Today Was Gonna Be the Day

 This is long overdue, but I wanted to ensure that I wrote about it because it was an experience that had been in the making for a long time.

 

In approximately 1995, I was introduced to a band that has been one of my absolute favorites ever since. I think that CD may have been one of the first I bought with my own money. Yes, the Gallagher brothers have been among my favorites for about 30 years.

 

To fully understand why this particular entry to PeteChat needs to be written, one must return to 1998. I was a very mediocre Volleyball player at LSHS. One of my friends and teammates, Ricardo, had won tickets on the radio for an Oasis Concert in Hollywood. As we were both big fans of Oasis, I assumed that I would be the beneficiary of his good fortune and he would take me to the concert. I was wrong. He took his girlfriend. I was incredulous about this. As an aside, we once played in a volleyball tournament at Whittier High School, which was just a short distance from my sister’s house. Between games, we walked over to her house, and she made me and a few teammates (including Ricardo) sandwiches. This is relevant because these events occurred before cell phones were ubiquitous and social media existed. Years later, in the summer of 2002, I had just returned home from my mission and was at my sister’s house when Ricardo drove by, remembering the house because of the aforementioned sandwiches. He stopped, and I couldn’t have been happier to see a good friend whom I hadn’t seen in years. We made plans to meet up shortly after, and he grabbed me, and we went to see the band Mudhoney at the House of Blues in Anaheim. As we were watching Mudhoney, Ricardo says to me, “Remember when I won those Oasis tickets…I should have brought you.” Neither of us had cell phones in those days, and I lost the paper on which Ricardo had written his number. I have been looking for him for more than 20 years and have been unable to do so. His name is a little too familiar for Facebook. So Ricardo, if you somehow come across this, hit me up.

Eventually, Liam and Noel can’t get along; the band breaks up, and it seems like I will never see them in concert. I was left with sending my friend memes anytime Wonderwall came up. It was a bleak time for my Oasis fandom. Flash forward 25 years, and Oasis announces they are not only reuniting but also performing at the Rose Bowl. I decided at that moment that I was going to that concert. Shannon was not all too interested, and Joe couldn’t make it work because from DC. Who could I possibly attend with then? The incomparable Matt Sessions has a philosophy of saying yes to concerts. So we found our tickets and made plans. Add a little hitch. My sweet niece Savannah was getting married the same weekend…in Utah. I didn’t look back in anger; instead, I rolled with it.

 

The whole family flew to Utah for a few days out of San Diego. We arrived home Sunday morning, an hour later, after a delicious stop at Pie N' Burger, where we enjoyed pie and burgers. We then navigated through traffic and arrived at the Rose Bowl. I was expecting parking to be a nightmare but it actually went just fine.

 

Cage the Elephant was the opening act, and it wasn’t long before Oasis came on and played all the hits. It was so awesome. Oasis was funny, and the show was great. The crowd was really into it, singing along and loving the vibe. We stood the whole time, and that was just fine. I wanted to buy a T-shirt or a bucket hat, but they were out of stock. I asked Matt to record Wonderwall because I wanted to remember it, but I also wanted to experience it, which he happily obliged.

 

A much-needed refuel at Sonic on the way home, and all was right in the world. It was an epic experience, and I was so glad I got to do it.

Things I Think About

 Do you have things you think about? Now you may ask yourself, "Yes, Peter, of course I have things I think about." I am talking about those things you experienced that made such an impact that you think of them often. The top #1, without question, is the sandwich from Primanti Bros., which was once featured on Pete Chat from my post on the legendary trip to Pittsburgh.

One living in Orange County does not often find himself in a situation where that sandwich is readily available. I'm almost sure it isn't as good as I remember, but I still think about it.

Now, maybe I wouldn't go full Liz Lemon, but I have Googled Primanti Brothers Sandwich Orange County many times and only found other people searching. I have considered Gold Belly, but it can't be recreated at home. 

I also spend a lot of time thinking about Cook Out. Cook Out is a real IYKYK situation. I was talking to my friend Robb (he is married to Jess, who, like Shannon, is also from ACC country [although in the world we live in now, Shannon is married to a guy from Big 10 Country]), and I asked him Have you been to Cook Out? His face lit up. Robb knows. I have more opportunities to go there when I visit Shannon's family, but I still think about it a lot. I hope to have the optimal Cook Out order someday, but to this point, I have not yet achieved it.

