We'll never forget you Brent!

How does Brett Favre make it to the fabric of the Arciszewski Family. Well it all started in 1992 which means Brett was the Packers QB during much of my formative years as well as a good chunk of mine and Carissa's time together. I saw him as I was going thru high school and all the way through college. When I go my first job, he was there. When Carissa and I exchanged vows we knew the following fall we could count on Brett. Fast forward to 2010. Who would have thought that the most influential sports figure in my life would be playing for the despised Minnesota Vikings inthe NFC Championship. He did not show his true gunslinger self until the final moments of the game. This is when he threw one of his patented ill-advised throws into coverage, crushing the hopes of Vikes fans everywhere. Ah it was great to see and on one Sunday evening Brett helped our family have another evening filled with joy.

The Coffee Shop. A Family Outing?

Over the course of our relationship, Carissa and I, when at a loss for things to do, would almost always default to a night at the coffee shop. Although we usually sipped on our own seperate drinks, these nights were always fun, and left us perfectly content. We spent the night knowing that a head in a book is sometimes better than sitting in front of the electronic rectangle called a television.

Fast forward to January 15, 2010. Looking for something to do, Caribou coffee became a place to 'take the family.' Our little pumpkinhead (Olivia) was on her best behavior and we got a full hour of reading under our belts and not to mention a mini-date. My bold coffee enhanced with a espresso Depth Charge was able to help me overcome my sleep deprivation. Not a bad Friday night

Andrew's Goals

SUNDAY JANUARY 10, 2010
101 Goals in 1,001 Days
Spiritual
1. Finish reading the entire Bible (current books read: 1/66)
2. Read 5 books that will help me grow closer to God (3/5)
-"When the game is over, it all goes back into the box"
-"Quiet Strength"
-"Prodigal God"
3. Deliver sermon at Church (4/11/10)
4. Memorize 60 scripture verses
5. Make a list of 101 things I'm thankful for
6. Go to a Men's Conference (No Regrets, 2/6/2010)
7. Buy a children’s Bible and read it to Olivia (one story each night before bed)


Places to Visit
8. PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
9. Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
10. Target Field, Minneapolis, MN
11. Milwaukee County Zoo (with Olivia of course!)(Memorial Day 2010)
12. Walt Disney World
13. 3 New Restaurants (3/3 Charro, Stir Crazy, BDs Mongolian Grill )
14. Washington, the state, not the Capitol
15. Any WWII memorial
16. Niagara Falls
17. Any sports league Hall of Fame
18. Tour Lambeau Field
19. Eric and Apryl’s house in Manitowoc.
20. Polish Fest (6/19/2010)
21. Lapham Peak Completed(3/27/2010)
22. Millenium Park in Chicago (8/1/2010)
23. Noah's Ark
24. Matt's house after his WII arrives

Active Life
25. Run 3rd career marathon (3/27/2010)
26. Complete 2nd Race the Lake Bike race
27. Run the MS “WALK”
28. Run a trail race
29. Run Crazy Legs race (Completed 4/28/2010)
30. Hike the Ice Age trail (min 4 hours)
31. Bike from Milwaukee to Madison
32. Learn 5 Yoga moves that will help with running and biking
33. 100 situps without stopping
34. 50 Pushups without stopping
35. Complete Whitnall Park mountain bike course
36. Swim 1/2 Mile
37. Go on 8 camping trips (1/8)
38. Hike in the Rocky Mountains
39. Frisbee Golf 5 times (3/5)
40. Mountain Bike 5 times (1/5)
41. Get weight down to 175
42. Run Fourth Career Marathon (Completed 5/1/2010)
43. Go Kayaking
44. Go Snowboarding

Relationships
45. Visit Scott and Heather and new baby (Completed 4/28/2010)
46. Visit Scott and Terri Troglen in Granger, IN
47. Host a poker party
48. Carve pumpkins with family
49. Go to Badger game with former college roommate
50. 3 date nights without Olivia
51. Buy Carissa 3 gifts for no reason
52. Take my Mom shopping 3 times
53. Watch 4 sporting events with my Dad (2/4)
54. Hang out with my two nieces 3 times
55. Hang out with my nephews 3 times
56. Contact 3 old friends from high school
57. Take family to Elegant Farmer (8/17/2010)
58. Go biking with my brother
59. Attend a Crash Event (8/21/2010)(my sister's band)
60. Read 500 books to Olivia
61. Sketch a family portrait
62. Host a Survivor Finale party
63. Write a random letter to five friends to let them know how much they mean to me

Just for Fun
64. Brew a batch of my own beer
65. Finish a puzzle
66. Do a brewery tour
67. Learn a Pearl Jam song on my guitar
68. Watch the Wizard of Oz concurrently with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"
69. Go Ice Skating
70. Attend a Killers concert
71. Have a beer on the Monona Terrace
72. Borrow the first season of '24' from Greg and watch it
73. Play Ticket to Ride with Carissa

Tasks
74. Get a legal will
75. Finish furnishing basement
76. Wash and Wax both Element (6/1/2010)
77. Wash and Wax Accord (6/1/2010)
78. Waterproof Deck
79. Help Carissa maintain garden
80. Re-do deck off of master bedroom
81. Hire professional to pave end of driveway
82. Put up hammock in backyard (Completed 5/2/2010)
83. Clean up desk area and take down old computer (1/23/10)
84. Start a blog (Completed 12/27/09)
85. Clean up mail pile and file!
86. Replace downstairs toilet (seat) (4/11/10)
87. Build ramp for our house
88. Have a single family income for our household
89. Replace all the dead light bulbs in the house

Health
90. Go for 1 week without meat
91. Eat 10 vegetarian meals
92. Go without fast food for 2 months consecutively
93. Go one week without any type of cookie
94. Read a book on nutrition
95. Try a new fresh fruit
96. Floss every day for one month (June 2010)
97. Visit a dentist (6/24/10)

Things to Learn
98. Twenty common Spanish Phrases
98. Read 2 Mitch Albom books (2/2, Have a Little Faith, Tuesdays With Morrie)
99. Read 1 biography (PRE: The Story of Steve Prefontaine, America's Greatest Running Legend100. Finish 101 Goal List

Packers Football Part 1

Ahhhh.....it feels good to be in the playoffs again doesn't it? One of the reasons I consider myself lucky to be from the great state of Wisconsin has to be the Green Bay Packers. Although one could make a case for the Yankees, there is absolutely no better sports franchise in America. I thought I would put a list together of reasons why I love the Packers.
1) Lambeau Field-Also known as the "Frozen Tundra", this is hallowed ground in sports. Legends going back to the early 1900s played on this field. Best venue in sports bar none. My first trip to Lambeau I nearly teared up when I saw the field through my own eyes. The fact that it is nestled among Green Bay neighborhoods makes it a stadium experience like no other.
2) Lombardi-No one name resonates with leadership and coaching as Vince Lombardi. He led the Packers the numerous World Championships as well as victories in SB I and II. Each year the NFL champion hoists the trophy that bears his name.
3) Fans-There is not one other major professional sports team that is owned strictly by the fans. NONE.

More to come tomorrow after a Packers win?

2010.....

....started pretty much the same way that 2009 did, with lots of college football, food, and of course not one but two types of chili. That is what it is all about, really. Once again the winds of change blew over this tradition as my buddy Jason and I both welcomed new babies in 2009, Olivia and Tyler. Watching football is just a little bit different when you are pausing the game for diaper breaks. Totally worth it though. Some really good games, of which Northwestern/Auburn may have been the most entertaining. The more things change the more they stay the same. I plan on January 1 being quite the same for a long time.