Where Were You?

I thought this was a neat little thing. Makes you think back.

Where were you when...

1. President Kennedy was shot. (11/22/1963)
I was not born. However, as many of you know, I am very interested in this event and most anything JFK. The video is the most haunting thing I have ever seen, every time I watch it, still to this day. I don't know why.

2. Elvis died. (8/16/1977)
I do not remember this at all. I was 4 years old, and I'm sure my Mom cried.

3. Mt. St. Helen's erupted. (5/18/1980)
I don't know where I was, but I do remember seeing it on TV at some point. The thing I remember is how the ash cloud appeared to be billowing up so very slowly, when in reality it was so powerful and spreading so quickly.

4. John Lennon was shot. (12/8/1980)
Don't remember. I'm sure my Dad remembers.

5. Ronald Reagan was shot. (3/31/1981)
I was in school. I believe I was in second grade. Anyway, Mom had come to pick me up from school and when I got out to the car, it had just happened and she told me about it. I ran back inside to tell my teacher, but she wouldn't believe me. Well, I said "The President's been killed" (rather than shot). Anyway, she apologized the next day to me. :-P

6. The space shuttle Challenger exploded. (1/28/1986)
I was in 7th grade, sitting in Mr. Hare's science class. Mr. Givens, the sixth grade science teacher, came in the room and told us. Within a couple of minutes, we had a TV in there and were watching the news.

7. The Chernobyl meltdown occurred in the Soviet Union. (4/26/1986)
I don't remember where I was, but I do remember this story on the news. I was 13. I remember thinking and wondering if the radiation cloud would reach the United States.

8. The earthquake hit San Francisco during the World Series. (10/7/1989)
I am pretty sure I was watching this when it started, but not positive. The thing I remember the most, unfortunately, was Al Michaels, who seems to be an expert on everything, enlightening us with his vast quake knowledge. Ugh. That, and the crumbled freeways.

9. Terrorists bombed the World Trade Center. (2/26/1993)
I don't remember this much at all. Have no idea where I was. Just saw it on the news. Didn't seem real significant to me then, for some reason.

10. The OJ Simpson White Bronco chase occurred. (6/17/1994)
Naturally, I was watching the NBA Finals, when they were unceremoniously interrupted. I remember being glued to the TV and wondering why the cops were all staying so far behind, when they only appeared to be traveling 30-40 miles per hour. For days I remember thinking there's no way this football star could've committed murder. Obviously, my opinion had completely changed once the evidence started coming out.

11. The federal building in Oklahoma City was bombed. (4/19/1995)
I don't remember where I was. Just remember watching the news.

12. Princess Diana was killed. (8/31/1997)
I remember it was late night here. I think it was a Sunday. I can't remember if Bobbie and I had gone out or she had come over. I was living where I live now. I don't remember if we watched it together, or if we talked on the phone about it, but I remember watching it well into the night. I remember seeing it as soon as it broke and thinking for the longest that maybe she'd be OK :-(

13. Terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and Pentagon. (9/11/2001)
I was sleeping. Woke up to my radio alarm and everything just sort of slowly sank in as I came out of my haze. It was so unreal, like a dream, but I couldn't wake up. I turned on the TV just before the second tower was hit and, like most everyone else, stayed glued to the TV for most of the rest of the day.

14. The space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry. (2/1/2003)
Ah, I was in Memphis, visiting Tiffany. I will always remember that weekend, because I had just had my wreck the night before. I woke up to the news that the shuttle was missing, and soon afterward knew that it had disintegrated.

OK, I added two of my own:
15. Bear Bryant died. (1/26/1983)
Again, I don't remember where I was when this happened. The only thing I remember about this was watching the funeral procession on television and the streets lined with thousands of people, and seeing a couple of the players or former players speaking, I guess at the funeral. Anyway, if you want to see a grown man cry, show me anything about Bear's death.

16. Payne Stewart's plane crashed. (10/25/99)
I don't know why I remember this, but I do. I always will. It was just eerie. The plane was just flying on its own, with everyone aboard apparently unconscious. I was working in Cullman. A few of us had gone to lunch and one of the guys had heard this on the radio on the way over. So they flipped on a TV in the restaurant and we watched it. It was also the first time I ever knew there was a Fox News channel. Seemed like such an oxymoron to me.

So looking back, in reality, I only actually remember precisely where I was when about half of these events occurred. So when you talk about events that you'll always remember where you were when they happened, are they really? Well, ask yourself these questions and see if you remember.

"Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened? Close your eyes and not go to sleep? Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages? Speak with some stranger on the street?"

Ronald McDonald for President

Well I finally got my shoe on. All by myself. I feel like I'm four years old or something. There was extreme pain and hurtation, however, trying to squeeze my now-size-14 foot into my size 12 shoe. It may be a day or two before I can wear it all day. But still. Now if I can only learn to tie them.

Something occurred this morning at work which I found a bit humorous. I had pulled in and was getting out to unlock the gate, because as I've referenced before, it's like getting into Fort Knox, or at least the Branch Davidian compound (not that I would know what that is like). This guy just stops in the road behind my car, no stop sign, intersection or anything, just stops in the road. He rolls down his window and yells with a bit of a laugh, "I heard them saying you'd hurt your leg!!" I said, "Yeah!" Then he pulls off. I just found that funny. I have no idea who it was.

Looks like it's a good thing we didn't end up in New York this weekend, as I watched some of the protests and marches going on up there on C-Span. There must have been hundreds of thousands of people there... well, in addition to the usual 10 million or so. I was trying to pick out some of the more creative anti-Bush signs. There were a couple of good ones. Tell me why does this happen: Someone calls and asks what you're doing. You say, "Just watching C-Span." Immediately, they start to laugh. Why is that? I don't understand. I tell you one thing, I never did understand why someone was carrying a giant Ronald McDonald statue down the street during the demonstrations. What is that supposed to mean? Are they comparing Bush to Ronald McDonald? Are they saying vote for Ronald, he'd be better than Bush? I dunno. Personally, as an RM fan myself, I don't think Ronald should get involved in the political forum.

Well, I am looking forward to watching Dallas tonight on MNF, even if it is preseason. It will be good to get a look at the team. Of course, I may have to take a break around 8:00 to watch Justine Bateman: E! True Hollywood Story, as I am sure many of you will be doing as well.

"I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell. I know right now you can't tell. But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see, a different side of me..."

8-bit Insanity!!!

Well finding the ol' Nintendo the other night sure brought back a lot of memories. The original game pad, two-buttons, start, select. What a system. Going from the Atari 2600 to the Nintendo was like going from scrubbing your clothes on a washboard to a brand new Whirlpool washing machine. Anyway, I decided it would only be fitting to come up with a list of my five favorite games on the Nintendo, at least that I can remember. So here you go (in no particular order):

1. Super Mario Bros. - Has to be the best throw-in game ever for any system. A classic, although it kinda got ruined once you learned the shortcuts, which cut out 80% of the game.
2. RBI Baseball - This is the game I used to stay up all night playing. Blistered my thumb multiple times on this one, even if there were only ten teams to choose from (BO, CA, DT, HO, MN, NY, SF, SL, NL, AL... I think. What?)
3. Commando - Nothing like running thru the desert, one lone guy, randomly tossing grenades here and there, and mowing down hundreds of enemy soldiers with your machine gun. I always found those motorcycle things kind of humorous though, cutting across the desert sand. What's up with that? What's that, you never got that far? Oh, too bad ;-)
4. 1942 - In this game, I was in World War II. I mean, really there, shooting down Zeroes and kamikazes left and right. I loved 1942 & 1943, but I thought the simpler 1942 was better. In 1942, if you got hit you nosedived into the Pacific Ocean. In 1943, you just lost a few energy points or something. Crash & burn, babee! Crash & burn!
5. Tecmo Super Bowl - I thought this was a pretty advanced Nintendo game. Every NFL team, season-long stats. This was an early precursor to the Madden games and the NCAA Football that so many guys and their girlfriends so thoroughly enjoy today.

Well, those are five of my favorites. Give me those five games, and I would probably still stay occupied for hours, however sad that may be.

""I try to walk the sunny side of the street. Don't let no shadows tangle up my feet. There ain't no trouble that we can't rise above, with a handful of faith and a heart full of love. Carry on. What don't kill us makes us strong. Carry on..."

Rescue The Princess!

Maybe I should have asked the doctor, "How long until I can resume regular blogging?" Walking, running, softball, that's all good and stuff, but let's get down to what's really important, right? Sorry for not posting for so long. I've been spending a lot of time lying on my back with my foot elevated. What joy. I'll try to recap briefly some of what's been going on the past few days. Some of you have had some really good lines that didn't make it into the blog. They got left on the cutting room floor. Sorry, it's a tough business.

I guess the most important thing that has happened over the past few days is that while going thru stuff for our yard sale, I ran across my old NES. Oh wow. If I had spent a tenth as much time working on a relationship as I did playing that thing, I'd have been married long ago. Well, I couldn't find the power supply for it, so I've got to go buy one. (Sell it? Who said that? Have you lost it, man?) Anyway, Kyle came over Friday night to get a program from a wedding I helped film a few weeks ago and I showed it to him. So after we went to eat at the steak house, he took the NES home to play, because he has the power supply and adapter, but his system is messed up. That led to these random funnies:

"Actually, I've been playing Kid Icarus for a little while."
"Wow, I never thought I'd hear that sentence after 1992."

