Favre still trying on the purple dress..

From the desk of Mitch Davis, again...


The world is officially upside down. Favre is going to the Vikings and Michael Irvin is the voice of reason:

"I love Favre and I think he's been a phenomenal talent for a long time. But when I think about it now, I say, 'Stop it already.' I don't mind that you still want to play football, but do you want to play so much, and do you want to get back at Ted Thompson so much, that you're willing to go back into Lambeau and hurt those fans who supported you for so long?''

-- Michael Irvin, to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, opining on Favre's desire to return to pro football, in part, Irvin thinks, for vengeance against Green Bay GM Thompson.

I said it before, and I’ll say it again, I’ll be leading the boos if he suits up in purple

Mitch

I thought I would never say this, but I will be booing right there with you. Favre needs to shut it down. I consider Ryan Longwell a traitor as well as Darren Sharper. If Favre makes this move, he will also be labelled as such.

When will it ever end?

From the desk of Mitch Davis...

If this happens I am officially ‘anti-Favre’ (from SI.com):

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) -- Can Brett Favre still be a great quarterback? Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress says he doesn't know, but to "stay tuned." Childress says he called Favre last week. That's the latest update from Minnesota's coach, who didn't elaborate on the conversation. Childress sidestepped most questions about the quarterback's status Thursday, refusing to speculate while Favre officially remains retired. The Vikings have one more organized practice this week, their last scheduled activity until training camp begins July 31. Childress declined to answer when asked if he needs clarity on the situation before then. In a radio interview Wednesday, the coach said he's eager to see what Favre has left in his arm, which reportedly was surgically repaired after the end of last season.

The dood should just retire rather than wrecking his past for a couple crappy years with the Vikings

My 2 cents

Mitch Davis

You are correct sir. You are correct.

Mish, Mash, March...

Okay, I have a bunch of things to get to, not to mention the new podcast starring Mitch Davis, of the Regina Davis'. If that is all you want to see or hear, just click on the link to the right or CLICK HERE and you can listen to the Podcast that does not suck.

I need to first get some mail out of the way. Steve Iverson, of the Moorhead Minnesota viqueen loving Iverson's, sent me a letter and some pics from his fight with the Red River last week.

As you all know, some of TundraTalk nations members have been under attack from the flooding in Fargo and Moorhead. Ivy is one of them and he took time out of the fight to take some pictures and share with the rest of the nation. Here is his note...


Chris,

Here are some photos of the “levee” we constructed at my friend’s house at 3131 Rivershore Drive in Moorhead. I haven’t checked since Sunday, but there were views of this and his neighbor Mark Vanyo’s place on CNN.com.

Pic 15 was a week ago today, when the requirement was to have temporary levees built to 41.

Pic 17 is looking straight back from where pics 15 and 18 were shot – beside the fish house on the deck. All joists were mounted to the existing 2x12 joists on the deck that are in turn mounted to the foundation wall of the house.

Pic 18 is shot at the same place as 15, except Saturday afternoon with the temporary measures built to 43. Note bracing, additional 1” plywood, and awesome detailing of lath finished nailed into the top 2x4 to hold the poly. And the water approximately 4” above where we left off in pic 15…

In Pic 17, note the patio level below. The elevation of the door into the basement down there is 32’. So when the river was at its high point, there was just about 9’ of water above you if you were in the hole checking pumps and heaters. Now THAT was eerie.

His permanent concrete dike is good to 39’, so it appears they will thankfully make it pretty much unscathed.

Respectfully Submitted,

Steve Iverson

Holy crap Ivy. That shit is amazing. It is just unbelievable how hight that water got. I am thinking, maybe this summer you come up and build me something in my backyard. Maybe an extension on my deck, a shed, or hell, just an addition to the house? Sounds good? Good. See ya this summer.

In the picture on the right is a pic of Grand Forks. That cement pilon in the water is where the high water mark was from the flood in 1997. In GF they have installed some huge walls to keep the water back since 1997 so as far as I know they have stayed mostly dry. In the pic on the right is one of Cabelas on the other side of the wall. Pretty amazing how bad ass that river is. These pics were taken by Darin Buri.

Shannon Just, Nick Chase, and Todd Holdman also battled the flood so I am looking forward to an update from them.

NEXT: Mitch Davis, of the Regina Davis', jumped into the podcast that does not suck and gets some right away. He did not shy away from smaking the others. In fact, he took a swipe at TundraTalk legend, Marty Frey. Yeah, he did.

GO AND HAVE A LISTEN. It is 12 minutes that you will not get back, but you might enjoy it. Oh and Marty, you are next so get your game face on, cause I don't play.

NEXT: From the, as Chad Walker (of the Toronto Walkers) calls it, 'Only you Peterson', file. Last week I had a few, as they say, moments. You know the ones, the ones where you just have no idea why you do something but you do it and it just does not work out.

Anyway, the first 'incident' happened on Wednesday. There was this stand off in the hood here in Regina. Some dude got shot in the incident. So as you know this is big time stuff for TV news. Big time. Bleeds it leads. Anyway, I was dispatched to set up for a live shot from the hood. I always love to go to the hood. It is beautiful this time of year.

So as I was setting up the dish out of the corner of my eye I see a couple (girl and a guy) walking toward me and more importantly in front of the transmitting dish. You see the dish sends out microwaves that are probably not that healthy for you. So me being the nice guy I am I tell them not to walk in front of the dish. They go around and as they do the dude, who I might add looked like a hoodlum (I am bringing that word back), said "What is that?". I informed him what it was and I added that "It really isn't good for your baby." At this point he walks away and I go back to work.

About three seconds later he pops around the back of the van and says to me "Did you say baby?". I said yes, and he yelled at me "Dude, SHE AIN'T PREGNANT!"

Uh, sorry. At this point I am thinking that I am short for this world so I tell the engineer on the phone to stay on the line in case I get shot so he can call the cops. What a freaking idiot I am. I totally did not look at the girl that close, I just glanced and from a glance she looked preggo. Now that I know she is not I looked again and realized my error. Maybe I need to get my eyes checked.

