision/dream for this site… something about my life in Minneapolis. I’ve gotta change the heading, ’cause these next facts have nothing to do with the Salvador slogan.

Other interesting facts about blogs:

The blogosphere is doubling in size every 6 months
It is now over 60 times bigger than it was 3 years ago
On average, a new weblog is created every second of every day
Technorati tracks about 1.2 Million new blog posts each day, about 50,000 per hour

Weather in Minneapolis: Clear skies, 65 and sunny.

Weak Week Delay

Seth — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 04:41:00 +0000

Back in the U.S. for good now… actually since late Thurs night/early Fri morn. Venezuela was a wonderful place to end the viaje with its delicious local dishes, sunny days (which I experience through windows in the office and at outdoor lunches) and beautiful scenery on our two long rides from and to the airport (pictured above). At higher points in the drive through the mountains there was about 10 feet of visability with the fog that you can see at the top of this pic. And for the record, the ride back didn’t feel nearly as Proof of Life-esque. The local team was extremely hospitable and outgoing and took us out for drinks – they’re known for their rum, so I had to sample it – and talked frankly (Steven A. Smith style, except it was interesting, not annoying) about the country’s current situation with Chavez. For someone who’s pretty politically uninformed, I knew the basics of his reign, but stories of mandated folk music on the radio and pictures in restaurants coupled with the powerful images of ranchos (shacks built up on top of each other on the hills) and other obvious poverty really were quite moving. Overall, it’s hard to ignore the hardships and condition of the lower class in the countries I visited (especially close to the airports), but while parts of Caracas were incredibly nice, the poorness was impossible to deny. I had a fantastic trip and memorable experience and will be back in the U.S. and Minneapolis now after spending the weekend in Akron, Ohio at my friend’s wedding. More on this coming shortly…

Dreams Turn to Sonhos

Seth — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 16:45:00 +0000

Here’s me in Minneapolis this weekend. I’m off to somewhere a whole lot warmer and less icy (I’m talking about frozen water), where the sun is red and the flag is as yellow as the beach-goers’ banana hammocks. Where in the world is Seth Gaffney? Hit it Rockapella. Stay classy Carmen Sandiego.

Dreams

Seth — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 19:56:00 +0000

I’m one of those fortunate people who often remembers my dreams. They are, for the most part, vivid and realistic. They often relate to the last thing I thought about before going to sleep. (Is there research that proves this happens? I think it’s pretty common.) They always affect my sleep. Sometimes the more real they seem, the more I’m freaked out and wake myself up. Other times I really want to see what happens (like on Bravo’s Project Runway), so I force myself to sleep longer and force some sort of resolution that let’s me open my eyes without regret. But dreams are only part of the reason I’ve created this blog.

I rarely fall asleep easily. I can go a day without a significantly creative or unique idea. Quoting Three Amigos in meetings, referencing and relating life experiences MTV’s Next or Gauntlet 2, or lipsyncing The Best of Both Worlds as I run on the treadmill, originality is something that takes a little work or removal from it. Thus, when I get into bed, all those ideas (great and awful) that alluded me during the day, enter my mind like pop-up video. But that’s not really why I’m blogging either.

Basically, I want a place to store my thoughts, ideas, rants and pictures, and I want a means for connection. It’s been about 6 months since I’ve moved to Minneapolis and I want to give people (my friends and family) a taste of my life here. And true to form, I want to make sure they don’t forget me… and if possible, I remain on center stage. In other words, it was easier for the world to revolve around me in NY than MN. (Though the U.S. can revolve around me better here.)

So without further ado, and how fittingly historic and cheesily pun-y for my inaugural blog day, I bring to you my dream… hollisterings of Salvador Walleye.