"I think there's a whole in that bridge somewhere.""Oh." (toss grenade, tunnel appears) "There it is.""Wow, I don't know why I remember that."

Remember when you'd get to the end of a level on Mario and it'd be like, "Thank you, Mario, but our princess is in another castle." And the first time thru, you wondered if you were ever gonna get there, and how many castles there were. Hmm. I feel a new entry coming soon, Bone's top five NES games. lol

Oh yea, my sister and I had a yard sale Friday and Saturday. I'd rate it a success. The whole thing was my idea. I talked her into it sometime around Monday or Tuesday, then injured myself Tuesday night. So she pretty much got stuck with setting it up and everything. But she was great about it. Got to see Shane and Melody last night. They were in town for Shane's bday, which is today actually. Happy birthday!

Not a whole lot else has been going on around here. Like I said, spending a lot of time with my foot elevated, trying to reduce the swelling. I still could not get my shoe on, as of yesterday. So I'm a little concerned about that. Oh yeah, and I have to take baths. Hang my leg over the side of the tub so as not to get the bandage wet. Nice visual, I'm sure. I don't care for baths. I mean, it's disgusting. I'm sitting there in a tepid pool of my own filth. I now think that one of the worst things in life would be having to have someone bathe you all the time. It is really amazing the things I take for granted. Walking. Yes, that's a big one right there.

Well, enough wallowing for now. I tell you what though, it's times like this when it would really, really pay off to be married. lol Take it from someone who knows... or someone who obviously has no clue. I guess I'm going to try and go back to work tomorrow. Oh, college football kicked off last night. I'm so ready for it! Hopefully, I will be healed up enough to go to the Bama game on Saturday. Well, I guess I'm gonna finish watching this Scooby Doo Meets Laurel & Hardy movie on Cartoon Network :-)

"Was I out of my head? Was I out of my mind? How could I have ever been so blind? I was waiting for an indication. It was hard to find. Don't matter what I say, only what I do..."

This is kinda gross right here...

Left foot vs. right foot...

OK, I probably just lost three or four readers with that pic. I'm not sure what all the swelling means, except that it's probably closely related to the pain. lol

"He said, Son can you play me a memory. I'm not really sure how it goes. But it's sad and it's sweet, and I knew it complete, when I wore a younger man's clothes..."

Anterior Talofibu... do huh?

Yet another boring, self-involved blog entry. But I figure you might be interested to know what the orthopedic doctor said.

The diagnosis was a grade three (most severe) sprain. He said I completely tore the anterior talofibular ligament in my left ankle. Snapped it like a Slim Jim. Broke it in two like a toothpick. Anyway, he also said the same thing the ER doctor had said about seeing some bone fragments in the x-ray, saying there was a possible avulsion fracture. But the main problem appears to be the ligament. He told me that tearing the ATFL only requires surgery about 20% of the time. He said about 80% of people who tear it can usually rehab and do most of the activities they did before without surgery. Of course, the ligament will never heal on its own, so my ankle will always be a little unstable.

For now, I am supposed to be trying to get the swelling down. When they took my splint off, my foot was purple and swollen to about twice its normal size. They sold me an air cast or something which I'm supposed to wear when walking, as soon as I can fit it over my gargantuan foot. Otherwise, it's pretty much whatever I can do whenever I can do it. He wants me to get off the crutches as soon as I'm able and start walking. Then whenever I can walk without pain, I can start jogging. Then after that, I can start cutting and planting, and then after that, I can get back to playing softball, with a brace, of course. You could tell he'd treated softballers before, because I didn't even have to ask if I'd be able to play again. I think he knows how it is and how we are. He said depending on how I heal, it could be anywhere from 3 weeks to two months.

The bottom line is that hopefully, surgery won't be required. They took my splint off, so now I just have an Ace bandage on, and that feels much better. I have a follow-up appointment in two weeks. I am going to try to go back to work on Monday. I just haven't been able to sit up for very long the past couple of days because of the pain medicine. My boss loaned me a 2001 Monte Carlo to drive until I am able to go back to my stick shift again. It's pretty sweet. OK, hopefully I can get back to my usual scintillating blog entries soon. lol

It was kind of funny, because the doctor had a copy of a newspaper article he'd been interviewed for a few years back on sliding and softball injuries. It was saying stuff like, most softball players are closer to retirement than their high school graduation, guys sometimes slide to make it look more dramatic, and most people don't know how to properly slide. That was all too true.

"Oh well I'm torn and tattered. So the thoughts in my head, they get scattered. Well, pain gives me the right to be unkind..."

How NOT To Slide Into Second Base

"Jimmy's got some new moves. Watch Jimmy break up the double play. Ooooooh!! Jimmy's down! Jimmy might have a compound fracture. Jimmy's going into shock."


Ain't it pretty?

Well, that's a picture of my left foot. I injured it rather severely last night during the softball game. I was sliding into second base trying to break up a double play (which I accomplished...lol) and just jammed my foot right into the base. I knew it was bad when it happened. I rolled over and sat there a couple of seconds, but not wanting to cause a scene, I limped back to the dugout. That was only the first out of the inning so I decided to go outside the fence and try to walk it off, fully intending to go back out to left field in the bottom of the inning. It wasn't getting any better and when I reached down and pulled my sock away to look at it, well, it was quite gross. It was really bad swollen, worse than I have ever seen. It was like the size of a canteloupe. So I went back to the dugout and took off my shoe. Dwayne saw my ankle and was like, "Oh man, we gotta get you some ice." So I put some ice on it, but everyone was insisting that I go to the hospital. I finally relented. I figured my ankle really shouldn't be bigger than my knee, right? Luckily, Mom had come to watch the game so she and Rob's wife helped me to the car. They were thinking it was broken for sure so they didn't want me putting any pressure on it. The funny thing is, they are both like 5 feet tall, but that was sweet of them to help.

Anyway, we got to the emergency room and the ER nurse said it looked like it was broken to her. They took some X-rays and put a splint on it, put me on crutches, gave me a prescription for some Lortabs (!!!!) and sent me on my way. I have an appointment to see an orthopedic surgeon in the morning at 8:15. I spent the night with Mom last night, with no internet access. Obviously that has been the worst part of all. I went into work today for about an hour and a half, but will probably take the next couple of days off anyway. I cannot drive my truck because it's a stick shift, and I can't press the clutch with my left foot, so that is a big inconvenience. I really wanted a picture of it before they wrapped it, because it was really cool and gross. lol But alas, no one had their camera.

I just hated to leave the team, you know. I mean, we had 11 guys there, but I hated not to finish the game, and even worse, the season. I'm hoping it can heal and I can come back and play before the end of the season. We were winning 5-3 when I left, but I found out we ended up losing 14-7 :-( I was having one of my better games, too. Oh, I passed Jack Cook on my way out to the car, and he was like, "I think it's about time for us to retire." lol You just don't know how bad I hate to miss games. Oh well.

I just wanted to post a quick entry here to let everyone know what was going on. I am sure if I did not blog for more than a day or so, someone would get worried. I'm not sure what that says about my life, but.... Thanks to Mom, my sister, and Jessica for a bunch of help. Since I'm pretty much laid up now for awhile, it sure is nice to be taken care of. I think a guy could get used to this ;-) Hopefully, my next entry will be funnier. I think I hear a Lortab calling my name...

"Hey, don't write yourself off yet. It's only in your head, you feel left out, or
looked down on. Just try your best. Try everything you can..."

'Manda, 'Manda, 'Manda, 'Manda

No, this blog isn't about the Amanda Show. Don't be silly. That will come later. I have no idea why this article makes me so happy. See? I'm not the only one.

Beard, Phelps voted sexiest Olympians

One-year fan club membership: $15
One life-size poster to hang on your wall: $10
?????: Priceless

OK, that could have been really funny if I could have come up with something to put there. Or maybe it was funnier that I left it blank. Hopefully, you all know I'm just being silly in this post... or shamefully honest. Whichever. I tell ya, that Jennie Finch is really something else, too. Not to mention she's a fine pitcher. What?

"She's a soul shaker, troublemaker. She is a heartbreaker, undertaker, moneymaker. She is a love faker. Tricky, tricky. But she is pretty, pretty..."

And that was the extent of my modeling career

Greetings and salutations. I just saw this on the blogger news page: "Happy birthday blogger. Five years ago today, blogger was launched. Woot!" LOL Woot!? That's funny.

