When my grandmom first moved in with us, me and her would play a lot of gin rummy. It would give her stuff to do. She was used to living in Brooklyn near a subway line that would take her wherever she needed to go. In Cinnaminson, that option isn't available, so she would get bored pretty easily. She was always very indepedent, and the lack of mobility annoyed her.
Still, I think she enjoyed those games.
She would randomly give me money from her social security check. At times she would even give other people (usually Michelle) money too. These other people would seem kind of startled by this, but I'd tell them to just take it and go, as there was no sense in arguing with my grandmom. There was zero chance she was taking it back.
She would sit at this incredibly bad viewing angle when watching TV. I'm not sure why; I think it was because she didn't want to take anyone else's seat, but she sat there anyway even if nobody else was watching, like when she was watching The Bold and the Beautiful, one of her soap operas. I would always tell her to move to the sofa, but she'd never listen.
We would take trips into Chinatown in New York and she would buy me some of the few Chinese dishes that I actually liked. A lot of times she would cook me my favorite - chicken wings in oyster sauce... it was called "guy yet."
I remember one time, when I was younger, I tried to make her a cup of coffee. I don't recall the details, but I think I just threw some boiling water on some coffee that was meant to be brewed, thinking that it was instant. I got better at this task though as the years went on.
I'm going to miss her.
Sunday, March 28, 2004
Saturday, March 27, 2004
11:15 PM – Tech has just gone on a nasty run against Nevada, looking totally dominant in doing so. I’d expect the white guy on Nevada to start hoisting threes. Sadly we won’t be able to see the end of this matchup, as its Duke time.
11:17 PM – Alright, you’ve just subjected me to about the millionth commercial telling me that most NCAA athletes get other jobs. What are these commercials even supposed to be telling me? To hire athletes if I am an HR person? That water polo players make good protein chemists? That butch women’s basketball players and softball catchers need jobs too? I don’t know, but they are annoying me.
11:21 PM – Duhon hasn’t even taken a shot yet, and has three turnovers. I’m sure he does have some assists, but I’m glad he has this leadership and energy to provide. As I type this, Duhon makes a great pass to Shelden Williams.
11:27 PM – For whatever reason, I’m not real confident with anyone at the line other than Redick. Deng, Duhon, and even Ewing have very awkward looking free throws. And then when you get into Williams and Dockery territory, that’s at best 1 free throw per every 2 attempts. If they make the first that’s a guaranteed brick for the second. Could be troublesome as we get deeper into the tourney.
11:30 PM – I admit it, I do enjoy these Microsoft great moments at work commercials.
11:35 PM – The Chevy Av: looks downright dreadful.
11:37 PM – I’m giving the edge to Nevada in that game. Don’t really want to, but they just have that winning Chris Duhon kind of look.
11:38 PM – That was an “interesting” dribble by Duhon that led to a 2 on 0 break.
11:40 PM – Ah leg cramps. I would get those a lot during my soccer and tennis days. If you got me to three sets in tennis, eventually I’d cramp up and you’d beat me by default. If I had to play a whole game in soccer (and play hard), then by the last five minutes I’d usually expect the injury cart to be on the field for me by the end. We’ll see how Dee Brown holds up with the leg cramps. Hopefully not so good.
11:43 PM – I don’t like the Duhon/Dockery backcourt. It limits us to three scoring options, and its not doing much on the defensive end really.
11:44 PM – Ah, its my friend the water polo protein chemist.
11:46 PM – If I were to make a commercial saying “all light beers are low in carbs, so go on taste”, I would think the beer would be Sam Adams Light. Not Bud Light.
11:50 PM – Duke is shooting approximately 161 percent from the field tonight. A lot of it is Shelden Williams completely tooling on goofy white guys who look like they should be playing for Texas. Good lord Shavlik Randolph just took a three. This isn’t Valpo, cmon.
11:53 PM – Ewing… speechless on that dribble – drive - finish. Just make the damn FT. Of course not. Not even close.
11:58 PM – Alright, I’m going to give Duhon props for this game. Injury or not, near double digit boards and dimes is a very solid performance. One note though – if he’s playing on badly bruised ribs right now, and the injury was two weeks ago, what was the injury then? Incredibly badly bruised ribs? Don’t these things heal?
12:00 AM – I’m now watching the GT vs. Nevada game, and the audio is playing for the Duke game. I kind of like it actually. Oh they’ve figured out the problem.
12:03 AM – Great directing. Ewing catches the pass… he drives towards the hoop… and we cut to the timeout scene of the GT huddled around their coach. Great.
12:08 PM – GT wins… uhh, just like I said earlier. I do have GT going all the way to the championship game in my bracket though.
12:12 PM – The Redick 3 more or less ends it. I’m giving this a 100 percent win probability. Blog entries over.
11:17 PM – Alright, you’ve just subjected me to about the millionth commercial telling me that most NCAA athletes get other jobs. What are these commercials even supposed to be telling me? To hire athletes if I am an HR person? That water polo players make good protein chemists? That butch women’s basketball players and softball catchers need jobs too? I don’t know, but they are annoying me.
11:21 PM – Duhon hasn’t even taken a shot yet, and has three turnovers. I’m sure he does have some assists, but I’m glad he has this leadership and energy to provide. As I type this, Duhon makes a great pass to Shelden Williams.
11:27 PM – For whatever reason, I’m not real confident with anyone at the line other than Redick. Deng, Duhon, and even Ewing have very awkward looking free throws. And then when you get into Williams and Dockery territory, that’s at best 1 free throw per every 2 attempts. If they make the first that’s a guaranteed brick for the second. Could be troublesome as we get deeper into the tourney.
11:30 PM – I admit it, I do enjoy these Microsoft great moments at work commercials.
11:35 PM – The Chevy Av: looks downright dreadful.
11:37 PM – I’m giving the edge to Nevada in that game. Don’t really want to, but they just have that winning Chris Duhon kind of look.
11:38 PM – That was an “interesting” dribble by Duhon that led to a 2 on 0 break.
11:40 PM – Ah leg cramps. I would get those a lot during my soccer and tennis days. If you got me to three sets in tennis, eventually I’d cramp up and you’d beat me by default. If I had to play a whole game in soccer (and play hard), then by the last five minutes I’d usually expect the injury cart to be on the field for me by the end. We’ll see how Dee Brown holds up with the leg cramps. Hopefully not so good.
11:43 PM – I don’t like the Duhon/Dockery backcourt. It limits us to three scoring options, and its not doing much on the defensive end really.
11:44 PM – Ah, its my friend the water polo protein chemist.
11:46 PM – If I were to make a commercial saying “all light beers are low in carbs, so go on taste”, I would think the beer would be Sam Adams Light. Not Bud Light.
11:50 PM – Duke is shooting approximately 161 percent from the field tonight. A lot of it is Shelden Williams completely tooling on goofy white guys who look like they should be playing for Texas. Good lord Shavlik Randolph just took a three. This isn’t Valpo, cmon.
11:53 PM – Ewing… speechless on that dribble – drive - finish. Just make the damn FT. Of course not. Not even close.
11:58 PM – Alright, I’m going to give Duhon props for this game. Injury or not, near double digit boards and dimes is a very solid performance. One note though – if he’s playing on badly bruised ribs right now, and the injury was two weeks ago, what was the injury then? Incredibly badly bruised ribs? Don’t these things heal?
12:00 AM – I’m now watching the GT vs. Nevada game, and the audio is playing for the Duke game. I kind of like it actually. Oh they’ve figured out the problem.
12:03 AM – Great directing. Ewing catches the pass… he drives towards the hoop… and we cut to the timeout scene of the GT huddled around their coach. Great.
12:08 PM – GT wins… uhh, just like I said earlier. I do have GT going all the way to the championship game in my bracket though.
12:12 PM – The Redick 3 more or less ends it. I’m giving this a 100 percent win probability. Blog entries over.
Friday, March 26, 2004
Possible goats for tonight's Duke vs. Illinois game:
*JJ Redick - the easiest and most obvious choice out of any of our players. He can be shut down like no other 18 point a game scorer in Duke Basketball history. Even worse, when he is having "one of those games" and does manage to have a wide open three, he'll become antsy and brick it. He brings nothing else to the table other than scoring, so if his threes aren't going down, a lot of blame is going to be thrown his way. Also, he won't have a 5'8" guy guarding him like he did against Seton Hall.
*Shelden Williams - only because he doesn't get a whole lot of calls on defense, and tends to charge on offense. He is our only defensive and rebounding presence, so losing him for any extended time means means disaster.
*Luol Deng - he's only a freshman, but he's probably our best offensive threat. He can hit from anywhere, and also miss from anywhere. Memories of that horrific 1-121 game against Georgia Tech still are in many people's minds. A dark horse candidate for goat of tonight's game.
*Chris Duhon - the Derek Jeter of college basketball. He just wins baby. Of course, so do the walk ons, but lets ignore the idiocy of the just winning argument. Duhon's finishing ability has been impressive as of late, but it is getting later in the tournament; smart coaches will tell their players to just let him shoot from the outside. He never will launch a shot with a hand in his face, and if he is guarded effectively, all the leadership in the world isn't going to make up for a lack of production.
*A final note from Vegas - one of the funniest mornings ever occured after the no sleep poker night. Ben in his delusional state decided to bet on the "over" on the Utah vs. BC game. What followed was the most pathetic shooting performance ever witnessed by yours truly. Bricked open layups, three pointer airballs, it was just ugly. All the time, Ben is lying in bed screaming at the players to stop sucking.
I guess you had to be there.
*JJ Redick - the easiest and most obvious choice out of any of our players. He can be shut down like no other 18 point a game scorer in Duke Basketball history. Even worse, when he is having "one of those games" and does manage to have a wide open three, he'll become antsy and brick it. He brings nothing else to the table other than scoring, so if his threes aren't going down, a lot of blame is going to be thrown his way. Also, he won't have a 5'8" guy guarding him like he did against Seton Hall.
