The Puyallup Fair

We went to the fair today. It was a blast. I'll throw up some photos in a bit.

In the meantime, this is what it was like the last time Brandon went to the fair. This is him and his Aunt Janice on the slingshot ride.

Beer coming back to the Old Rainier Brewery

I was watching the local news tonight and a story about the Old Rainier Brewery came on. Brandon has been raving about the Washington Brewers Festival (June 18-20) for a long time.

The new brewery coming into the Old Rainier Brewery is called Emerald City Brewing Co. and their flagship beer is called Dottie's Seattle Lager. The batch will be ready for the Festival.

Epic Photo: Ugly Sweater

I got this photo sent to me. It was Brandon at his company Christmas party.

Lookin' good Brandon.

Fitness Tracker

Casey's fat.

Yes I am. I sit all day at work and over the past 6 months I've had a round trip commute of two hours a day. And I got fat.

So now I have grown fat. (See pictures below)

And therefore I decided it was time to change this.

And that's what this section is about. It's about me getting into shape.

The JustSON Fitness Tracker.

Here's my measurements from week one (last week).

Weight: 196 lbs.

Biceps flexed: 14.5 inches

Biceps unflexed: 14 inches

Forearm unflexed: 11.5 inches

Chest (at nipple line): 38 inches

Waist (at belly button) 37.5 inches

Hamstring: 23.5 inches

Calf: 14.75 inches

Neck: 16 inches

I'll update this periodically and let you know how the training is going. So far I've started a program for the past two weeks of conditioning for 20 minutes and then lifting weights.

BEFORE:


AFTER: To Be Determined.

New features at JustSON

Don't worry, I wasn't holding the camera. This was filmed on the dash by one of those awesome Gorillapods. I got mine at Amazon.com. Amazing.

Check out previews of the newest sections coming to Just South of North!



EWU might return to Qwest Field for football game

Check out Just South of North on facebook.

Why there has been no baseball posts

Just to calm down all you baseball fans out there...

The reason I haven't been posting about the Mariners and Red Sox lately has been the simple fact that the season for both of these teams has basically been decided. Seattle is not going to the playoffs but have posted a very impressive season - all things considered. However there really hasn't been anything of note to write about them in a while, unless Felix wins the Cy Young.

The Red Sox are pretty much in the playoffs via wildcard, and even though they got swept by the Yankees this weekend it was essentially a meaningless series since both teams are headed in the postseason. Sure the Sox maaaay have closed the gap on the Yankees in the divisional race and with some luck maaaaay have won the AL East Division (we're talking a lot of luck and a Yankee meltdown), realistically that wasn't going to happen. Better to be resting your guys and playing relaxed the rest of the season instead of pushing for the divisional crown.

So once the postseason kicks up, I'll be posting about the MLB again.

The difference between Casey and I

1. Work

CASEY - Works at a successful legal office in Seattle, Wash. wearing business casual clothing.

BRANDON - Roams the streets of Spokane photographing squirrels and selling them for rent money.

2. Television

CASEY - Casey enjoys Man vs. Wild, and was actually almost on TV himself as a reality TV star.

BRANDON - Enjoys Man vs. Food, and was almost on The People's Court and Maury.

3. Exercise

CASEY - Likes to take 8 mile hikes on the weekend.

BRANDON - Likes 8 frozen pizzas during the weekend.

4. Relationships

CASEY - is engaged.

BRANDON - has a restraining order against him.

5. Drug Use

CASEY - Flintstone vitamins.

BRANDON - Did you know you could huff Whip Cream?

6. Favorite Photo

CASEY -


BRANDON -

Remembering hookups that we all regret...

This question was posed in Bill Simmons' mailbag on ESPN.com. This has to go in some file as all-time funniest mailbag emails from readers, and the best part is, this comes from Seattle, Wash.

Q: My freshman year of college, my roomate had this old girlfriend coming to see him. He went on and on for weeks about how hot she was and all the great sex they were gonna have. Then she showed up, had just gotten out of a back brace due to a car accident and had gained an honest no BS 50lbs. Having no real out, he got drunk and slept with her anyway and then spent the rest of the year defending it. The point is, I had forgotten all about this years ago and then suddenly Dumars resigned Ben Wallace, and it all came flooding back.
-- Mark, Seattle, Wash.

This does bring up some interesting questions about human nature. I mean guys will sleep with just about anybody, regardless of the ramifications and medical "issues." But I'm not going to be one to judge, I do have a question for all guys out there though...

If the girl was at one time hot, but is no longer hot when you sleep with her, have you slept with somebody that was hot?