Okay, so that story is funny, and yes, I am an idiot, but that one pales in comparison to the next one. Thursday morning I am sent to a press conference at the Lawson Aquatic Centre. The mayor of Regina and some smarmy MLA were announcing that they were going to spend some of my taxes on some repairs. The Lawson is a swimming pool. They set up the presser next to a door since the light in there sucks. They have a podium that I could not get my mic to sit on so I duct taped it to the podium. When in doubt, duct it.

The Mayor walks up to the podium and says "First thing. Whose duct tape is this?" I of course raise my hand. Real men are not afraid of admitting they use duct tape. He says "Nice work." Really sarcastically. He then moves on and the show ends.

I was in no hurry to stick around so I made my move to get out of there. As I went to pick up my jacket I squeezed behind a lady who was taking a picture. It was a tight fit because there was a pole behind her. On this pole was a button. I did not see the button. I proceeded to push the button with my ass. Well, here in lies the rub.

Apparently, the button turns on a shower. Which the lady who was taking the picture was standing right under. Yup, she got wet. Man am I a clutz. Needless to say the Mayor LOVED this. He was just gut laughing up a storm and asking everyone if anyone got video of it and basically humiliating me for my bonehead move.

I have to admit that it was kinda funny, but not really. The Mayor asked if I was sticking around and I said "Nah, I am just gonna have a shower and get out of here." That got a big laugh from the crowd and I just skulked out.

Well it did not take long for the story to get out, thanks Jenna, and later my boss called me to his office. Yup, I thought I was going to get it. Nope, he just wanted to have his kick at the can and wanted me to tell him the story myself. He laughed his ass of and said "We can't send you anywhere." Nice.

So there you have it. My week that was. I hope you enjoyed the stories. I will hopefully not have any more to share any time too soon.

Make sure you have a listen to Mitch's podcast. It is good. Oh, and have a great Easter Weekend.

Now, GET BACK TO WORK!!!!

TundratTalk Nation rises up...

Okay, I am sorry that it took me to blow up on you but you came through. Marty was the first to step up to the plate but the rest of you took off.

First up we have Ivy, of the Moorhead Minnesota Ivy's. He apparently is down south somewhere that is not experiencing the best of weather. Ivy what you got?

Peterson:

I was actually thinking a Pack jersey might be OK, as I thought "the" question could be Pack, or Queens? He is an old Gopher you know.

And it is totally appropriate to break tradition and do the 4 fingers with Nature Boy. You really shouldn't do it any other way in my opinion.

Wish I was there. Coldest weather in Florida since the Ice Age and too windy to fish. Oh well...

Later

Ivy

Okay Ivy is for the Pack jersey. Figures since he is a queen fan. Remember all you queen fans are welcome under our tent. No harm done. He is also for the four fingers up. I am thinking that is a good idea also. As for your question, not bad. I might add that one in there. If he says queens, I am not sure if I will tell him he is wrong, even though he would be. I know it would be an honour for him to lock in the figure four on me, but that kinda hurts so I think I will leave it alone.

Next up is Danny McIntosh, of the Regina CTV (sucks) McIntosh's. He is also in agreement on the four fingers up...

I have the solutions to your problems my friend. You wear your very own Ric Flair/Chris Peterson head to toe Armani. You flash the 4 fingers. And you ask him how his kids are doing. Problem solved.

Need anything else - let me know.

Dan McIntosh

Okay Danny. Thanks for the help. Not sure I am going to ask how are his kids. I do know that one of his boys is going to wrestle one of Hogan's kids. The one who is not in jail for killing someone (allegedly). As for the 'anything else' how about coming over and shoveling my driveway. See ya soon.

Next on the list of those who helped is Jon Bauer, of the Minot Budget Tapes and Records Bauer's..

Chris,

thing to sign : your arm so that you can make it into a real neat tattoo
thing to wear: Carolina Huricanes Hockey jersey
question: ask him if he has ever met Chris Paul

hope this helped

Jon Bauer

First off, no, Jon is not related to Jack Bauer of 24 fame. Second, the tattoo is funny but not practical. I did a story on a guy in GB once who wanted Favre to sign his back so he could do that. He also had a full size tattoo of Lambeau Field, Lombardi, the Super Bowl trophies (viqueens don't have any), and about 10 0ther things Packer related. Nope, not gonna do it. The Carolina Hurricanes jersey is a good idea but I do not have one. Last but not least, who is Chris Paul? Is he a basketball player, and why should Flair know him?

Next up is Heath McCoy, of the Calgary Herald McCoy's. He is as you all know the author of the great book about Stampede Wrestling. You can buy it here. Great book. Let see if his ideas are as good as the book...

Seriously man… That was a funny blog. I'd definitely pose with him doing the horsemen hand sign. It's a show of respect and will show him you're a true fan as opposed to the generic thumbs up.

As for the question… I think I'd ask him what he considers to be the golden era of professional wrestling and if he thinks the art is dying in the current climate. How does today's product measure up to what he was bringing people in the 70s and 80s?

Good luck man… I'm pumped for ya.

Heath

Thank you Heath. I appreciate your comments since you are a big time author and all. Another vote for the four fingers up. I like your question a lot. I was thinking of asking something along these lines but could not word it as well as you did. I guess that is why you get paid to do this by the Calgary Hearald. Nice job Heath. I will ask him that.

Donna, of the Donna's who lives in my house Donna's, also gave me some, ahem, advice.

Christopher,

You sound like a girl getting ready for the prom. I don't think you planned this much for our wedding. Donna

uh thanks, I think. I am not sure if you really know what a prom is since you do not have those here in Canada. But thanks again. Oh and I did plan a lot for our wedding. Remember the keg. That was me.

Last but not least, Venckus Schmenkus, of the Tennessee Venckus',drops this one on me...

Peterson,

You think you're stressed? Really? My stomach has been in knots for months waiting to find out if I'm part of your entourage.

Venckus

Okay Derek, dually noted. I am still trying to get over the fact that I did not get the war hero on a podcast and have got a bit lazy. First order of business next week is getting Mitch Davis on his interview for the Entourage. I have a few days off next week so I can get this done. Oh, wait, he is going to some beach somewhere. Okay, so we will adjust our lineup a bit and skip over to Marty. Then Mitch, if he is back. Or we will just do Weiser. Get ready boys cause here I come.

Tomorrow, Doroshenko is driving me to the airport at 7am so I have to pack. Get ready E Town Here I come.