*Shelden Williams - only because he doesn't get a whole lot of calls on defense, and tends to charge on offense. He is our only defensive and rebounding presence, so losing him for any extended time means means disaster.
*Luol Deng - he's only a freshman, but he's probably our best offensive threat. He can hit from anywhere, and also miss from anywhere. Memories of that horrific 1-121 game against Georgia Tech still are in many people's minds. A dark horse candidate for goat of tonight's game.
*Chris Duhon - the Derek Jeter of college basketball. He just wins baby. Of course, so do the walk ons, but lets ignore the idiocy of the just winning argument. Duhon's finishing ability has been impressive as of late, but it is getting later in the tournament; smart coaches will tell their players to just let him shoot from the outside. He never will launch a shot with a hand in his face, and if he is guarded effectively, all the leadership in the world isn't going to make up for a lack of production.
*A final note from Vegas - one of the funniest mornings ever occured after the no sleep poker night. Ben in his delusional state decided to bet on the "over" on the Utah vs. BC game. What followed was the most pathetic shooting performance ever witnessed by yours truly. Bricked open layups, three pointer airballs, it was just ugly. All the time, Ben is lying in bed screaming at the players to stop sucking.
I guess you had to be there.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
*One thing I've been getting a kick out of lately - movie commercials that try to show dialogue between two characters that doesn't actually happen. For instance, if you see a certain commercial for the new Rock movie "Walking Tall", one of the exchanges in the commercial has the Rock saying something about how the drugs in coming through the casino is going to stop. Then it switches to the villain (in a totally different background, he's like inside now) saying "yeah we'll see about that." I swear this happens like three different times in the same commercial. It happens in other movie commercials too I'm sure.
*Jamie Lynn Dyscala (Meadow from the Sopranos) is starring in a USA made for TV movie "Call Me: The rise and fall of Heidi Fleiss" Heidi Fliess was a relatively famous call girl. How bad is her agent that the only movie thing she can get is a made for TV movie by USA that is essentially going to just be a showcase for her T&A?
*In one of the more annoying things to happen to me in awhile, last night I found the Sopranos was playing at 11 PM. So I got into the house, turned on the cable box downstairs, and saw the opening credits playing. I was happy, since I had missed it on Sunday, and moved to turn up the volume on the TV. I couldn't find the remote control, so I had to get up and hit it manually. I hit the wrong button, and the channel went up to channel 4. No problem I thought, I'll just hit channel down and move it back to channel 3, or whatever it is that gets the signal from the box. The channel down button brought me to "line".
Yada yada yada, I still haven't seen this past Sunday's episode.
*Jamie Lynn Dyscala (Meadow from the Sopranos) is starring in a USA made for TV movie "Call Me: The rise and fall of Heidi Fleiss" Heidi Fliess was a relatively famous call girl. How bad is her agent that the only movie thing she can get is a made for TV movie by USA that is essentially going to just be a showcase for her T&A?
*In one of the more annoying things to happen to me in awhile, last night I found the Sopranos was playing at 11 PM. So I got into the house, turned on the cable box downstairs, and saw the opening credits playing. I was happy, since I had missed it on Sunday, and moved to turn up the volume on the TV. I couldn't find the remote control, so I had to get up and hit it manually. I hit the wrong button, and the channel went up to channel 4. No problem I thought, I'll just hit channel down and move it back to channel 3, or whatever it is that gets the signal from the box. The channel down button brought me to "line".
Yada yada yada, I still haven't seen this past Sunday's episode.
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Other highlights from Vegas:
*We went to brunch at the MGM Grand buffet on Saturday, and were kind of annoyed that it cost 17 plus tax instead of the 15 plus tax it said on the sign. But we don't care, we pay, go in, and the waitress takes our drink orders. We ask what she has, and she rattles off: Coke, diet coke, sprite, ginger ale, etc... and then ends with champagne and mimosa. Someone asks "are those free?" She replies, "yes." All at once each of us asks for either a mimosa or champagne. Miller brilliantly asks for one of each, and then we all agree with that. She laughs and checks our IDs. Tells me that my ID is clearly my brother's.
The champagne and mimosas were unlimited too. It was priceless watching Miller tell her to bring another round of mimosas and champagnes out. Great buffet too.
*Our drinking room got so nasty, Ben saw the maid telling a hotel manager that she was not cleaning our room. This was after she opened the door, and was hit simultaneously by the combined funk of beer pong and miller/gibbs passing a lot of gas, and seeing the huge mess of clothes, empty tall boy cans, and bodies.
*Miller and I got very drunk watching basketball, and while some people went out on a tall boy run, we invented this game called the trash can game. It involved throwing coins into a trash can that was across the room. We decided five dollars a shot (so if I made three shots in one turn, and Miller made one, I would be up 10 dollars). After I was up 165 dollars we decided to stop. I gave him an out though - we would place the 165 dollars on "pass" at the craps table. If it wins, then we both get 165 dollars. If it loses, then we both lose.
Of course it lost.
*Cooper got insanely drunk on Friday night. So Miller and Cooper run into Me and Gibbs on the walkway towards the Excalibur at around midnight. Cooper at this point is saying "hello squire" approximately every 10 seconds to any girl who walks by him. Miller states that he is so happy to see us, as he didn't want to be stuck with Cooper alone. We walk to try to find some beer, and me and Miller find a place up the strip. In the parking lot is a bunch of black guys blasting music out of their cars. So while me and Miller walk in to buy some beer, Drunken fool cooper walks out into the middle of the bunch of guys. He must be the only white guy in a 30 foot radius. Amazingly, he survives after Miller pulls him away from the crowd. We did contemplate leaving him to find his own way back, but decided it wasn't a good idea.
*We went to brunch at the MGM Grand buffet on Saturday, and were kind of annoyed that it cost 17 plus tax instead of the 15 plus tax it said on the sign. But we don't care, we pay, go in, and the waitress takes our drink orders. We ask what she has, and she rattles off: Coke, diet coke, sprite, ginger ale, etc... and then ends with champagne and mimosa. Someone asks "are those free?" She replies, "yes." All at once each of us asks for either a mimosa or champagne. Miller brilliantly asks for one of each, and then we all agree with that. She laughs and checks our IDs. Tells me that my ID is clearly my brother's.
The champagne and mimosas were unlimited too. It was priceless watching Miller tell her to bring another round of mimosas and champagnes out. Great buffet too.
*Our drinking room got so nasty, Ben saw the maid telling a hotel manager that she was not cleaning our room. This was after she opened the door, and was hit simultaneously by the combined funk of beer pong and miller/gibbs passing a lot of gas, and seeing the huge mess of clothes, empty tall boy cans, and bodies.
*Miller and I got very drunk watching basketball, and while some people went out on a tall boy run, we invented this game called the trash can game. It involved throwing coins into a trash can that was across the room. We decided five dollars a shot (so if I made three shots in one turn, and Miller made one, I would be up 10 dollars). After I was up 165 dollars we decided to stop. I gave him an out though - we would place the 165 dollars on "pass" at the craps table. If it wins, then we both get 165 dollars. If it loses, then we both lose.
Of course it lost.
*Cooper got insanely drunk on Friday night. So Miller and Cooper run into Me and Gibbs on the walkway towards the Excalibur at around midnight. Cooper at this point is saying "hello squire" approximately every 10 seconds to any girl who walks by him. Miller states that he is so happy to see us, as he didn't want to be stuck with Cooper alone. We walk to try to find some beer, and me and Miller find a place up the strip. In the parking lot is a bunch of black guys blasting music out of their cars. So while me and Miller walk in to buy some beer, Drunken fool cooper walks out into the middle of the bunch of guys. He must be the only white guy in a 30 foot radius. Amazingly, he survives after Miller pulls him away from the crowd. We did contemplate leaving him to find his own way back, but decided it wasn't a good idea.
The Marketplace and Alpine Bagels suffered two of the most precipitous drops in the rankings since last November's preliminary scores, which lacked the operational performance standards review that Wulforst conducted just before winter break. Wulforst said Alpine Bagels had some mitigating factors that contributed to its drop, including a challenging transition for new manager Monte Tatum and new operations manager Laura Simmons.
Tatum said it would be necessary for Alpine Bagels to make an adjustment to achieve his eventual goal of topping the PACE rankings. When asked why Alpine Bagels has not met its goals so far this semester Tatum said, "Maybe because people don't like Alpine."
Tatum said it would be necessary for Alpine Bagels to make an adjustment to achieve his eventual goal of topping the PACE rankings. When asked why Alpine Bagels has not met its goals so far this semester Tatum said, "Maybe because people don't like Alpine."
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
If you are ever in a casino, you will sometimes witness a blackjack table full of loud people, cheering wildly and having a great time. Other tables sit and sulk, not cheering much if they are winning, giving angry looks if they are losing. It is always a good idea to be at one of the loud tables; gambling is supposed to be entertainment anyway. Clearly if you were trying to make money you'd be better off doing almost anything else.
First some blackjack terminology.
Double down - you throw out another bet equal to your first bet, and take one more card. You always double down on 11, since you have a good chance of having a great hand with just one more card.
Split - when dealt a pair, you can split the cards to start two new hands. For instance, if dealt a pair of 8s, you split them (always, since 16 is a horrible hand to have) and then are dealt a new card to go with each 8. Then you play each hand as normal. This costs another bet equal to your first bet.
The last night there, four of us (Allister, Goozh, Fishman, and me) were sitting at this blackjack table with two other random guys. Its hard enough to find two empty seats for you and a buddy at a blackjack table, let alone four. But we all got in, and we have this cute dealer named... well something. I thought she was very cute, which again, is rare. Usually the dealers speak little english and aren't real friendly. She dealt out some nice hands and yelled at Allister a few times, making us laugh.
In comes a new dealer, Greg.
Greg deals me 5 straight 21s. Two blackjacks, split aces into two blackjacks (this never happens), and then 15 into a 6 for a 21. This is a run like no other.
