Summertime

Summertime is rapidly approaching and my schedule is rapidly filling up. I don't want this summer to pass me by without enjoying it. The way things are shaping up right now, that's looking like what could happen if I'm not careful. I need to set up some summertime goals. Something to work and look forward to.

- First of all I would like to lose 30 lbs or more by Fall. I need to lose more than that, but I think that's a sensible goal for the amount of time. I've been eating out less, but still I'm eating out and that kills any progress I make. My main reason for eating out is convenience though. When I run out of food in the house, it's more time effective to run to McDonalds than to the grocery store and then cook something when I get back. I think Saturday mornings will be my weekly store trip and if I can keep to that schedule, then I should be able to do OK in the weight loss department.

- Play 20 rounds of golf (at least). I love golf and haven't played much at all the past few years. I've had some physical problems that have prevented me in the past. Mostly it was back pain, but that has since subsided and rarely do I feel "down in my back". I've also struggled with elbow tendonitis this past year, but I don't think that will affect my golf game. And of course, there are my terrible knees. Goal #1 will help with this problem, but I do need at least one knee replaced if not both. Years of supporting my big ass has taken a toll on them. But I can cope right now because I'm only 30 years old, but in 10 years who knows. Since I can cope, I've never let my knees be an excuse for not playing golf and the exercise will be good for me anyway. There used to be a time when I played 20 rounds a month.

- Have the best looking yard in the neighborhood. Right now it's the worst looking yard. But that's just because every day I've been home with time to mow and trim, it has rained. But I'm going to work a lot on the landscaping around the yard and then with the hugeness of the yard, it will look awesome.

- Be tan. I spend so much time inside these days, I feel like a hermit. When I'm at work, I'm couped up at a desk with only a window to see the outside world and all its activities. When I get home, I usually prop up in front of the computer with MLB.tv and watch a ball game. I have an awesome place to entertain friends. I have a grill, a huge patio/deck/porch thingy, plenty of parking, just outside of town limits, and only a handful of houses within noise pollution range of my house. It's an awesome place to hang out. Now that it's all semi-fixed up, I have no problem with my friends coming over and hanging out. I plan on having some cookouts, some chillouts, maybe a bonfire or something. I just need to be outside more. These outdoor activities along with the yard work and the golf should make me a nice crispy brown by July/August.

- Attend many many baseball/softball games. I will be buying Princeton Rays season tix this summer and attending most home games. I love baseball and I didn't get to catch many games last year. My friends also play a fair amount of softball tournaments. Although not as good as baseball, it's fun to watch. I really would love to play, but I'm in no physical condition at this point to do that. I used to play baseball from the time I was 5 until I was 16. I made the all-star team from age 9 through age 16 every year. I was good. Then I became a teenager and gave it all up. I haven't hit a baseball since. Now that I'm old, I see what a mistake that was and really regret that decision. This year, I will just watch, but who knows? Maybe next year I can play again.

I guess overall I just want to do what people are supposed to do during summer...enjoy it.

Who is Mike D'Antoni?

Saturday, my Uncle in Mullens had a cookout for his daughter and step-daughter's college graduations. My mother was also having a birthday, so it was sort of a birthday cookout, mother's day cookout for all the mom's in attendance. I don't look forward to these events because the only thing that makes some of my family happy is sitting around talking shit about other family members. That's why I'm not a big family guy. My parents are good people as well as some of my aunts, uncles, and cousins, but the rest I can do without.

So we did our thing and had hamburgers and hotdogs. The highlight of my day was playing Cornhole (a game similar to horshoes, but instead of a peg and horseshoes, you use bean bags a little larger than your hand and try to throw them into a hole in a wooden box. It's a very old school, carny'ish type game, but fun for the competition aspect. You'd think I was the only person in my family to ever place a wager though. I couldn't get anyone to play for money despite the fact that I sucked major donkey balls at the game.

As the sun went down, some of the family was leaving, but others were preparing for the big Dogwood festival in Mullens. I was not pumped up for this. Mullens is a dead coal mining town with maybe a couple hundred people in it. It was almost completely wiped out several years back by flooding, yet these few hundred people refused to listen to mother nature's warnings and rebuilt their homes. I pretty much despise the town because I despise the ethics and politics involved with coal mining. This is a coal mining town. But it's where my parents and such grew up, so it's home to them. I can respect that.

The Dogwood festival is where they close off a few streets, put up some crappy rides and sell overpriced food every 50 feet. There was a concert which had a crappy band singing cover songs of other crappy bands.