Now again, GET BACK TO WORK!!!

The realization of a dream...

Okay, sorry, again that this has taken so long to get to. You know all the usual excuses, CHRIStmas rush, work, went to PHX for my dad's 70th birthday, too much TV to watch. You know, the usual things. I need to keep up with this better. I went from around 10 posts a month to two. Not good.

Lets take care of some book keeping things first. For those of you who have been following the Entourage competition closely, you have way more patience with it than I. Oh and Tony Mutzenberger, of the war hero Mutzenbergers, will not be doing a podcast. His and my schedule have not been able to connect so he has bowed out of the line up. Which is too bad because I had some wing dingers to ask him. What does that mean? Well, not much other than Mitch Davis, of the Regina Davis' is up next. Mitch is in the line up for Nepotism reasons and lets hope he can bring his red rage up a notch and give us a reason to consider him for one of the spots.

NEXT: I want you all to sit down. I have some big news. NO it is not we are having another kid because the operation did not take hold. Speaking of that traumatic situation, it did not work. Yup, you heard me right, the OPERATION DID NOT WORK.
You might be saying to yourself, "Self how does Chris know it did not work if his wife is not preggers?" Well to not go into too much embarassing detail, lets just say there is a test, I took it and failed. It involved a cup, a brown paper bag, and a mad dash to the hospital. I think that was too much detail. Moving on.

Now some of you will blame it on me. Not really in a position to make a difference on whether it works or not laying on a table with my junk out, so that is not the reason. Some may take it to the next level and blame it on the Canadian Health Care system. I am not going to blame that because I had no problem getting it done and it did not cost anything so I will not blame that.

What I will blame is the dumb ass doctor. The fact that he said 'oops' during the procedure, the fact that he did not know what an iPod was, and the fact that his damn hands were cold. That is what I am going with.

Where do I go from here? I will tell you that back on that damn table is NOT an option. No way, no how. Screw, a, err, that. I think I need to just sit back and relax for a while and contemplate the gravity of this situation. Then decide what to do. For those of you who are in Regina and have this little procedure scheduled. STAY AWAY FROM DR. SOOD.



NEXT: Here is the meat of what is going on right now. Why may you ask is Ric Flair atop this paragraph? Well I will tell you. Ric Flair, as most of you know, is the greatest wrestler of all time. Hands down. No discussion, no debate. He retired last year at Wrestlemania. I have been watching this man on TV for around 30 years. Every time he hit the ring and I was anywhere near a TV I had it on. I am as you say a HUGE FAN. I own the action figures, the championship belt, the DVD's, and the program.



No one conducts and interview better than this guy. No one. I have been quoting this guy's catch phrases for years. The only thing I did not get to see is him wrestle in person. I saw him at Wrestlmania IX come in and do a run in on Hogan and Vince. I also once saw him in Edmonton do a run in on Chris Benoit during a Raw show. Never saw him wrestle. I once drove from Green Bay to Fargo for a Thursday night Thunder show on the rumour that he was going to be there. I saw something on a website that said he might be there so I got Nick to get tickets and took the day off so I could be there when he came back. Nope, did not happen.

Ric was, and I guess still is to some extent the guy who 'lived the gimmick'. Back in the day before Vince told everyone that wrestling was rigged, I will not say fake because these guys get hurt way too much for it to be fake, the guys would live the character. Like for instance, the night Nick Chase and I sent a beer over to Mr. Perfect. He looked over from the bar, gave us a dirty look and then drank the beer. Bad guys were bad, and good guys were good. Now people like Kane act way too nice outside the ring for me to even believe anything he does inside it.



Ric was the playboy wheeling, dealing, jet flying, limo riding, Kiss stealing, space mountain son of a gun. He said it on TV, he lived it in real life. I thought that was way too cool. Everything he said was cooler than anything I would ever say in my life. I wanted to meet Ric from the first day I saw him on TV back in 1982.

Fast forward to February of next year, and that dream comes true. Blair Stefishin, of the Edmonton Stefishin's, sends me this email...

The time has come. What time you ask? The time has come that the greatest man in history, the man who has shaped the world as we know it today, the man that IS the man has named E-town as a stop on his pilgrimage to spread wisdom as only THE man can. Who could this great prophet be you ask? My children, I speak of the one, the only, his holyness the Nature Boy; WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! When, you ask, will he spread his great gospel to us lowly servants of The Man? February 7, 2009; that's right, 1 night only to have the opportunity to be in the presence of greatness. You say you would give all your worldly belongings to be a part of this great pilgrimage?

Well, my children, that is an awesome show of devotion, though you need only sacrifice a small fee to have the opportunity to hear the words of his holyness. However, if you purport you are righteous enough to stand to the right hand of true greatness, a vial of your life essence and slightly larger fee is all you need renounce for VIP seating (first 2 rows), free autographed memorabilia, and the opportunity to meet, greet and lay your hands upon his holyness.

Thank you, my children, and may The Man bless us all. WOOOOOOOOO!



Wooooooooooo, is right. Ric is doing some kind of spoken word legends of wrestling tour and it's only stop in Canada, so far, is in Edmonton. I am soooooo going. Of course there is no way that I am NOT going to sit in the first two rows and get that meet and greet. This is going to be huge. There will probably be a tremor in the force. I bet that the security threat level (you remember that don't you. Bush used it to get re elected) will be raised to super red. There may be press there to cover this event. Two legends together in one place. Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

I cannot wait. Of course I will have full reports with photos and I hope some audio from the event. Blair and I will provide team coverage that no other multi dollar semi important blog site will have. Believe that. Now there is also the situation that I promised Donna that I would retire from wrestling if I got to go to Wrestlemania IX in Seattle. I checked the contract and I found a loophole that allows me to attend this show. Since there will be no wrestling, per se, it does not qualify as a wrestling event. It is a concert or a lecture. Nick is a good lawyer, look him up.

I will leave you with one last Ric Flair moment to get your humpday going...




Now GET BACK TO WORK!!!!!!

The Gear Daddies, Minneapple, and the Twins game sucked...

Okay, so this post is a bit late but the whole Favre to NY threw me off and I have been busy as hell lately so just read it and get over yourself.

I was in Minneapolis last weekend. Yup, I was in the states. I know most of you felt a tremor in the force. I went down with Donna to see Robby, Dahl, Nick, Tony, and the Gear Daddies. Not necessarily in that order.

