Responsibly Wild Blog

For the last seven years How I Met Your Mother was one of the few TV shows in my life that was appointment viewing. Every Monday from the first night I discovered the show I tuned in. For five seasons I was blissfully on board with every Barney catchphrase, every Mosby dumb romantic gesture, and every other shenanigan that made the show so unique. Then season six hit the airwaves, and slowly but surely all my blind enjoyment eroded until the cataclysmic ending. Over the last four seasons HIMYM doubled down on the failings of the final seasons of friends. The show's writers embraced the worst parts its characters idiosyncrasies: Ted was a whiny, often moronic sap, Marshall was an over-the-top loveable dope, Lily was a sweet but vindictive menace, and Robin was a straight up mess with too many faults to recount. Thankfully Barney remained his madman self and was actually redeemed in a believable and slow manner. Before I get to the broadcast ending/alternate ending that inspir...

To celebrate my birthday, a gaggle of coworkers and I went out for lunch. As is tradition, the birthday celebrant was tasked with choosing where to dine, and as far as I could see there was only one choice; Applebee's. Over the last few months Applebee's has been using Fred Hoiberg's "The Mayor" celebrity to sell hamburgers and raise money for the United Way of Story County, and as mandated by law the burger has the perfect pun name; the Hoiburger ™ .  So we hop in our cars, make our way to the local AppleBee's and as fate would have it I end up sitting below a sign selling the very sandwich I specifically came to consume. Being a big goober, as soon as my Hoiburger ™  arrived I saw it as my civic duty to snap a picture with sign, mimicking Fred's pose. Kissed by serendipity, I instagram my picture –including The Mayor's Twitter handle– and prepare myself to eat my half pound of chuck topped with sliced ham, american cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle...

Kids and I get along like potato chips and cottage cheese, so good it's scary. Every time I go to a family function, friend's party, or meet new people I always end up becoming their kids best friend. There's no secret to my awesomeness, I just play with kids the way they want to play . Want to pretend the backyard is the ocean? Great, let me grab my imaginary surfboard. Have a load of dragon toys? Fantastic, I've been itching to burn down a castle. Want to draw or make a ton of noise? I was going to do that anyway. One of my longest running fans is a fun kid named Nolan, who is the son of my wife's best friend from high school. On our fifth or sixth date Marieta submitted me to her friend for approval. On the whole I'm a generally likable guy, but introduce me your kids and there is no way to say I'm anything but the coolest guy in town . Nolan might have been 18 months old, but we hit it off practically as soon as we introduced and have been buds e...

Long ago, when I first became enamored with Marvel comics my first childhood instinct was to try my own hand, drawing a superhero comic. I was terrible and what's worse? I never got any better. I tried following comic drawing guides, starting with basic shapes and hopefully progressing but it was all for not. I have the fine motor skills of a four-year-old. It's okay, I resigned myself to this fact long ago. Still this didn't stop young P@ from producing some of the goofiest comics ever drawn. So after decades of being stored in a closet, I give you some of my finest work. Behold, the comics of Pat Boberg: (The Unstoppable Glue Stick may be my favorite)

Yesterday I celebrated my 31st birthday. While 31-years-old is not a milestone, any birthday is a reason to take a personal day from work and have some fun. So how did I celebrate? The best way to phrase it was coined by my good buddy, Jordan Jensen, when I made this birthday breakfast post on Facebook. He was right! My birthday was totally a five-year-olds dream. Let's break it down. Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Cotton Candy milk (yes, that is a real thing and readily available in Kansas City.) Lunch: Pizza at Fongs (grown up toppings, but pizza is every kid's favorite) Afternoon Snack: One Dozen Donuts . No, I did not eat them all. Dinner: BBQ Ribs the Big Steer in Altoona. No 5-year-old is going to eat ribs, but look at that ridiculous steer. Plus, when they heard me say it was my birthday, Marieta and I go to split a free hot fudge sundae ! Booyah! If only there was a go kart place to hit up, my day would have been perfect....

This song represents a musical dream come true; one of top five favorite bands, The Dismemberment Plan, has reformed after a 7 or 8 year hiatus and writing new music. In college, I had the privilege of seeing the group preform four times and each concert was a pure-joy bomb. And as you may recall, I once listed their album "Emergency and I" as one of the top 15 albums that had a profound effect on my life . A few months back the Plan played Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and it was the most bittersweet experience. The crowd was jamming to their tune " The City " and I was so happy to see them in action, but kind of sad that it's been 10 years since I saw them live. Thankfully they're playing a string of dates, so it's probably only a matter of time before they hit the road for real and I get to see the guys I once asked to play my wedding. D-Plan frontman Travis Morrison and myself at Gabes around 2003. D-Plan Bassist Eric Axelson and I at th...

  Hey you're headed to Las Vegas, fantastic! Now before you book your hotel/resort there are a few things you might want to consider.   Should I stay on or off the strip? You absolutely want to stay ON the strip. The best kept secret about Las Vegas is how deceptively far apart all of the casinos and attractions are. By the time you end up hitting the sheets after a day/night on the town, chances are you'll have walked over four or five miles. Do you want to double that by adding walking to the strip? Do you want to blow your gambling money on cabs, rental cars and shuttles? You're going to Vegas to see the strip, stay there as well. The rooms cost more on Las Vegas Blvd but it is worth it. The Hard Rock Hotel may fit your personal style, but it is a 40 minute hike from the HRH tower to Planet Hollywood . Don't waste your time or money anywhere but the strip. Should I stay in a classic or modern casino? For a town that appears to ape everyone else's culture...