The weekender

Thursday

T minus mere hours till Friday's opening day of the Iron Man movie. Yes, I am geeked about it, I suppose it is another reason I am single, but if that were but the only reason.

Lots to talk about, so much in fact that I am afraid that if I start, I might not know when to stop. I guess I could start with the fact that it was again volleyball night. I didn't blow off last week so much as I just fell asleep and didn't want to get back up. I think I closed my eyes around 4pm and when I opened them it was already after 10pm. That is way too late to play volleyball, given we are supposed to start at 6:30pm and go till 8:30pm. Today, I made sure I didn't fall into a slumber, and I left my apartment around 5:30pm. I figured if I was late, it wouldn't be that bad, given I didn't know the bus schedule for the 71D Hamilton, which takes me within a block of where I needed to be. Anyway, I get there, and I am the only volleyball person in the building, so the YMCA people offered me a chair to sit and wait. I did, and I finished my book "Friends of Liberty" finally and still no one had arrived. All of that talk abut me worrying about being late was for naught as the first person to arrive besides me was 45 minutes late. Thankfully they let us use the gym longer since we didn't get started till after 7:30pm, we didn't get our full two hours, but we were allowed to stay until 9pm. Again I was better than the last time I played, still lots of rust to work off, but my passing was better. I still have a problem with planting my feet too soon and just reaching out for balls rather than taking the extra step and making a much easier pass, but I am a work in progress. And my habit of hitting the deck diving for loose balls is rubbing off on other people now. Mind you, I can't count the number of times I smashed my knee off of the floor diving for a ball, usually unsuccessfully, but at least tonight I wasn't the only one. My bump passes are getting better, still nowhere near perfect, but better and after three weeks of this, I will take better. The thing that sucked the most was, the previous two times I played, we had the gym to ourselves, so when I was serving I could stand literally almost 10 feet behind the service line, tonight the gym was divided in two, and there was almost no room to serve from. It was almost enough to make a server claustrophobic, still I managed to only blow one of those despite having to make an adjustment to how I usually serve.

The part time job was better this week, simply because the college students started moving out. They should be gone by Saturday, which is fine with me, less work is a job benefit I will gladly take after getting my ass kicked for the better part of three months there. Not only that but we are closing the kitchen earlier, which means I get out of work at least 30 minutes sooner than I used to. The difference between getting home at 12:30am and 1:30 is vast when one has to get up at 4am for the full time gig. Plus, I got an extra shift this week on Saturday night, so we are less busy and I am getting more hours and there is less work involved. Plus I subscribe to the philosophy of "I get paid by the hour, not by the order" so less business is fine in my book, just make sure my check clears every two weeks.

The Penguins played tonight and for the first time in the postseason they lost, 3-0 to the New York Rangers. Mind you I don't think anyone in their right mind would expect them to go 16-0 and hoist the Stanley Cup, but then, many Pittsburgh sports fans aren't in their right mind to begin with. Just to be fair about it, when the NHL makes the highlight video available from tonight's game (it usually takes a day or two) I will add it to the package of videos I have posted to this point, though from what little I saw of the game (I was playing volleyball after all), it looks like a Jaromir Jagr highlight film, with 2 goals and one assist.

I also found two more caps on the way to volleyball tonight, one Pepsi and one Coke. I have enough for 4 more downloadable songs from Pepsi and one from Coke, but I am holding out on the Coke stuff in hopes they run the special again where the songs only cost 15 points as opposed to the current 33. Besides, I don't want to post the music list in every blog entry, so me fetching new music can wait a day or two.

I can also add 76 cents to the change meter, a good week for me if I do say so myself, the new total is now $35.89.