We left Regina on Wednesday night with full intentions of getting to Minot in time to have some ribs and beers with Tony Mutzenberger and Steve Shoenrock, of the Minot Mutzenbergers and Shoenrocks. Work did not get me out early and an unfortunate forgetting of the passports set us back.

Oh well, it is all good. We stopped over halfway and dropped McKenna with my parents in Hazen to stay for a visit and we were back on the road the next day. We stopped for Lunch in Fargo and were able to hook up with Nick Chase of the Fargo Chases. It was a nice visit with him and his wife and baby. I have not seen Nick for a while and it was like we just saw each other yesterday the way we just rapped like old times. Nick of course is stamping out Terrorism and anyone else who dares to flout the rules of law in North Dakota. Much ass is kicked by this man everyday. Don't F with Nick Chase.

After lunch we finished our trip by arriving at Robby DuPuis of the Minneapolis Dupuis. He has a very nice house just at the end of the Minneapolis Saint Paul Airport. It is amazing how low those planes fly above his house.

On the agenda for the weekend was a trip to see the Gear Daddies at the Zoo Amphitheatre, a trip to see the Twins at the Metrodome, some artsy stuff at the Art Fair, and some serious shopping at the Mall of America.

Friday morning took us to the Mall. Donna did some power shopping and I purchased a replica of the new Lambeau to go with my old one. Good morning at the mall. Robby worked that day. It was the first anniversary of the bridge falling into the river so he had some big shoots that day. If you remember correctly he was the first TV news camera on the scene that day. He has even was interviewed for a special that aired that evening. I saw Robby's footage from that day and he did a great job. Proud of him, I taught him everything he shouldn't do so he did great.

Anyway, Friday night brought the reason why we travelled all this way. Well that and the beer that Scott Dahl owed me. The concert was at the Minneapolis Zoo Amphitheatre. Nice little venue to see a show at. Around 1000 people crowded in to listen to a band that has been around for a long time. The Gear Daddies are a band from Minnesota that play a brand of alt rock/country that I am a huge fan of.

Dahl got the tickets for us, which I still owe him for, and the night was on. I managed to record most of it on my iPod. I know it is not exactly kosher to do that, but hell, I did. If you would like a copy just drop me a line and we will get it done. Oh and just so you know, there is a lot of us singing on this copy. Well here have a listen...


Gear Daddies live... from hamiltongbp on Vimeo.

Yup, that is me singing. The drunk guy. That was an awesome concert. A band that I have wanted to see for a long time.

The next day we, as my suggestion, decided to go to a Twins game. I take full responsibility for this trip. I know, the Twins suck, the Metrodome sucks, it all sucks. I have never been in the Metrodome so I wanted to experience the suck in person. Plus, I was hoping to do Robby DuPuis Entourage Podcast at the game. You know, that would be cool right. Podcast live from a major league baseball game. Well, kinda major league since it is the twins.

I figured that it would be me, Donna, Robby, Dakota, and about 10 other people. That is usually what I see on the highlights. Well, unbeknownst to me it was Twins DQ hat night. It is amazing how midwesterners will go out of their way to get something free. If I was a Twins fan and a resident of Minnesota, thank god I am not, I would soooo be there. We could not get a seat on the lower level, from scalpers. I hate those guys. That is a whole nother story. Anyway, we sat way up in the top of the Metrodome. If this were a queens game, which again thank god it was not, it would suck to watch a game there. Way to sterile and air conditioned. Especially for baseball, a person must be outside for a ball game not in this baggie dome.

So we are watching the game and this dude about 10 rows up starts yelling at the team. My first thought is dude, we are three miles from the game, they cannot hear you. But he paid for his seat he has a right to yell. Then this broad, and I use this term in a completely non flattering way, starts yelling back at him. I immediately think we are going to have a fight. I of course, encouraged the fight. Nothing happened. So I decide to find more tasty beverages so I go out and search for a tasty one. While I was gone the broad decided to have this guy kicked out. He wasn't swearing, he wasn't too abusive he just was an Indian fan. So this chick took it upon herself to have him ejected.

Robby decided to give her a piece of his mind on the way out. I told him I had his back and he proceeded to tell her that if she did not like heckling that she should stay at home and watch the game. Well this trailer trash did not like this and promptly told Robby that he should go back to New York. Dumb ass, which is what I called her a few times. Then, get this, just as we get to the concourse she grabs my arm, pulls me toward her, says "have a nice night", AND HER DAUGHTER KICKED ME IN THE SHINS. Then they ran to the womans bathroom. AMAZING.

I just got kicked in ths shin by a 13 year old trailer park trash kid, who is a Twins fan, at a MLB game. Wow. I hate to generalize, but I think I will. Twins fans are just as dumb as queen fans. Sorry. Here is another thing about Twinsfan that drove us crazy. NO ONE SITS AND WATCHES THE DAMN GAME. We sat on the aisle so all we saw the whole game was jerkoffs going up and down buying sammiches, dogs, popcorn, pop, and anything else they think they need RIGHT NOW. We only saw a few innings of baseball, and a ton of a-holes walking up and down. Sucked, sucked, sucked, sucked.

So that was the basic gist of our weekend in Minneapple. I did not get to do my podcast from the Twins game, but we did it from Robby's man cave in his basement. CLICK HERE to listen to the magic, or just click the link above. I have had it up for a week or so and some of you have already hit it so thank you for listening to TundraTalk the Podast. Robby did a great job and we added a new game to the show. It is called Brush with Greatness to the Death. Basically the host starts with a Brush With Greatness story and then the guest has to counter. It goes back and forth until one of us give up. I will tell you that I do not give up. Deal with that.

Now Tony Mutzenberger of the Minot Mutzenbergers was supposed to go before Robby but he has been busy being an army guy so I will get to him soon. Up after that will be Mitch Davis of the Regina Davis'. Good luck Mitch. Start studying your man laws.


Okay that is all. Now GET BACK TO WORK!!!!!

Here is the order for the Entourage Podcasts...

Here is what Sonja Heitsusan, of the Dead Moines Heitsusans, said about my truck getting broken into. Welcome to the dialogue Sonja. It is about time....