So, we're walking around and this one dude seems to be getting a lot of attention. He is really chummy with my drunk uncle. The family gathers around and talks to him. I have no earthly clue who the guy is. He's probably in his 50's, and very clean looking. Then I heard this come out of his mouth:

"I took the job with the Knicks."

When I heard that my ears perked up. What kind of job was he talking about? I get interested whenever I hear anyone talk about jobs in sports because I'm looking to get my feet in the door with the MLB. So, after a little more eaves dropping, I figured out that this guy was Mike D'Antoni... former Phoenix Suns and new New York Knicks head coach. Hah! I had no clue he was from small town WV.

D'Antoni was at the festival with his father. They had evidently walked down to the festival. However, my (drunk) uncle ended up giving them a ride home from the festival in his WVU themed battery powered golf cart.

Sports betting

This summer, I'm going to do an experiment. I'm going to deposit $100 and do $1 bets on baseball games. I don't expect much to come out of it, but I will gamble away $100 doing something else. At least this will take a while to donk off completely. Who knows, I might have enough insight to beat those pesky oddsmakers.

LOL

Super Bowl Blahday

The Super Bowl is kind of ghey when you don't care who wins. I was rooting for the Patriots because I would have liked to have seen the 19-0 before I die. I was also rooting for the Giants because Ahmad Bradshaw is from the next town over. I've hung out in the same places as this guy. How cool is that? Not very cool.

I'm not big on the commercials, but the lizards dancing to Thriller was pretty entertaining. I spent some of the football game channel surfing. For some damn reason I decided to cook fudge with 2 minutes left to go in the game. So I caught all of the excitement out of the corner of my eye. The fudge was excellent though.

I thought the new episode of House was sub-par at best. It was like it was rushed or something. I'm no expert, I just didn't think it lived up to House standards. I finished that episode and went to bed...fairly early for a Super Bowl Sunday I might add.

Tonight, I plan on playing some poker. I have that wave of motivation to play now. Probably because I had a losing session yesterday.

Making UFC fun to watch

I'm off to watch the fights

*Edit*

Tyson Griffin #1. Me 1 Bodog 0.

*10:43*

I doubled up my bet on Brock Lesner. Go Lesner go go!



*10:49*

I don't want to go out with money in my Bodog account. We can't have that! So I laid the rest of my money on Tim Sylvia ($7.50 to win $9.75).

*11:41*

Brock Lesner is a pussy. Fuck UFC.

*12:17*

Tim Sylvia is a pussy. Fuck UFC.

Never Ever Count Them Out!

It all started in early December. I was so excited driving back home from Charlottesville, VA. I was noticeably nervous. Why was that? WVU was playing a game that, if they won, would take them to the BCS Championship game against Ohio State. All they had to do was beat Pitt at home. Pitt was a big underdog, but on that night, whipped up on WVU like it was their job. They outplayed and outcoached my favorite team on the planet. It was a crushing blow to not only the WVU team but the whole state. Ever hear a bar full of aggressive drunks stay completely silent for a half hour? I did on that night.

Then it got worse after that. Our beloved coach, Rich Rodriguez, in one day turned an entire state against him. He gave up the real blue and gold for the "dream" job of coaching the sub-par Michigan Wolverines. And just like that, the man that an entire state loved, and just a year before had the Governor of the state rally up some money to keep him coaching left the team high and dry for greener pastures. Thank you Mr. Rodriguez for that. You gave us an opportunity to prove our strength. The team could have given up after that. I know the country gave up on WVU and most of the state of West Virginia gave up on them.

In the days following Rich Rodriguez's escape to Michigan, there was a somber mood throughout our state. We were riding high just a few weeks ago. Now everyone was moping around with their heads hanging. We had no coach. We had no national title shot. The season was over as far as everyone was concerned. I tried to keep reminding my friends that Rodriguez hadn't scored a touchdown all year long. What makes him so special? Sure he developed this spread offense, but that's pretty much the extent of it. Teams caught on after 2 years and he refused to mix up the play calling. Coach Rodriguez was overrated in my book. When you look at top College Football coaches in history, his name isn't nowhere near that list.

In the time leading up to the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma, WVU was all but counted out. "Why even make the trip to Arizona?" I had one WVU "fan" ask me. Are you kidding me? I then started asking around. My friends all said we didn't stand a chance. Everyone I asked had counted WVU out and had pretty much given up on the season. Nobody was excited for the upcoming bowl game. "It's a BCS Bowl for God's sake!" I exclaimed. We are special for achieving such an honor!