But it is the last hand that makes the night memorable.
I'm going to rate the likelihood of each of these events happening in at the end of the statement.
Greg deals out I believe 19 to Al, 19 to some random guy, 20 to Fishman, a pair of threes to the other random guy, a pair of fours to Goozh, and a pair of fives to me.
Likelihood of 3 sets of pairs dealt out - low
Greg deals out those 3 sets of pairs and deals himself a 3.
Likelihood of Greg dealing out those 3 sets of pairs and then deals himself a bad card - even lower.
The random guy splits his 3s, gets two bad cards after that, ends up with two hands that are around 15. You stay on both these hands.
Goozh splits his 4s (laying down another bet to do so), and the first card up is yet another 4.
Likelihood Goozh gets yet another 4 after being dealt two 4s - very very low.
At this point, Goozh is very angry because he has to lay down another bet to split again. This is the correct thing to do, but its difficult laying down so many bets on one hand. But he does so (laying down another bet), and the first card for the next hand is an ace.
This makes him even more angry, because the correct play on this is to double down, meaning he should throw down another bet and take one more card for that hand. At this point, we are all screaming at him to do this, even though he already has so much money in the hand. He refuses, and ends up with like 15. He stays.
The next card is yet another ace (to go with one of the fours). We all scream for him to double this one, and he finally does, getting bad luck and giving him 15 again.
The next card is a 5, which combined with the 4 gives him 9. This is yet another hand you should double down on, but he doesn't, and gets like 17 or so.
Likelihood of a player getting the opportunity to make six bets on one hand, each of which is the correct bet to make - Um, that never happens. Ever.
I decide to not split my 5s, but double down and I get my face, to give me 20.
Likelihood of my 20 being beaten by a dealer showing a 3 - very very low.
The dealer turns over his hole card to go with the 3. It is an 8. The absolute worst card for us to see right now. Any face card or ten beats everyone at the table. Everyone at the table screams in agony at seeing the 8.
The dealer turns over the next card. We hold our breaths. It is a 3! The dealer now has 14!
Likelihood the dealer will bust on the next card - slightly less than fifty percent.
Everyone is looking for the face for a bust. The mood of the table has turned from dejected and pissed to anxious and ecstatic, all because of that 3. We're all screaming. The dealer turns over the next card.
Its a seven.
First some blackjack terminology.
Double down - you throw out another bet equal to your first bet, and take one more card. You always double down on 11, since you have a good chance of having a great hand with just one more card.
Split - when dealt a pair, you can split the cards to start two new hands. For instance, if dealt a pair of 8s, you split them (always, since 16 is a horrible hand to have) and then are dealt a new card to go with each 8. Then you play each hand as normal. This costs another bet equal to your first bet.
The last night there, four of us (Allister, Goozh, Fishman, and me) were sitting at this blackjack table with two other random guys. Its hard enough to find two empty seats for you and a buddy at a blackjack table, let alone four. But we all got in, and we have this cute dealer named... well something. I thought she was very cute, which again, is rare. Usually the dealers speak little english and aren't real friendly. She dealt out some nice hands and yelled at Allister a few times, making us laugh.
In comes a new dealer, Greg.
Greg deals me 5 straight 21s. Two blackjacks, split aces into two blackjacks (this never happens), and then 15 into a 6 for a 21. This is a run like no other.
But it is the last hand that makes the night memorable.
I'm going to rate the likelihood of each of these events happening in at the end of the statement.
Greg deals out I believe 19 to Al, 19 to some random guy, 20 to Fishman, a pair of threes to the other random guy, a pair of fours to Goozh, and a pair of fives to me.
Likelihood of 3 sets of pairs dealt out - low
Greg deals out those 3 sets of pairs and deals himself a 3.
Likelihood of Greg dealing out those 3 sets of pairs and then deals himself a bad card - even lower.
The random guy splits his 3s, gets two bad cards after that, ends up with two hands that are around 15. You stay on both these hands.
Goozh splits his 4s (laying down another bet to do so), and the first card up is yet another 4.
Likelihood Goozh gets yet another 4 after being dealt two 4s - very very low.
At this point, Goozh is very angry because he has to lay down another bet to split again. This is the correct thing to do, but its difficult laying down so many bets on one hand. But he does so (laying down another bet), and the first card for the next hand is an ace.
This makes him even more angry, because the correct play on this is to double down, meaning he should throw down another bet and take one more card for that hand. At this point, we are all screaming at him to do this, even though he already has so much money in the hand. He refuses, and ends up with like 15. He stays.
The next card is yet another ace (to go with one of the fours). We all scream for him to double this one, and he finally does, getting bad luck and giving him 15 again.
The next card is a 5, which combined with the 4 gives him 9. This is yet another hand you should double down on, but he doesn't, and gets like 17 or so.
Likelihood of a player getting the opportunity to make six bets on one hand, each of which is the correct bet to make - Um, that never happens. Ever.
I decide to not split my 5s, but double down and I get my face, to give me 20.
Likelihood of my 20 being beaten by a dealer showing a 3 - very very low.
The dealer turns over his hole card to go with the 3. It is an 8. The absolute worst card for us to see right now. Any face card or ten beats everyone at the table. Everyone at the table screams in agony at seeing the 8.
The dealer turns over the next card. We hold our breaths. It is a 3! The dealer now has 14!
Likelihood the dealer will bust on the next card - slightly less than fifty percent.
Everyone is looking for the face for a bust. The mood of the table has turned from dejected and pissed to anxious and ecstatic, all because of that 3. We're all screaming. The dealer turns over the next card.
Its a seven.
Monday, March 22, 2004
Hmm, where to begin.
I could write about the first night where I stayed up longer than I ever have in my life, ignoring sleep completely. It got so bad my extremities started tingling and I couldn't really think.
Or I could write about Fishman trying to teabag his Berkeley roommate Scott.
Or maybe my utter domination of Cooper in hotel wrestling.
Or the epic last hand of blackjack which had around 4 splits and a couple double downs, and ended in disaster.
Or how I'm on like 2 hours of sleep at work right now, having worn the same shirt for the last three days.
But lets put it to a vote. Comments.
I could write about the first night where I stayed up longer than I ever have in my life, ignoring sleep completely. It got so bad my extremities started tingling and I couldn't really think.
Or I could write about Fishman trying to teabag his Berkeley roommate Scott.
Or maybe my utter domination of Cooper in hotel wrestling.
Or the epic last hand of blackjack which had around 4 splits and a couple double downs, and ended in disaster.
Or how I'm on like 2 hours of sleep at work right now, having worn the same shirt for the last three days.
But lets put it to a vote. Comments.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Vegas is here.
Blog is on hiatus until... Monday. And maybe not even then, as my plan is for my flight to get in at 8 AM, and then me to go to work. That should be hilarious, considering I was shaking badly last year at work the day after Vegas, and my flight got in at 11PM the previous day.
Booyah!
This one's for Grandmom.
Blog is on hiatus until... Monday. And maybe not even then, as my plan is for my flight to get in at 8 AM, and then me to go to work. That should be hilarious, considering I was shaking badly last year at work the day after Vegas, and my flight got in at 11PM the previous day.
Booyah!
This one's for Grandmom.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Evan's First Round Locks of the Tournament
St. Joes (-23.5) vs. Liberty
I am probably the biggest St. Joes hater out there, but you have to realize that they pummelled their inferior opponents this year by a healthy margin. Those inferior opponents outclass Liberty. St. Joes plays a pressing type defense and has four guys who can shoot threes. They're going to want some revenge for Xavier, and I expect a comfortable 30 point win.
Maryland vs. UTEP (+6.5)
Maryland does not deserve to be a four seed. We all know that. One strong weekend does not a season make. I may not know many players on UTEP or even what conference they play in, but I do know one thing - Maryland is going to choke big time. Also, Gary Williams sucks.
Texas Tech vs. Charlotte (+2)
Texas Tech, 5-9 on the road this year. This game isn't being played in Lubbock. Charlotte actually has some good three point shooters (hitting seven a game), and could make this game a laugher by halftime. Bob Knight's recent tournament performances have sucked.
North Carolina vs. Air Force (+2.5)
I don't know Air Force, but UNC ain't no Air Force. The team that was pissed on the most by the media after Selection Sunday is going to be looking for a big statement game. No better team than the underachievering Tar Heels, a team that will rise or sink to whatever level you are playing at. Even if UNC wins, they don't cover. Everyone's darling for a final four spot (or at least a game against Duke) is going to bust a lot of brackets. I love it when analysts talk about how talented this team is... if they are so talented, why did they go 18-10, with losses to perennial juggernauts Clemson and UVA? Yeah. Suck it.
St. Joes (-23.5) vs. Liberty
I am probably the biggest St. Joes hater out there, but you have to realize that they pummelled their inferior opponents this year by a healthy margin. Those inferior opponents outclass Liberty. St. Joes plays a pressing type defense and has four guys who can shoot threes. They're going to want some revenge for Xavier, and I expect a comfortable 30 point win.
Maryland vs. UTEP (+6.5)
Maryland does not deserve to be a four seed. We all know that. One strong weekend does not a season make. I may not know many players on UTEP or even what conference they play in, but I do know one thing - Maryland is going to choke big time. Also, Gary Williams sucks.
Texas Tech vs. Charlotte (+2)
Texas Tech, 5-9 on the road this year. This game isn't being played in Lubbock. Charlotte actually has some good three point shooters (hitting seven a game), and could make this game a laugher by halftime. Bob Knight's recent tournament performances have sucked.