Chris –

Long time no talk to. I was reading about the truck break-in. At least the A-hole didn’t steal the entire truck. My car got stolen a year ago. The dude slit the rag-top, stole everything inside (I mean everything, shoes, books, gloves, etc) and told police he picked up a prostitute and had SEX in the car!!! Needless to say, I wished he would have totaled the car, but the police caught him going about 100 MPH down I-235.

So, the moral of this story, it can always be worse. At least you don’t have to power wash the INSIDE of your truck J

Hope all is well -

Sonya Heitshusen

Yup Sonja, I am glad he did not steal the truck. That would have sucked to 8 hours away and not have wheels. As for the cops arresting him for going 100 on I 235, I thought that WAS the speed limit.

Reggie chimed in on the Entourage Podcasts...

I didn’t see Tony Mutz on the list. Considering the situation he is in, it is imperative that a fair man like yourself would put in a placeholder for the time being. Don’t be a dick like Tupac, look where that got him. Dead! Yeah that is right, Ray Lewis didn’t shoot him either.

Also, you visit a friend and subsequently get your “truck” (hauling grain now?) broke into. Sounds pretty suspicious to me, how well do you know Mr. Blashill?

Thanks for allowing me to make the short list, but give up on the I hate the Vikings shit. To you it may be a religious experience, but to me it is an opportunity to get a good nap on Sunday’s during the fall. Yes they are overpaid representatives of our loyalty to the team, but I will be able to walk when I am sixty and they will be zealots of our past entertainment.

I look forward to your litany of questions, however I am concerned with the tone of “smack down” references. If you recall, my role is one of practicality. I don’t smack down anyone for sport.

Finally, because you knew me before I was 18 it is permissible to call me Reggie. All others will refer to me as Reg or Mr. Rudolph. Also, your entourage should have cool nicknames. Like Nordic Man-that is a bad ass nick name, just hope he lives up to it.

Reginal Rudolph, General Manager
McLean Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Thanks Reg, errr Reggie, I hope you get yours during the podcast. You might want to start with the smak because it will help. The bit about Cory sounded suspiciously like smak to me. No I do not haul grain, but I do haul ass. Whoooooooo!!!!! As for Tony, like I said, not sure how to get a hold of him in Iraq. I don't even have his email let alone his digits. I am sure he would hold his own if he was able to participate.

So here it is!!! As chosen by my 5 year old out of my Packer hat given to me by Dwayne Mandrusiak, who got it from Red Beatty the Packers equipment guy. McKenna cannot read much, let alone your names so there was no bias involved in the order that she chose.

So start studyin' your Bon Jovi and your man laws because you are gonna need all your wits about you for this one. Oh, and a bit of Jager might help.

Here it goes...

1. Min Dhariwal
2. Mike Chaussee
3. Nordic Man
4. Trev Doroshenko
5. Reg Rudolph
6. Derek Venckus
7. Cory Blashill
8. Robby DuPuis
9. Mitch Davis
10. Marty Frey
11. Chad Weiser
12. Shawn Hauser

The Entourage competition is heating up!!!

So the competition is heating up. I decided earlier this week that I would start putting together an entourage. You know, I don't have the money or the fame yet, but I think I need to be prepared when it happens. Oh, and it will happen. I sat down, did some serious thinking, then I put it all on TundraTalk. I made sure that I picked the right guys to hang with. I had charts, graphs, beer, and bratwurst to help me make the right decisions.

After I put it out there I just left it up to you guys to police yourselves. And, guess what. You did. I have had some great feedback from the boys on what needs to be done with this posse. There has been some suggestions that maybe we need to put this out as a reality show with all the music and dramatics. We could have an elimination scene where the obnoxious host gives some stupid catch phrase like, "You have been eliminated from the posse, please turn in your man card and leave the mansion." Nah, reality tv sucks.

So, lets start with an up and comer. Reg Rudolph, of the Garrison Rudolph's, decided to throw his hat in the ring. He makes a strong case for being a member of the crew. Let's let Reg state his case... (sorry about the picture Reg, but that is all I have, circa 1987) Yes that is a marker he is trying to pass of as a microphone...


Mr. Peterson (That is what I would call you if I was in your entourage), I read with great interest the qualifications you felt were important to be in your so called posse. If you want a posse that is just a bunch of money sucking friends living off of your coat tail then count me out. Yes, I am a friend from way back! As a matter of fact just last week I recounted an event that you and I had together; driving home from college freezing our butts off in your Escort because you didn’t have enough anti-freeze. But the rap muzac at least kept you warm.

To recap some of the functional value I could bring to your organization: First and foremost I see you do not mention any person that knows his way around a dollar with the level of expertise as me. As a matter of fact responding to your inquiry for a posse is costing me money right now. However I believe in your potential and ability to convince someone to buy (at an inflated price) your idea eventually.

Let’s get down to it! There is always one or two guys in the posse that make bad things go away and good things develop and the star never knows the difference. I am one of those guys. I run a multi-million dollar company in a fashion that most people perceive that it could run itself. As the CEO I know what it takes to get the skids greased so others can succeed. I will remember your anniversary and send flowers for you, get the birthday gifts for your kids, and still make sure you don’t get screwed when you want to buy a new car. I will also remind you that you haven’t called your mom in five days and as I hand you a ringing phone you will still remain the humble son.

Albeit, Willie Nelson had a bad moneyman , you will not! North Dakotan’s don’t steal their friends money because that is simply wrong and we were taught the Golden Rule in church, the one with God! I will hold your finances inviolate as that is my responsibility, I will also tell you when you are risking it.

As I look back at my request to be in your posse it makes me wonder why you would pick me? But every person has a fun friend and at least one practical friend. I am the practical friend, sad for me to admit but it seems to be working.

Write your masterpiece, strike it rich and when you get scared at what is happening to your life, call your practical friend. I may be available

PS: Tony is a good choice because there may be times when I need to make some bad things go away.

Peace out Bitch! (That is the only thing cool I could think of!)

Reg

Mr. Peterson, attached you will find my picture as you requested. Most of your entourage candidates convey an image of “I like to party” –quote from Talladega Nights. I will be the person in your posse that strikes fear with those that intend to violate your “circle of trust”-quote from Meet the Fockers. But don’t worry as I am the one that knows how to “kick ass and take names”-quote from Reg Rudolph.

