Cruising, part 7

I got back on the ship and practically floated up to the seventh deck. I promptly ordered a pina colada, a real one with rum this time. After doing the Jets chant from the ship's deck, I took a few minutes to unwind. I stood on the upper deck and snapped photos of the bright orange sunset, the white sailboats floating on the sparkling blue water, and the large crowd of people gathering on the pier. I headed back to my room and changed into a green Jets polo shirt. In the bar, I passed one young guy in a Patriots jersey. All I could do was laugh. We chatted for a minute and I tried to be respectful. My last words to him were "I hope we see you in the playoffs." I played trivia, but bombed it. I guess I should have known sake was made from rice, the pasta whose name means "little turnips" is ravioli, and tennis balls have no stiches.

 

Dinner was a little sad. Half our group didn't show up, so it felt a little empty. I enjoyed my arancini, tiger shrimp, and New York strip steak though. I tried a sugar free strawberries Romanoff...and I will never eat a sugar free dessert again.

 

From there, it was back to the large theater for one more show, called Boogie Wonderland. It was more dancing and 70s music, mostly R&B. A lot of Commodores, Abba, and Marvin Gaye. After that was over Carlos, the tour director, had a presentation to thank the entire cruise staff. He also did a countdown: the top ten questions asked on tour. There were such gems as "Is this island completely surrounded by water?" and "Does the ship generate its own electricity?"

 

There wasn't a whole lot going on for the final evening, so I headed next door into schooner to watch the Giants and Vikings Sunday night game. Never mind the Giants were already done because...you can't spell eliminated without E-L-I.

 

They also did Michael Jackson trivia in that bar, which I'm glad I didn't do. Of the 14 songs, I would have known maybe 5. As I listened to the song clips it struck me how creative and weird a lot of his music sounded! After that, I went back to the lobby area for the finale disco party. I watched above from the stairs but couldn't really dance with my injury. The male staff dressed like the Village People, which was pretty funny. After that was over, I decided I had enough and I just went into my room for the night and packed my bags. I could have gone to see the same comedian, but just didn't have interest.

 

None of my devices charged overnight. We had two outlets in the whole room and they were positioned right on top of each other, right above the light switch. So when I plugged my larger portable charger in, it would usually turn the lights on! It just shows how antiquated the ship is getting. Oh and when our bill arrived, we got a $35 mini bar charge. And we didn't use a single item! So now we have to work on getting that reversed.

 

Immigration went pretty smoothly. We caught a cab for $27 back to the airport. The Miami airport makes Chicago look easy. It's packed, the drop off area gets totally congested because people can park and wait. We made our first flight, though the plane was delayed an hour because we didn't have enough snack packs. No, seriously. Then, we had our three and a half hour flight to Chicago. And everything seemed to be going pretty smoothly. They announced our baggage claim, asked the flight attendants to prepare for landing, and all of that.

 

All the sudden, they stopped making announcements. A few minutes later, the pilot comes on and explains that the runways are iced in Chicago and they can't clear them. So they were going to put us in a holding pattern and if they couldn't get the runway clear, they would have to reroute us. So after about 30 minutes, we wound up getting rerouted to Minneapolis/St. Paul.

 

We landed in Minnesota and were told this would only take about 30 minutes it was a fuel and go. So they asked nobody to leave the plane because the terminal was not equipped to handle all the people that were on the airplane. We had about 170 passengers and there were 7 people in each row with two aisles. So this was a pretty large plane. Eventually some people did get off. And I noticed for a while that there wasn't any fuel going on the plane and that the people who had left including my mother, weren't coming back on. It turns out that they would not allow the passengers to reboard from the terminal.

 

Eventually they had two supervisors come on board and make sure everybody was sitting in the same spot where they had been And we wound up staying in Minneapolis for about 3 hours. There's a small window where we could get it to Chicago so we left. Now I knew the flight from Chicago to Minneapolis takes about an hour. But this flight was taking a little bit longer. However, we did land in Chicago. They announced afterwards that they nearly had to reroute us a second time, but this was going to be to St. Louis. But we had landed so we figured everything was good.

 

Then we sat on the runway, because there wasn't a gate that could handle our sized aircraft. That turned into two more hours of waiting. Finally we got a gate. Of course, we had to wait another 15 mins for the jet bridge to be driven to us. After getting our luggage and car, we got home about 11 pm, over eight hours later than expected.

 

We went from 85 degrees and sunny to 30 degrees, cloudy and windy. Nice to be home...I think.