North Carolina vs. Air Force (+2.5)
I don't know Air Force, but UNC ain't no Air Force. The team that was pissed on the most by the media after Selection Sunday is going to be looking for a big statement game. No better team than the underachievering Tar Heels, a team that will rise or sink to whatever level you are playing at. Even if UNC wins, they don't cover. Everyone's darling for a final four spot (or at least a game against Duke) is going to bust a lot of brackets. I love it when analysts talk about how talented this team is... if they are so talented, why did they go 18-10, with losses to perennial juggernauts Clemson and UVA? Yeah. Suck it.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
srvfan18 (4:28:37 PM): yo
srvfan18 (4:28:38 PM): ha
srvfan18 (4:28:50 PM): i just called america west to add my flyers #
srvfan18 (4:29:06 PM): youre on the same flight as me and cooper
Evan4444 (4:29:08 PM): what
srvfan18 (4:29:08 PM): she checked
Evan4444 (4:29:10 PM): yeah right
Evan4444 (4:29:12 PM): shut up fudge
srvfan18 (4:29:12 PM): i swear
Evan4444 (4:29:16 PM): they don't give out that information
srvfan18 (4:29:19 PM): yeah they do
srvfan18 (4:29:22 PM): i asked for evan lee
Evan4444 (4:29:25 PM): yeah right
srvfan18 (4:29:27 PM): i have your seat #
srvfan18 (4:29:28 PM): haha
srvfan18 (4:29:30 PM): i'm 9D
Evan4444 (4:29:32 PM): no you don't
srvfan18 (4:29:34 PM): youre 6A
Evan4444 (4:29:35 PM): i'm like 6 something
srvfan18 (4:29:37 PM): cooper is 6F
Evan4444 (4:29:37 PM): dammit
srvfan18 (4:29:38 PM): haha
Evan4444 (4:29:39 PM): what????
srvfan18 (4:29:41 PM): yeah
Evan4444 (4:29:46 PM): dammit
Evan4444 (4:29:47 PM): i'm still sleeping
srvfan18 (4:29:52 PM): yo they said basically there are like 30 seats empty....
srvfan18 (4:29:56 PM): so up to 4 hours prior
srvfan18 (4:30:01 PM): basically when we arrive to check in
Evan4444 (4:30:06 PM): i'm going to switch to a seat far away from you two
srvfan18 (4:30:07 PM): we can request to sit next to each other
srvfan18 (4:30:12 PM): whoaaaaaaa!
srvfan18 (4:30:15 PM): you know you luv it
Evan4444 (4:30:16 PM): i'll arrive nice and late
srvfan18 (4:30:19 PM): drinking games on the flight
srvfan18 (4:30:22 PM): whoaaaaa!
Evan4444 (4:31:28 PM): no
Evan4444 (4:31:29 PM): nap
Evan4444 (4:31:31 PM): lots of sleeping
Evan4444 (4:31:33 PM): dammit!
srvfan18 (4:31:38 PM): no way
srvfan18 (4:31:42 PM): drinking
srvfan18 (4:31:45 PM): fine, sleep early
srvfan18 (4:31:49 PM): then in flight movie
srvfan18 (4:31:51 PM): then drinking
Evan4444 (4:31:51 PM): just like last time
Evan4444 (4:31:52 PM): fine
Evan4444 (4:31:53 PM): agreed
Evan4444 (4:32:07 PM): 40 seats open they said?
srvfan18 (4:32:13 PM): i think she said like 30
srvfan18 (4:32:17 PM): but not really
srvfan18 (4:32:22 PM): basically they are taken
Evan4444 (4:32:29 PM): but people haven't claimed seats
srvfan18 (4:32:33 PM): but the seats arent assigned until people check in
Evan4444 (4:32:39 PM): then how are our seats assigned
srvfan18 (4:32:45 PM): b/c we're not chumps
Evan4444 (4:33:08 PM): i see
Evan4444 (4:33:19 PM): no pre flight drinking at the bar
Evan4444 (4:33:21 PM): well, maybe one
srvfan18 (4:33:24 PM): just maybe
srvfan18 (4:33:43 PM): it was hilarious
Evan4444 (4:33:50 PM): thats very unlegal
srvfan18 (4:33:51 PM): i'm like, well one of my friends might be on the flight
Evan4444 (4:33:53 PM): it has to be
Evan4444 (4:34:01 PM): and what did she say
srvfan18 (4:34:01 PM): but i think he booked soem crazy other america west flight
srvfan18 (4:34:05 PM): shes like whats his name i'll check
Evan4444 (4:34:09 PM): awful
srvfan18 (4:34:13 PM): then i'm like....hmm....whats his seat #
srvfan18 (4:34:16 PM): 6A she says
srvfan18 (4:34:21 PM): i'm like, damn this chick must be new
Evan4444 (4:34:26 PM): yeah totally
srvfan18 (4:34:33 PM): then i ask for cooper's
srvfan18 (4:34:35 PM): it was hilarious
Evan4444 (4:34:39 PM): i'm guessing they just created two different flights back in the day
Evan4444 (4:34:42 PM): and then combined them or whatever
Evan4444 (4:34:43 PM): who knows
srvfan18 (4:34:44 PM): yeah
srvfan18 (4:34:52 PM): some scheme to charge higher prices i'm sure
Evan4444 (4:34:59 PM): undoubtedly
Evan4444 (4:35:02 PM): i hate america west
srvfan18 (4:35:08 PM): i'm a fan now
srvfan18 (4:35:16 PM): best airline phone service ever
Evan4444 (4:35:25 PM): this is going on the blog
srvfan18 (4:28:38 PM): ha
srvfan18 (4:28:50 PM): i just called america west to add my flyers #
srvfan18 (4:29:06 PM): youre on the same flight as me and cooper
Evan4444 (4:29:08 PM): what
srvfan18 (4:29:08 PM): she checked
Evan4444 (4:29:10 PM): yeah right
Evan4444 (4:29:12 PM): shut up fudge
srvfan18 (4:29:12 PM): i swear
Evan4444 (4:29:16 PM): they don't give out that information
srvfan18 (4:29:19 PM): yeah they do
srvfan18 (4:29:22 PM): i asked for evan lee
Evan4444 (4:29:25 PM): yeah right
srvfan18 (4:29:27 PM): i have your seat #
srvfan18 (4:29:28 PM): haha
srvfan18 (4:29:30 PM): i'm 9D
Evan4444 (4:29:32 PM): no you don't
srvfan18 (4:29:34 PM): youre 6A
Evan4444 (4:29:35 PM): i'm like 6 something
srvfan18 (4:29:37 PM): cooper is 6F
Evan4444 (4:29:37 PM): dammit
srvfan18 (4:29:38 PM): haha
Evan4444 (4:29:39 PM): what????
srvfan18 (4:29:41 PM): yeah
Evan4444 (4:29:46 PM): dammit
Evan4444 (4:29:47 PM): i'm still sleeping
srvfan18 (4:29:52 PM): yo they said basically there are like 30 seats empty....
srvfan18 (4:29:56 PM): so up to 4 hours prior
srvfan18 (4:30:01 PM): basically when we arrive to check in
Evan4444 (4:30:06 PM): i'm going to switch to a seat far away from you two
srvfan18 (4:30:07 PM): we can request to sit next to each other
srvfan18 (4:30:12 PM): whoaaaaaaa!
srvfan18 (4:30:15 PM): you know you luv it
Evan4444 (4:30:16 PM): i'll arrive nice and late
srvfan18 (4:30:19 PM): drinking games on the flight
srvfan18 (4:30:22 PM): whoaaaaa!
Evan4444 (4:31:28 PM): no
Evan4444 (4:31:29 PM): nap
Evan4444 (4:31:31 PM): lots of sleeping
Evan4444 (4:31:33 PM): dammit!
srvfan18 (4:31:38 PM): no way
srvfan18 (4:31:42 PM): drinking
srvfan18 (4:31:45 PM): fine, sleep early
srvfan18 (4:31:49 PM): then in flight movie
srvfan18 (4:31:51 PM): then drinking
Evan4444 (4:31:51 PM): just like last time
Evan4444 (4:31:52 PM): fine
Evan4444 (4:31:53 PM): agreed
Evan4444 (4:32:07 PM): 40 seats open they said?
srvfan18 (4:32:13 PM): i think she said like 30
srvfan18 (4:32:17 PM): but not really
srvfan18 (4:32:22 PM): basically they are taken
Evan4444 (4:32:29 PM): but people haven't claimed seats
srvfan18 (4:32:33 PM): but the seats arent assigned until people check in
Evan4444 (4:32:39 PM): then how are our seats assigned
srvfan18 (4:32:45 PM): b/c we're not chumps
Evan4444 (4:33:08 PM): i see
Evan4444 (4:33:19 PM): no pre flight drinking at the bar
Evan4444 (4:33:21 PM): well, maybe one
srvfan18 (4:33:24 PM): just maybe
srvfan18 (4:33:43 PM): it was hilarious
Evan4444 (4:33:50 PM): thats very unlegal
srvfan18 (4:33:51 PM): i'm like, well one of my friends might be on the flight
Evan4444 (4:33:53 PM): it has to be
Evan4444 (4:34:01 PM): and what did she say
srvfan18 (4:34:01 PM): but i think he booked soem crazy other america west flight
srvfan18 (4:34:05 PM): shes like whats his name i'll check
Evan4444 (4:34:09 PM): awful
srvfan18 (4:34:13 PM): then i'm like....hmm....whats his seat #
srvfan18 (4:34:16 PM): 6A she says
srvfan18 (4:34:21 PM): i'm like, damn this chick must be new
Evan4444 (4:34:26 PM): yeah totally
srvfan18 (4:34:33 PM): then i ask for cooper's
srvfan18 (4:34:35 PM): it was hilarious
Evan4444 (4:34:39 PM): i'm guessing they just created two different flights back in the day
Evan4444 (4:34:42 PM): and then combined them or whatever
Evan4444 (4:34:43 PM): who knows
srvfan18 (4:34:44 PM): yeah
srvfan18 (4:34:52 PM): some scheme to charge higher prices i'm sure
Evan4444 (4:34:59 PM): undoubtedly
Evan4444 (4:35:02 PM): i hate america west
srvfan18 (4:35:08 PM): i'm a fan now
srvfan18 (4:35:16 PM): best airline phone service ever
Evan4444 (4:35:25 PM): this is going on the blog
I don't see where Tony's cousin is fitting in here, other than he is showing Tony S. that its never really too late or impossible to get out of the business. Truthfully, I see him dying within a few episodes, or at least by the end of the season. There really seems to be no other way around it.