I've never heard it described better.

In any event, these are a few things I think about. Maybe I'm just hungry.

High Adventure in Zion

Last month, I enjoyed joining the young men from the Avendale Ward for their annual High Adventure trip. This year, we headed to Zion for a week of camping, hiking, swimming, climbing, repelling, etc. We ran the gamut of outdoor activities. But before starting all the fun stuff, we had to get there first. 

The night before I hit the road, I got my summer haircut, colloquially known as the mullet hawk. I actually love it. When I walked into the house, Ella said you don't look handsome; you look cool...like a teenager. Thanks, Ella. 

Basically, seven and a half hours of jokes, negotiations, promises ( as I have told the Deacons many times, I don't make threats), and snacks. Before leaving Ladera Ranch, my crew of Jude, Chad, and Cade stopped at our beloved Stater Bros to load up on essential road trip necessities. 

I made it clear time after time that we were only going to listen to my music. I have a finely curated playlist called A1 songs I like. The boys did not love it, but they had terrible taste in music. I finally let them take over the radio in Arizona, and then they immediately turned on each other's musical choices, so it was about what you would expect.

Kurt lent me his tent, and it served me well. There were very few bugs, and though it was warm during the day, it cooled down enough to be pleasant in the evenings.

On Wednesday, we went to Zion National Park and hiked all over. The hike up to the Angel's Landing view was challenging, at least for me, and the boys dusted me. By the time I got up there, they were ready to leave. After catching my breath, I headed back down the trail. It was much easier on the way down and 

and I was actually passing people.

Once we got off the trail, we headed up the canyon to traverse the river and enjoy the cooler temperatures. My new water shoes worked ok, and I enjoyed seeing everyone making the trek. It was cool seeing people from all over the world enjoying the park.

I managed to get a parking ticket, which could have been better.

The next day, we enjoyed the pool back at the campground and played paintball. I shot Landon several times, which is a little sad because Landon is very nice. The lowlight was when I was hit not during a paintball match but in the supposed "safe area" by some random kid who didn't know how to use his safety correctly. Luckily, the chair I was sitting in took the brunt of the attack.

I was responsible for cooking dinner and making a ton of pulled pork for sandwiches. It turned out pretty well. We had Oreos for dessert.

We repelled and took UTVs to the slot canyons for our last big day of adventure. It was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed the repelling. The young women from the ward were using the same outfitter as we did, so there were about five minutes or so where we were all in the same place at the same time. A bunch of little brothers got to see their older sisters. It was a cool moment.

Shout out to Tom, who taught us that you can do anything in Crocs.

 I had such a great time with my boys. They drove me absolutely crazy. They always say ridiculous things and sometimes have to be reminded sternly how to behave. But I told them these are memories they will have forever.

I have to point out our amazingly patient Bishop, whom I now call Saint Blaine the Patient. Michael Funk for planning and executing an enjoyable/safe/spiritual trip, and Shaun Hoke for hauling his trailer and cooking breakfast for us every morning. It was fun getting to know the older boys better.

And a very big thanks to Shannon for holding down the fort at home while I was away. We had spotty cell coverage, but we managed.

Can't wait for next time.

Peter's Excellent Adventure

When BYU joined the Big 12 Conference, I had in mind that if one of the big time programs came to Provo, I would be there. Well, the schedule came out, and sure enough, Oklahoma was coming to town, and it would be right around my birthday. It was destiny that I would be there, and I wanted to make that a reality. 

Now, we must consider that we were blessed with the entrance of one Greta Wren Dorsch just two months earlier. Born 9-19-2023. This is Greta's first mention on Pete Chat, and even though she was born four months ago and I haven't posted in years, I can confirm that Greta (we call her, among other things, Gigi) is a perfect baby.

Miss Greta Wren Dorsch

Going out of town to watch a football game and leaving my little family would be an ask. But the calendar arranged itself so we could all go to Utah and stay for Thanksgiving.

Now, if we go back a few years, my friends from freshman year at BYU met to celebrate our 20th anniversary of meeting. It was a fantastic trip and an amazing victory for the Cougs against USC, where we stormed the field. We had such a fun time that we wanted to do it again, but the pandemic had made it difficult to do it again. But we persevered and decided to make it happen. Unfortunately, the whole crew couldn't be there, but 4/6 isn't bad.