Wow, I'm worn out, but I figured I'd blog now, because I might not get to in the morning. We had major computer issues at work today, so I dealt with that from about 8:30 until 2:30. My head felt like a crepe rolled way too tightly, ready to burst at any moment. (That's why you gotta get real Cubans.) I ran by Krystal for a bite of lunch, then it was off to meet with the photographer to take some photos of me blogging. That just sounds funny to say. Well, I thought it was really only going to be a picture of the computer monitor or something, but he ended up taking probably 25 pictures. I'm sure that nothing embarrassing will come of that. It was like, "Smile.... OK, now look like you're deep in thought. OK, now look out the window..." It felt like I was back modeling again... what? And then there were pictures of my hands typing. As I'm sure you'll see, my nails kind of look like rats have been gnawing away at them. So this should be quite an interesting adventure. I guess the biggest danger is that my Mom will find out about my blog. Isn't that everyone's greatest fear? Who's idea was this again? OK, Emily, if you're reading this, you've got to start your own blog now. It's only fair ;-)

After that was over, I ran home to get a disk. Met my Mom and two of my aunts for dinner. Then I headed back to work to try a few more things. I couldn't fix the issues, but I did manage to come up with a temporary fix to at least get us thru the night and tomorrow until our tech guy can be there. After a trip to the grocery store and stopping off to check on the dog, I got home about 8:45. A big thanks to good ol' Dave for sharing some of his (pick one: colossal, expansive, vast) computer knowledge with me... for free. At least I hope it was free ;-) Maybe he could mentor me. For I'm sure he was once a lot like me, not knowing a thing about a topic as basic as, say, risk management. Dave, are you looking for a protege? OK, I've got to get in bed. Big softball game tomorrow evening. Oh, speaking of sports, I forgot to watch the football game tonight. A guy who graduated high school with my sister is on the Chiefs, trying to make the team. They played tonight. I meant to watch, because they let everyone play in preseason, but I forgot.

From Kilborn tonight: "If you jump out of a plane and your chute doesn't open, you might as well try a few tricks on the way down."

"And I'll do anything you ever dreamed to be complete. Little pieces of nothing that fall. Aww May, put your arms around me. What you feel is what you are, and what you are is beautiful...."

Oh to be a coxswain on that boat

Well, I was trying a strategy of quality over quantity, but that clearly wasn't working. So now, back to my old creed: If you can't blog well, blog often.

There is something addictive about the Olympics. No matter what it is, they have a way of making it interesting. Caught the US women's 8 rowing competition. Wow! There were several hotties in that boat. Caught some of the women's volleyball and beach volleyball, too. More hotties. I think my favorite athlete so far, though, is Amanda Beard, the swimmer ;-)

These Hardees commercials continue to astound me, or just slightly amuse me. The last one I saw started out saying, "Attention pregnant women who enjoy eating Hardees big angus burger..." Then it shows this pregnant chick scarfing down a burger, looking like Kobayashi in a hot dog eating contest. I mean, I've never seen a chick eat like that. Anyway, the gist of it is enjoy it while you can, because soon you'll be eating at McDonald's for the next twelve years. More like the rest of your life.

Speaking of food, I had my first Zaxby's experience Saturday night. Pulled up to the drive-thru at 8:24 PM. Pulled away from the window at 8:50. lol It was decent though. The food was hot. Dipping sauce was good. It's just hard to beat Dairy Delite's chicken fingers though, you know. Too bad they're not a chain.

Talked to Bunny tonight for a bit. Apparently, there is a slight chance the NY trip might still happen this year. Anyway, I felt the need to share this bit of information with her. I ran into Michael Hood the other night at our softball game, a guy I graduated with. So I was asking him what he was doing now and he said he was working at Pepsi. He mentioned that Kevin had just started working up there. So I shared that with Bunny.

She was like, "Thank you so much for telling me that. I really liked Pepsi, too. Now everytime I drink a Pepsi, I'm gonna think of him." Heh heh. That was my plan. Boy, I guess that gives a whole new meaning to the term, aftertaste. WOOOOO!!! Blog on, my friends.

"And you know it might not be that bad. You were the best I'd ever had. And if I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago, well I might not be alone..."

Nocturnal Phantasm #804A

How long have I been asleep? What year is this?

Actually, this wasn't nocturnal. I laid down about 6:20 yesterday evening for a short nap, setting the alarm for 7:00. So I suppose it would be diurnal. Anyhow, in that short amount of time, I had one whacked out dream. So, analyze this:

It started out with me and someone (can't remember who now, seems like it may have been a girl) going to play pool. The next thing I remember, I am waking up out of what feels like this deep sleep, and when I come to, some friends and/or family are around. The whole rest of the dream, I am awake, but everything is really dim and my head feels like it's in a thick fog. Everything is kind of dark, and I also have a headache. So I start asking what day it is, and I get different answers. Someone tells me I've been asleep since Thursday, someone says since Tuesday. Someone else says just a few hours. But at some point, I deduce that I have been knocked out for quite a while, more than a day anyway.

Again, several people I know are telling me different things when I ask "What happened?" It's like they will start to tell me, then they start to change the story or be very vague, trying to hide the truth from me. So anyway, I finally piece together that something bad happened while I was playing pool, someone hit me or something. I keep asking things like "What happened", "Am I gonna be all right", and "How long have I been asleep" but can never get the same answer or a straight answer.

Finally, near the end of the dream, Jack and I are at Applebees (except it doesn't look like Applebees, but I just know it is). Bobbie, her boyfriend, and Amanda walk in. She sees us and says hi, and asks if I'm OK. This is the first she's seen me, so she doesn't know anything has happened. I say, "I don't think so." They walk on, while Amanda goes into a separate room from them. I walk in there and she tells me something to say to Bobbie, but I can't remember now what she said. Suddenly, I realize that I've had on a cap since the incident, whatever it way, but I had taken off my cap to go into Applebees. I run to the mirror and my hair is freakin' sticking out like I just stuck my finger in an electrical socket. So I'm all freakin' out about that, trying to fix it so if I see her again. Finally, I give up and decide to just put my cap back on, but for some reason, it won't go on right. No matter how I turn it, I can't get the bill to be at the front. It always looks like it's on backwards, even though I turn it every which way. Also, it is suddenly way too big for my head.

Jack's phone rings and I realize that Bobbie has called him from wherever they are sitting. I hear them talking and I gather details from what he is saying about what happened to me. I reach up to rub my head, since I've got a headache, and I touch this barren place and kinda yell out because I'm startled. Jack tells me that's where they had to operate. I say, "They cut my head open?" He says yes. Then I ask him over and over, "Am I all right? Do I have brain damage?" But he will never tell me. Finally, I wake up. It is 6:50. All that happened in a very short time. I feel something wet, and notice there is an abnormally large amount of drool on my pillow and my comforter. (Nice, I know.) I wonder if that signifies anything. I sure hope this doesn't become a recurring dream.

"I was dreamin' when I wrote this. Forgive me if it goes astray..."

How Blogs Are Ruining My Life

Good morning, and surprise! I bet you didn't think you'd be waking up to a fresh entry from Bone. Well, don't get used to it ;-) Anyhow, I know most of you have probably already read this, mainly because it's fairly old. But, much like my clothes, my blog is about ten years behind the times as well. But if by chance you haven't seen it, it's worth a read: Blogging Off by Whitney Pastorek

There are several things mentioned that we've all said or done. I know many times in real live conversation, I will assume someone already knows something because I blogged about it, and I assume they have read my blog. And then there's de-linking someone because you're mad at them. That is great. Go ahead, admit it. You've done it. (BTW, I found it cruelly ironic that when I clicked on this article, the four google ads at the top of the page all had to do with blogging.)

I do actually know people who feel overwhelmed and sometimes frustrated by the whole blogging phenomenon. And there are more than a few people who take the whole thing way too seriously, in my opinion. It's a blog. A simple, stupid blog. It isn't life or death (even though I sometimes feel like I'll die waiting for others to update). Lighten up. If it's causing you that much stress, it probably isn't worth it. And if it's just that you're feeling left out, it only takes a couple of minutes to start a blog now. This is the nineties, babee!! Oh wait. No it's not. Guess I'll keep my tapered leg jeans in storage awhile longer.

"She's out of my life. She's out of my life. And I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I don't know whether to live or die. And it cuts like a knife. She's out of my life..."

He could throw that speedball by you...

Ran into David Marsh last night at the steak house. His leg was all braced up, so I was like, "What happened?"
"Oh, I hurt it in church league ball a couple of years ago and I'm just now having surgery."
Well, my friend, I will probably be there as well at some point, with my shoulder. Maybe us old folk are just trying too hard to cling to those glory days, trying to recreate just a few more moments of past athletic success, when our prowess on the court or the field isn't what it once was. Eventually we end up looking like Karl Malone: injured, clearly past our prime, and still with no NBA Championship.

In other news, his wife is 'specting in October. What is it about October and babies? That's like at least 3 people I know due to have their first child in October. Fun stuff. Fortunately, I'm not a woman and have no (legal) wife, so I don't have to worry about showers and stuff.

At some point yesterday, I became engrossed in the 2004 World Series of Poker on ESPN. They are finally to the main event. Moneymaker is playing. Anyway, at some point I must have dozed off on the couch, and I had this dream that I was playing some new kind of card game with other people. I knew the people in my dream, but can't remember who they were now. Anyway, one of them said something about Phil Helmuth (who is a famous poker player) and when I woke up, I realized that what the announcers had been saying on TV had infiltrated my dream. Cool.

Sometimes I wonder how long it will be until we see all these Kias broken down on the side of the road. I mean they have such low prices, there must be a catch, right? I dunno. Maybe not. I guess we'll see.