(And for you out there that think this question is a little too adult, mainly my parents and relatives, keep in mind that this is just in good fun, I'm not actually advocating random hookups. It's JustSON! Where we talking about Casey's fiancee farting and random hookups with ugly girls. Enjoy!)

The first injury timeout in JustSON history

I apologize for being absent today on JustSON but an emergency doctor's visit was needed after an ailment struck me over the weekend. What ailment you wonder? Well take a guess...

1. The Yankees swept the Red Sox causing me to blow a blood vessel in my head.

2. I stole a doughnut from Joba Chamberlain, causing him to attack me.

3. I discovered that riding a grocery cart down a busy Spokane street was not a smart idea.

4. I over-ate (big surprise)

5. I tried to tan and instead looked like Elmo from Sesame Street.

6. I bought a bagel off a Spokie that was laced with a strange drug that made me prance around with a purple umbrella in the cross walk.

See, Spokane is actually a pretty dangerous place to live. Sometimes you have to be alert otherwise you could find yourself sitting in a docter's office. Luckily I won't be put on the DL, and should be back tonight at full strength.

The lamest jet pack ever

Didn't they invent these blasted things like in the 1950s or something? Why is it 2009 and human technology can only give us something that hovers 6 feet above the ground? I should be eating my Corn Flakes on Mars right now and hanging out with Sharon Stone (at least according to Total Recall. Instead, we has these hunk of junk...

FORGET bungy jumping and black river rafting: New Zealand's tourists will soon be able to whiz around in a strap-on mini helicopter to get their thrills

A Kiwi inventor will launch public flights in the latest jetpack flying technology early next year, with plans to expand to Australia soon after.

The Martin Jetpack – literally a personal strap-on aircraft – is a two-litre jet-powered engine designed to soar across the skies at 100km/h at heights of up to 50 metres.

Inventor Glenn Martin dreams of the day commuters will hop into the contraption to fly to work, missing rush hour traffic.

But for now, the first public flight program will be limited to low and slow flying in a controlled area while the Christchurch-based company road tests the safety and limits of the engine.

"Just because we have to stay under 10 metres high and under 10km/h doesn't mean it won't be an incredibly exciting experience," Martin Aircraft Company chief executive Richard Lauder said.

And it costs a whopping $100,000. Whoop-de-doo.

Hot Hot Hot Wings from hell

Listen, I like spicy food. Since about sophomore year in college I've been slowly ramping up the spice scale. Starting with Mexican food, Thai food, whatever I could get my hands on.

Last night, I found my Mt. Everest. I found my Ali vs. Frasier. I found my beating the New York Yankees.

And like an Aaron Boone home run, the Code 6 hot wings at Flamin' Joes in Spokane, Wash. seriously kicked my royal A**.

I frequent their Code 3s, and last night I figured I would check out one wing of the Code 6s. ONE WING. That's it.

I took one bite and my mouth was immediately filled with a heat from the sun. And it didn't go away for 45 minutes. One bite, and I nearly died. Luckily I got somebody to finish the wing for $5. Best $5 I ever spent.

Seriously, go to Joes and test your manhood.

Blue M&Ms are wonder drugs

I'm going to run out and buy a Costco-sized vat of blue M&Ms now. This is amazing.

(CNN) -- The same blue food dye found in M&Ms and Gatorade could be used to reduce damage caused by spine injuries, offering a better chance of recovery, according to new research.

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that when they injected the compound Brilliant Blue G (BBG) into rats suffering spinal cord injuries, the rodents were able to walk again, albeit with a limp.

The only side effect was that the treated mice temporarily turned blue.

While I'm glad I can eat M&Ms and to say that I'm recovering from a spinal cord injury, I wonder how the hell the University got the backing to do a study on blue M&Ms.

"Gentlemen, we're breaking new ground in the study of M&Ms and we need your backing, please send your checks to the alumni office."

Actually if Eastern Washington University came out with studies saying that McDonalds was good for you, I'd send them a fatty check too.

Waking up in the morning

For some reason I have a very hard time getting up. Most people are groggy in the morning, most people dread waking up for work in the morning, but with me - my body just simply doesn't wake up.

For example, I have to set four different alarms - one alarm clock and three alarm times on my phone - just to ensure I'll get up in time to go to work. It takes all four of them to wake me up, and I still get out of bed probably 20 minutes after the last alarm has gone off. What the heck is wrong with me?