Okay Reg, you make a strong case. You are correct that I did not put a guy on the list that can take care of finances. That is very important. I do remember that trip in the Escorche, and yes it was cold. The idea that I would never have to remember an anniversary or birthday again is very appealing. There is one thing that is holding your back a bit, that whole thing with the viqueens. I do recall you in a email this year trying to justify your loyalty to the purple and on the verge of giving them up for dead. I am here to tell you, we as Packer fans are always welcoming converted queen fans. It can change your life for the good. Come on over and I believe that it could be a done deal. Oh and comparing the pictures, in the old one mullet, and the new one, well no mullet. Nice.

Now Venckus chimed in on him being on the list...

Thanks for putting me on the list...it's an honor. Really. Moot point...your screenplay will probably suck. Try writing something about a 16 year old chick that gets pregnant and drinks Sunny D. THAT might make it big.

Idiot.

Peace.

Venckus

Thanks Derek, nice of you to drop the idiot right away. Already keeping me real. Points for you!!!

Hauserinskinov jumps in after he sees all the other resume's. He does well for himself simply by bringing up the legend of Sign Boy, and FUNYUNS. Hauser looks like a lock....

Sooooo, I am sitting here tired as hell and I see everyone else is making a case for themselves, a-holes! First of all....I LIVE IN GREEN BAY AND YOU ALL DO NOT. I could simply end my statement and say nuff said? No, I will roll on. Being a competitive cyclist and a guy who likes to keep the body in decent shape, I feel I play a key role in the entourage, read on!

When the Bossman (that's you Big Man) needs a cold beverage and the closest Shell gas station is really not all that close....I am fit enough to RUN for beer and FUNYUNS...pulled the F word which again is a likely lock. So in review, Green Bay and Funyuns, and then in shape and willing to run like Forest.

I was there when the legend was born, SignBoy, brings a tear to a fellas eye. From small felt tip pens to the big ass oversize Sharpie, notebook paper to huge chunks of solidified pulp...no wonder Kaukauna stinks....all those signs! I have witnessed everything except the forest fires and the whole living in Canada thing, whatever. I was there when the first felt tip made contact with the paper....and the first "YOU SUCK" sign was born!!!!

Again, getting real tired here, which brings me to my last point....my one weakness which just happens to be a demand as well. I need the naps, OK, if Bossman has the entourage on the run all day.....I'm gonna need a nap here and there boys....just the way it is!

That is my little diddy, not P-Diddy, just a little diddy. Take as you want it, bottom line....I love that Dee Snyder.

Hauserinskinov is in the HOUSE

Naps are good with me. Hauser good work.

Next up is my Uncle Ray Harper, of the Boeing Harpers, and he wants in...

Chris,

Every famous person has at least one no talent deadbeat relative hanging on their coattails. Lucky for you I fit the description, besides if you don't let me on I'll tell your mom. Since I cant earn my way in I will have to use extortion like threatening to sell my DNA to the tabloids so they can make a match with yours on those paternity suits.

Uncle rayman

Okay, uh, sure. Call my mom if you need to. She will just tell you to mind your business. Oh and the picture is the picture that Ray will be using to run for office at the Washington state legislature. If you live in Washington, make sure you vote for my Uncle. If you want him in the Entourage vote for him. Not sure how being in my Entourage is gonna help him get elected.

Of course Mary Frey jumped in with his opinion on how the whole crew was shaping up...

I like it - I like it a lot... Now the one thing that I would change on my blurb would be that I was "born" a Packer fan - the son of a man who stayed for all 4 quarters of the Ice Bowl and a charter member of the Bucky Scribner Fan Club - the official fan club of the Packers first left-footed punter.

OK - enough about me... There are some good choices there - there are some GREAT choices there...

Venckus - IN... one of the smartest, sarcastically funny sports guys that I ever met (I guess that isn't saying a lot - but still) I can hear him saying it in my head right now.. "Peterson - your an idiot"...

Nordic Man - IN.. Big fella, easy to get along with - Fireman, cheese curd and beer lover and a hard working man.

Trevor D - Love the last name, He's chewed some dirt.. good

Hauser - a great athlete (but I am concerned about the pink bike), a seriously funny guy and a great photog that is up for just about anything..

Cory - Hell yes.. every team needs a "scrounger". The Guy who can get what you need, the "fixer", the "go-to guy.. hell yes

Tony Mutzenberger - war hero - great name - probably doesn't want to be any part of this? - he's perfect

Mitch - I could see this.. Say you're about to do something really stupid because of an idea that we came up with when we were drinking and playing poker by the pool. Then Mitch could lean back, take a slug from his beer - scratch his head and say.. "You know Chris - Donna would kick your ass if she ever found out you did that".. And then we could all agree and get on with the game.

but really? A "donkeys fan" - A frickin' Lawyer? - A viqueen fan? What the hell is that? I mean if your goal is to have a couple of guys that every else wants to beat down on a regular basis -then sure... A lawyer I could see, only if he knows that he's scum and feeds off the suffering and pain of others.. But a Viqueens fan? That, my friend is unforgiveable. They are the worst punks imaginable - They play in a Dome - failures to the core, full of whiny complaints about how everything is "bad luck" - THEY PLAY IN A DOME!

I miss the old-style viqueen fan when they played outdoors.. We grew up tailgating at Lambeau and when the queens came to town there was good-natured ribbing - a few bets on the game, we shared our brats and beer with them and gave them directions when they were a little tipsy after the game. But win or lose - they were decent fans, plus we both hated the bears so bad that there was some of that "mutual enemy" camraderie. But in the last 10-15 years, Viqueen fans have become bitter, sad little punks - spitting and swearing in the kids section at Lambeau.. Their perverted players holding sex parties on lake barges and mooning entire stadiums with their disgusting displays. Perhaps it's because their parents gave up on the team in the early 90's and all that is left is the current generation of viqueen fan, brought up on failure and poor sportsmanship - and the only thing they know is fear and heartbreak. I pity them and their useless dome-bound team.

Marty

I know what you are saying about the queen fan thing, and it is a big deal to get past, but he does have connections and I have tipped a few with this dude, and he can be changed, if we wish to take him in as a 'project'.

