Miami "Vacation"

Had to take a flight down South to Miami for work this weekend. We were rolling out what is called the SRP which is an acronym for Social Response Pack. Basically we take a clients product and create additional social networks with it through the use of MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and a couple other social network sites. Rolling this out was pretty cool as we utilized guerilla marketing techniques to get the job done. Billy Mays and Sully were on hand for the event as well as a bunch of models. Here's a bit of a timeline...

Thursday Feb.26 - Asked to head down to the tradeshow to assist the marketing team with demonstrations of the Dual Saw and Zorbeez - Two of the many asseenontvnetwork products we promote. Short notice for a business trip but after checking with the tower (AKA my wife Sarah) I'm in...

Friday Feb. 27 - Regular work day.

Saturday Feb. 28 Depart O'Hare International for Miami. Can't leave an airport on an empty stomach so we had a quick bite at Wolfgang Pucks. I highly recommend the Chicken with Mashed Potatoes. I cannot remember what this was called on the menu but it was fantastic airport eats. We arrive in Miami and take a cab to the Hiatt Regency. Great hotel by the way with a cool bar called Verde Pure. I discovered a new beer there called Key West Amber Boch. Kind of like a Killian's... only better.

Sunday Mar. 1
Had quite a bit of downtime on Sunday so I thought I'd get even more immersed in the Social Marketing thing. I'm on twitter now. I haven't totally accepted it yet as it maybe a bit of social overkill but it's yet another nice way to stay up to date / in touch / nosy depending on how you look at it. Want to follow me? Go here.

Monday Mar. 2
Saw two manatees on the channel side walk into the Intercontinental where the show was held. I'm an animal lover so this was a highlight for me. The show went well during the day but the White Party was a huge success for LM and a great time as well. We held a private invite only party onboard the Tiki Beach party boat. Check out some roaming camera footage here.

Tuesday Mar. 3
Slow day. Fast night. The day was regular and we could tell the show was slowing down. That night I went out with a group and had a bite to eat and a bowl to drink at Cafe Cordoza. Yeah, I said bowl to drink by the way. It was a low lit Italian cafe right on Ocean Avenue. A decent experience. After dinner we asked the waiter for advice on after dinner partying. She mentioned the Delano with no hesitation. We're in a cab and on our way... I wasn't exactly comfortable at this joint. To say it wasn't my scene is a bit of an understatement as my last name isn't Hilton or Kardashian. Still, a weird / cool experience.

Other things happened but those were some of the major highlights. Until next time...

Puzzle Tree Studios

I don't think there are any specific rules in blogworld. You can even make up words like "blogworld".  No one comes bursting through the door out with a nightstick and handcuffs. So, with that freedom in mind I feel as though I'm at liberty to post a short blog about Puzzle Tree Studios. This studio is owned by Pete Droge. I first heard his name during the web search for "Who wrote that song in Almost Famous, when William walks by the hotel room door?" Yep, that's Pete Droge. Turns out he's done a ton of work with other greats like Stone Gossard and Peter Stroud (excellent guitarist in Sheryl Crowe's band). 

There are generally two types of recording studios. Some feel as though you're in some sort of a doctors office (early photos of the Beatles show the engineers at Abbey Road Studios in white lab coats). The other type of studio is very home-like. I never get the red recording light jitters but I know I feel more comfortable while recording at home as opposed to in what feels like a hospital. Puzzle Tree does the "Ahhh... no place like home" thing for me ten fold. 

Where did "J5" come from?

Before I begin I will flash the following disclaimer: I guarantee that this will not be the most exciting read in the world. It will however help clear the air when it comes to the subject of where I received my nickname. 

J5 is, I believe, the end of an evolution. An evolution of nicknames that began ten years ago during my junior year of high school. For some unknown reason a teammate of mine took notice of the knuckles on my hands. Jokingly he said something to the effect of, "Your knuckles are huge... it makes it look as though you have five thumbs." To be honest, I think my hands / knuckles look one hundred percent normal but to him this was not the case. Thus my first true nickname: Johnny Five Thumbs. I never thought of it then, but now it sounds as though it was stolen from a Dick Tracy character.  

Johnny Five Thumbs evolved though. Through the years I've heard them all. J-5000, Fives, Five, J-Fizzle, Fizz... the list goes on. I think most people feel as though J-Five rolls off the tongue well so it's been the one that stands above the rest. Honestly, I think more people know me by my nickname than my true name. Does it bother me? Of course not. I have a terrible time with names and anything that makes plain ol' John Scott more memorable is OK by me.

Cheers, 

John Scott (AKA J5)  

Cleveland Rocks!

This Wednesday I woke up at four in the morning to shower for a five hour drive to Cleveland, OH. You don't want to skip the shower when you have a five hour drive in front of you. It's just poor form. The drive to Cleveland is easy but incredibly dull. Highlights include farm fields, travel plazas and toll booth worker interaction.