I feel a similar hesitation to buying a Saturn. Anyone have/had a Saturn? How was it? I know Bunny did at one point. Seems like she wasn't crazy about it. I have been intrigued by the Saturn Vue. But again there is that hesitation...

Saw a Huddle House bumper sticker on an SUV on the way into work this morning. I don't know why I found that odd, but I did.

This cookies and cream granola bar isn't as good as it originally sounded.

Oh, I almost forgot, I think I saw the beginnings of a bust/raid the other day. There is this small apartment complex on Austinville that I passed on the way to buy my Pepto the other day. Well, I noticed two white guys getting out of a car, and I thought to myself, in all the times I have passed this particular complex, I have never seen anyone white there. In the same instant, I noticed they were getting out of what looked like an unmarked police car, and they had parked long-ways, behind and perpendicular to the other cars. They were dressed like Crockett and Tubbs... or maybe Starsky and Hutch, but still. And one of them reached around like he was making sure his Luger was strapped on. Anyway, I went around the corner about the time they were knocking at the door.

"I hope when I get old I don't sit around thinking about it, but I probably will. Yeah, just sitting back, trying to recapture a little of the glory of. Well, time slips away and leaves you with nothing mister but, boring stories of glory days..."

Refusing to go on the DL

If you know that Big John Studd was a professional wrestler and not a porn star, then this blog's for you ;-)

I'll be blunt. I'm burnt out. I'm fried. My mind is as barren as the surface of the moon. Well, game three of the softball season was worse than game two, if you can believe that. We only had nine players there, however I did not realize that until I was halfway out to left field. Great. Three outfielders. I went 1 for 2 with a single. My chance at an RBI was thwarted when our runner on second was thrown out at home by their cannon-armed rover. Oh well, at least I finally hit a decent line drive. My shoulder was in immense pain last night. I did some research on the net when I got home and my self-diagnosis is that I have a rotator cuff injury of some sort. I bought some creme and some of those menthol patches to put on it. But apparently, continuing to use it could cause greater injury, including shoulder dislocation or tendon detachment. So I should probably try to get a doctor's appointment or something. I don't want to quit playing. Maybe I'll see if I can move to first or second base or something. That would be less strain on the arm. In all honesty, I should probably be placed on the 60 Day DL.

Oh, a bit of good news. I don't have to work tonight. Woohoo! Dad called yesterday and told me. That'll be a nice break. Having only one job. What a concept. In other news, Jessica started her new job at Crestwood today. Good luck!! She has been really, really sweet and thoughtful lately. Yesterday, she volunteered to do my laundry. She also cooked dinner for me last night before my game. How nice is that ;-) My stomach wasn't feeling great for some reason, so I didn't eat much. But I popped four Pepto caplets before the game and felt much better afterwards. So I ended up warming up a plate and eating when I got home. To pay her back (I guess), I let her watch an hour of Newlyweds with Nick & Jessica last night. It was actually pretty funny when they were trying to put down sod, and so he hired this lazy, inept crew the first day. All they did was walk around smoking and talking. Then he ordered pizza and they pretty much didn't hit a lick the rest of the day. As they were leaving, one guy asked him, "You gonna need us tomorrow?" Are you kidding? lol Then one of the guys comes back and steals a drink to go. OK, I can't believe I just posted that.

In other news, when I went to buy my Pepto, the girl at CVS was like yawning and stuff. She pressed on her side and said, "I think I slept wrong or something last night." So I replied with something like, "Well, that's no fun." There should really be a list of like 25 cool responses and replies for any comment or situation. That way I could just commit them all to memory and not sound like a complete moron. Uhh.. duhhh.. doy.. that's no fun. Wow, I feel like these posts are becoming increasingly boring, much like a Dick Cheney speech. Sorry. I'm sure things will pick up soon.. or won't. Whichever.

"Are you lonesome tonight? Do you miss me tonight? Are you sorry we drifted apart?"

Da 'Lympics, Celine-aholics, & New Stuff

I watched about five minutes of the Olympics last night. Gymnastics was on and the announcers were saying how Romania had a chance at the gold medal and all this. Right about that time, the Romanian guy does a release on the high bar and falls. I couldn't help but be reminded of the Seinfeld bit: "I trained. I worked out. I exercised my entire life. I never had a date. I never had a drink. I was doing push-ups since I was a fetus. I flew half way around the world. Everybody I knew in my whole life was there. (amend here) I get ready for my release on the high bar routine and then.... Ooooh!! I fell. It's all over. Bronze medal. Nice try."

A couple of those dismounts were really bad though. I was thinking, "You mean these are the best gymnasts in the world? If nothing else, stick the landing. One guy was wobbling around like he'd just downed several bottles of vodka or something, not that I have any idea what that would be like.

Otherwise yesterday, went and got a haircut after work. Inadvertently found out how old Stacy was as I was telling her that my sister got married:
"So how old is she?"
"Ummm... 23."
"Well, she got married young... of course, I'll be 21 when I get married."
"You're getting married?"
"Yeah, next summer."

See, my friends? There are ways. Dad had called and wanted me to come cut the yard, so I did that yesterday, as well. Game three of the fall league softball season is tonight at 8:00, I think. Wish us luck. We need it.

In other news, check out the new blogger toolbar at the top of my blog. You can do a search of my entire blog by using the search box at the top, which is pretty cool, doncha think? Also, I've added a couple more Sein links on the right. Sein Wars is a pretty comprehensive site with an ep guide, seinfeld aptitude test, and other features. And Seinfeld Scripts is simply what it says, a site with every script. From what I have seen also, they include a lot of the episode openings and monologues that are sometimes cut off in syndication.

That's about all I've got for now. Oh, I had a Celine relapse last night. Those are always disturbing:
Me: "I think someone has my Celine Dion CD."
J: "Well, you better get it back.... please don't ever say that again."

"Everytime I look into your eyes, I wanna say that I apologize. I can't change, I thought you knew. I'm not the one to stay with you. You don't need a crazy love like mine, that comes and goes from time to time. So save your heart and save your dreams. Forget about me..."

Seinfeld... four!!!

The Chinese Restaurant was on last night. What a masterpiece! To me, coming late in season two, this was maybe the first true classic episode. (The Deal is also a must-see, to have a knowledge of the Jerry/Elaine relationship, among other reasons.) This episode deals with so many everyday topics, including George's bathroom buffer-zone quandary, and Jerry running into someone who knows him, and talking to her even though he can't think of who she is. (I've done that more than once.) Elaine has an unusual number of good lines in this ep. But these are my favorite two exchanges, both involving Costanza:

George, explaining to Jerry what happened with Tatiana:
G: Well, after dinner last week, she invites me back to her apartment.
J: I'm with you.
G: Well, it's this little place with this little bathroom. It's like right there, you know. It's not even down a little hall or off in an alcove. You understand? There's no... buffer zone. So, we start to fool around, and it's the first time, and it's early in the going. And I begin to perceive this impending, intestinal requirement, whose needs are going to surpass by great lengths anything in the sexual realm. So I know I'm gonna have to stop. And as this is happening I'm thinking, even if I can somehow manage to momentarily... extricate myself from the proceedings and relieve this unstoppable force, I know that bathroom is not gonna provide me with the privacy that I know I'm going to need.
J: This could only happen to you.
G: So I finally stop and say, "Tatiana, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I think it would be best if I left."
J: You said this to her, after?
G: No... during.
J: Oh, boy. So?
G: So, I'm dressing and she's staring up at me, struggling to compute this unprecedented turn of events. I don't know what to say to reassure this woman, and worst of all, I don't have the time to say it. The only excuse she might possibly have accepted is if I told her I am in reality Batman, and I'm very sorry, but I just saw the Bat Signal.

My other favorite part comes after the Chinese guy gets a call and yells out "Cartwright!! Cartwright!!" Shortly after that, George walks up to him:
"Excuse me, I'm expecting a call. Costanza?"
"Yeah, I just got a call. I yell Cartwright! Cartwright!, just like that. Nobody came up. I hang up."
"Well, was it for Costanza, or..."
"Yes, yes. That's it. Nobody answered."
"Well, was it a woman?"
"Yes, yes. I tell her, you not here. She say curse word. I hang up."
(George walks back to Jerry and Elaine.)
"She called. He yelled Cartwright. I missed her."
"Who's Cartwright?"
"I'm Cartwright!"
"But you're not Cartwright."
"Of course I'm not Cartwright!!" :-D

"Who is gonna come and turn the tide? What's it gonna take to make the dream survive? Who's got the touch to calm the storm inside? Who's gonna save you? Alive and kicking..."

Cajuns and Umbrellas

Did you know that up until the 1800's, only women used umbrellas? It was effiminate. That's why even to this day, I do not use an umbrella, unless occasionally if I am walking next to a girl, which is rare anyway, so... What? I am reminded of many trips to Nashville when it is raining and K and I choose to run thru the streets like Mel Gibson and Danny Glover rather than carry an umbrella. That also reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when Jerry is talking about how he used to sell umbrellas on the street back in the day:
Jerry: "It's the twirling that dazzles the eye."
George: "I find it disorienting."

OK, enough about 'brellas. For some reason this past week, I've been cutting off the first syllables of words and adding -izzle to everything, because I want to be dope and cool, you know, let everyone know that I'm down with the latest lingizzle. However, it appears most of my friends only find it annoying. Supizzle with that?