Things get interesting here: we load everyone and all our stuff into the van and head to the airport. When you travel with little kids, you take a lot of stuff. We are driving to the airport in an effort not to be stressed there, and give us plenty of time when suddenly we feel something and realize we have a complete tire blowout on the freeway. It was a disaster, and I thought I would miss my flight the whole time. Of course, in the Honda Odyssey, the spare tire is not easily accessible when the car is full of stuff and people. Luckily, a tow truck came by and helped us out. By this time, we were getting so close to boarding that I knew we could never park and get all the baby stuff to the gate in time. Shannon said you are getting on that flight. We called Warren, who found us on the freeway, and we made a quick car switch. Ella, Hela, and I jumped into Warren's car and headed to the airport. I practically dragged Hela through the airport, but we made it on time. We were the last to board the plane, and luckily, celebrity Courtney Sessions was on the same flight. She was a massive help to the girls.

In the meantime, Shannon went home and switched to the Jeep. In what can only be described as a tender mercy, the customer service agent from the airline was a friend of Shannon's family. She got Shannon and Greta on a later flight, which we didn't even know existed.

My wonderful sister Jennifer picked us up at the Provo Airport and dropped me off at my friend Scott's house. It's just I'm time for us to make it up to SLC for the Utah Jazz game.

My sister Jennifer or as she is referred to by the Dorsch Girls, "Mommy Jenn Jenn".

It was an in-season tournament game I did not understand then, but when the Lakers ultimately went on to win, I was all in on it.

2/3 of the 2200 May Hall Crew...Peter, Dan, Shane, Scott

Saturday was our day of BYU sports. The weather wasn't great, but it could have been much worse. Scott had those seats you use on the benches, which made a huge difference. BYU could have won the game, but an ill-timed 100-yard pick-six could not be overcome. It was a huge bummer and a microcosm of the football season this year.

At halftime, I met up with my main man, Dan Nelson, and reminisced about our 20 years of dominating. 

After we drowned our disappointment in all-you-could-eat meat at Tucanos and a trip to the BYU Creamery for some brownies and milk, we headed back to the Marriot Center to see our beloved BYU Cougar Basketball team salvage the day by winning convincingly.

I had an absolute blast with my homies, and we can always start right where we left off, even if it has been years. In 2024, we will hit up a mid-west game, making it easier for Jim and Dallin to be there. They were missed.

Saturday night, Shannon picked me up, and it was wonderful to be reunited with my family. We had dinner with the Candlands and got to see their new house.

 

Whenever I go to Provo, I want to walk down memory lane. One of the girls' favorite books to read is Becoming Cosmo, which has a map of BYU in it. I point out all the buildings, and it's enjoyable. As we drove to campus that day, Hela said, "I want to go to BYU," it almost made me cry.

We met up with the Candland brothers, and Craig was generous and kind enough to buy our lunch at the Cannon Center. It was so fun hearing all their stories and how different and how exactly the same BYU is compared to when I went there.

I've known Robert and Craig since they were 10 and 7; they are fantastic and grown up. I think I am still taller, though.

We had a great rest of the week and spending time with family. Allie and I organized a little neighborhood turkey bowl in Stanworth's backyard, which was a lot of fun.

It was such a great trip. I got to meet my new niece, Violet, and enjoy much family time. I have so much to be thankful for, especially my relationships. A very "blogworthy" birthday week. Here's to 43.

On Fandom and Turning Two

 I guess I should preface this by saying I am unbelievably blessed and have a terrific life. I have experienced true sadness and this is not the same. 

That being said I had a suboptimal weekend and it had to do with my sports fandom. If you are a long-time Pete Chat reader you no doubt know how much I love my teams and how personally I take losses, and yes I fully recognize how weird/unhealthy it is. But to those who don't understand, I only wish you could experience being so committed to something that it literally makes you sick.

I did not know if the 49ers were going to beat the Rams. I knew that the 49ers could beat the Rams and when the 49ers went up 17-7 I allowed myself to believe that we might beat the Rams. We did not beat the Rams. See it only took a few sentences before I started to refer to the 49ers as "we" because with your teams you feel like you are a part of the team, at least I do.  