Cruising, part 6

My ankle and foot are still in a lot of pain 24 hours later. And even though I wonder what's going on it is rather relaxing to not have social media access or the ability to follow news and sports scores.

 

After choosing salmon for dinner, we went to see a comedian, who was pretty good. Definitely from New York, he had a lot of energy. He did a lot of impressions. After a little while, we went to the Love and Marriage game show. There was a couple married two months, one married 12 years, and another married 36 years. The middle couple stole the show. She was a total alpha female, vivacious, perky, and outgoing. This guy was a total nerd, I'm sorry, but he was so awkward. One of the questions was the infamous "Where's the weirdest place you have ever made whoopee?" With his kids in the crowd, this guy, Eric, says, "Did we have to finish the act?"

 

Another great one was what things could you make bigger and smaller on your wife. Chris, the newlywed said he'd make his wife's blue eyes bigger and her problems smaller. Good answer, smooth talker. Steve, married 36 years and looking like Rex Ryan, said he'd make his wife's boobs bigger and ass smaller. No shame! And Eric...After about two minutes of hesitating said he'd make Tara's calf muscles bigger and breasts smaller. She just looked at him in disbelief like, "Who the hell did I marry?" This game show definitely produced the hardest laughs of the trip.

 

Then we went to the Spectrum lounge for the battle of the sexes. There were competitions like holding a keychain in your butt, walking a few steps, and doing it in a plastic cup. Then there was blowing up balloons and pooping it five different ways, such as back to back and laying down. Just total silliness. And yes, I would have gotten involved if I could have walked normally.

 

Right after that came the Quest game, which is definitely adult oriented. There were maybe 30 teams and teams had to answer these very unusual requests. It started with five cents in pennies, very tame. There was everything from a woman with a body piercing besides her face and ears, a man dancing in woman's shoes, a woman doing the worm, a lesson with an entire set of false teeth, a man and woman sharing pants, and a man with three bras on his head. The last one was taking three minutes to dress a man up as the best looking woman possible. So we had 35 guys in basic drag showing off their best moves. Insane.

 

I woke up on Sunday, still in some pain. I needed to limit time on my feet. So of course, that was the day we're going to Key West. And we're delayed an hour due to wind conditions, plus we all had to go through immigration before we even depart the boat.

 

We got off the ship around noon. As I walked onto the pier, I noticed a lot of palm trees, a lot of small, newer looking shops, and plenty of heat and blue sky. We had tickets for the conch train, which is a narrated street train tour of the island. It lasted about an hour and there were just three stops. I think the old town trolley would have been a better bet; that one had eleven stops. Plus, our driver was not exactly what I would call skilled. He spoke really fast and he admonished people over the loudspeaker when they were talking. He also said cell phones should only be used in case of emergencies. Not exactly a people person.

 

Key West itself felt a lot like a tropical version of a coastal New England town. Very little space, a lot of small houses crammed in, no parking to speak of. Oh yes, and plenty of disgusting patriots fans. More on that later. Unfortunately, there were also a lot of rainbow flags, which couldn't turn me off more.

 

After getting off the train, I went into cvs for a bottle of ibuprofen. I immediately took two and though the pain subsided a little bit, I can't say I was ever pain free. We walked down Duval St, which is the main drag in Key West, stopping at Carolines. The Key West lemonade was delicious, it had orange vodka, key lime vodka, pineapple juice, lemonade, and a splash of cranberry. And we split peel n eat shrimp and conch fritters. Really good food. That was where I encountered my first patriots fan, a pretty obnoxious arrogant jerk. That's pretty much 95% of that fanbase. I felt it getting heated so I just ignored him. He said to his wife I had to be a bears or rams fan...which would make no sense at all. Enough about him. Actually be was the second, the first was the bartender at the "World's Smallest Bar." I just walked by, shook my head at her, and shouted "Go Jets." I also saw the famous Sloppy Joe's bar, which was packed as well.

 

We went down Duval about eight blocks to Kermit's, which is known for their key lime pie. I tend to be a little skeptical of them, as they're usually too sweet or too tart. This one had a great balance of both and the Graham cracker crust was nicely spiced too. Definitely one of the two or three best key lime pies I've ever had.

 

We did done more waking and even found a sports bar with two Patriots flags hanging outside. I don't know, but apparently a lot of this douchebags from New England go to Key West!

Mom was getting a little overheated so we caught a conch train for the rest of our ride. Of course, it was the same driver. We passed the Ernest Hemingway house and the Southernmost point in the USA, both of which were absolutely packed. I would have liked to have taken some better pictures, but that just wasn't happening.