The girl and I went to Huntsville Saturday night and had dinner at Tim's Cajun Kitchen. Mmmmmmm!! I luh dat place. I love cajun food, just about anything and everything, except I'm not sure about that tasso. I just pick around it. I think I could have been a cajun, if things had worked out differently. But alas, I am here. Anyway, after that we rented 50 First Dates, with Sandler and Drew Barrymore. The movie was really good, not too predictable. A good date movie. But the best part of all was that the first preview on the DVD was for the Seinfeld DVD's! (Marv Albert voice) Yes! Later on, we're watching City Confidential or American Justice or one of those shows on A&E that intrigue me so. So then Sunday, Jessica tells me she dreamed that I got shot. She was all upset and stuff, but it was so sweet though. I guess no more A&E before bed.

Had dinner last night at Ruby Tuesday's. It was so-so. A Night At The Roxbury was on TV, so I watched that for the first time. Pretty good stuff:
"What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up? What's up?"
"Steve, slow down."
"I can't help it man, it's hottie overload."
"Just pace yourself."
"OK. What's up? 2, 3, 4. What's up? 2, 3, 4..."

"Yeah, and maybe we should just go to college, and not put gel in our hair, and start wearing blue jeans. Let's do that, Steve!"
"Sorry."

WOOOOOOOOOO!!! Hottie overload. We've all been there. What? In other news, I'm really closing in on getting a new PC. The UNIVAC completely died one day last week, and it took me a few hours to resuscitate it. That has happened multiple times in the past few months. Talked to Bunny Saturday for the first time in about a year. She was bracing for Hurricane Charley, taking an "if it's meant to be" attitude, which I can understand. I think it had really weakened by the time it got to VA though.

In closing, here is my new blogging plan for the last quarter of 2004. I ripped this off from the underpants gnomes:
Phase 1: Blog daily.
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit.

"Every other day, every other day, every other day of the week is fine, yeah. But when every Monday comes, but when every Monday comes, you can find me cryin' all of the time. Monday, Monday, can't trust that day. Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way..."

Where have you gone, Michael Jordan?

Sitting here watching the USA men's basketball team losing by 14 points in the 4th quarter to Puerto Rico. This is just sad. Well, at least they are no longer calling them the Dream Team. That's good, because they are not. Dwayne Wade? Wasn't he on A Different World? Richard Jefferson? Gimme a break. He's bricking 20-foot jumpers like he's getting a cash bonus for each one he misses, and I think he has played the entire 40 minutes. Shawn Marion? You telling me there's not 12 better players in the NBA than Shawn Marion? You telling me there's not 12 better players in college than this guy?

OK, I don't care all that much anymore, but it's been sad to see our basketball dominance end these past couple of years. Why has that happened?

1. Teams are no longer intimidated. That's for sure. In '92, players from other teams would ask for autographs and photographs with our players. I don't think anyone is asking for Emeka Okafor's autograph. Intimidation is a big advantage. We no longer have that advantage. Teams are much more confident against the USA today.

2. The NBA has definitely gone way down the past few years. Fundamentals and team play have been sacrificed for flash and one-on-one play. (This year's Pistons, the exception.) I think this is one of the most obvious signs of that.

3. We no longer send our best 12 players. In '92, you pretty much had the best 11 players in the world, along with Christian Laettner. Now, for whatever reason, injuries, fatigue, age, etc., all of our best players don't go. Shaq, T-Mac, and others come to mind this year. Then again, we definitely don't have all of our very best players over there... Shaq, T-Mac, and others come to mind.

4. No player that other players respect and listen to. The Dream Team workouts and practices have become legendary. MJ, Magic, and Bird were able to impose their will on their teammates, and refused to let other guys take plays off or not take the games seriously. There's really no one like that anymore. They used to always say about the great players, that they make the players around them better. There doesn't even seem to be many guys like that anymore.

So what do you do? Just accept that other nations have caught up with the USA? Maybe we should go back to college players. At least you know it would mean everything to them. If we can't convince our absolute best players to play in the Olympics, maybe that's what we should do. Maybe we'll come back and still win the gold. I'm gonna go and watch the rest of the NASCAR race or somethin'.

"And I don't understand why I sleep all day, and I start to complain that there's no rain. And all I can do is read a book to stay awake. And it rips my life away, but it's a great escape..."

Are you an addict?

Hmm, I was expecting worse. Not bad. I guess that's all pretty accurate. Come on, now. Be brave, and share your results with the rest of us ;-)

Are you Addicted to the Internet? 60% Average@Internet-User.com (41% - 60%)You seem to have a healthy balance in your life when it comes to the internet and life away from the computer. You know enough to do what you want online without looking like an idiot (most of the time). You even have your own Yahoo club or online journal! But you enjoy seeing your friends and going out to enjoy life away from your computer. The Are you Addicted to the Internet? Quiz at Quiz Me!

"She says she feels like she's addicted to a real bad thing. Always sitting, waiting, wondering if the phone will ring. She knows she bounces like a yo-yo when he pulls her string. It hurts to feel like such a fool..."

Work Week Postlude

How come you only hear of a prelude and an interlude? You never hear anything about a postlude.

Well the Abercrombie Ten suffered a humiliating defeat last night in game two of the 2004 fall league season, losing 21-4 in four innings. I reached on an error in the first and scored one of the four runs, then popped out in the third. Terrible. They had me batting cleanup. That definitely did not go quite how I envisioned it. A lady from work and her husband came to watch, so after the game we all went to eat at Red House Grille. It was cajun night. Uh huh, uh huh, I know that's right, I know that's right. Uh huh. Uh huh.

Moving on... Jessica really surprised me Wednesday by baking cupcakes and bringing them by. They were really good. She also brought me a plate of spaghetti she had fixed. It was completely out of the blue. Man, I just wish I knew how to tell if a girl likes me or not. Perhaps this week's events will serve as an epiphany.

I watched the last half of "Monk" on USA Wednesday night. Have any of you ever watched that show? That was my first time to see it. I found it quite enjoyable. So let me get this straight, that's the same guy who was on Wings, right? Antonio Scarpacci, or whatever? And the ep Wednesday had the guy from Just Shoot Me, the guy who plays Elliot. At least I think that was him. Also saw an episode of Elimidate with four 50-something women competing for this guy's attention. Wow, that was kinda gross right there, especially when they started doing body shots. I tell you what, watching something like that will really make you want to be married before you reach that age. Oh! The best part of all was that one lady asked the guy what kind of bike he had and he said that he had a hog. Well, one of the other ladies had no freakin' clue that meant a Harley. So when they do the little interview inserts or whatever, she's going on and on about how she'd like to go on his farm and meet his hog. She's all like, I've never really spent anytime on the farm, but I would like to try and spend time with his animals. She was dead serious. That, my friends, is hilarity.

I enjoyed the old school SportsCenters this week, too. I missed Kilborn, but did catch part of Greg Gumbel and George Grande. Do you ever wish you could go back to those early days of George Grande, Tom Mees, Bob Ley, etc.? Life was so much simpler then, waking up in the morning watching Gilad and Denise Austin's fitness workouts. (Just watching, not doing.) Eh, maybe it's just me. When I was young, I used to pretend I was a SportsCenter anchor. I would write out games and scores and read them. Then I'd mark out those scores and write in updated ones and give them. But much like an old, overwashed tshirt, those dreams faded.

Sorry I haven't posted a whole lot lately. Work has been busy and Tuesday-Thursday is always busy for me anyway. Hope you all have a great weekend! Forecast here, Sunny today. High 75. Clear tonight. Low 50. Are you kidding me?! Nice!

"If you search for tenderness, it isn't hard to find. You can have the love you need to live. But if you look for truthfulness, you might just as well be blind. It always seems to be so hard to give. Honesty, is such a lonely word. Everyone is so untrue..."

I'm bursting, Jerry! I'm bursting!

You have NO IDEA how happy this makes me! This is unprecedented. No precedent, babee!

Click here to watch the Seinfeld DVD Trailer. (3 minutes, 8 seconds)

Oh man! I am blown away. Blowowowowooooown!

DVD Info & Special Features

Gift set includes limited edition original script with handwritten notes from Larry David!!! Oh man! I can hardly contain myself. I'm bursting, Jerry! I'm bursting!

The DVD about nothing arrives November 23rd! Merry Christmas to me! Stay tuned to this blog for more details...

"For what it's worth, it was worth all the while. It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life..."

A Hard One To Swallow (Game One)

The Abercrombie Blue Bombers (I just made up that nickname) lost a heartbreaking 15-14 decision on opening night Tuesday, blowing an early 8-1 lead. It was a tough loss for the entire team, truly a hard one to swallow. The Bombers crept ahead 13-12 in the top of the sixth, but their opponents pushed across a run in the bottom of the inning to tie it up. Again in the top of the 7th, the Bombers scored a run to lead 14-13, but it would not hold up. A heartbreaker.