A couple of friends sent me this Tweet and it is spot on except for me it's around age 8.

When a football season comes to an end I naturally turn to basketball and focus on the Lakers and Cougs but wouldn't you know the Cougars had back to back terrible losses and the Lakers are injury prone and inconsistent and would certainly be the best team in the NBA if it was 2013. When so much of my media consumption is related to my teams I feel at a loss. I didn't want to read, watch, or listen to anything related to my teams for days. In fact, I was so bummed about catching glimpses that I found myself watching episodes of NCIS ( a show that I have never watched before and is not particularly good or interesting) on Paramount + from 2003 because, in the words of the late great Chris Cornell, it Doesn't Remind Me of Anything.

The 49ers, Angels, Lakers, Cougars, Germany have all won Championships in my lifetime. Some of my friends have never rooted for a team that has won a Championship. Is it somehow easier to root for a never-was than a once was? I have climbed the mountain and I want to go back there and yet it is totally out of my control despite my crazy superstitions about not cutting my hair or not changing the flag out front, or what jersey I wear to watch the game. I know it doesn't matter except that it does.

As the game was coming to a close Shannon pulled out her phone. I told her in no uncertain terms, Do Not Record Me.

After the game as I contemplated the game and the opportunities missed I thought that the Swedish Auteur Ingmar Bergman captured exactly how I was feeling as I took off my Jimmy Garappalo for the last time to be hung next to my Colin Kaepernick jersey never to be worn again.

via GIPHY

Misery brings creativity.

Same as It Ever Was

I turned 41 today...me...41. The Earth has traveled around the sun once again, so it has been a year since my last birthday, and it is, in fact a little weird. Do I feel like I am 41? Do I act like someone who is 41? Have I been making posts on this blog inconsistently for 17 years? 

I was thinking about the song "Once In a Lifetime" by the Talking Heads, and it wasn't the first time. I can tell because my Youtube search history showed me I had watched the video previously.

 

The lyric I keep thinking about is:

And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, "Well... how did I get here?"

Honestly...how did I get here? I'm not sure I know the answer, but here I am. Time is flying by. I made exactly one blog post since I turned 40, and that was for Ella's birthday. I used to write twice a week. I talk to my barber more often than I talk to my oldest friends. I don't know, it just seems weird, and I ask myself that question again, Well...how did I get here?" And don't get me wrong...here is not a bad place to be.

By the nature of our age difference and what stage we are in with little kids, Shannon and I mostly hang with people closer to her age, but those people are now the age I was when Shannon and I got married. Sometimes I look around and think, am I the only one at this moment in this group thinking about things in this way, and in 8 years will these people think like I am right now, but I will be thinking entirely differently than I am now? I told you...it's weird.

I heard on a podcast that your early years are the years where you experience dynamism, things are changing, and you are doing new and different things, and when you get into your 40s it is about maintaining. That's why all of your best stories are from when you were a kid or when you were in college.

So on behalf of my Jeep Grand Cherokee (large automobile), Shannon (beautiful wife), and Ladera Ranch ( beautiful home), I may not know how I got here...but I sure am glad I did.

On Turning 3 and Somewhat Unrelated A Post About Heroes

 On May 25th, 2018 at 12:14 in the morning Shannon and I go the most wonderful gift, Miss Ella Joy Dorsch. Today that wonderful little girl who prompted the doctor during her initial inspection to say, "Oh you have really big feet", turned three.

I thought my loyal Pete Chat readers would like to know a few things about Ella.

• Ella calls me Dabby and I absolutely love it. She is a big talker like her Dabby but not always clear so she goes to chat class. When they tried to teach her to call me Daddy I said no way I am Dabby and that needs to stay.
• Ella loves floor puzzles and scootering. She does not love sleeping in her bed or giving up her pacifier which she calls a bobby.
• Ella is a good big sister. It's been fun the last few months to see her and Hela playing together. She calls Hela, Behba. Now we all call Hela, Behba.
• Ella loves Chik Fil A, she does not like fruit or vegetables.
• She has a strong opinion on her entertainment choices. She will let you know what she wants to watch.

She is the life of the party and we are so lucky to have her as part of the family. We adore her. To celebrate her 3rd birthday Shannon threw a 3esta.