 

My foot started to bother me again, so though we headed to a few more shops, I just needed to sit and have a drink. Mom began walking towards the ship and I just wasn't ready to go back on. Neither was she. But I decided to walk to a bar and catch the end of the Jets Patriots game. There were eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Jets were up by seven points. I figured I'd try to catch the end. I limped over to Hogs Breath, a total dive with tons of license plates on the wall. Apparently mom used to go there with my prick of an ex-stepfather back in the day. I drank a local brew and saw New England tie the game, sending it to overtime. But despite the Jets offense betting unable to do anything in the fourth quarter, there was good news. Pittsburgh did somehow lose to a depleted Baltimore team, which put destiny right back in the hands of the Jets. So my heart was pounding by now, side I also knew I only had a half hour to get back to my ship. Then the ace of the patriots special teams, Matthew Slater, decided to kick the ball to the Jets to start overtime. The Jets promptly drove down the field, with long pass plays to Quincy Enunwa and the great Brandon Marshall. Then came the game winning touchdown, a six yard arching fade pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Eric Decker.

 

Suffice to say I had a few people staring at be when I let out a long primal scream. I did wait a moment, just to make sure there was no penalty flag. I walked out of the bar to the ship, barely feeling any pain in my foot! Shame I didn't have time to find that Patriots bat and stop in.

Cruising, part 5

So it is Saturday, in the latter part of the afternoon and the sun will be going down soon. I'm back on the public balcony, which is on my deck, overlooking the navy blue water. Far to my right is CoCo Kay, a private island for Royal Caribbean cruisers. That's where I spent most of my day today and it has been pretty memorable.

 

After loading up on eggs, bacon, fruit, and cornmeal biscuits in the Windjammer, we headed to the bottom of the boat to make our way to Coco Kay. We got there early around 8:30 and we had an hour wait before our snorkeling excursion in what is called Stingray city. We explored the small island and noticed the bright pops of color on every building. Showers, food stands, bathrooms, athletic facilities, plenty of lounge chairs, hammocks, jetskis, etc. I was especially happy to finally see some hammocks for the first time all trip. And I even saw an iguana and a few wild roosters too.

 

We went snorkeling with about 20 people. We gathered up in a speed boat and headed on a rocky journey about ten minutes off shore. We stopped near a fenced in area that was shaped like a triangle. There was just a tiny dock for us to get set up on. They gave us a mask and snorkel. The fenced in area was only around four feet deep. Within minutes, stingrays were all around us. I freaked out, I guess I watched the movie "Piranha" one too many times. I tried to stay calm but I just wasn't holding or feeding the guys. I did pet one and it felt like a wet mushroom.

 

There are actually 41 stingrays in the pool, one male and 40 female. Lucky guy, I guess! And the females grow as large as five feet in diameter. When one of them brushed up against my hip, yeah, I could have passed out. It wasn't what I expected, but it was cool to do one time.

 

We headed back to the island after 45 minutes and I laid in a lounge chair for a bit before the barbecue. And what a barbecue it was. Burgers, jerk chicken, ribs, hot dogs, Mac and cheese, Cole slaw, salads, beans and rice. It was loaded. And so was I after two plates.

 

I walked over to the activity area, where they have a big inflatable water slide and the beach soccer and volleyball courts. A few folks were kicking a ball around and I joined in. Now I haven't played soccer in maybe ten years. I have no fancy footwork skills, now or then.  But I can defend and, obviously, I don't play half ass.

 

Before long, we had ten players. We had people from the USA, Colombia, Mexico, Zimbabwe, and who knows where else. I played defense. I went against some good players and did well for a while until I started to get tired. Eventually we got to 8 on 8 on that little court.

 

There was a really cute Latin girl who I talked with a little during the game. I expected her to have an accent, but she didn't. She actually played division 1 soccer recently in California and she had some mad soccer skills. I even set her up for a goal, which was pretty cool. Sadly, I lost track of her shortly after the game.
 

After we were done, my left ankle was hurting and I had a little trouble walking. I blocked a lot of hard kicks and I had been kicked in the ankles a lot. I was just spent. I needed to take a shower, use the bathroom, grab a drink, jump in the ocean, and sleep all at once. Mom was already gone so I was on my own.
 

At one of the bars, I drank a Bahama Mama, with coconut rum and orange and pineapple juices. They gave me a cup of ice and I must have looked ridiculous trying to ice my ankles and feet. I went to the first aid station and they had no ice packs. I was just befuddled. Probably the only civilized first aid station without ice.