Saturday

Yes, this is going to be one of those entries where I apparently take some time off and come back to it. And since it is Saturday, that means I did in fact go see Iron Man last night. Actually I had some pretty impeccable timing, as I arrived at the theater at almost 8pm, the next showing of Iron Man was at 8pm on the nose, the one after that, the 8:30pm was already sold out, so if I didn't take the 8pm, I would have to wait until 9:30. Not that waiting would have been bad, I could have went and had dinner at a nice place and came back for the movie, but it would have meant that the movie wouldn't have been over until 11:30pm, and I wouldn't get home till well after midnight, and I didn't feel like hanging out quite that long, so I opted for the 8pm showing, went into the theater and just as I got there they started showing the previews, so I really couldn't have timed it much better. As for the previews, if I remember them all correctly, there were trailers for Narnia, Batman Begins, The Incredible Hulk, The Love Guru, Indiana Jones, and The Happening. Most of them looked okay, nothing stood out to me as a must see, but they all looked better than the sure to be coming artsy flicks of the fall and winter that will win all of the Oscars and what not while having no mainstream appeal whatsoever.

As for the Iron Man movie itself, if you like action flicks it is probably worth it, likewise if you like comic book type movies I would say it is worth it, it didn't blow me away as a great flick, but it was certainly worth the price of admission.

I now remember why I hate working Saturdays so much. They are sort of like waiting to be carted off to jail, you know that as much as you would like to do something, you can't get too involved because eventually work will get in the way. So instead of getting deeply involved in anything, I am just chipping away at this blog entry and finishing the food I ordered last night after the movie. I ordered a chicken gyro and fries for dinner last night and a medium pizza with meatballs and mushrooms which became my lunch today while I lounged about the apartment. Meatballs remain the most underrated of pizza toppings in my book.

I think I will stop by Rita's Italian Ice on the way to work. I am way big on their Mistos, which are the equivalent of a shake at an ice cream shop. Last Saturday when I went in to get my schedule I stopped by and bought Mistos for all of the kitchen people, just to keep them on their toes so they have no idea of how to read me. For the most part, I would imagine that most of the people their just think I am a grumpy old prick, which is fine with me, thus making buying treats for the kitchen people all the more unexpected. Mind you I didn't buy treats for the bartenders or waitstaff, because I am not that wealthy and lets be honest, in most restaurants there is a definite line between the front of the house and back of the house personnel, since I am back of the house, I take care of back of the house. Let some waitress worry about making the front of the house people happy, they are not my people, so I am not going to worry about them all that much.

I have done 2 of the 4 Pogo badges this week, the First Class Solitaire, which was helped immensely by winning two consecutive games for 1600+ tokens, and the Kenopop badge, where I nickel and dimed my way to winning the 10000 tokens needed for the badge. Of course after I won over 9000 tokens in rather small increments, I finally hit for 4000 to close the badge out. Where that 4000 token win was when I needed it I have no idea. I am about halfway done with Dice City Roller, and I did get the game award badge in there for Radio Station, I am not sure what level that is, probably 10 or something, but it is not the badge I am looking for. I have like 12 of the 25 needed 5 of a kind cards, so I will probably work on it later tonight, perhaps after work.

Fantasy baseball I am in second place still, but this week I have dropped as low as fourth place as it hasn't been one of my better weeks. While I am not a fan of Yahoo per se, I will say that their Closing Time blog, which is a recap of the daily events in baseball for those of us that compete in fantasy leagues is actually very much a must read in my house these days. Mind you I don't follow all of their recommendations, very often I have positions filled with better people than they suggest, but they do make some good suggestions for who to pick up or drop when it comes to guys I wouldn't mind having on my bench and what not. At some point I will have to review my draft and see just how good or bad I did on draft day, but not right now. I will say that getting Carlos Quentin on draft day as a free agent addition for nothing has proven to be the best move I made so far, as he has 7 homeruns already and has won the starting outfield job in Chicago over the presumed starter Jerry Owens.

