KAB Website Facelift

I changed the look of the website just a bit today. In the business, we call this a “facelift.” I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

I’ll buy a pitcher of imported beer for anyone who can provide relevant details about the moment that photo was taken. For obvious reasons, neither John nor Silk is eligible for this prize. Answers must be posted as a comment to this entry.

Finally, I’d like everyone to take a moment to say a silent prayer for Yovani Gallardo.

<silence>

Thanks.

Saturday golf location

We can play Hawks View. Here is the info from my insider source there:

The green fees for Saturday, June 21st would be $85.00 plus tax per person which would include 18 holes of golf on Como Crossings with a cart.

We have a mandatory 4-some policy on Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Therefore, you would need to pay for 4-somes. In other words, if you had 14 people you would have to pay for 16. You would, however, receive a rain check for full value for each missing person which you could use at any time
in the future.

————

We have had some last-minute cancellations and I don’t want to be holding the bag on them, so I may just stick with Abbey Springs. If someone actually gives an RA about this, leave a comment or let me know.

Pre-Blaster Outing

It looks like we’re going to have an honest-to-goodness Blaster weekend this year, as several people (Stick, Chad, Hopper and me…with Ryno and Sexton likely) are committed to playing Abbey Springs on Friday, in addition to Saturday. That’s great news.

If you’re interested in doubling your KAB fun, let me know. Sure, the inane banter between the Colorado guys, Chad and Ryno is annoying (they all basically suck, considering each plays 45 rounds of golf annually), but there are spots open in the Hopper/Gutowski foursome (please note that preference will be given to former ALP or Brodeurdorf Engineering players if there is competition for the last two slots). We will be focusing on discussion of Mr. Marchewka and possibly memories of the CL Deli.

Also, I have a bead on Hawks View tee times for Saturday, which I’ll probably make. There is really a lot of activity surrounding Blaster planning right now. It’s an exciting time for everyone.

Abbey Springs

I’m still trying to get tee times at Hawks View, but that is a 5-star course…which may not be a great idea considering how shitty of golfers nine-tenths of us are.

For now, we have Saturday tee times (2 p.m - 2:30 p.m) for four four groups at Abbey Springs. $90/per.

I also have a couple foursomes at Abbey Springs on Friday, should folks want to go up the day before. Let me know about this. Hopper can’t come Saturday but would like to play Friday. If we have enough people into this, I can extend the hotel stay (or try to) for another night.

Hotel rooms booked

I have 2 rooms booked in Lake Geneva for June 21, which is Saturday night. The place is Bella Vista Suites, which I have since found out is where KAB member John Baldwin proposed to his wife. It’s more than we require, but options are limited and it’s walking distance to LG nightlife.

Confirmed attendees, as of Sunday night: Ballgame, Mark D, Tony G, Tim G, Chad, Silker, Sexton (7).

Confirmed hotel stayers (I have up to 8 spots, right now): Me, Chad. Mark/John, I assume you are in too, but let me know for sure.

I’m looking into golf reservations at Hawks View. It’s $85, which ain’t bad. Hotel will run about $100/per if we have three guys per room, closer to $75 with 4 per room. There is a king bed and a pullout couch in each room.

Again, I apologize for the business-like tone of recent submissions. So, make up some joke here about me rejecting Stick at last year’s KAB for some comic relief. Or, alternately, Dick Trownsell’s fat ass

It’s official: June 21-22

OK, I’ve heard only positive responses to the weekend of June 21-22, so let’s make it official.

Next, I would request that you confirm attendance if you are planning on going. Right now, I have the following folks: Mark D (hamstring pending), Ballgame, Chris Sexton, Tony Jr (right?), and me. That’s a fine group, but damn it, it’s not truly Blaster.

Either email me at blaster@kickass.com (actually, timgut1@yahoo.com), or comment to this post verifying you will come.

I’m doing some research on location this weekend and will update the blog at that time.

Also, Ben Sheets is hurt.

Wrong week…June 20-22

My original post had the wrong week (June 15 is Father’s Day, a concern for many of us). The tentative week is June 20-22, with the 20th being a Friday.

Early candidates for location: Eagle Ridge in Galena, or Hawks View in Lake Geneva. Suggestions welcome…and, please, use the comments section of the blog.

Regarding the Cubs…

As many of you know, KAB is as much about discussing Brewers/Cubs baseball as it is about Blasting, playing golf, drinking, and Mark pulling his groin. So I’d like to start the discussion a bit early this year…

OK, the Brewers’ bullpen is pretty bad, and Mike Cameron is no savior — but why all the national attention/love for the Cubs? Reed Johnson is their everyday center fielder. Their DP combination consists of two late-20s midgets for whom hitting .270 will be considered a good year. Their “stud” rookie catcher wasn’t even a prospect in 2005, then he had a nice year at AA and became trendy b/c he has an interesting name. And Jason Marquis is still in their starting rotation.

Having said that, their two best players (Ramirez and Lee) own the Brewers and are very good hitters. The Japanese guy will probably be good for .280 and solid defense, though he’s obviously overrated at the moment. And Zambrano should win 18 games.

But otherwise, the Brewers are younger, deeper and better. That is, assuming Fielder eventually hits a homer this year and Sheets makes more than 12 starts.

Welcome to KAB III!

Fellow Blasters:

I apologize for the late start this year, but I was fairly tied up with a couple of things, and then baseball season started, and then…well, it matters not. Kick Ass Blaster III (kab3.wordpress.com was reserved, believe it or not) is just around the corner.

Our first order of business is determining the date and location of this year’s event. In preliminary talks with a few of you, it sounds like the June 13-15 weekend may be a good fit…but correct me if I’m wrong on that. For various reasons, the next two weekends are not available to fellow Blasters, and then we’re into the 4th of July. As much as we’d all like to ring in the America’s birthday by Blasting, it’s probably not a good idea.

Go ahead and post comments to this entry about whether or not this weekend works. If it doesn’t, I propose approximately a month later in July…or even the first week in June. Of course, the weather could be spotty the first week in June.

The next order of business is determining a venue. I’m looking into a few non-Crystal Lake options, which will require an overnight stay. If you have interest in golfing twice over KAB III (e.g., Fri/Sat, or Sat/Sun), let me know…that will play into where we go.

Remember — if we leave town, we’re likely to avoid last year’s dreadful intermission which led to Mark, John and I humbly driving back to Chicago at about 10 p.m., too tired and lame to go kick Dick Trownsell’s fat ass at the Cottage.

More soon.