 

So I jumped in the water for a bit, before taking a quick outdoor shower. Then, I just left the island on the boat to head back to the ship. I struggled up the steps, but got to my room where I changed clothes, grabbed a Coke, and headed to the balcony to reflect and blog. And just two minutes ago, the sunset appeared to my right. It's hard to imagine life getting more relaxing and free that. The hard part though? Replicating a feeling like this in Chicago.

Cruising, part 4

Before we went to dinner, up my mother decided that it really did not make sense to keep our beverage package. We have to spend $42 day and we can only spend $8 per glass wine. Per person that takes about 6 or 7 drinks today to equate for the beverage package price. Thankfully, we were able to get them cancel. And I have to say it's giving me a sense of freedom, that I don't have to drink a certain amount of liquor each day.

 

Dinner was great again with our six friends. They have great life stories and enjoy a good laugh. Once we finished, we headed straight to A Chorus Line theater to watch a Broadway show of 60's and 70's rock n roll music. There was a lot of Bee Gees, Ray Charles, Janet Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Tina Turner.

 

After that, I went right into Boleros, which is the Latin themed club. I listened to a band party dance music and classic rock and roll for a while. I drank probably about three glasses of cabernet. I even saw an attractive, tall brunette whom I had seen the previous night that appeared to be with her family. When they had left her alone the first night, I walked up to her, but she told me that she didn't speak English. Now I don't know if it was true or because she just wanted me to go away. I decided not to go up to her this time.

 

Then I headed straight to the pool area for the pool party. They encouraged people to wear white, so I had my white linen shirt on. The staff was leading all kind of dances on the edge of the pool. I was just hoping nobody would slip and fall in. We did a conga line and this girl was trying to hold on to me. But I felt her pulling on my shirt and I was just hoping she wouldn't stretch or even rip it! I danced for maybe an hour and had a great time. Once the floor became flooded with teenagers early 20-somethings, and they were just playing current dance mixes, that was my cue to leave.

Cruising, part 3

So I woke up around 7:15 on Christmas morning. We went to breakfast, had some granola, some eggs, and some inedible turkey sausage. Not incredible, it was inedible.

While we were eating, we docked in Nassau, in the Bahamas. We went to a Sunday morning non denominational service with Father Dennis. There were only eight people there total, including mom and I. Strangely there were maybe 300 people at midnight mass. We sang "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "Silent Night." I requested the latter. It was very simple, but very nice and intimate. Certainly different than the 7,000 people at Willow Creek!

We got off the ship and started walking around a little bit. It's a very tightly crammed area and this island is all about tourism. All they're trained to do is sell you stuff and make money, because I guess that's how they keep surviving. A lot of people got off to go to Atlantis, which is a pretty famous water park. But the excursion from the boat to Atlantis cost $189 per person which seemed absolutely ridiculous.

We checked out a couple of tourist shops and a beach or two and I don't think it's a place I'd want to stay in the future. I did buy a beaded necklace in the Straw market. It was mostly white with trimmings of orange and royal blue. It just made me laugh, because it will go perfectly with my Mets stuff.

Apparently, there was a big parade going in that day because they had bleachers set up down the main streets. We went back to the ship and hung out by the pool for a couple of hours, getting lunch during that time. After tanning a while, I jumped into the water, and as I came up it was maybe the saltiest water I've ever tasted. Even saltier than the Atlantic Ocean! Safe to say, I did not go back under water.

I checked out the Compass deli, with no plans of eating. Little did I ever expect them to be carving roast beef for sandwiches. So yes, I had one, though I think the dark brown gravy they put on and I did not ask for hurt my stomach. So then I headed to the balcony and fell asleep. Then it was off to the gym for thirty minutes on the treadmill. I have no idea how far I ran because the treadmills track in kilometers, and not miles. I lifted a few weights and called it a workout. The water fountain barely got any water out, which was really frustrating. Why they can't install a jug, I have no idea. So sweating profusely, I power walked to the bar and began guzzling tap water. I probably went through six or seven glasses.

One thing I'm realizing is that as much as I'm trying to forget about the clock and about time, its very hard for me to just let go of thinking about the time. I tend to be pretty organized, and it's just difficult for me to get out of that Monday. I just like to plan stuff and I like to plan what events I am going to, even when I'm on a cruise.