How awkward was that speech Tony gave about Tony's return? He started talking about how their uncles have passed away, and everyone is like uhhh... and then there is the Tony/Carmella standoff at the party. Very awkward indeed. Great directing/writing to bring out such a feeling in viewers.
Classic great line: I can't remember the exact quote, but its Tina implying that she has no hair anywhere else on her body. Which of course gets Chris riled up. If Tina isn't taken in by the feds soon, its certainly possible that Chris gets involved with her, idiotic Adrianna gets annoyed and leaves him for good, and eventually Adrianna gets wasted by someone in the family. At that point, Tony blames it on Johnny Sac or something, and then all hell breaks loose. A shame it would center around Adrianna though.
Where was Dr. Melfi this episode?
Overall, a slow moving epsiode, with some decent buildup. Adrianna almost spilling her guts was classic... I wonder what would have happened if she did. Probably death in the middle of the night after one of the wives tells her husband. But it certainly would have been great. Grade: 4 thumbs up.
Tomorrow: Evan's locks for the first/second round of the tournament.
I woke up this morning (after having like 5 different dreams during various hour and a half stages of sleep last night) and it sounded like it was raining, or had rained outside. Cars were driving by and making that noise... you know, the sound of tires on wet pavement. So I walk downstairs, throw my banana peel in the trash, open the front door, and man its like a blizzard out there.
Thats annoying for many reasons. The first is that I was planning on riding my bike to work, since buses are not running on a normal schedule (Rutgers Spring Break). Secondly, if classes get cancelled, that means so much more work for me to reschedule teachers and whatnot. Very annoying. Thirdly there is nobody to play in the snow with, not there was any other time during the year, but at least I would have a few beers and watch the snow fall with people in the house. Now it looks like I'll go home, drink beers, and play poker with Ben and Fishman online.
Well thats not so bad.
Thats annoying for many reasons. The first is that I was planning on riding my bike to work, since buses are not running on a normal schedule (Rutgers Spring Break). Secondly, if classes get cancelled, that means so much more work for me to reschedule teachers and whatnot. Very annoying. Thirdly there is nobody to play in the snow with, not there was any other time during the year, but at least I would have a few beers and watch the snow fall with people in the house. Now it looks like I'll go home, drink beers, and play poker with Ben and Fishman online.
Well thats not so bad.
Monday, March 15, 2004
I never understood how people can call this a "rivalry."
Lets get something straight - Duke vs. UNC is a rivalry. And maybe thats what the problem is here.
When Duke fans think of a rivalry, we think of tenting out for a foe who lives 10 miles down the road.
We think of one of the greatest games in NCAA history, the Duke vs. UNC game at Cameron that ended with us losing in double OT.
We think of Dean Smith, Matt Doherty, Stackhouse, Wallace, Forte, Ed Cota, and the rest.
We think of "Go to Hell Carolina Go to Hell."
We think of all those things when we hear the word "rivalry."
We don't think of a team we demoralized numerous times on the way to our 2001 championship, including the greatest comeback you'll ever see (the ten points in one minute) and probably the greatest comeback you'll see in the final four (what was that, like 20 points?)
We don't think of a team whose fans are so idiotic, so moronic, that they riot and destroy their own property when they by some miracle actually win a championship.
We don't think of a school whose fans are so vulgar, so uncreative, that their best chant is "Fuck you JJ." Yeah good one, you curse out the guy who just tooled on you. He was devastated, I'm sure.
We don't think of "Sweat Gary Sweat!"
We don't think of a team who won their first ACC championship in 20 years yesterday. 20 years? Are you kidding?
So Maryland fans, you can try to keep convincing yourself how you are public enemy number one to Duke fans. You're not. You're not 1, 2, or probably even 3 to a lot of part time Durham residents. You are an upstart school, a blip on the radar. Hell, Florida State had a little run of goodness back in the 90s.
It may be transparent, but I do not think much of Maryland fans. I think they are a bunch of spoiled, classless, thuggish buffoons. Their behavior has done nothing to dissuade me from those thoughts. But I also hate sex offenders, murderers, and whoever made "The Ghosts of Mars." It doesn't mean I have a rivalry with them.
But I digress... thoughts on yesterday's game.
Redick - I think I know his problem. He only has two speeds. Standing still, and running. The problem is partly caused by his running speed - its about as slow as Nick Horvath. The other is that he never varies his running speed. If maybe he went three quarters speed at times, and then kicked it up to his 7 minute mile full speed, he'd have better luck at getting open. As it stands now, his NBA viability is very low, and that will certainly motivate him over the summer to either a) learn how to make harder cuts or b) make more circus shots like some of his today.
Duhon - I'm starting to turn the corner on him a little bit - his finishing ability alone is making more valuable than I thought. The funniest point of the game (aside from the 8 times he was compared to Jeter by Vitale) is when Vitale was again going on and on about how great Duhon is and what a leader he is to the team. At that exact moment, Gilchrist stole the ball from him, dunked, and was moronically fouled by Duhon. At least at this point Vitale did state that it was a dumb play, but a few more Jeter comparisons followed.
Williams - Awful call by the refs of his "foul" on Gilchrist as the end that more or less sealed our fate (well, once Redick missed that open three at the end that really sealed it). Williams is a solid defender who doesn't get as many calls as he should, and wasn't utilized the way he really could be today. His post up game is fairly solid, even though he looks like he travels every time he gets an offensive rebound. Our only rebounder aside from Deng, Williams is obviously the key to the tournament. And you have to figure one of the games coming up he's going to get in foul trouble. Which brings us to
Randolph - Didn't he bulk up and become a solid 6th or 7th man? Anyone remember a few nasty drives in late ACC season games of his? Why is he in the doghouse and Horvath getting a lot of time? Shav, you've gotta step it up.
Horvath - "quality minutes" is not composed of stupid offensive fouls for horrible moving picks, a few rebounds, and then another foul.
Dockery - Have you ever seen someone happier about hitting a layup + 1 in the middle of a game?
Ewing - Truthfully, a much, much better option than Redick at this point. Hits the three about as well as he is right now, drives, and isn't a defensive liability. I wouldn't mind seeing a Duhon, Ewing, Randolph, Deng, Williams starting lineup in the first game.
Lets get something straight - Duke vs. UNC is a rivalry. And maybe thats what the problem is here.
When Duke fans think of a rivalry, we think of tenting out for a foe who lives 10 miles down the road.
We think of one of the greatest games in NCAA history, the Duke vs. UNC game at Cameron that ended with us losing in double OT.
We think of Dean Smith, Matt Doherty, Stackhouse, Wallace, Forte, Ed Cota, and the rest.
We think of "Go to Hell Carolina Go to Hell."
We think of all those things when we hear the word "rivalry."
We don't think of a team we demoralized numerous times on the way to our 2001 championship, including the greatest comeback you'll ever see (the ten points in one minute) and probably the greatest comeback you'll see in the final four (what was that, like 20 points?)
We don't think of a team whose fans are so idiotic, so moronic, that they riot and destroy their own property when they by some miracle actually win a championship.
We don't think of a school whose fans are so vulgar, so uncreative, that their best chant is "Fuck you JJ." Yeah good one, you curse out the guy who just tooled on you. He was devastated, I'm sure.
We don't think of "Sweat Gary Sweat!"
We don't think of a team who won their first ACC championship in 20 years yesterday. 20 years? Are you kidding?
So Maryland fans, you can try to keep convincing yourself how you are public enemy number one to Duke fans. You're not. You're not 1, 2, or probably even 3 to a lot of part time Durham residents. You are an upstart school, a blip on the radar. Hell, Florida State had a little run of goodness back in the 90s.
It may be transparent, but I do not think much of Maryland fans. I think they are a bunch of spoiled, classless, thuggish buffoons. Their behavior has done nothing to dissuade me from those thoughts. But I also hate sex offenders, murderers, and whoever made "The Ghosts of Mars." It doesn't mean I have a rivalry with them.
But I digress... thoughts on yesterday's game.
Redick - I think I know his problem. He only has two speeds. Standing still, and running. The problem is partly caused by his running speed - its about as slow as Nick Horvath. The other is that he never varies his running speed. If maybe he went three quarters speed at times, and then kicked it up to his 7 minute mile full speed, he'd have better luck at getting open. As it stands now, his NBA viability is very low, and that will certainly motivate him over the summer to either a) learn how to make harder cuts or b) make more circus shots like some of his today.
Duhon - I'm starting to turn the corner on him a little bit - his finishing ability alone is making more valuable than I thought. The funniest point of the game (aside from the 8 times he was compared to Jeter by Vitale) is when Vitale was again going on and on about how great Duhon is and what a leader he is to the team. At that exact moment, Gilchrist stole the ball from him, dunked, and was moronically fouled by Duhon. At least at this point Vitale did state that it was a dumb play, but a few more Jeter comparisons followed.
Williams - Awful call by the refs of his "foul" on Gilchrist as the end that more or less sealed our fate (well, once Redick missed that open three at the end that really sealed it). Williams is a solid defender who doesn't get as many calls as he should, and wasn't utilized the way he really could be today. His post up game is fairly solid, even though he looks like he travels every time he gets an offensive rebound. Our only rebounder aside from Deng, Williams is obviously the key to the tournament. And you have to figure one of the games coming up he's going to get in foul trouble. Which brings us to
Randolph - Didn't he bulk up and become a solid 6th or 7th man? Anyone remember a few nasty drives in late ACC season games of his? Why is he in the doghouse and Horvath getting a lot of time? Shav, you've gotta step it up.
Horvath - "quality minutes" is not composed of stupid offensive fouls for horrible moving picks, a few rebounds, and then another foul.