I reached base twice, scoring both times, and flied out twice. Not a great day. He had me batting third and playing left. I did OK in the field, had one assist at second, but I also had a two-base throwing error, allowing a guy to go from first to third when I overshot the second baseman. Oops. Most importantly, it was fun and I'm looking forward to the season. OK, well not most importantly. Most importantly, we lost. My shoulder actually did not hurt as bad as it did the last time I played, two years ago. It hurt, but if the pain was a ten two years ago, this was more like a six or a seven. I have altered my throwing motion to come straight over the top, because that doesn't seem to aggravate it quite as bad as going three-quarters. I also throw side-armed whenever possible, but that's more for when I'm just lobbing it in. Oh, Mom did come to the game. I had one put out and when I caught it, I heard her screaming all the way out in left field. Well, that's about it. Hopefully things will go better Thursday. I'm sure this has all been very interesting to you.

BTW, check out Deanna's journal for the details of her dream about me. lol FYI, she refers to me as "Jeffrow."

"He was always there to help her. She always belonged to someone else. I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door. I've had you so many times, but somehow I want more..."

Sunday, Monday, Happy Days

OK, the blahs are gone. Good riddance. I'll start today with a Bumper Snicker: "They Make Me Miss Carter"

ROFL I saw that the other day. I assume it is in reference to the current administration. I just had never seen that bumper sticker before, and don't know that I ever will again. Good stuff.

SUNDAY: I went and washed my truck, finally taking advantage of the nice weather. After church, I went by Jacks to pick up some supper. Got some chicken, mashed potatoes, and two hairs with green beans around them. Nice. Those were included free of charge. I really liked eating there, too. Spent the rest of the evening at home. Ended up on the phone with various people for probably about four hours. Ugh, that was draining. Several interesting movies were on, The Michael Jackson Story and Scary Movie 2, to name a couple. Oddly however, I opted for the evening's feature on WE, Mannequin, from the 80's. Early Kim Cattrall. Nothing wrong with that.

MONDAY: I guess the most exciting thing to happen was that I got my softball jersey. It is navy with light blue writing on front and a white number on back. I am number 4, following in the tradition of the long line of outstanding athletes who've worn it before me: Joey Jones, Steve Stanley, Tyrone Prothro, Matt Wethington... OK, that's all I can think of. Went to Wal-Mart after work and saw like four people I knew, Jack and Paige, and a couple of other people. Believe it or not, Jessica and I went to dinner last night, to Cracker Barrel. Food and service were excellent. Then we headed down to the river for a little while. I played on the swings. It was a really pretty night.

In other news, Mom is doing a little better, I think. The bite mark still looks gross, and I've been trying to get her to go back to the doctor just for caution's sake. Thanks for all your thoughts and concern. Our first softball game is tonight. I'm actually getting butterflies a little bit. Looking forward to seeing many of you there... or seeing none of you there. Whichever.

"Everywhere someone's getting over. Everybody's lied to someone. People still use other people with a crooked smile. All around the world there's a sinkin' feelin'. Out there right now someone's feeling down on themselves, and don't know why. Every night."

National Guard Day

Exchange from yesterday:
"Back in elementary school, we had National Guard Day."
"Were you in ROTC or something?"
"Uh no, it's got nothing to do with that."

I suppose this would fit into the More About Bone Than You Wanted To Know category. This is a painful memory, in more ways that one. Back in elementary school, every so often (seems like for awhile it was every Wednesday or Thursday), someone (seems like it was usually Gary G.) would proclaim it to be National Guard Day. Though it might sound patriotic, in reality, it is not. National Guard Day meant that all day long you had to constantly "guard" your valuables, because on this day guys would walk around trying to hit each other where it hurts as hard as they could. Seriouslah. With no reason or cause whatsoever, simply because it was National Guard Day. So you'd pretty much walk around all day with both hands forming a protective barrier against incoming fire. I just assumed all boys grew up having to go thru this painful rite of passage, but apparently, from talking to others in recent days, it wasn't a widespread thing. Oh well, just some harmless adolescent hijinks, I suppose. Well, maybe harmless is too strong a word. I hated that day. And I was most glad when we all turned 19 and finally outgrew it. What? And that, I'm quite sure, is More About Bone Than You Ever Wanted To Know.

"She walks in, and every head turns. You can see how hot her fire burns. He didn't know what a good thing he had. But it's too late, and that's too bad. Cos she's not the cheatin' kind, but she's been cheated one too many times..."

Surrealism by Bone

VH-1 Announces Lineup For Surreal Life 3

It's not often you can fit Jordan Knight and Joey Gladstone into the same bloglet. These opportunities are rare, so when they present themselves, one must pounce. Besides, Surrealism always was one of my favorite movements. And already this morning, this has led to some fond New Kids memories:

"I used to have Jon, the doll."
"You liked Jon? He didn't do anything. He was like Danny."
"It was hot!" ROFL

Feel free to relive some of your own.

"I'm a bad boy, cos I don't even miss her. Yeah, I'm a bad boy, for breakin' her heart. Now I'm free, free fallin'..."

The Blahs

This bloglet brought to you by Lean Cuisine. Visualize, if you will. I am sitting here in green plaid boxers, tan dress socks, and a white t-shirt. (TMI?) I am watching the NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony on TV, while waiting for a frozen dinner to finish heating. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the essence of bachelorhood... I think.

I've sort of had the blahs this weekend. Just one of those things, I guess. I really should have gotten out and enjoyed the super nice weather, but I really haven't. Mom let me know Friday that she had gone to the ER Thursday night with what turned out to be a spider bite. I'm like, "Why didn't you call me?" She said she called my sister and told her. She said she knew I was at practice and didn't want to bother me. Well, I would really like to know if my parents are going to the emergency room. Anyway, apparently she is OK. Had some pretty bad infection and the spot where she was bitten looks really bad. They gave her a shot and some antibiotics.

Had dinner at Logan's Friday night. Ran into Wes up there. Turns out he quit The Brick and is now working at L's. Got home pretty early, a little before 10:00. Watched a couple of programs on A&E, one about the cyanide-laced Excedrin poisonings of 1986, and then the story of Jayne Mansfield. That was very interesting. You know, I often find myself enthralled by stuff on A&E, and occasionally the History Channel, too. Weird. Anyway, I fell asleep on the couch shortly after midnight. Woke up at 8 and got in the bed. Slept 'til shortly after Noon. Ahhh, nice. Went and shot some pool with Kyle Saturday night. Ate at Applebees. Then went over to Matt's and hung out for a couple of hours. Got home around 1:00.

Random funny:
(names omitted to protect the young and innocent)
"Dude, you have got to ask her out."
"I don't understand. I had no problem asking _____ and _____ out."
"I thought they asked you out."
"No... oh, well, maybe they did."

"Thought about leavin' but I couldn't even get out of bed. I'm hangin' cos I couldn't get a ride outta town. Now anyone who really wanted me to be down, come 'round..."

In the air tonight...

Can you feel it? Have you been outside today? When I got out of the truck at work this morning, it felt like fall to me. There has been just a touch of coolness in the air, a brisk northern wind blowing all day long. Every year there is that first day where you feel the change in the air. Today was that day for me. I am not sure that it is anything I can describe with words. I just feel it. Just the hint of a chill in the air brings to mind every other fall gone before, every other time that I have been here. The wind blows, but it brings a peaceful, familiar feeling, and a thousand memories from the past. Without warning, my mind drifts back to being in school, leaves falling, Friday night and Saturday afternoon football. I know some hot summer days still remain, but that first change in the air signals the beginning of the end, causing me to reflect on the summer that was, while at the same time knowing that the cooler days of fall and winter are just around the corner.

Days like today make me just want to do everything I can possibly do outside. (So why am I inside blogging?) I want to turn off the air and ride around all day and night with the windows rolled down. I want to make it last as long as possible, letting the wind hit my face, and basking in the sun until the last drop of daylight has disappeared.

"The last time I saw her it was turning colder, but that was years ago..."

Words To Laugh By

If daily you pine for a Welcome Back Kotter weekend marathon on TVLand, this blog's for you...

Nothing like a good ol' Bushism to get your Friday off to a rollicking start. New Bushism Born At Bill Signing

Sure the country's in shambles. But whatever you think of the guy, you gotta hand it to him, intentional or not, he's funny. On the humor front, he is second to none. (Wow, I never thought I'd use rollicking and shambles in a single blog entry. Hmm, that's queer.)

Well, let's recount the exciting events of the past 18 hours...... All right then. Moving on... what? Well, I went by Jessica's after work and hung out until time for practice. We ordered some Chinese for supper. I got Kung Pow, because, well you know, Bone likes his chicken spicy. For some reason, it was not the least bit spicy. It was just totally bland. Anyway, for awhile there, it looked like Hurricane Alex had shifted course and was upon us, all cloudy and windy and stuff. But alas, it never rained a drop where I was. Practice went pretty well. The wind was really playing tricks with those fly balls. During BP, I scalded one back up the middle and smacked the pitcher on the calf. He had a nice bruise. Oops. No more practice. Season starts Tuesday. Hopefully, I will make it up to the batting cages at some point this weekend.

That's about it. Oh, I caught The Seven on last night. Jerry's plot is classic. He's dating a girl who wears the same outfit the first two times he sees her, three days apart, and he's just got to know what's going on:

G: "You know, Einstein wore the exact same outfit every day."
J: "Well if she splits the atom, I'll let it slide."

