nogblog: Archive

MOSTLY SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA

Kudos to us for only taking ten years to discover that one of our greatest cities is less than two hours away by CRV (new car!). A nice weekend of reconnecting w/ old friends and checking off another stadium (with the Reds in town, no less). Rookie pitcher Travis Wood took a perfect game into the ninth, but the Reds couldn’t put a run on the board to get him a much-deserved win. Reds...

Jul 12th

Watch

For any of you who know my mom, check out the video.

Mar 29th

Feb 20th

Jan 26th

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Dec 31st

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Happy Holidays from the A-Town All-Stars.

Dec 9th

HELLO, JERRY

Thank you, anonymous friend, for slipping me a ticket to the Seinfeld/Springsteen show at Carnegie Hall last week. Four Bruce songs sans E Street and a solid hour of all new Seinfeldian observations made for an NYC night to remember. Still at the top of his game.

Nov 27th

Napa Birthday

Our twelve-month-in-the-making group expedition to California wine country came and went without a hitch. Stellar pre-planning (thanks Mr. and Mrs. Serpent), good peeps and great wine made for a fun-filled week. Plus, having Joe around never hurts. Mandy and a future glass of Cab Sav. Eleven people, massive house, vineyards as far as eyes can see on all sides, infinity pool, tennis...

Nov 20th

THE BAY, THE BRIDGE AND THE BIG HOUSE

I’m way behind on this one, but you probably aren’t paying too close of attention — so with that said - just last night Mandy and I got back from seven nights in San Francisco and Napa Valley! Here’s part one of the trip. The occasion: Brianna’s 30th b-day extravaganza. Bri, thanks for supplying an excuse to spend a week in one of the country’s most fantastic...

Nov 14th

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Nov 2nd

PUNKINS '09

The MacNoggles punkin carvin’ tradition continues (see the ‘08 efforts here). Surely we didn’t watch Labrynth yet again this year?! Yes, yes we did. Slap that baby, make it pee. Mandy’s wicked good wicked witch. My Michael Jacks-o-lantern (although I think it more resembles a goat impersonating MJ). John’s insanely good Jimmy Fallon pumpkin (he works for...

Oct 29th

SUNDAY STROLL

Thanks to a Mark Fox invite, we headed to NW NJ for a 3.5 hour hike in the woods. Beautiful falls colors, perfect temps, nice one-day reprieve from the concrete jungle. Perfect weekend for the hike. Reds and yellows abound. Our fearless leader revealing why he lured us deep into the woods.

Oct 28th

BACK TO SCHOOL

For the first time since the Clinton presidency, Mandy and I returned to Butler for homecoming, 10-yr class reunion and a healthy dose of ‘remember that time we…’ stories. Fun friends, big laughs, great weekend in the 317. I’m fairly sure the bulldog’s paw is on my wife’s caboose. Stupid Frat Guys. Ten-Year reunion at the Red Room in Broad Ripple....

Oct 8th

WALTER CRONKAT

Email I received from Mandy last week: “Hey, I just entered Kona into a contest. If he wins, Friskies sends us a camera for him to wear for a week.” Fast forward to tonight, where he begins his one-week stint in the world of feline journalism. Repurrter. While brother Hilo enjoys the newly discovered, on-demand aquarium screensaver.

Sep 23rd

BEND IT LIKE CONNOR

Our almost-four-year-old nephew makes his debut in the world of sport.

Sep 20th

Watch

Our latest project, In Gayle We Trust, launched yesterday. Check the trailer here and full eps at www.InGayleWeTrust.com, NBC.com, Hulu.com or about a dozen other places.

Sep 16th

MONTREAL EXPOSITION

For absolutely no good reason, Mandy and I hopped in the car on Friday morning and drove to Montreal. Who would have thought that a city so easily mistaken for European would be reachable on less than a tank of gas? What the city lacked in sightseeing ‘musts’, it more than made up for in flavorful French restaurants, street performers on cobblestone and overall Euro-charm....