Dockery - Have you ever seen someone happier about hitting a layup + 1 in the middle of a game?
Ewing - Truthfully, a much, much better option than Redick at this point. Hits the three about as well as he is right now, drives, and isn't a defensive liability. I wouldn't mind seeing a Duhon, Ewing, Randolph, Deng, Williams starting lineup in the first game.
Sunday, March 14, 2004
Yup its official, in my half buzzed state, Ghosts of Mars is the worst movie ever made.
http://www.post-gazette.com/movies/20010824ghosts0824fnp5.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/movies/20010824ghosts0824fnp5.asp
Friday, March 12, 2004
I hadn't planned on going out last night.
I was told that we wouldn't be out late.
But it was 1:30 AM, I was in the Old Bay getting drinks from Tim, and I realized something.
I was drunk, I had to be at work earlier than usual the next morning, and my sheets, pillowcases, and other things were in the dryer. So I couldn't even just plop down when I got in, I had to actually make my bed.
Not happy.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn't an especially good day at work. It drug on forever, and I needed a nap. I got that nap after I returned home, but I always wonder how late I should nap on days like this. I'm not planning on going out anyway, but I felt that at like 7PM it was time to wake up or else I might just sleep my entire night away. And while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, I think staying awake to watch NC State rally and beat FSU, and hopefully Wake beat on stupid Maryland, is a better plan.
Also I'll play some poker.
And to end today's entry - a quote from my favorite website/book, Baseball Prospectus, on the state of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
"The Tampa Bay Devil Ray organization is completely and totally dysfunctional. There is nothing of lasting value here. In nine years of existence, the Rays haven't even managed a cave painting for which they might somehow be noticed, much less remembered. From the fractured and ineffectual ownership group through the incompetent front office, there is nothing of importance or interest in this organization. It is a complete and total wasteland. Fans of the Devil Rays, if any ever existed or remain, will have to wait until Naimoli and the other partners divest themselves of the club, and an ownership group takes over that has some idea of how to build a club before there's even a possibility of future success on the diamond."
I love Baseball Prospectus.
I was told that we wouldn't be out late.
But it was 1:30 AM, I was in the Old Bay getting drinks from Tim, and I realized something.
I was drunk, I had to be at work earlier than usual the next morning, and my sheets, pillowcases, and other things were in the dryer. So I couldn't even just plop down when I got in, I had to actually make my bed.
Not happy.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn't an especially good day at work. It drug on forever, and I needed a nap. I got that nap after I returned home, but I always wonder how late I should nap on days like this. I'm not planning on going out anyway, but I felt that at like 7PM it was time to wake up or else I might just sleep my entire night away. And while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, I think staying awake to watch NC State rally and beat FSU, and hopefully Wake beat on stupid Maryland, is a better plan.
Also I'll play some poker.
And to end today's entry - a quote from my favorite website/book, Baseball Prospectus, on the state of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
"The Tampa Bay Devil Ray organization is completely and totally dysfunctional. There is nothing of lasting value here. In nine years of existence, the Rays haven't even managed a cave painting for which they might somehow be noticed, much less remembered. From the fractured and ineffectual ownership group through the incompetent front office, there is nothing of importance or interest in this organization. It is a complete and total wasteland. Fans of the Devil Rays, if any ever existed or remain, will have to wait until Naimoli and the other partners divest themselves of the club, and an ownership group takes over that has some idea of how to build a club before there's even a possibility of future success on the diamond."
I love Baseball Prospectus.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
I love the week before the actual NCAA tournament.
ESPN shows about a million games of teams you've never heard of, consisting of players who you think you could beat in a one on one game at your local park.
The names of the teams are particuarly funny.
Kent State? Seriously, does anyone even know what part of the country thats in, let alone what state?
MD Eastern Shore? Words are escaping me right now.
IUPUI? Ooey Pooey? Of course, most of us know who this is from past tournaments.
I love turning on ESPN at night and seeing the abbreviation of the team be like UNI and have absolutely no idea what that stands for. I also love the fans and players storming the court after a win, knowing that they've finally made it to the big dance. And while their chances to win even two games is microscopic, there is always the possibility that they will upset that overrated high seed (read: St. Joes or Stanford) and become America's darling, at least for a couple days.
Lets never forget this one.
(goosebumps)
ESPN shows about a million games of teams you've never heard of, consisting of players who you think you could beat in a one on one game at your local park.
The names of the teams are particuarly funny.
Kent State? Seriously, does anyone even know what part of the country thats in, let alone what state?
MD Eastern Shore? Words are escaping me right now.
IUPUI? Ooey Pooey? Of course, most of us know who this is from past tournaments.
I love turning on ESPN at night and seeing the abbreviation of the team be like UNI and have absolutely no idea what that stands for. I also love the fans and players storming the court after a win, knowing that they've finally made it to the big dance. And while their chances to win even two games is microscopic, there is always the possibility that they will upset that overrated high seed (read: St. Joes or Stanford) and become America's darling, at least for a couple days.
Lets never forget this one.
(goosebumps)
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
I was watching the first episode of the new season of the Sopranos on Sunday, and Jenny came into Cristin's room (where I was watchin it) and was like, oh I'll watch.
She then stated that she had never seen it before and was going to ask me a million questions.
I calmly stated that she would not because I would answer none and would ask her to leave if she got too annoying.
Yes, I like watching The Sopranos.
So much so that when I just typed the word Sopranos, I saw the gun instead of the r.
I liked the first episode of the season. The initial part was perfect. The newspaper is lying on the driveway, and instead of Tony coming out to pick it up with his cigar like he usually does, it gets run over.
Things have changed.
The bear in the yard was a bit weird. It was a good device to show how Tony still cares about his family (or at least does what he's supposed to do in the face of traditional Italian values), and that he's in general a good guy who just kind of grew up in a certain bad situation.
Tony / Dr. Melfi interactions were of course the most important part of the episode. The first real physical contact made between the two of them, and it ended with Dr. Melfi stating that his values aren't in line with hers. Tony can't take this and runs off screaming various vulgarities at her. The most important interactions between the two of them in the history of the series, and then Jenny states, "I have to leave. This is too boring."
Maybe to someone who has never seen it before, and is expecting all sorts of killing and such (which of course happens later, almost as if the director was like, well we need someone to die, so lets have the waiter bite it), but not to me. Tony's conversations with Carm and Dr. Melfi provided more than enough suspense for me. And the various people getting out of jail provide enough future sight to make me really want to see this weeks epsiode.
Regarding the seemingly random violence - I guess it did provide something. The funniest line of the whole episode.
After Paulie shoots the waiter and grabs the check, Chris screams as he runs to his car, "Thats my money Paulie!"
Out of the blue, the two of them make nice with each other, which is directly in contrast to Paulie's growing insanity that will probably get him killed by the end of the season. Whether or not he's just using this as a ploy to really really get back at Chris later, or maybe he has seen the result of the path he was on before, is something that we'll have to watch for.
The coming attractions for the next episode were great.
Overall, I'd rate this episode a 7 thumbs up. Out of how many thumbs? Thats always the question.
I went to the A&P last night and I wanted to buy a lot of food. However, after thirty minutes of desperately trying to find stuff to buy, I gave up and just left with the stuff in my cart. It was really disheartening. I was looking for ANYTHING that looked even remotely palatable, and just nothing. I don't know what was going on. Anyway... what I bought:
8 La Yogurts
These are really good because you can just peel the top and drink it like a milkshake. No spoon required, and its good for the on the go go-getter like me. It kind of grossed out Cristin that I was just drinking a yogurt. These were on sale for 50 cents a piece.
2 packs of Oscar Meyer thick sliced bacon
No explanation necessary. 2 for 6 dolllars on sale.
Half gallon of skim milk
I never seem to finish the milk before the expiration date, or at least I'm scrambling the day before to finish it all in one big heaping glass. That invariably causes a stomach ache, but at least I didn't waste the milk. I only use it for a glass here and there and to make mac and cheese, so I wonder why I buy it at all.
Skillet Sensations Herb Chicken
(see previous post for explanation)
5 Bananas
Pretty much the only fruit I eat with any regularity. I didn't until sophomore year when for a Gereffi MMS class my group had to do this huge project on bananas. It was then that I learned that they are incredibly good for you, and some studies have even shown them to positively effect depression. Its true. No matter how badly I've eaten during a day (lets say McDonalds for lunch and some pizza for dinner), if I've had a banana I feel that it all balances out.
2 things of Garlic
Goes great in mashed potatoes, and I even added some roasted garlic to my soup last week. Its also real good for you, and easy enough to just roast in a pan (leave the skin on) and wait till soft. Causes some digestive problems if you eat too much though...
2 2-liters of Sierra Mist
My sprite substitute for when sprite isn't on sale. Its nice that either Pepsi or Coke products are on sale in any given week, so you can just find the other one and get it for 99 cents a bottle. Sprite like substances are my life-blood.
A pack of american cheese singles
A necessity for grilled cheeses, scrambled eggs, and putting on top of chicken tenders for a chicken tender sandwich (I'm going to make one when I get home tonight), cheese makes just about everything better. Think about it. You have chicken, and then you have cheesy chicken. You have roast beef, and then you have roast beef with cheese. There's wine, and then there is wine and cheese. Mmm.
A loaf of bread
I rarely get bread, since for some reason the area where I store the bread in my room is governed by different laws of physics. I have seen bread go bad in like 3 days at some points in that spot, whereas other loaves will take 3 weeks. I've decided to avoid this little cube and stick the bread in the fridge. The fridge is right next to the cube of mysterious time passage though, so lets hope it isn't contagious.
A package of toaster hash browns
Just saw them lying in the freezer area. Hash brown patties (like from McDonalds) that you cook by putting in the toaster. Genius!
And thats it. I mean, I was looking for anything at that point. I even picked up a package of shake and bake and was going to get some chicken, but then I thought about how I'd have to remove the skin from the chicken and how annoying it would be to make (although I did have the milk now), so I just put it back. Overall a disappointing trip to the A&P. Rating: 2 thumbs up.