I also noticed K mentions his friend Jay Riemenschneider in this ep. As far as I know, it is the only time he is ever mentioned. I enjoyed Kramer keeping a tab of all the things he eats at Jerry's:

J: "All right, Hobo Joe. I didn't wanna put a damper on your little smorgasbord here, but it's the end of the week, so I added up your tab."
K: "Yikes."
J: "I know. Pretty steep."
K: "Well I don't have this kind of cash."
J: "Few do." LOL

"I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end. Seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I'd see you again..."

Topic O' The Day: Spanking

Well, I was involved in a chat session this morning when a very interesting topic came up. The girl I was chatting with mentioned how she sometimes had to spank this 4-year-old girl who sometimes spends the night with her or something. Well I commented that I know some people who would have a big problem with that. So, the question I want to pose is, do you think it is OK to spank someone else's children? And along the same line, would you think it was OK if someone else spanked your children? I would think the answer would be the same for one as it is for the other, but maybe not. Now, I don't want to get into whether or not you think spanking or whipping is right or wrong, in general. That's another topic for another time. Although I must say this, if my Mom and Dad had given me a Time Out when I was little, I would have been rejoicing like nobody's business. If I did decide to try giving my child a Time Out, I think that I would do it something like Dick Vitale. I'd wave my arms and be very demonstrative and stuff, and say, "T.O. Babee!!! Somebody needs a T.O."

Anyway, on to the topic at hand. Let me preface this by saying that not having any kids, this is only what I think I would do. I might change my mind were I ever actually in the situation. But here is my opinion as of right now. I think I would have a big, big problem if someone else were to spank my children. They are MY kids, and I will discipline them. If they misbehave at your house, let me know about it, and I will take care of it when they get home. I plan to raise them to be well-mannered and well-behaved, and when spanking is necessary, I will do so. Not you.

On the other hand, I would not feel comfortable spanking someone else's kids, even if they asked me to. There have been many times when I have thought to myself, "That child needs a whooping." But that is not my place. I guess the exception to me would be a teacher or principal. I was paddled more than once in school, as you might imagine, and I am OK with that.

I guess basically, it is a matter of personal preference. My grandmothers never spanked me, but I guess I can see that some people would be OK with relatives spanking their kids. I don't think that I would, though. Of course, let me add that me thinking about what I would do with kids is kind of like me thinking about what I would do with a million dollars. Neither scenario seems very likely to occur. WOOOOOOOO!!!

So, I want to know:
Do you think it is OK to spank someone else's children?
And, do you think it is OK for someone else to spank your children?

"Well I've learned to love myself and I don't need no one else. When love moves on cos it gets old, a new love moves in and it can fill the hole..."

Migrainus Headachus

That is a technical term, of course. You really shouldn't concern yourself with it. But that is what I experienced yesterday, the dreaded migraine headache. Ugh. After work, I met Kyle at Wilson Morgan to hit some tennis. (Also known as "How it feels to play tennis on the surface of Mercury.") Anyhow, after hitting some and going one lap around the track, I began getting a blind spot, which has always signified the beginning of a migraine for me. It is no fun not being able to see during rush hour. But I made it home, took a couple of acetaminophen, and laid on the couch for a bit. The blindness was gone and I was into the headache part now. Well, we'd already planned to meet at the steak house for dinner at 5:30, so I did that. Had some cheese sticks (mmm!) and a sirloin, medium-well. It was excellent. From there, I went straight to church.

That is the first migraine I have had in a good while, at least since last year, maybe longer. I am 99% sure this one was caused by my lack of sleep. Maybe that will be the kick I need to start getting in bed earlier. Anyway, I figured you'd be interested in hearing all the details. lol Oh, I was going to say one of my pet peeves is when people have a bad headache and they just assume it is a migraine. They have specific characteristics, and can be very debilitating. The first time I had one was in high school. I was sitting there looking at the clock and noticed that I suddenly couldn't see clearly. Ever since, mine have always started with that familiar blind spot, which usually lasts anywhere from 10-30 minutes for me. Then I have the headache part, with varying degrees of pain. A few times, they have made me sick to my stomach. Not everyone gets the blindness though. In my opinion, one of the best ways to tell if you've had a migraine is by shaking your head really fast several hours later or the day after the headache. If there is lingering pain or soreness when you do that, then it was a migraine. They also usually leave me feeling really weak and tired. I can't complain though, because I have known people whose migraines last for a day or two. OK, well, I'm sure this has been my most entertaining post ever. Just more info about Bone. You will be quizzed later.

"Day breakin' on the boulevard. Feel the sun warmin' up your secondhand heart. Light swimmin' right across your face, and you think, maybe someday, yeah, maybe someday. For all you know, this could be, the difference between what you need and what you want to be..."

Days Like This

Will I always remember her birthday? Will there always be certain days that stop me in my tracks, wherever I am and whatever I am doing, and immediately take me back to another time and place? I wonder if certain places will always be us. Is there no end? Then I wonder if I really want there to be an end. Perhaps I enjoy the pain. I would have to admit that I do enjoy remembering. As sad as that is, I do. I smile when I think of her, of us. So maybe it is by my own choice that I continue struggling, clinging to the past, hanging on to memories. Surely most everyone has someone that they cannot forget, someone that they miss, someone that they would give anything to find their way back to once again. Surely I am not the only one.

Then sometimes I wonder if all of that is even true anymore. I know that it has been true in the past. But now, I wonder. Am I just so used to feeling this way and saying these things, that I say them simply because that is what I have always said? Maybe I am simply afraid to let go of the past. It has always been a problem for me, one of my greatest weaknesses. I try so hard to hold on to precious time, but no matter how tightly I hold on, it continues to slip thru my fingers. Maybe that is what this is all about. Just maybe. After all, she is gone, right? But then days like this come around and I know. She's not gone.

But maybe it is all right to remember. What is wrong with looking back fondly at something from the past? Surely nothing. I suppose the trick is to be able to look back fondly without letting those things in the past hinder the present. I know that I have allowed that to happen before. But just remembering. That is OK, right? She is a part of me. She is sewn into the fabric of my life. To try and take that away and erase those memories would be taking away a part of me, of who I am.

Will I always remember her birthday? Much the same way as I remember to breathe. It is not by some conscious act that I remember. I just do. It just happens. And you know what? I don't really mind it. There is something refreshing and renewing about it to me, remembering people and times from your past. Besides, I smile when I think about her, about us. And I'm kind of thankful for days like this.

"It can happen in the dead of night, or any day of the week. Sometimes you'll come find me when I'm in bed asleep. And I'll have that dream about you, and I sure love what I see. When the thought of you catches up with me..."

This, That, & The Other

Sometimes I have many random thoughts running thru my brain. Separately, they don't amount to much. But together, well, they still don't amount to much. Anyway, this is one of those times...

Big thanks to K for alerting me that Darla Jaye was talking about the Reaching Adulthood Is Taking Longer article on her show yesterday afternoon. I had no idea Darla read my blog. Hey, Darla :-P

I am soooo sick of hearing that song, The Reason. They play it ALL the freakin' time around here. The guy singing sounds like he's dying, for crying out loud. They should use it to interrogate prisoners, that's what they should do. Talk about cruel and unusual. That would have to be in violation of the Geneva Convention right there.

Speaking of gay songs, I know this song is gay. Pretty much everything by this group is gay, but I can't help it. Everytime I hear Starship and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" on the radio, I turn it up and sing loudly, and badly. I sing it with feeling. I like "Sara" and "We Built This City", too. lol Wow, I gotta stop these true confessions. What is most disturbing is who that song makes me think of, and that I call this person anytime I hear it. "Saahruhuhuh Saaaahruh, storms are brewin' in your eyes. Whoaooohoh. Saaahruhuhuh Saaharuh, no time is a good time for goodbye..."

On a related note, the guy from Starship always reminds me of the guy in the B-52s. I've never seen them side by side, but whenever I see one, I think in my mind that they must look alike somewhat.

I really love Sun Drop. It is the sweetest nectar I can imagine. I have been trying to cut back on soft drinks, and drink more fruit juice and water, and I have cut back. But I cannot completely cut out Sun Drops. This must be what it is like to be addicted to LSD or something. No, come to think of it, that is nothing like this. Oh wait. What?

We only practiced for about 45 minutes last night. The lights never came on and it was becoming an adventure trying to track fly balls. That's the second time the guy has not shown up to turn on the lights. Oh well. I could use the break. I finished up laundry and went by Subway to get some dinner. I forgot to watch Clinton on Letterman. Urgh!

On a related note, we got our softball schedule yesterday. Fourteen games. The regular season runs from August 10 thru September 23. I imagine there'll be a postseason tournament after that. Our first game is Tuesday at 6:15 against Vaughn & Webster Heating & Cooling. lol Look out.

On another related note, I think my Mom is going to come to all my games. Aw, it's sweet, I know. But she was looking at my schedule yesterday and was like, "6:15? I'll have to fly to get there in time for those, but I should be able to make it." When I played Little League, my Mom was the one you could hear above all others, screaming, "Come on, Jeffrey, one more strike!" and stuff like that. lol Hopefully, she's over that now.