The lawyer is also a bad mofo. He works for the state department in North Dakota fighting crime. As you know there is not much for crime in ND so he is smart enough to pick a state that is slow. You know a few grow ops, some jaywalking, maybe a noise complaint, stuff like that.

I think we have a good crew here.

OK - You didn't tell me that he was a prosecuting attorney and not the "scum sucking" type of lawyer.. you idiot.. He's OK But I still can't abide by a queen fan being in the posse.. If he's in - I'm out..

Bold statements from Marty. Shane, do you want to state your case? I think you should.


Blashill, of the Edmonton Blashill's, just had one thing to say about his nomination...

Petey,

Feels like you just wrote my obituary.

No, my friend, I think in those words I wrote your destiny. You are getting huge support from the rest of TT and you look as if you could lock this up almost as quick as Marty. Nice work my friend.

Nordic Man made a bold move on the Entourage thing, he sent his wife to respond. Man, that is awesome. Much points for the Nordic One on this one. So what does she have to say?

I of course would have to vote for my Nordic Man, and where else do you get a Vikings fan to make you home made pancakes shaped like a G?
I do hope you know it was painful to use my griddle for that!
Also who would take his girls to the Tilted Kilt, aka strip club, that serves food without a cover charge.

Nordic Woman!

Yes, those pancakes were awesome. The Packer G in the middle of the cakes was just the icing on the cake. Yes the idea of taking your daughters to lunch with the boys at the tilted kilt, yup, manly. He is rising above the rest. Truly an innovator.

Last but not least Mitch adds his opinion...

“Unstable personality - check. Referred to (in the third person) by a nickname (Red Rage) - check. Packers fan - check. I believe I more than qualify. Add in the fact that I am also a fan of the Grey Cup Champion Riders, I also hate the Vikings, and I think this is a no-brainer. Mitch

Preach on brutha, or should I say, brutha in law. You got Marty's vote so you are already a head of the game. Just keep your game up.

So there you have it Nation, the Entourage is shaping out to be a great competition. I welcome any and all suggestions as well as bribes. Feel free to let me know if there is something wrong also. Oh and if you want to call me an idiot. It is getting to be that way now on my emails. Still waiting to hear from a few of you. Min, Mike, Ivy, Weiser, bring it...

Now, have a nice weekend.

I am gonna get me an entourage...

Okay, so I have decided to start writing again. No not just here to you the loyal TundraTalk Nation, but another screenplay. Or maybe just a story. I am not sure what has inspired me to do this. I think maybe it has to do with a few things. The other day I was digging around in the furnace room looking for something that I have no idea where it is when I found a box of letters. My Mom and Dad, for some reason decided to keep all the correspondence that I received when I was in school and the Forest Service. Not sure why.

Oh, wait, you remember that don't you. Writing letters? Can you imagine? I used to, apparantly, write a lot of letters. I probably had around 60 letters in this box. Most of them from girls. Now before you start thinking that I am just bragging, don't. These letters were not hot or even warm. They pretty much sucked. Weird thing about it some of the girls I got letters from I cannot for the life of me remember what they looked like or even who they were. Crazy. After reading a few of them I figured out I had a pretty much a form letter that I sent them. Basically describing what I have been up to, a question on what they are doing, and then asking for their phone number and a picture. Seriously, every one of these letters from different girls answered the same questions.

I also got a few letters from Chad Weiser, of the Bellevue Microsoft is satan Weisers, Reg Rudolph, of the Garrison Rudolphs, and Shannon Just, of the not sure where Justs. It must not have been to easy for those guys to write because there were no more than two from each of them. Shannon was so lazy that he even had my mom fill in the address to the Forest Service. Lazy bastard. Letter writing is a lost art, and by the looks of these letters, not to many of my homeboys were artists. Reggie's was good though.

Anyway, I have always wanted to put down on paper my experiences in the Forest Service fighting fire and reading these letters reminded me of some of those stories so I decided to finally start writing it.

So obviously, that leads me to want to put together an Entourage. You know, for when I sell the book or screenplay and have loads of money to just throw away on my homies. I need a support system to keep me real. I know, some of you are saying "What the hell are you talking about Chris. Isn't that what your family is for?" Yes, and no. I like the show Entourage, and I just wanted to go through, what I will call a tryout, or the interview process of putting one together.

A good Entourage consists of four or five dudes. No you can't just put anyone into these spots. I do not want an Entourage that consists of yes men that will just go along with all my lame brain ideas. I need guys who will not be afraid to call me an idiot. Most of the people I have chosen to go on the list would probably step over themselves to call me an idiot so I think I will be okay on that point. After all if you have a group of yes men that usually leads to jail time like Tyson, or Iverson. You know the old saying, "You are who you roll with." Well I guess it is not old but it works.

So I am going to break down a list of potential candidates for my Entourage. I hope no one is offended by not being on this list but trust me I have put a lot of thought into this. This list is in no particular order, just putting it out there. Good luck and here we go...

MARTY FREY - Check the list to the right, whose name is at the top of topics in TT. Marty Freaking Frey. This guy is a frontrunner for many reasons. He is a Packer fan, he sends me stuff, he has major connections, he has been to the Playboy Mansion twice in the past year, he almost burnt me to a crisp for a commercial, and he is usually one of the first guys I can count on to call me an idiot. Marty is also the man who uttered the infamous 'Dee Snider Poker Night Comment'. Which of course is huge. Trump will not work with anyone else in LA and neither would I. Marty this is your spot to lose.


DEREK VENCKUS - Derek made this list on his ability to make me laugh. A dude has got to have a guy to make him laugh in case I have a bad day at the studio because some dumb ass actor will not do what I tell them to. Venckus is also a person who will call me an idiot just for drill. Plus he knows hockey. I needs a guy to talk hockey with. I believe he is a closet Packer Fan. Every Entourage needs a driver, and I have seen Derek drive the NBC 26 mobile commisaries at the Elkhart track in Wisconsin. To quote the great movie Ricky Bobby - "Derek Bobby is not a thinker, Derek Bobby is a Driver." Derek is a definite front runner for one of the spots.