8 La Yogurts
These are really good because you can just peel the top and drink it like a milkshake. No spoon required, and its good for the on the go go-getter like me. It kind of grossed out Cristin that I was just drinking a yogurt. These were on sale for 50 cents a piece.
2 packs of Oscar Meyer thick sliced bacon
No explanation necessary. 2 for 6 dolllars on sale.
Half gallon of skim milk
I never seem to finish the milk before the expiration date, or at least I'm scrambling the day before to finish it all in one big heaping glass. That invariably causes a stomach ache, but at least I didn't waste the milk. I only use it for a glass here and there and to make mac and cheese, so I wonder why I buy it at all.
Skillet Sensations Herb Chicken
(see previous post for explanation)
5 Bananas
Pretty much the only fruit I eat with any regularity. I didn't until sophomore year when for a Gereffi MMS class my group had to do this huge project on bananas. It was then that I learned that they are incredibly good for you, and some studies have even shown them to positively effect depression. Its true. No matter how badly I've eaten during a day (lets say McDonalds for lunch and some pizza for dinner), if I've had a banana I feel that it all balances out.
2 things of Garlic
Goes great in mashed potatoes, and I even added some roasted garlic to my soup last week. Its also real good for you, and easy enough to just roast in a pan (leave the skin on) and wait till soft. Causes some digestive problems if you eat too much though...
2 2-liters of Sierra Mist
My sprite substitute for when sprite isn't on sale. Its nice that either Pepsi or Coke products are on sale in any given week, so you can just find the other one and get it for 99 cents a bottle. Sprite like substances are my life-blood.
A pack of american cheese singles
A necessity for grilled cheeses, scrambled eggs, and putting on top of chicken tenders for a chicken tender sandwich (I'm going to make one when I get home tonight), cheese makes just about everything better. Think about it. You have chicken, and then you have cheesy chicken. You have roast beef, and then you have roast beef with cheese. There's wine, and then there is wine and cheese. Mmm.
A loaf of bread
I rarely get bread, since for some reason the area where I store the bread in my room is governed by different laws of physics. I have seen bread go bad in like 3 days at some points in that spot, whereas other loaves will take 3 weeks. I've decided to avoid this little cube and stick the bread in the fridge. The fridge is right next to the cube of mysterious time passage though, so lets hope it isn't contagious.
A package of toaster hash browns
Just saw them lying in the freezer area. Hash brown patties (like from McDonalds) that you cook by putting in the toaster. Genius!
And thats it. I mean, I was looking for anything at that point. I even picked up a package of shake and bake and was going to get some chicken, but then I thought about how I'd have to remove the skin from the chicken and how annoying it would be to make (although I did have the milk now), so I just put it back. Overall a disappointing trip to the A&P. Rating: 2 thumbs up.
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
One of my friends from Cinnaminson always tells me that "The Hawk will never die."
I would have to beg to differ.
This year St. Joes has played exactly one ranked team. One. It was their first game of the season, and it was against Gonzaga. We know what I think of that team.
Meanwhile, compared to that schedule, Stanford has played a monster. They've beaten Gonzaga, beaten Kansas when it was ranked first (currently ranked 17), Arizona twice! (currently ranked 17 also), and uhh, took a miracle to beat Washington State.
Yeah.
Now it is pretty impressive to go that long without a loss, but when you are playing absolutely nobody, its much less impressive. When you see that teams like Duke face off against UNC, GTech, Wake, and NC State regularly (and succeed), it really becomes much harder in my mind to justify how these teams are ranked ahead of Duke and Kentucky both in the polls and when it comes to seeding.
I agree with Amy - I would have loved to see us fall to a 2 and end up with St. Joes or the Zags as our one seed.
Again, when it comes to Vegas, the winner of the 8/9 seed in St. Joes and Stanford's regions is going to get a lot of action.
Monday, March 08, 2004
The Gonzaga Bulldog basketball team has had quite a run these past few years. They've given midmajor conferences more respectability in the basketball world, and show how underdogs can compete big come tournament time.
The Bulldogs are currently ranked 4th in the AP Poll
There strength of schedule is a bit lacking. Strength of Schedule is 81st.
But wait, their only two losses were against St. Joes and Stanford!
Cmon, Stanford and St. Joes are the two biggest overrated teams in recent history.
Gonzaga: Games against teams that were ranked at the time.
St. Joes (18) - Loss
Maryland (25) - Win
Missouri (4) - Win
Stanford (11) - Loss
Four games they've played against ranked teams. Two were losses to the aforementioned overrated teams. The big wins came against teams that are bubble teams currently. And bad bubble teams at that.
Joe Lunardi's Bracketology on ESPN has the Zags currently slotted as a two seed. If that comes to pass, you can be sure that in Vegas I'm going to be betting on a 15 seed covering in round 1, and if I lose that, a 7/10 seed covering in round 2.
Have any of you eaten soup recently, and been given a package of saltines? The package of Nabisco premium saltines? The package is created with that little fold up strip right on the side. Its also very short, so you can't even grab at it. Why they would create a package that is so difficult to open is beyond me.
Sunday, March 07, 2004
Thursday, March 04, 2004
George has his big feud with the guy at work over his comment about "The ocean running out of shrimp." And the "Jerk Store" comeback is born.
Elaine forgoes watching a "Vincent" pick, and goes with a "Gene" pick at the movie rental place. Weekend at Bernie's is predictably horrible, and eventually she learns that Vincent is a 15 year old kid.
Kramer tries to get a living will created after learning you can be kept alive on machines when on a coma.
Jerry finds out that the guy who sold him his tennis raquet (Milosh) is horrible at tennis. Milosh eventually convinces Jerry to lay down for him in tennis so he can prove he is a man to his wife.
All in one episode.
Was this the greatest Seinfeld episode ever produced? I'm learning towards yes... clearly better than Soup Nazi.
Elaine forgoes watching a "Vincent" pick, and goes with a "Gene" pick at the movie rental place. Weekend at Bernie's is predictably horrible, and eventually she learns that Vincent is a 15 year old kid.
Kramer tries to get a living will created after learning you can be kept alive on machines when on a coma.
Jerry finds out that the guy who sold him his tennis raquet (Milosh) is horrible at tennis. Milosh eventually convinces Jerry to lay down for him in tennis so he can prove he is a man to his wife.
All in one episode.
Was this the greatest Seinfeld episode ever produced? I'm learning towards yes... clearly better than Soup Nazi.
Vegas: 14 days
When I try to think of the things that went on last year, all I have is really a blur. Especially the afternoons. Anchorman, chugging contests, Ben knocking over tables because he was so angry about basketball bets, swimming in the pool, playing drinking craps outside in the pool area, it all meshes into one big drunken hazy mess.
We funked up our room so badly the maid wouldn't clean it until we left. We had to air the room out by just opening the door and letting the odor go out into the hall. It was a mix of bad BO and spilled stale beer and alcohol.
Every one of us lost money. Some were significant losses (Ben and Al over 1K). Some medium (Evan and Pete 300-400). Some small (Miller and Lacker hardly bet at all). But I believe we all lost.
Basketball bets should be a 50/50 proposition, since the way the sports book make money is by their rake - if they are supposed to pay you like 10 dollars you get 9.50 instead. We made a lot of bets last year and went approximately 3 for 30. Yeah that bad.
Cooper is coming this year. I smell jail for him.
I can't wait.
When I try to think of the things that went on last year, all I have is really a blur. Especially the afternoons. Anchorman, chugging contests, Ben knocking over tables because he was so angry about basketball bets, swimming in the pool, playing drinking craps outside in the pool area, it all meshes into one big drunken hazy mess.
We funked up our room so badly the maid wouldn't clean it until we left. We had to air the room out by just opening the door and letting the odor go out into the hall. It was a mix of bad BO and spilled stale beer and alcohol.
Every one of us lost money. Some were significant losses (Ben and Al over 1K). Some medium (Evan and Pete 300-400). Some small (Miller and Lacker hardly bet at all). But I believe we all lost.
Basketball bets should be a 50/50 proposition, since the way the sports book make money is by their rake - if they are supposed to pay you like 10 dollars you get 9.50 instead. We made a lot of bets last year and went approximately 3 for 30. Yeah that bad.
Cooper is coming this year. I smell jail for him.
I can't wait.
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
Miller and Burton, you know this is coming if you watched this Duke/GT game...
But I agree with Dick Vitale totally. Chris Duhon is essentially Derek Jeter.
The best point was Vitale saying it after Duhon collided with Redick, preventing the steal of a horrible pass by that Australian center. Vitale said that was a fine example of the intangibles Duhon brings to the team. My sentiments exactly. He prevented an easy steal, fell into the stands, and looks like some sort of hero. Great.
I hope they pull this out.
But I agree with Dick Vitale totally. Chris Duhon is essentially Derek Jeter.
The best point was Vitale saying it after Duhon collided with Redick, preventing the steal of a horrible pass by that Australian center. Vitale said that was a fine example of the intangibles Duhon brings to the team. My sentiments exactly. He prevented an easy steal, fell into the stands, and looks like some sort of hero. Great.
I hope they pull this out.
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
Idiots in Power
If you're from the company I work for, why don't you settle down. Before you go off emailing everyone in the world about this post, you might want to realize its about Duke. Its not about work. So go back to whatever you were doing. See how nice I am?
Cathy Reeve, director of Parking and Transportation Services at Duke University
Recently her team of morons decided to use the Blue Zone as an area for the Campaign for Duke celebrations. Much like a football game, students would be asked to move their cars out of there. Students are used to this. One problem though - she never informed the students. No emails, no nothing. As students drove their cars out of the zone, they would come back later that day to find that they were now no longer allowed in the zone. No signs were posted as they left. Nothing. Idiot.