Yesterday, I started feeling those nerves creep up on me again. I went to the bowling alley last night, but didn't bowl (strained forearm muscle). As I spectated, I got noticeably fidgety and couldn't sit still. I had to go dump some money in the slot machines to ease the nerves and take my mind off the game. Why do I love WVU so much and get so worked up for their games? I didn't go to the school. I'm a West Virginian and like it or not WVU is the pride of West Virginia in my eyes. I love West Virginia and I love WVU football. That's why!

Come gametime, I was getting excited on every play. Clapping, yelling, jumping up and down. I was a FAN! I soon realized I couldn't be around all these people and properly watch the game. I needed to be in the comforts of my own home to thoroughly enjoy it. The score was 6-0 when I left. By the time I got home it was 13-3. 10 point leads are nothing in college football and I didn't want to do anything to jinx it. During that game, I was screaming, yelling, dancing, calling all my friends. It was a blast. When Devine ran that last 65 yard TD, I actually stood up from the couch and leaped my coffee table. I'm too fat to be doing that shit! But I did it without even realizing it.

When all was said and done, I felt like I had done 12 rounds with Ali. That's when the emotions took over. I watched Owen Schmitt make his last interview in a WVU uniform. I watched the whole team embrace interim coach (and hopefully new coach) Bill Stewart and carry him onto the field. I watched Pat White give his interview and pretty much hire Bill Stewart on the spot. I cried.

After the roller coaster ride this state has been put through over the past few weeks, the only thing I can add is this:

Hi Ho Hi Ho...blah blah

It's back to work for the new year. The good news is that I don't have to work the phone for the rest of the week and listen to all the bitchy customers complain about having to close their year. The bad news is that I still have a load of work to do before next week when I head to Charlotte, NC for a business trip. The week after that I'll be in Winston Salem, NC. I think that's all the trips that are officially planned for right now, but I'm sure more will come up.

I spent the remainder of last night vegging out. I was dog tried from the lack of sleep the night before. I spent my time watching some of The Sopranos final episodes and watching UGA whoop the overrated Hawaii whatever the fuck they are... Warriors?. I also watched a bit of Iron Chef America on the food channel. I love that show. It's my favorite show on the network. I probably wouldn't dare eat 75% of the stuff they cook, but you gotta give it to these chefs. They are good. Last night they were cooking with rabbit.

I had intensions of playing more poker last night, but I decided to do something that I resolved to do this year... sleep. I ended up going to bed before 11:00 p.m. and it really helped when I got up this morning. I had a little bounce in my step and wasn't the irritable bastard I usually am when I go to work. I am pretty tired now though just because I've been working my butt off this morning. I'll take a break here in a few minutes and get me some lunch.

This brings me to my next thing. The healthy kick. I know every mouth breather in America promises to lose weight every New Year and probably 1% of the population actually follows through. I forgot to actually make a lunch this morning, so I'm stuck here with nothing to eat but fast food. I'll go to Subway for lunch, but I need to start bringing my lunches with me. Subway gets expensive every day. I don't think you can get a single combo on the menu for under $6. I'd rather spend that money on something else. I did remember to weigh myself this morning. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that I was 11 pounds lighter than the last time I weighed. The most astonishing thing about this was the last time I weighed was prior to Thanksgiving. So that's -11 pounds through the Holidays without even dieting. The biggest reason I can think of is that I have been eating more homecooked stuff and very minimal fast food. Now when I cook, I don't cook fat free shit. I use real butter and cheese and all the stuff that recipes call for. But I dont really make anything unhealthy. Most of the time, it's chicken or steak and a salad or something. However, I have made several desserts. Another contribuation to the -11 pounds would have to be my drinking less soda. Even diet soda. Yesterday, I limited myself to 2 sodas (24 oz) the entire day. THe rest of the time, it was water. Usually I drink diet soda. The real reason I was limiting myself was I wanted to regulate my caffeine intake so I can sleep better at night.

The -11 lbs is as much as a motivational factor as anything to get me started on losing weight this year. However, weight loss isn't my only goal. I want to be more healthy overall. This includes everything from stamina to blood sugar. I really need to incorporate an exercise routine into my schedule soon.

Tonight is bowling night. Also it's Fiesta bowl night. I'll be at the bowling alley most of the evening bowling and then watching WVU whoop up on Oklahoma. So no poker for me tonight.