TREVOR DOROSHENKO - Our first Canadian to pop up on the list, Trev is a guy who unfortunatly is a Red Wings fan but makes up for it by tolerating my Packer Talk. Trev is a guy I went to war with at the A-Channel which spawned our charity golf tournament that was a huge success in Edmonton for 6 years. Trev also shows much loyalty to me by following me from Edmonton to Regina. He missed me so much after we left that he could not take living in E-town with out me. That my friends is loyalty. Good on him. Trev also is a guy who is not afraid to call me names if I deserve it. Good luck Trev. Oh and we will forgive him for posing like the Heisman, a college award, at the PRO football hall of fame.


SHAWN HAUSER - Hauser, or Hauserinskinov as he is called in the NHL, starts off well by being a Packer Fan. As you recall from the NFC Championship weekend podcast, he is vital in the Packers success last year. He gives Favre hand signals from the sidelines when Brett does not know what to do. Sweet. Hauser is also a hockey fan (Rangers too bad) and loves beer. You have got to have a guy in your crew who can locate and allocate beer when it is needed. Hauser has these qualities in spades. He was also there on the infamous 'Dee Snider Poker Night Comment'. Hauser has a house full of women, as I do, so hanging with the boys is crucial. Hauser is a very strong candidate.

CORY BLASHILL - Our second Canadian to make the list. Cory, well where do I start with Cory? Lets just say Cory is the goods. If you need something, Cory can get it. If something is broke, Cory can fix it. If you need something to eat, Cory can cook it. If you need a live hit in les than 5 minutes, Cory is your huckleberry. If you need gossip on someone, just pull up a chair. Also if someone is bugging you and you want them to go away, Cory will send them packing. Cory also has the best luck of anyone I know. Plus he has great stories from the road and always drinks with the finest athletes. Oh, and Cory can plan a party like no other. It would be safe to say right now that Cory pretty much has a spot locked up.


ROBBY DUPUIS - Robby, despite living in Minneapolis, is for one the guy who I could count on in my crew to be the voice of reason. You know the one, the guy who keeps us from going into the wrong bars, casinos, or strip clubs. The one who at the drop of the hat could have us in a limo on the way to Vegas. Of course he would get us comped. The only thing about Robby that is holding him back a bit is the fact that he is a fan of the Donkeys and John Elway. As you can see in the picture he is getting his ass handed to him by the Hansen Brothers. Robby knows that the greatest film of all times is Slapshot. Robby could also be the enforcer of the group. Need one of those.


THE NORDIC MAN - First and formost, he has a killer nickname. A must have in a posse. You must have a guy with a nickname. Nordic Man. Now that kicks ass. Secondly, he is our hook up for Packers tickets. This guy ALWAYS comes through for me or my boys. Nordic Man also has a palace in Gillet Wisconsin that is sutiable for many a fine get together. Nordic Man also loves hockey and is willing to tell me to shut up if I need to. The Nordic one is also a man with a house full of women. Guys like us need a lot of QT with the boys. This crew would supply all of that time. Last, but certainly not least, he was also there on the infamous 'Dee Snider Poker Night Comment'. Nice job Nordic Man you are on the list.



TONY MUTZENBERGER - I am starting a new trend with my posse. A war hero. From now on when someone considers putting together an Entourage they will consider a war hero. Tony is down. Now, he may not want to join my posse because he probably is still upset about Chad and me putting him thru the car wash in the back of Chad's El Camino in high school. Maybe he is over it though, we really could use a guy who knows his way around an AK-47.



CHAD WEISER - Speaking of Chad, a person should have at least one of his boys from way back in his crew. Chad has many qualities that would fit in my crew. First and foremost he likes beer. Unfortunately he is a Seahawk fan but he makes up for it by being a Celtics fan. He is also a man who has a house full of women and could use more time with the boys. Chad works for a landscape architecture firm so when I get ready to build the palatial mansion he can design it with everyone's needs in mind so when we all move in we will not feel the least bit uncomfortable. Oh, did I mention that we all have to live in the same house? Required. Deal with it.


NICK CHASE - Nick is on the list because he is the baddest lawyer in the land. He kicks ass and takes names daily. Every posse needs an agent type that knows his way around the law. Nick is this guy. Nick is also a huge wrasslin fan who I personally have sat ringside with. He also attended Wrestlemania 19 with Weiser, Ivy and me. He is a natural leader that can lead the group to all the best deals as well as the best parties. Nick is the go getter that this crew needs. He probably won't join up because he is too busy fighting terrorism, or terrism as W calls it. Too bad, Nick would have fit in well.


SHANE T. KELLER -What would Shane bring to the table? Well, as you can see in the picture he is wearing what is possibly the ugliest thing a person can put on their body. He is a queen fan. I know, why the hell would I put a queen fan in my crew? Well, Shane is a good guy that just has a few flaws. Also every crew needs someone to make fun of. Being a queen fan would give us tons of material. But Shane would not just be the butt of many a joke, he is our hook up to the music business. He has worked in the industry for many years and has tons of connections. Let's say I decided one day that I needed a theme song. Shane could get on the blower and have that done by noon. Shane IS the music industry. So he all but makes up for the fact that he is a queen fan.



MITCH DAVIS - The third Canadian on the list Mitch makes it solely that he is my brother in law. Every Entourage needs some nepotism. Plus if we go to concerts and need ear protection he has the hook up. Tinitus he can help us with also. Nice job Mitch. Way to make the grade. Oh and most importantly, he is a Packer Fan. Mitch is the man.





Okay, there you have it, the front runners for my Entourage. I will note there were some others that had potential. And really, anyone could increase their value between now and when I actually put this thing together. Any one of them could step their game up and knock one of the top contenders out. On the same note the contenders need to keep their game up. No prevent defense here. Keep doing what you are doing. Here is the also rans....

Steve Iverson, Min Dhariwal, Greg Donnelly, Mike Chaussee, Uncle Rayman, Reg Rudolph, Steve Schoenrock, and last but not least, Jason Manning.

Okay, if you are on this list keep doing what you are doing. If you are not on this list and want to be, step it up. Send me a resume, a demo reel, and a list of references. We will see what you can do. Remember there are only 4 or five spots and lots of talent on this list. This is the whos who of TundraTalk.

I'd be interested to hear if you have lists of who you would put in your posse. I wonder how many of those lists I would make. I think I would do okay. Anyway, do not take this list personal, this is strictly business.

Now that I have that out of the way, GET BACK TO WORK!!!!!