Eddie Hull is the Dean of Residence Life and Executive Director of Housing Services at Duke University
Eddie Hull recently abolished Annual Review, but did it in such a way as to take the entire University by surprise. Great planning. Maybe you should allude to the fact that you are considering that move, especially since Campus Council spent a lot of time last year revamping the entire process with some good recommendations. No, instead he tells seven people, one of them leaks it, and now he's on the defensive.
A quote from his email about this.
"There seems to be a mantra that would have one believe that groups will not do programming unless someone forces them to. Rubbish. I don't believe it and have more faith in our groups than that. I say this because of why these groups were given SLG status in the first place. The overriding presumption about SLGs is that they will provide a value-added experience for their respective members. "
HAHHAHHAHAHAAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA.
Idiot.
Larry Moneta, Vice President for Student Affairs at Duke University
"Only in college can an administrator embarrass his school in front of the national media and then get promoted and hired away. Sound impossible? Say hello to Duke's own Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs. He was almost singlehandedly responsible for the disastrous 'water buffalo affair' at the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. In a fit of politically correct zeal, Moneta tried to expel a student for asking a sorority to quiet down. You see, the student did this in what Moneta thought was an "insensitive" way. After intense media coverage, Moneta and Penn backed down, with their tails between their legs. But Duke snatched him right up, and upon hiring Moneta last year, President Keohane gushed, "He seeks opinions broadly on all sides of an issue before making decisions and is fair and open-minded." Like at Penn, right?" - John Zimmerman
And then there is the idiocy on campus.
Idiot.
Anyone have any ideas why Duke hires such buffoons? Aren't we generally a school of intelligent people? Although its not like professors and students have any say in hiring people.
If you're from the company I work for, why don't you settle down. Before you go off emailing everyone in the world about this post, you might want to realize its about Duke. Its not about work. So go back to whatever you were doing. See how nice I am?
Cathy Reeve, director of Parking and Transportation Services at Duke University
Recently her team of morons decided to use the Blue Zone as an area for the Campaign for Duke celebrations. Much like a football game, students would be asked to move their cars out of there. Students are used to this. One problem though - she never informed the students. No emails, no nothing. As students drove their cars out of the zone, they would come back later that day to find that they were now no longer allowed in the zone. No signs were posted as they left. Nothing. Idiot.
Eddie Hull is the Dean of Residence Life and Executive Director of Housing Services at Duke University
Eddie Hull recently abolished Annual Review, but did it in such a way as to take the entire University by surprise. Great planning. Maybe you should allude to the fact that you are considering that move, especially since Campus Council spent a lot of time last year revamping the entire process with some good recommendations. No, instead he tells seven people, one of them leaks it, and now he's on the defensive.
A quote from his email about this.
"There seems to be a mantra that would have one believe that groups will not do programming unless someone forces them to. Rubbish. I don't believe it and have more faith in our groups than that. I say this because of why these groups were given SLG status in the first place. The overriding presumption about SLGs is that they will provide a value-added experience for their respective members. "
HAHHAHHAHAHAAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA.
Idiot.
Larry Moneta, Vice President for Student Affairs at Duke University
"Only in college can an administrator embarrass his school in front of the national media and then get promoted and hired away. Sound impossible? Say hello to Duke's own Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs. He was almost singlehandedly responsible for the disastrous 'water buffalo affair' at the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. In a fit of politically correct zeal, Moneta tried to expel a student for asking a sorority to quiet down. You see, the student did this in what Moneta thought was an "insensitive" way. After intense media coverage, Moneta and Penn backed down, with their tails between their legs. But Duke snatched him right up, and upon hiring Moneta last year, President Keohane gushed, "He seeks opinions broadly on all sides of an issue before making decisions and is fair and open-minded." Like at Penn, right?" - John Zimmerman
And then there is the idiocy on campus.
Idiot.
Anyone have any ideas why Duke hires such buffoons? Aren't we generally a school of intelligent people? Although its not like professors and students have any say in hiring people.
*Have you ever seen an attractive female working at Rite Aid or Eckerd? I don't think I ever have.
*For the first time ever, I turned into a nasty consumer on the phone. I ordered a long sleeve tee shirt from the Duke store, and it didn't come for like two weeks. So two weeks and one day later I get a call from the Duke store and they're like, uhh your credit card billing address didn't match your mailing address, so we weren't able to put it through. We need to confirm. So I ask in probably the nastiest voice I have, "So this got declined, and two weeks later you are calling me to tell me?" He apologized and stated like they have a lot of paperwork. Whatever. I got the shirt a couple days later in this container that can only be described as a glorified white plastic bag that was run through a dumpster. Shirt is fine though.
*Its odd how things work out. All weekend I was worried about this class that starts on 3/9 because its really far away, and while I don't have any teachers who could teach it, I also really didn't have any teachers that would drive that far. Its far. So I'm worried and I walk into the office on Monday and I see the schedule on my desk, and it says cancelled on it! Booyah! Boy that made my day.
*I had quite possibly the greatest bacon egg and cheese on a bagel today ever. It wasn't toasted, it wasn't too hot, the bacon was plentiful, and the sandwich somehow didn't fall apart when you took a bite out of it. It was heaven, and I might have to get another at some point very soon.
*I've played Final Fantasy X for a total of 32 hours since purchasing it. 32 hours. While I've probably spent more time playing Virtua Fighter, that is against a human opponent (Cristin exclusively now, as Jenny has renounced all technology I think in her quest to bring us back to a tribal society), and that game doesn't have a little timer showing how long of your life you've spent playing.
*Everyone in the league ranks my fantasy baseball team as the second worst in the league. I'm not worried since they always say that and I always dominate.
*Vegas in 16 days.
*For the first time ever, I turned into a nasty consumer on the phone. I ordered a long sleeve tee shirt from the Duke store, and it didn't come for like two weeks. So two weeks and one day later I get a call from the Duke store and they're like, uhh your credit card billing address didn't match your mailing address, so we weren't able to put it through. We need to confirm. So I ask in probably the nastiest voice I have, "So this got declined, and two weeks later you are calling me to tell me?" He apologized and stated like they have a lot of paperwork. Whatever. I got the shirt a couple days later in this container that can only be described as a glorified white plastic bag that was run through a dumpster. Shirt is fine though.
*Its odd how things work out. All weekend I was worried about this class that starts on 3/9 because its really far away, and while I don't have any teachers who could teach it, I also really didn't have any teachers that would drive that far. Its far. So I'm worried and I walk into the office on Monday and I see the schedule on my desk, and it says cancelled on it! Booyah! Boy that made my day.
*I had quite possibly the greatest bacon egg and cheese on a bagel today ever. It wasn't toasted, it wasn't too hot, the bacon was plentiful, and the sandwich somehow didn't fall apart when you took a bite out of it. It was heaven, and I might have to get another at some point very soon.
*I've played Final Fantasy X for a total of 32 hours since purchasing it. 32 hours. While I've probably spent more time playing Virtua Fighter, that is against a human opponent (Cristin exclusively now, as Jenny has renounced all technology I think in her quest to bring us back to a tribal society), and that game doesn't have a little timer showing how long of your life you've spent playing.
*Everyone in the league ranks my fantasy baseball team as the second worst in the league. I'm not worried since they always say that and I always dominate.
*Vegas in 16 days.
Monday, March 01, 2004
The day after you have a fantasy baseball or football draft you shouldn't have to go to work. The urge to just sit and stare at your team, make trades, talk to other managers in the league about how bad their teams are, etc. is just unbearable. Luckily, I am a model employee who would never think of doing such a thing. Yup, nothing but work every single second.
But if I was one of those people who talk with the other managers about the teams, analyze picks in the draft, and write up a one page summary of each team giving strengths and weaknesses of their infields, outfield/utility spots, starting pitchers, and relief pitchers, I would tell you that fantasy baseball is probably the most addicting thing in the world. Yes I know, cigarettes, heroin, other drugs, whatever. But seriously if you took away fantasy baseball and football from me I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I don't know what I'd talk to James and Ben about. I guess Vegas, which is quickly approaching, but it would get old.
Girls - can you liken anything you do so impulsively to fantasy sports? I would love to learn. I'm sure there is some thing that seems very irrational (like why you have so many damn shoes) but can be compared to fantasy sports. Maybe it is the shoe thing. Do you just stare at your collection of shoes at times and think - boy I like these shoes? Cause I do that with my fantasy team. I remember a good story from everyone's favorite drunken fool, Bon.
This comes from when we were in Corporate Finance. We had our fantasy football draft the night before, and Ben wasn't in class the next day at 11:50. I stopped by afterwards and was like, where were you? He replied that he woke up, started looking at his fantasy team, and the next thing he knew it was an hour later.
Thats what this does to you.
I've renamed my team La Resistance since I have three Montreal Expos.
Viva la fantasy.
But if I was one of those people who talk with the other managers about the teams, analyze picks in the draft, and write up a one page summary of each team giving strengths and weaknesses of their infields, outfield/utility spots, starting pitchers, and relief pitchers, I would tell you that fantasy baseball is probably the most addicting thing in the world. Yes I know, cigarettes, heroin, other drugs, whatever. But seriously if you took away fantasy baseball and football from me I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I don't know what I'd talk to James and Ben about. I guess Vegas, which is quickly approaching, but it would get old.
Girls - can you liken anything you do so impulsively to fantasy sports? I would love to learn. I'm sure there is some thing that seems very irrational (like why you have so many damn shoes) but can be compared to fantasy sports. Maybe it is the shoe thing. Do you just stare at your collection of shoes at times and think - boy I like these shoes? Cause I do that with my fantasy team. I remember a good story from everyone's favorite drunken fool, Bon.
This comes from when we were in Corporate Finance. We had our fantasy football draft the night before, and Ben wasn't in class the next day at 11:50. I stopped by afterwards and was like, where were you? He replied that he woke up, started looking at his fantasy team, and the next thing he knew it was an hour later.
Thats what this does to you.
I've renamed my team La Resistance since I have three Montreal Expos.
Viva la fantasy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)