Sep 9th

THE BARCLAYS

Mark Twain called golf ‘a good walk spoiled’, and up until today I sorta agreed. But when Joe offered up VIP access to watch the sport’s undisputed greatest player ever (not to mention the Lady Liberty backdrop, bottomless buffet and open bar), I managed to find some room in my Sunday. Thanks pal. Awesome day. (note: “cameras prohibited, strictly enforced”. So I...

Aug 31st

Windy City Weekend

Traveling to fun cities a few times a year is a nice perk of Mandy’s job, and from time to time, I get to tag-a-long. Three fun days in Chicago. Chicago through the bean. View from Hancock Lounge. Wrigley = best place in the world to catch a game. Sorry Fenway, it’s true. Howl at the Moon. Dueling pianos w/ five piece accompaniment play to a ruckus crowd. Here,...

Aug 22nd

JULY PIE

July’s delegate at the Pie-o-the-Month convention was baked on August 9. Been busy. Tasty yes, but the blueberry innards didn’t hold shape and the crust was as forgettable as The Golden Palace, the short run 90’s spinoff of The Golden Girls. Not among my best pie efforts of ‘09. Looking to bounce back in August.

Aug 14th

He Sang. He Danced. He Stole Things.

Jason Mraz last night at PNC Arts Center in NJ. Maybe it’s the trademark fedora, maybe it’s his lightning fast lyrical wordplay, or maybe it’s his signature big band orchestral/folk fusion music, but something just makes this guy plain cool.

Aug 9th

JULY RECAP

I know I owe you all constant insight into our every move, but being so caught up in the Jon & Kate fiasco has left me little to no free time for blog updates. Priorities. So here’s a lightning round recap of the past month’s events. After 18 long months of working in NJ, NBC finally brought us back to midtown Manhattan, where 80s lawn furniture… …and wannabe...

Aug 7th

June P.O.T.M = Key Lime!

The June effort of the Pie-of-the-Month club = most ambitious to date, including homemade crust and zesting limes sans zester! In the end, the taste buds weren’t exactly rioting.

Jul 2nd

PERU. FINALLY.

Back less than a month and already got our pictures developed! Had the time of our lives in Peru, the most underrated, under-visited, under-appreciated spot on Earth. Scenic landscapes, fascinating history, low prices, cordial natives, and guinea pig dinners abound! Buonos tiempos. Albino llama standing guard over Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas. 2010 Frommer’s cover, here we...

Jul 1st

Dear Nogblog, I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you. I’ll do better. love, Ryan

Jun 17th

Jun 10th

1 note

DIGIT-AL

Who better to speak at Internet week than the half-man, half-cyborg who invented it? On Wednesday former Vice-President Gore addressed a room full of digi-nerds like myself on what he’s going to do next w/ the web and when he plans to end it.

Jun 5th

May 22nd

BULLDOGS IN THE BRONX

Butler University Alumni night at Yankee Stadium, complete with pre-game drinks and apps! Our debut at the new park was marked by breezy, high-altitude seats (not even A-Rod after a fresh injection could’ve gotta a ball to us), delicious buffalo chx sliders and a 9-1 win for the home team. Beautiful park, but for 1.5 billion, I kinda hope so. Mark Fox and Deborah Garcia...

May 20th

MAY PIE -- STRAWBERRY

Okay KH, you asked for it. The May effort of my one-man Pie of the Month Club will be a hard one to top. It’s still cooling, but based on the pic I’m guessing it won’t anger too many tastebuds in this household.

May 19th

GRANDMAS

Grandma Brumback (left, 91) and Grandma Noggle (right, 94) have been major influences of mine for a combined 185 years and counting. Wait, that can’t be right. Anyway, I have two gorgeous nonagenarians who still love to fix me strawberries and beat me at dominos and I never for one day forget how lucky I am.

May 15th

...MAY FLOWERS

Guess whose idea it was to spend a day at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden? Correct. And guess who kindly obliged because compromise is key to a happy marriage? Right again. And finally, guess who’s seen enough pansies and sniffed enough peonies to last him for more than a little while? You’re three for three. Okay, I’ll admit, it wasn’t so bad. Actually, a nice way to...

May 11th

PIE OF THE MONTH CLUB

For a recent house party, I baked a pie. It was my first pie. I liked it. I’m now on a quest to make a new pie each month for the rest of the year. Apple. Check. Suggestions?