Why the long drive, you ask? Answer: I play basketball in a league here in Valparaiso and our captain needed a couple players for his company's annual basketball outing. It just so happens that they play this tourney at Quicken Loans Arena (The Q). For those of you not in the know, The Q is the arena in which the Cleveland Cavaliers play. 

We arrived at the Renaissance Marriott, a very cool vintage vibe (check out the link) hotel, around 11:30 Cleveland time and had a light lunch and then it was off to The Q. Shooting in an empty NBA arena is a heck of a lot different than shooting in your local YMCA! The seats go way back and throw off your depth perception. To make a long story short, our team played well but ended up finishing second in the tourney. To be honest though... playing at The Q is only half the fun. 

After the game we showered up (again, good form folks), and headed to dinner. I'm a big fan of food and we went to Morton's Steakhouse. The atmosphere is dark / cool and the food is excellent. Dinner was on them and we were told to live it up so, naturally, we did! Here's my meal...

On the Table: Insanely good circle loaf of soft buttered bread. 

Drink: Amstel Light Beer... OK, a couple! :)

Appetizer: Salad with vinegrette dressing and blue cheese crumbles. I make a mean one of these kids! 

Main Course: Surf n' Turf - Small cut fillet mignon and a huge lobster tail with steamed asparagus ($69)! 

Dessert: Morton's legendary hot chocolate cake... I love the sweet stuff and this was unreal!

After dinner we headed back to the Arena to watch the Cavs play the Detroit Pistons. My ticket read - Section 125, Row 1, Seat 15. Where is that, you ask? Well, you know when players check into the game? I sat directly behind that table at center court. Check out the seating chart here. 

I've been fortunate enough to have some unbelievable seats and these were great! Highlights: Watching and listening to the behind the scenes chatter between players / coaches / refs. It brings a whole new element to the game. Also, seeing LeBron James play is a highlight in itself. 

The best part of this mini vacation: I spent about $50 on the entire trip! So lets tally that up: Stayed at a great hotel, played basketball on an NBA court, ate an amazing meal at a great restaurant, sat in fantastic seats and watched NBA basketball. Worth $50? Um... yeah. 

Note: We didn't have time on this trip but if you're ever in Cleveland I would also suggest visiting the Rock N' Roll hall of fame. I went there once before and it's a great place for music lovers and memorabilia nerds. I fall into both categories so naturally I love it!

Until next time... 

Grills and Favorite Foods!

Sarah and I recently purchased a new Weber Spirit 310 grill! We're super excited to fire it up though we haven't purchased the propane tank yet! There's something about warm weather that makes me hungry for grilled food. I'm a big fan. So far, the best things I've had from home grills (in no particular order) - 

- Pork Tenderloin from The Beef Mart here in Valpo.  

- My brother Jerry's potato coins and grilled asparagus. 

- Travis Hawkins' Jalepeno burgers (not as spicy as you may think). 

- Favorite BBQ sauce, Sweet Baby Ray's... also a fantastic slogan "The Sauce is the Boss!!"

While we're on the subject... other interesting / good things and places to eat -

Burgers: 

A half-pound hunk of beef called The Deanburger at a hole in the wall called The Grill in LaCrosse, IN. There's only one stoplight in all of LaCrosse and The Grill is on the main drag. If you miss it you should get your eyes checked. You wouldn't think a run-down joint could provide such a great piece of meat but I can assure you, the Deanburger is excellent! If you eat two your name goes on the wall and you're awarded a coupon for a free third. The record is currently 9 held by Carl Caudill. The man also ate breakfast and pie that morning. Good God. That's a heart attack waiting to happen folks.

Also on the list of great burgers - CJ's Pub located in South Bend, IN. Travis (aforementioned Jalepeno Burger chef) and his Dad took me there on a trip to Notre Dame University. I guess it's been newly renovated after some guy smashed his car into and through the side of the building. If you're in town for a game check it out... it maybe packed but the food is worth the wait!

I can't end this without mentioning Portillo's. Fries: The crinkled type with the perfect amount of salt. I recommend them with ketchup. Also, if you like Italian Beef, Portillo's is famous for it. If you're reading from afar you can have it delivered to you although I recommend fresh. Some Portillo's have a pasta joint called Barnelli's in them... try the twice baked spaghetti. The best!

Favorite restaurant BBQ sauce: Nick's near where I used to work had great BBQ sauce. I'm not sure how healthy it is for you but, hey, we're talking about BBQ sauce here! Nick's pulled pork sandwich is smothered in the stuff and is highly recommended. 

If you have any favorite foods, restaurants, and or recipes please send them our way as we're always on the lookout for great foods! All apologies if this blog was a bit scattered. I'll do my best to focus on keeping my next one uh... focused.