I first made this website so that I could share information about our upcoming wedding. Three years have passed, and over time the website has evolved to fulfill two purposes:
1. A place for me to experiment with and learn about web topics, like WordPress, Google Adsense, etc.
2. A way to share my thoughts and what’s new with family and friends (and occasionally share something I’ve learned about).
When I first started blogging, I got lots of comments from a few people. But over time, the comments have become non-existent. So I have to ask: Is there anybody out there?
What I’m saying is, if nobody reads this anymore, it’s pretty pointless for me to continue with the current theme of this website. Probably, Facebook is just as good as anything to spend the time sharing what’s new.
So here is what I’m asking: If you read this blog fairly regularly, meaning, if you check it periodically, or if you read ALL of my articles because they just pop up in your Google Reader, then do me a favor buds! If you read the articles in Google Reader, click the link to come to the site. Once you are here, leave me a comment. It doesn’t have to be very much, but I sure would enjoy hearing what you thought. If you are on the home page, there is a link to leave a comment near the top of the article. If you are on the page for a specific article, then you should find a comment form at the bottom of the article.
Thanks!
Chad Kraus
My heart was racing on 3rd down with 19 seconds left in the game. My beloved Vikings were a Ryan Longwell kick away from storming into the Superbowl for the first time in my lifetime. My Vikes were going to pull it off! So many turnovers, and they still had a team good enough to beat the number 1 seeded Saints. Then the whistle blew– a flash of yellow. What? Why? 12 men in the huddle. The resulting 5-yard penalty pushed my team out of field goal range. Then, another turnover. My heart crashed into my stomach and bounced back into my chest. Disbelief. But still hope.
Overtime. An unlucky coin flip, a killer kick return, a drive with many second looks. An opposing team’s winning field goal as straight and true as they come. I watched the kick I was so excited to see with 19 seconds left to go, when my team had the ball, when it would have sent the men in purple running onto the field, arms held high. My heart sank again, and did not resurface. Game over. Season over.
The morning after, I woke up to a man and woman on the radio talking about how Emmett Pearson won’t be able to shave his beard for another year (he won’t shave until the Vikings win the superbowl). Even the state’s weather was in mourning, as school kids were sent home early because of blizzard conditions.
After work I called my dad, and afterwords an old friend from college who is a big Vikes fan. Now I’m feeling better, and I can’t help but think how remarkable a football game can be. About how one game of football can take you through such a range of emotions. And I realized, the loss last night won’t change that. I’ll be right back there the next time, banging on my air conditioning vents when the Vikes score, throwing my hands up in disbelief when they don’t, and gasping for breath when a game-winning field goal is lining up.
Thanks for a great season guys. You were a joy to watch this year. Thanks Brett, for playing like you always wore purple. Have a good rest, and hope to see you again.
Chad Kraus Minnesota Vikings
I had never seen one episode of LOST. That all changed in January 2010, because now I have seen every episode of LOST. So what did I think?
Watching all 5 seasons back-to-back, for the first time, without commercial interruption is an epic viewing experience. The story line is full of twists and cliffhangers. The acting is phenomenal. It was so good in fact, that a typical night for me was cruising through a disk of 4 episodes, and feeling rather enthusiastic to do the same the next night.
Even though I am now a huge fan of the show, I can see how watching 5 seasons of an involved storyline, on Network television, with loads of commercial breaks, and spread out over 6 years, would be frustrating. Happily I won’t have to put up with too much of that when I watch Season 6 with the rest of the world. Why? My good friend DVR.
Something about this experience was a little weird though. I felt so alien watching something so good, that has been available to me since 2004. If there was a “Top 5 Things I Can’t Believe You Haven’t Seen Before” list, I sort of got the feeling that before January 2010, LOST would have been on my list. But I am glad I have remedied the situation. And like I said earlier, getting to watch it all for the first time like one long epic movie, was a really neat experience. Next on the agenda, I just have to remedy a real tragedy– the movie that should not be on anybody’s have-not-seen-it list, but is indeed on my wife’s list, must be crossed off her list. That movie… is… the original… Star Wars.
(Calm down Ted Mosby.)
Chad Kraus LOST
This weekend I remodeled the master bedroom with new window treatments and a little “feng shui”. We were still sporting white lacy curtains and vinyl roll-down blinds from the previous owners, and they just didn’t jive with our style. We recently had a new Caribbean style ceiling fan installed in the room because our old fan went bang, and my wife had to work, so I thought what fun it would be to take the Caribbean theme further and surprise her when she got home.
I went out shopping and everything in window treatment departments was on sale! 50% off or better, wow! I got bamboo blinds at JC Penny’s, and curtain rods and drapes from ShopKo. I hung them up and moved around some furniture and wall hangings, and here is the result:
It’s difficult to see the detail of the bamboo blinds and curtain rods in these pictures, but they look pretty sweet. Mrs. Kraus is one happy camper.
Chad Kraus Kraus House