May 8th

WERMUTH WEDDING WEEKEND

Will Wermuth: career counselor, ex-Page Czar, all around good guy. He and Jennie’s Friday evening wedding in Central Park was straight out of a movie set. Forcing Pages to work the seating was a little much, but all in all, a storybook event. The Secret Garden in Central Park. Can’t imagine a more picturesque wedding backdrop. The happy couple A few more pics from the wedding...

May 3rd

Apr 27th

Really? →

Wait, a challenger has just entered the ring.

Apr 22nd

Seriously? →

THE most intense website on the internet is brought to you by….God.

Apr 22nd

HELLO CITI

John and I caught the first ever Mets win at their new stadium last Wednesday. Sure it cost the franchise 18 trillion dollars (which would explain the $27 hot dog), but I must admit the place is grand. Spacious yet intimate, classic yet luxurious. Now, if the opulent structure could only translate into September wins… Panoramic pic. Future hall-of-famer Gary Sheffield (right field)...

Apr 19th

ON THE ROCKS

One of my favorite pics of Mandy and me. Dover, England. Spring 2005.

Apr 14th

TRAPEZE!

Sure, the food may have been inedible and the staff unkind, but who needs that stuff when the resort offers trapeze lessons! I took the beachside plunge and four painful callouses later my short-lived career in circus acrobatics was complete.

Apr 9th

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Trapeze in the The Bahamas

Apr 9th

QUICK GETAWAY

Mandy and I shook the loose change out of the cushions and booked a last minute deal to The Bahamas. For three nights, we traded dreary Jersey temps for sand, snorkels and bottomless mai tais. If nothing else, the droves of awkward spring breakers made for some entertaining people watching. Oh, and did I mention the trapeze lessons? Mandy and Bigfoot’s early morning walk. Went...

Apr 7th

GAME OVER

Well, we made it to the final four, so technically we’re better than Pitt, Memphis and Louisville. After defeating the Balloon Knots in the quarterfinals, Brinley Gold Rum’s season ended in a heartbreaking loss to 17-1 Ernst & Young, a team comprised of only four players who know how to dribble. Cinderella’s slipper proved a little tight in the toe this year, but...

Apr 2nd

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Cooper’s first crawl!

Mar 31st

MISS MARCH

Mandy’s in two very large pools (100+) this year and could potentially win both. For eleven straight years, she waxes me come tourney time. I have never beaten her. Never. She has earned the title of bracket braggadocio in the Noggle household (note: 2 of 4 are cats). Big wins tonight from Louisville, Mich. St., Syracuse and UNC and we could be goin’ Sizzler.

Mar 27th

NEW TOYS

After two long years of waiting out our Verizon contracts, we finally made the iswitch. Sure, our phone bill doubled and number of dropped calls will probably triple, but hey, have you seen the zippo app?

Mar 27th

FANTASY BASEBALL '09

I love baseball. I love fantasy baseball. Regardless, I made a vow to only be in one fantasy league this year. Any more would eat up way too much time, get confusing to follow and come at a price tag Obama would deem “irresponsible”. This was my solemn vow. How I ended up in three is still a mystery. Draft #1. Twelve dudes crammed in a room pontificating on Arod’s return and...

Mar 22nd

FINALLY

Not a big video game guy, but I couldn’t put down Madden until my Colts held up the Lombardi trophy with thousands of pieces of confetti raining down. Thanks to a 361 yd passing performance from Mr. Manning and a huge Freeney-forced fumble in the waning minutes, I can officially retire from football ‘til September. Anthony Gonzalez racking up style points while scoring the winning...

Mar 12th

Watch

My friend J killing it on Family Feud yesterday. The Crowley’s are back for more today! Check your local listings!

Mar 5th

MOUNT SNOW

Twelve of us headed to J’s Vermont ski house for the weekend. Two solid days of skiing, games, drinks and chocolate waffles. Too bad the six inches that fell last night didn’t come 48 hours earlier. And don’t miss the Crowleys on Family Feud this wednesday! Team photo at summit. Milz, Mike C., Will, Mary, Joe, Ryan, J Nothing tastes bad after a day on the mountain.

Mar 2nd