Well, I just got done with some blog house cleaning, adding to my book thread and adding the most recent hockey video. The Penguins don't play again until Sunday, which means I have to get cracking Sunday at work if I want to be home in time for the hockey game. I may go in way early just to make sure I have everything done on time. I need to contact some people as well to make sure I have the information for their scheduled appearances on the radio show. Robert Schlesinger was better than I thought he would be this past Wednesday, which is good because I don't think Lynn actually read the book. I always worry when the host hasn't read the book and the author is a bore, it can make for rather dreadful radio,.

Late Saturday

Just got back from work, and rather than do my normal work thing of bitch and moan, I will do a day in the life of Joe Random. Maybe hitting some baseballs will cure what ails me.

We start by pulling up the career mode in MLB 2K6 and the schedule says the next game is against the White Sox and the Sim to Next Appearance option says I get to play, woohoo!

Last I checked, I was still the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, what with a 14 game hitting streak going, and a .421 batting average with 13 homeruns and 62 RBIs. I will be batting 5th in tonight's contest.

No at bats in the top of the first for Joe, but in the bottom of the inning I find that I am getting a start at first base, which is odd, usually they have been playing me at third. Mind you first is my natural position, but because the starting third baseman went down with an injury, that is where I have been primarily been playing. On a side not, the guy I replaced is due back in one day or so, so it will be interesting to see if my numbers are good enough to stay in the major leagues. I would say yes, but that doesn't make it so.

I give up a run in the first on a solo homerun and after 1 inning, I trail, 1-0

Up next is Joe Random to start the second inning. Nothing doing, a groundout to shortstop.

I did manage to score a run in the inning, so after two innings it is tied 1-1.

Third inning nothing exciting happens, though Joe does a nice job fielding a ground ball and the score remains 1-1.

Two doubles to lead off the 4th inning and Joe Random comes up with a runner on second and nobody out. A single and Joe Random's streak hits 15 games and pushes the runner to third base. Joe comes around to score on a double after reaching second on a fielder's choice so I get credit for a run scored, woohoo. More stats for me.

After scoring 3 runs in the top of the inning, a 1-2-3 bottom and after 4 innings I lead 4-1.

5th inning and I will get my third at bat of the game, this time with a runner on first and two outs. And I lined out to the second baseman. Well hit but right at him, so I get nothing and like it.

Bottom of the fifth and I get out of second and third jam with two out by getting a foul out that Joe catches and the score remains 4-1.

Top of the 7th inning and Joe gets his fourth at bat, this time with one out and a runner on first base and the score now 6-1 in my favor. And I ground into a double play. This isn't making the case very well for Joe staying in the major leagues.

I give up one run in the bottom of the 7th so the lead has been cut to 6-2.

I'll get one more crack at this in the 9th inning with runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out. I get the intentional walk which loads the bases. Damn, I wanted to swing too.

I give up two runs in the bottom of the 9th but still win 6-4. For the game I went 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Anyway, enough of that nonsense. Work sucked, at least at the end it did. It was relatively slow all night, which is fine with me, I get paid the same, but after 11pm we got enough of a rush that I didn't get to get all of the stuff done I needed to on time. As a result I got out about 15 minutes late, after starting 30 minutes early. I shouldn't complain, I certainly need the money, but I am good at complaining so I might as well stick with what I do well. I found out I get to work again next Saturday night. Apparently they haven't gotten a new dishwasher yet, so I am used to fill in one of the holes created by Lamont moving from dishwasher to cook. It can be done, I could push to be a cook as well, I just have no desire for that gig. I prefer my two or three nights doing dishes and nothing more.

I took my book I was reading to work and like the idiot I can be, I left it there, meaning I have nothing to read on the bus on the way to work in the morning. That sucks because I had gotten almost another one hundred pages read today, and with the bar closed on Sunday, I can't get it now till Monday after I get out of work. And with Phil sitting in for Lynn on Monday, we will probably end up going out to lunch again, we went to Panera on Friday, where I broke from my normal sandwich tradition and got the Caesar salad combo instead with broccoli cheese soup. Maybe I will talk Phil into going to my part time gig for lunch and kill two birds with one stone, having lunch and retrieving my book, and my paycheck while I am there.

