Now is the time. What time is that?
Hammer Time? nope.
Hammer Time? nope.
Time to Bust a Rhyme? nada.
It's World Cup Final time, kids!
Germany vs Argentina for all the marbles. Kickoff at 12p PT on ABC, but as a special bonus just for you, we hit the airwaves 2 hours early to fill your noggin with all the knowledge you need to get your futbol chatter on.
If you are just tuning in, here's the breakdown. Germany is on a mission, obliterating all in it's path. They have a prolific offense including All-Time WC Goal Scoring leader Klose and the one on pace to possibly take his place in four years, Mueller. Beyond that, they have heavy hitters at every position. They operate in a true team mentality. Argentina are looking to steal a championship on SudAmerica soil. They have been referred to as 'Messi and the 10 mortals'. True. Their mortals are good, but not all of them Germany-good. However, that is were the deity of numero 10 takes over. Watch how many Deutsch defenders hover around him, how many hits he takes and most importantly, watch how he sets up his teammates. His play is key to this game. I going with Die Mannshaft! It will make my Jetta happy.
It all takes place in the famed Estadio Maracaña. Built for the 1950 WC Final, which had 198K fans. Yes, you read that right, nearly 200,000! Since then, it has been remodeled and updated to a capacity of 75K. Meanwhile, tonight's Portland /Seattle matchup expects over 60K. Go Timbers!
Music of the Day.
Santana and Shakira take center stage today, along with local fave Carlinhos Brown for the opening ceremony. This will help erase the memory of that Pit Bull debacle that launched this thing. Here's a taste, sans Carlos.
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| Found it! |
Come On, Get Happy
I took another recommendation and created my very own Brazilian adventure. It took me the better part of two days, but I finally found it. My Happy Place. It's next to a tree somewhere off BR106, halfway between Cabo Frio and Rio. But, you may not have seen it. It's mine. Something I needed to find. You may or may not need to seek you own.
Wherever yours may be, it's sure to be an interesting road. You have to clear your head out of whatever is clogging up your soul. You have to unplug - leave your computer at home. Leave your worries behind. It's tough to do. It may take some time. The first step is the most important. Take that step, the rest will come.
For me, it came by the way of a motorcycle. My new buddy, Antonio, at Eagle Rider Rio, hooked me up. Originally, I was looking at heading West, since that is the easiest way out of town. Instead, he suggested I go East to the beach town of Buzios. As, I've learned, recommendations are presented to us for a reason. I had no choice but to oblige. I would learn, that it made all the difference.
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| dork on a bike. |
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| downtown Buzios. |
Buzios feels a lot like Cape Cod. Small cottages, hidden beaches and numerous restaurants scattered throughout the varied coastal topography. I found a quiet hotel, with a decent view and vegged out. The cobblestone streets of the Centro area were a feast for photographic eyes. That makes me happy. I wandered and snapped picts until my hunger demanded attention. |
| Waiter dude trying unsuccessfully to step out of frame. |
I stopped at an empty cafe directly across from the over-packed local hang, where a guitarist was nicely belting all the SudAmerica classics which I could not understand. But, he sounded good, like a Brazillian David Wilcox.
As the Argentines joined in with joyous singing, I downed a Batatas Rosties. The version I had was like a potato omelette stuffed with brie, ham and the occasional piece of pineapple. Top that with a Franziskaner Dunkel. Another Happy Place.
From the Quote Board.
Much like keeping score of enemy planes a pilot has downed in combat, we also keep track our fallen enemies. Here at the Barra area of Rio, we are inundated with mosquitoes. It's so bad, we keep track. Our office team even purchased some electronic bug zappers- like an electric tennis racket, which makes a sport of it. Current count- 49 dead skeeters! short-term happiness. You can also see our prescribed pronunciation of 'router'.
Life is about finding your Happy Place. If you are open to it, every once in a while, things will line up. Life gets to where it is supposed to be. Sure, we all have our own crap to deal with. Our daily struggles and responsibilities clog our souls. Life gets in the way of our dreams. It's like we are taking pictures with our new Canon 6D, with all those buttons and knobs. It's wise to spend the time to master them all so you we can create the art that our mind sees. But at times, there are too many variables and too much is going on. The F-stop may be wrong, the shutter speed too short and focus is whacked. Sometimes, we have to put the camera in Full Auto and just roll with it. It takes your mind off the details and open yourself up to the moment. In time, life will reveal a Happy Place to each of us.
You can join me in my other Happy Place. This one is public. All are invited. Happiness commences at noon on ABC.
The more I think about it, I found that my Happy Place wasn't really a tree at all. (Although, it has been before- can't wait to hug a few when I get home.) The tree was merely a symbol.
My place is somewhere out there, out beyond the mundane, out where my soul smiles.
God Bless you.
~Rüselldiñho
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