Not only that, but now when I do get the chance to sleep in during the weekends - I'm usually up around the same time I get up to go to work. Never fail. It's like God is playing tricks on me and snickering to his friends up in heaven. I'm sure Peter and Paul are getting a huge laugh at my expense.

And after waking up, have you ever gone back to sleep and had the craziest, most f-ed up dream possible? Like you're running through a grassy field dancing with midgets or something? When I normally go to sleep I will not dream at all but if I go back to bed in the morning - my brain plays something that would make David Fincher blush.

What are some weird things that have happened to you while sleeping?

Pizza Hut, you suck

I would like to come out and say that Pizza Hut officially sucks. Go to Dominos, Pizza Pipeline or the Church of Scientology to get your pizza because this red-topped restaurant blows.

My boss today ordered pizza at 11 am today for lunch because he's a super nice guy and wanted to do something different. Very nicely he orders three large pizzas and is told they'll be there by 12.

At 12:30, he calls Pizza Hut just wanting to check up where the pizza is. Now mind you, 30 minutes late is usually free pizza territory but I doubt he was gonna go there, he was just seeing if the order was still coming.

Instead of explaining to him that it's on the way or giving him any sort of information, they put him on hold.

For 10 minutes he waits.

He hangs up, calls again and of course, somebody picks up and asks his order. He explains the situation and says that "Everyone at my workplace is now off lunch break and the pizzas are not here."

Now I understand crap happens, but when you're half-an-hour late and then you put the customer on hold for 10 minutes, you should probably just swallow hard and give the pizzas up for free because you screwed up royally and you at least want to do damage control.

"Sir, we can give you some credit for your next order here at Pizza Hut"

What the Hell? You're now 40 minutes late on a large order, you didn't respond to his initial inquiry and you're now going to offer him credit on his next purchase? Wow, way to value the customer Pizza Hut.

My boss demands the pizzas to free. The person finally gives in and tells him that...

"They'll be there in 5-10 minutes"

Okay.

20 minutes later, there is still no pizza. Prompting my boss to call again, and you know what they tell him?

"They'll be there in 5-10 minutes"

Again, you can tell Pizza Hut really values their customers.

Another 20 minutes later, the pizza delivery guy shows up and wants an explanation why my boss is not going to pay for the pizzas.

"You're an hour and a half late."

(Realizes he's a complete dumbass) "Oh, well my apologies sir, you have my full guarantee that your next order will be on time" (Walks out with his tail between his legs)

Good to see that in a recession, Pizza Hut really wants your business.

Check it out... I'm actually healthy

Good news everyone! To all you calorie counters out there that like to make fun of my McDonalds eating habits and rather prominent stomach, go to hell! Because I'm going to live longer than you.

A new Japanese study found that people who are a little chubby at the age of 40 tend to live a surprising six to seven years longer than their skinny counterparts.

"We found skinny people run the highest risk," said Shinichi Kuriyama, an associate professor at Tohoku University's Graduate School of Medicine who helped conduct the study.

"We had expected thin people would show the shortest life expectancy but didn't expect the difference to be this large," he added.

This has to be one of the best days of my life. It's okay if I have a little junk in my ginger trunk because in the end, I'll be the cool guy in the nursing home spinning wheelies while all you thin people are there are taking you diabetes medicine. Have fun!

"It's better that thin people try to gain normal weight, but we doubt it's good for people of normal physique to put on more fat," Kuriyama said.

Oh.. crap, so having a Twinkie party is not a way to better health?

Frozen Pizza Rundown

Frozen pizza is the staple of any young American male's diet. In fact I probably have one at least once a week which means I'm probably on the highway to diabetes. Oh well, at least I can take a pit stop at insulin lane or perhaps ask Adam Morrison for pointers.

Now the key is achieving the perfect balance between price (decently cheap) and taste (not like the bottom of Casey's shower), which can actually be a fine line.

Here's the thing ... don't buy a pizza that is over seven dollars. Consider it "Brandon's Seven Dollar Rule" because even if it's the best frozen pizza you've ever had, it's still going to feel like a rip-off. Keep in mind that frozen pizzas are using inferior ingredients that store better than their fresh counterparts. It may be the most wonderfully engineered pizza but if you have to heat it up it's not going to hold a candle to a real pizza joint or a Papa Murphy's pizza.

My choice would be Tony's pizza which is extremely cheap (under 5 bucks) and quite serviceable taste wise. Now you're not going to get the same texture as Digiorno, but you're not going to spend an arm and a leg on it. Plus Tony's pizza's are sized for about two people, but one person could easily polish off one of them. It's the perfect size for a quick dinner.

And yes, I just blogged about frozen pizza.