Sunday

Just got back from the radio station, I only worked an hour and a half today, just long enough to virus scan the computer, set up two shows for podcast in the morning, record next week's Lutheran Hour and do three commercial feeds. I would have hung out longer and tried to get some stuff done, but the Penguins are on TV at 2pm and I want to be here for the game. Unlike last week, I will not glog this one, but if something happens while I am blogging, I might mention it. Actually, the Penguins need to close out the Rangers today, because Philadelphia just dispatched with Montreal last night and the last thing the Penguins need to do is extend this best of seven even further while the Flyers sit at home and rest up and get healthy.

Speaking of work, in the latest cost cutting measure I bring you the Great Sugar Ration of 2008. We have a coffee service at work, they bring us coffee, tea, hot chocolate and all of the amenities like sugar and instant creamer. If we run out of anything, usually we have back ups in the cupboards, but in the last couple of weeks management has taken it upon themselves to store away the back up sugar and creamer, so there have been days where we have went without any of the goodies that go with coffee, which sucks ass most severely. There is nothing worse than being stuck drinking black coffee in the morning when the caffeine is most needed to wake up.

Since people have recently been sending me soda points for my collection, it is only fair that I share the wealth, so once again we are giving away a free music download from Rhapsody on this page. See, it pays to read the entire blog. In any event, here is the info needed to claim the tune, and as always it is first come, first served on the page, only one person can claim the freebie, so be the first on your block to do so.

Code MCR9JNMZY34GT4JW

1. Visit www.rhaposdy.com/promo/mycokerweards

2. Enter your code, including dashes and caps

3. Follow the instructions to enjoy your music

I just checked and the last time I offered one of these free songs it only lasted a day. By checking my blog entries and cross referencing that with when the points were redeemed, it was very much a same day thing, which is cool, I wasn't sure anyone had actually used the code or not, now I know and knowing is half the battle. G.I Joe!!!!

The other day I was asked to list ten odd things about me and I couldn't think of any, because I don't view myself as all that odd. Well something that may qualify is that I sometimes talk back to radio commercials. Allow me to elaborate. At my part time job we often have the radio on in the kitchen, and the commercial breaks are so annoying that I feel I almost have to say something, such as the spot for Jared Jewelers. They are a national jewelry store chain and the commercials start with someone talking followed by the sing songy "That's Jared" to which I add my own sing songy "Fatass at Subway". Likewise a spot will come on with a woman voicing how her man can't please her in bed until it takes some stupid pill of some sort and now he is such a man in the sack. I ponder that maybe it has nothing to do with his size or stamina, but maybe she is just ugly and therefore he can't get it up. Maybe they don't make bags big enough to hide that ugliness. After all, isn't it embarrassing that the only way your man can fuck you is if he is on drugs? Just saying, maybe the problem isn't him, maybe it is you. A third commercial will come on for Life Lite, which is some windshield replacement service. Again a woman is on there saying that she had a chip in her windshield and she left it go, blah blah blah, and eventually while on a drive the window cracked beyond repair and she had to call for roadside assistance. Then the Life Lite rep comes on as says they can fix most windshields and chips that are the size of a quarter or smaller they can often fix without replacing the windshield but by shooting resin into the chip, to which I say that I am sure he would like nothing better than to shoot resin into her crack.

Well, the hockey game is underway, woohoo. I should get my lunch out of my backpack. I took a sandwich and chips to work, but never had a chance to eat them, so I brought them home before management stored them away with the sugar, only to never be seen again. I grabbed some lunch and a Sunday paper to read on the bus, since I was stupid enough to leave my book at work yesterday, If I grab a Sunday paper, I usually focus on the sports page (the Pirates lost again, my dream is alive for another losing season), the editorial section and the crossword puzzles. I got a decent portion of the Chicago Tribune puzzle done on the bus, I didn't even try the New York Times puzzle, I know my limitations.

