What is this again?

Hmmm

yeah.

On November 2nd I already had two blogs posted this month.

Today is the 29th. This will be the third. Oops.

Sometimes when I don't blog for a while, you should worry about me. It could be a sign that I'm getting down and depressed. This time, that's not the case. I've just been busy. With Thanksgiving, and seeing three of four parents, and work, and Rachel's parties, and fraternity stuff, it's just been a hectic month.

But I'm good. Just busy. And it's not like things are gonna clear up anytime soon. Not with Christmas around the corner, more work, more parties for Rachel, maintaining programming for the fraternity, and trying to see three of four parents again this month (different three, though), I don't see it letting up.

Although, I do have a declaration. Since, oh, about 2nd grade, I've been overweight and noticeably so. Well, I'm tired of that. So, I'm starting a diet and exercise program, along with Rachel, to lose sixty pounds. I'm hoping that by the time the last political campaign ad for the 2008 elections is aired (and God, how I can't wait for that to happen) my goal will be met.

So, if you see me on a regular basis, keep me accountable. And if you come to a table with me to break bread, keep me accountable. Please.

Bumper Stickers

Normally, I don't like bumper stickers. I really detest having to try to see how many words I can read in as small a font as possible from the back of a car in front of me. I really find things like "In case of Rapture, this car will be unmanned" to be unfunny and not very witty. I'm not big on political bumper stickers, either for causes or candidates. I really don't get the point of the "Calvin peeing on something" decals, either. I can kind of see sports teams and former schools you attended being on there, but that's still not for me.

However, I may have found a bumper sticker that might make me rethink it:

Even In My Dreams

Sometimes, things just don't go well. For you, the people and sports teams you support, and so on.

But I think it's gotten out of hand. Even in my dreams my favorite teams don't do well.

Case in point, I had a dream last night about the 2008 ALCS. Indians-Boston. Game seven was in Cleveland. I was watching the game with R.C. Foshizzle, though I'm not sure where, becaase I didn't recognize the house we were in. Anyway, the dream starts in the bottom of the 8th inning, the Indians batting, and down 4-2. There is one out, and Andy Marte, batting ninth, steps to the plate. He smacks a double down the left field line that barely stays fair, bringing Grady Sizemore to the plate.

The Jake is going crazy, Ryan and I are going crazy, and it looks like things might turn around. Grady Sizemore steps to the plate and hits the first pitch he sees back up the middle, but it takes a high bounce over the center fielder's head, and gets into the corner. Grady puts on all the jets and scores on an inside-the-park-homerun, tying the game up at four. Ryan and I are going crazier, and the Jake is going crazier, and Fox zooms to show Indians closer Rafael Betancourt getting lose in the pen, just in case the Indians take the lead here.

Asdrubal Cabrera works a walk, and then Travis Hafner gets plunked on the arm, and then another walk is issued to Victor Martinez.

So here's the scenario: Bases loaded, one out, tied game. Bottom of the 8th inning, game seven of the ALCS. A deep fly ball will put the Indians three outs away from meeting the Pirates in the World Series (who had apparently swept the Mets in the NLCS). Ryan Garko steps into the batters box, and swings at a first pitch fastball and ...

come one now, you all can guess what happens, right?


Give it a guess ...

go on ...

go on ...

go on ...

And get yourself a cookie if you predicted GIDP, inning over, Boston coming to bat.


And of course, I wake up at this point in time. But, I just knew that they blew the game and lost it.

Even in my dreams, the Indians can't win. That's how bad it's gotten.

Oh well ... at least it was a break from what's been the theme of my dreams for the last few weeks, but I'll have to blog about that later.

The Great Pumpkin

Had to share this for Halloween ...

Superdork

There are days when the level my dorkdom reaches surprises even me.

Take today, for instance, when I was putting some things away. For my birthday, my mother-in-law gave me the A New Hope Infinities Graphic Novel.

Now, I have a growing collections of Star Wars Graphic Novels. And they are together on a bookshelf in chronological order. And so I had to ponder for several minutes where in the collection I should put a graphic novel that belongs to a parallel timeline.

For now, I put it on the other side of the Essential Guidebooks, but we'll see where it end up ...

Reason #1138 Why I Love My Church

Because, seriously, would your church enhance the experience of those attending service by having a strobe light in use during communion?

I highly doubt it.

One day, when money is able to flow more freely for us, we'll have to gift a strobe light to church for nights like this.

Aging

So, I'm getting old(er). I realize it every morning. I wake up, and at least three joints on my body ache. Every day. Some of the joints rotate, some of them don't. My right knee is a pretty good constant. If a day ends in Y, I'm pretty sure I'll wake up and my right knee will be aching.

My back is also a pretty big constant. It aches every morning. But, then again, it also aches just about every waking second of the day. I sometimes feel like I live on Bayer Back & Body the way I used to live on Mountain Dew when I was at Northern.

And I constantly find myself complaining about "kids these days". They don't wear enough clothing. Their music doesn't have enough meaning and heart. They don't have enough respect for their elders. They don't really know half the stuff they talk about. They don't remember what life was like before x, y, and z. And on, and on, and on.

And so I've known about these factors for a while. And yes, I just had a birthday this past weekend (Thank you JD Drew for ruining it, you selfish bastard). But today, I finally realized just how much I'm aging.

I realized that when I'm not near enough to Columbus (meaning I can get RadioU), I pretty much use the radio in my car for three things: sports, AM news in the morning (with the local guy), and the Classic Rock station.

Yup, that makes me headed in the old direction. If I'm not already there.

Ha! I'm Not Alone!

So, I've taken quite a bit of ridicule from my wife over the past few weeks. As the Indians went to the playoffs, and advanced into the ALCS, I began to notice that certain behaviors I had correlated with some decent level to the outcome on the field. The things I ate, the clothes I wore, the places I sat.

And I wasn't alone in my being mocked, either. Ryan, who I watched a few games with, sat through the exact same thing.

Our wives thought we were crazy. Others laughed and joked about what they might do (in jest) to help the Indians win this year.

But Ryan and I ... we are not alone. According to that article on ESPN.com, 1 in 5 fans do things to help their teams win or to avoid jinxes.

I'm just shocked its that low. I figured it'd be closer to 4 in 5, to be honest.

So I might be crazy, but at least I'm not alone!

The Agony of Defeat

I know.

I know.

It's just a game.


But this sucks. It really sucks. I really thought this was the year for my beloved Tribe. I thought for certain this was the best chance in my lifetime for the season to end with a stream of tears of joy running down my face. Instead, it ended with my curled on my couch, tears running, but not of joy.

The Buckeye egg laying in Arizona. The Buckeye house building in the finals. The Cavs getting swept. And now going 0-3 in knockout games in the LCS.

Yes, it's just a game. They are all just games. But it still sucks.

You have no idea how much I want to see Boston College and Ohio State play for the National Title in Football right now. How I'm already trying to picture the Little Animal sacking Matt Ryan, and then RoboCatch going for a long bomb touchdown.

You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to the first Cavs-Celtics game. How much I'm looking forward to and picturing LeBron posterizing Garnett on a mammoth dunk. How I'm hoping we draw them in the playoffs and knock them out.

Heck, at this point in time I'm even daydreaming of the Browns backing into the playoffs as a six-seed, winning in the opening round and knocking off New England, ending their season at 16-1.

If you are wondering

Last night: Chicken McNuggets

Tonight: Two four ways with beans.



I can't make this stuff up.


(if you have no idea what this post it talking about, read down a few posts)