Oh, you might not have heard this on the biased mainstream news, but workers filled in the Grand Canyon Monday. Well, Grand Canyon Southeast anyway. For those of you who have been to my apartment, you know what I mean. There are these huge, HUGE potholes in the alley around the apartments which I had come to believe were naturally created on a 1:20 scale to precisely match a portion of the Grand Canyon. Anyway, they've been filled.

Finally, I recently added a couple of links to the Blog Nation, Tiffany and Deanna. Tiffany is in Memphis, and Deanna is a fellow Allison Fisher fan in Missouri. Check 'em out.

"And we can build this thing together, stand this tall forever. Nothing's gonna stop us now. And if this world runs out of lovers, we'll still have each other. Nothing's gonna stop us. Nothing's gonna stop us..."

The Luke Perry In Me

Sometimes it feels like I'm playing a character several years younger I really am, kinda like all the cast members of Friends or Beverly Hills 90210. I mean, everyone always thinks I'm in my mid-to-late twenties. Almost all of the girls I go out with are between 21-25. I think I am in better shape than a lot of people who are younger than me. I still enjoy watching Mister Rogers and The Wiggles. What? Oh wait, no "what" necessary there. That was a true statement. I often hear things like "Forty isn't what it used to be" or "Fifty isn't what it used to be.. blah blah." I guess maybe, just maybe, there's a little Luke Perry in us all.

Well, something interesting happened yesterday. After I got home from cutting the grass, I got a call from a girl at the local paper who had been wanting to interview me for a story she is doing on blogging. She asked some very interesting questions. It should be fun to see how that all turns out. I think my best line was, "Well, it's kinda like having your very own Nick & Jessica show, except in my case, it's just Nick."

Later on, Jessica called and asked if I wanted to come over. She said she would cook supper, so I went over there about 6:30. Well, we haven't really seen much of each other lately, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But she had gone out and bought me a cake and had gotten some of those candy letters and put on there. She also gave me a really sweet card. It kinda overwhelms me when someone does something really nice like that for me, especially out of the blue like that. I mean, for me, little ol' me, ya know?

Anyhow, we watched this movie on ABC Family, called The River Wild, starring Kevin Bacon and Meryl Streep. For some reason, I am reminded of the Seinfeld where Kramer gets his phone number changed and starts doing the movie phone thing... (altering it somewhat) "Coming to theaters this Friday, Kevin Bacon... Meryl Streep... YOU'VE GOT TO GET ME DOWN THAT RIVER!!! There's no place wilder than The River Wild. Rated PG. If you know the name of the movie you'd like to see, press one now." Anyway, it was actually a pretty decent movie. Seems like Kevin Bacon often has these weird, psychotic roles.

Did anyone catch any of the Evil Knievil movie on TNT? Well, I was thinking about attempting to recreate five of Evil's biggest stunts, using a much less powerful bike, with no experience, and not wearing a helmet. But maybe I'll hold off on that for awhile ;-)

Oh, I did want to share this article with you: Reaching Adulthood Is Taking Longer These Days Looks like Clifford C. Clavin and those like him were more normal than we originally believed... or not.

"I will be strong, I will be faithful, cos I'm counting on a new beginning, a reason for living, a deeper meaning, yeah..."

Adrian!!!

I wonder sometimes if my blog is too "blue." Then I'm like, nah! Where else can you find at least nine distinctive shades of blue in one place, outside of a 128 count box of Crayolas?

Well, after services last night, I decided I didn't want to go to the river by myself, for fear of looking like one of those psycho loner freak people. So instead I cruised over to Matt's, aka The Place To Be. OK, not really. Anywho, sat there and watched Remember The Titans and the original Rocky. Ordered Steak Out for dinner. I tell you what, I've always had a good experience there. Some of the restaurants around the area could really take a lesson from them. The food is hot, cooked correctly, and delicious. It's a party for your palate.

I was thinking about ranking the Rockys, but then I thought in my mind, they pretty much go in chronological order from best to worst. The Russian kills Apollo in Rocky IV? Gimme a break. You can't do that to Carl Weathers. I didn't remember until last night that Joe Frazier made a cameo in the first one. Another interesting factoid I learned is that the original ending of Rocky had him throwing the fight with Apollo on purpose in order to buy a pet store for Adrian. Seriouslah. Yeah, I'm sure that workshopped real well. It's hard to beat the end of Rocky II though. When you really stop and think about it, Rocky Balboa was just a simpleton. Some might say, a cock-eyed optimist, who got caught up in the high-stakes game of prize fighting.

One thing I thought about while watching RTT is, wouldn't it be a dream come true to meet a girl who actually loved football, understood some of the strategy, etc? That would make me happier than a full presidential pardon would make Martha Stewart. Oh well. Instead, I turn to my Xbox. I finished up my second season on the AA level this weekend. I went 12-1 and beat Penn State 7-6 in the Rose Bowl in an epic defensive struggle to clinch the national championship. So I'm sitting there going thru the postgame crap and thinking, I guess I'll go up to the Heisman level for the next season. Suddenly, a little message pops up that says, "The NCAA has placed your school on probation for 2 years. This will result in a loss of 10 scholarships for each of the next 2 seasons." What the crap?! This is all too real. The good thing about Xbox is (or was) that your favorite teams can be good on there, when in reality they suck.

Well, much like the past 30 years of my life, I wish this had been more entertaining. But let's face it, it just wasn't. Dad called and wants me to come cut the grass today. I was hoping to crash all afternoon, but I guess I will go do that. At least I should get a little sun.

"Look into your heart, pretty baby. Is it aching with some nameless need? When there's something wrong and you can't put your finger on it, right then, roll to me..."

Where Everybody Knows My Name

You are Sam Malone. 

Which Cheers Character Are You?

Oh well, any excuse to get a picture of Ted Danson in my blog, right? What? It is funny, though, back quite a few years ago, after football games on Friday nights, a bunch of us would go over to Marlo's and play spades and watch Cheers re-runs. At some point we began assigning names of Cheers' characters to each other, and somehow I ended up being Sam. I'm not sure if that was based more on my athletic prowess or my legendary exploits with the ladies. Or my alcoholic past. Or none of the above. Whichever. I remember Marlo was Rebecca, Jack was Norm, Matt was Cliff, Doogie was Paul, and Dave was Frasier, I think. There was another guy who we called Woody, because he was a bit of a mimbo. Seems like we had a Diane and a Carla, too, but I can't remember right now who that would've been. Those were the days.

I love that second question in the survey, by the way: Do you still live with your mother? ROFL Cliff Clavin.

"Makin' your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Takin' a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn't you like to get away?"

One Wedding and Two Nights of Billiards

Just checkin' in on the weekend... Let's recap: Friday, K and I shot some stick at the Brick. Janice was up there, so I was like, "Hey, tiny dancer!" I was alluding to the fact that she's a dance instructor. Anyway, I guess that's her new nickname, or just what I'll call her. I thought that was a pretty good line, but fortunately, it resulted in nothing of any consequence, other than she giggled. Ate at Applebees. As soon as we walked in, I asked Tonya, "Who's cooking tonight?" She was like, "Don't get fry side. Arthur's over there." So we each got (grilled) chicken quesadillas. Later, she walked by and I asked her what she meant by that. She gave me this look like "you don't know?" So we left it at that. Donna The Great made me a delish oreo shake. She was surprised to see me, cos I haven't been there in weeks. She was like, "I was beginning to wonder if you were still alive." Yes, alive and kicking, babee. Alive and kicking.

Saturday, I basically slept until Noon. I woke up on the couch at 8:00 and went and got in bed about 9:00. Went over to Decatur to help Tag & Kyle film a wedding. Ran into Deangelo over there. He was doing the photography. He used to work with my dad at the paper, but now works at another paper. The reception was at the country club. The food was decent, although I put a couple of things in my mouth without having any idea what they were. Oh well, it's not the first time. What? I tell ya one thing I realized. When someone has an open bar at a reception, some people have a really tough time leaving. I was beginning to think they didn't even have anything non-alcoholic, but finally found some crappy punch and ice water.

Anyhow, after that, I ran to Dillards to look for some deals. Got a couple of shirts. There was this hottie... um, well, let's just say a very attractive young lady, working ;-) Her name was Jane. Well, the last shirt I picked up was all the way across the store, but I wandered back to her department and was like, "Can I just pay for these anywhere?" She said, "Yeah, I'll get you right here." I asked when they were having their big summer clearance sale, cos this clearly wasn't it. She said probably in a couple of weeks. I did get those two shirts for like $21 though, so that wasn't bad at all. Well, I figured I'd made enough progress there for one day, so I bolted. K and I headed to Huntsville after that to shoot pool at the Jazz Factory. Most of the games were OK. Got back in town about 10:45. I went by Taco Bell and picked up some food, and stopped by Matt's for a bit. Got home about 2:00, I think. I can't remember. lol

I don't know what's going on tonight. Oh wait, yes I do. Nothing. WOOOOO!! I kinda wanna go over to the river or something. We'll see.

"And it's all that I can do. I'm a site for my sore eyes. But it's all I am so, don't tell me, how to be, cos I like some suffering. Don't ask me, what I need. I'm just fine here, finding me..."