I did finish the Dice City Roller badge last night in Pogo, that took quite a while, much longer than I would have liked. At least I like that game, so it wasn't a complete pain in the backside. I still haven't done my personal, I may just pass on it this week, I am liking golf solitaire too much right now to play a game I most likely won't enjoy just for the sake of a badge. Besides, I want the special badge for a perfect game, a most elusive badge which is why I want it so much. If I were to win it, I would replace the 100 badge from Super Dominoes and my favorite badge.

Well, while I played around with some other things including the blog, the first period of the hockey game has come and gone, and it is scoreless after one.

I do have an Asshat to get out of the way, it is a much coveted title given the number of suggestions I received, but alas, the winner is not one of the suggestions this week. The winner is in fact Tony Zirkle. Tony is a Republican candidate for Congress in Indiana's 2nd District, a long shot to win, but he is running nonetheless as he has every right to do. One of the claims of his campaign is that he will go anywhere and speak to any group. That meant Tony found himself at a speaking engagement on April 20th of this year, sponsored by the Nationalist Socialist Workers Party. Why the date April 20th is important is that it is Adolph Hitler's birthday, so yes, Mr. Zirkle was speaking to a bunch of socialists who had him in as part of their Hitler birthday celebration. I'm sorry but when, in order to get a couple of votes you are going to join the Hitler cake and ice cream set, then yes my friend, you are an Asshat.

While I am continuing with my disjointed blog that has been all over the place, I go back to the Joe Random entry from earlier. I was worried that Joe would get sent back to the minors once the starting third baseman came off of the disabled list, but checking the starting lineups, I will be moved back to my natural position of first base, and occasionally I will be the designated hitter, but for the time being I am not scheduled to be demoted, which is cool with me.

And since I am updating stuff I already updated, the hockey game is now Pittsburgh 2-0 in the second period, with a power play goal by Marian Hossa and an even strength goal by Evgeni Malkin.

More updates from previous info, another .46 to the change meter, so we have a new total of $36.35 and we bid the $35 mark adieu.

I coined a new term last night at work, after finding that the pizza I had for lunch was not necessarily agreeing with me, and least part of me, I termed my subsequent emissions farticulate matter.

The second period is over and the Penguins lead 2-0. A win and they make the Eastern Conference Finals against Philadelphia, a loss and they go back to New York for game 6. Regardless of result, the video will be posted as soon as the NHl makes it available.

The third period starts and the Rangers score two quick goals and the score is tied 2-2. 

The third period ends with no more scoring so it is still teid 2-2, but the Penguins will start the first overtime period with 2:41 powerplay time, as they drew a double minor late in the thrid period but couldn't capitalize before the final whistle.

I will say this, this game has certainly bee nervewracking, what with ever rush up or down the ice could be the determing factor between the Conference finals or a game 6. 

While we wait for the overtime period to get underway, I will ordre dinner, chicken lo mein, beef teriyaki skewers and wonton soup.  Damn I spoil myself sometimes.  If I weren't single I would have to spoil two people, and that just seems like too much work. 

Well, overtime is underway and this is coming dangerously close to being a glog though that was never the intent. 

The powerplay to start the OT period results in no goal, so we play on.  Better than 5 minutes into the overtime, the Rangers have yet to register a shot in this period, mind you, it only takes one. 

Marian Hossa gets the gamewinner in OT and the Penguins win and it is onto the Conference Finals against Philadelphia.  Anyone who complained that getting Marian Hossa at the trading deadline was a bad move can stop complaining right about........now.  Hossa scores at the 7:10 mark of the overtime period, and the Rangers fail to register a single shot in the extra period and for the game get out shot 40-22.

And as I type that final bit of stuff the Chinese food has arrived.  Dinner is served and all that jazz.

So are we sick of my rambling yet? I know I am and since I still have to spell check this disaster and add the Zirkle photo, I think we will call it a blog.