Cruising, part 2

For dinner, we were assigned with three other groups of two. There were married couples from Raleigh and Philadelphia and two female friends from Denver. The company was enjoyable since one of the women was a former American Airlines employee and one of the couples lives in Raleigh, which we used to live in as well. I had a spinach salad, a mojo marinated pork chop with sweet potatoes, and for dessert, peach and blueberry crumble with vanilla ice cream. The food was really good but I really enjoyed the conversation as well. We're going to be eating with these folks the next couple of dinners, so I'm happy that it worked out so well.

From there, we went into the central lobby area where a band was playing rhythm and blues music. Then, they had a little girl light up the Christmas tree in the lobby. It wasn't the biggest tree ever, but still nice to see all the lights come up at once.

Then they asked for contestants for a game called "Finish that lyric." I volunteered to go up hoping that there would be older music, and not current pop hits. There were nine other contestants besides me and I really wasn't feeling overly confident. But in the practice round, I got a Bee Gees song, so I knew I was in good shape. I survived the first round by answering an Elton John song, while six people got eliminated. Then I survived the second round as I got a Jimi Hendrix song right. They said it would be harder, but they gave me "excuse me while I kiss the sky," from Purple Haze. Only one of the most famous lyrics ever.

In the finals, there were just two players left: myself and a guy from Michigan. He got lyrics from Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville and couldn't get it right, so I was declared the winner. For fun, they gave me another song, a Temptations song that I knew a little, but I couldn't quite get. For my efforts, I got a keychain, a lanyard, and a big rectangular magnet. Truth be told, there are a lot of songs given that I would have missed. At the end of the day, I just got lucky.

I accepted a few congratulations, then just killed a little bit of time. I went to a Christmas concert, also in the lobby. It only lasted thirty minutes. I was really hoping for more. The band had a full horn section and the four singers were really talented too.

The staff decided to schedule an adult party at the same time and in the same room as the singles get together. It felt like a loud club with a lot of crazy laser lights and a lot of thumping music and an incredible amount of awkwardness. I had one non alcoholic tropical sunrise beverage, but after maybe 15 minutes, I was ready to go. I went back to the room and slept on the rock that was supposed to be my bed. As usual when I sleep on a new bed, I think it took two or three hours for me to fall asleep.

Cruising, part 1

So we woke up at 1:30 a.m. and were out of the house at 2:15. I was going off about 3 hours sleep, so suffice to say I was not feeling happy, alert, and alive immediately. We got to the parking facility around 3 and while it wasn't cold, the wind was just oppressively strong.

We got to the terminal just as security was opening up. Thankfully with mom's employee ID, we slipped the entire line. The odds of us making the five am flight to Miami were a little bit against us. Well, not only did we get on, but they upgraded us to first class seats. I know first class isn't what it was, but I like not having to share my arm rest. I sat next to a guy who was going to Quito, Ecuador, he must have been in his sixties. So I talked about my mission trip there about 11 years ago. He was a little slow, but he's a guy who lives to travel and that's pretty cool.

Without much to do in the Miami Airport, we just went straight to the port. I didn't realize that this place would actually be like an airport with the cell phone lot, terminals, and pick up etc. After paging through security and about three check in points, we got on the boat. The first thing we did was purchase a beverage package, since we were basically posted to do so. We went for the one with beer and cheap wine, but no hard liquor. More on that later.

But the Christmas decorations inside really stuck out. There was a reggae band playing Christmas songs. I must say "Joy to the World" sounds a lot different with a steel drum. I saw a really nicely crafted gingerbread house. And they were selling  drinks already, including a few inside pineapples and coconuts. For ten bucks, I passed. We went up to the eleventh deck and had a great buffet lunch. I had carved roast beef with horseradish, mashed potatoes, salad, poppyseed roll, and even a little paella. Really good food.

After walking around the ship and unpacking our bags, I took some time to chill outside by the pool and take pictures of downtown Miami. Actually, let me say a little more about the room. Our room was so ridiculously small, it seriously felt like our bathroom is smaller than it would be in an airplane. And there are two outlets total, one on top of another. The good thing is that it's on the seventh floor, which is where the Boleros bar, conference rooms, and the balcony of the main entertainment venue are as well. Also, we have a public deck to walk on; only two decks out of 12 have that. And being right in the middle of the ship, it doesn't vibrate like it would if if you're on the bottom. Plus, we also have a window even if we don't have balcony to you drink with us.

We left the port around 4:15 and the view leaving Miami was marvelous. I went down the pool side where some folks were dancing to the classic dance pop tracks. I joined in for one or two.

The gym is a mixed bag. They have about 8 treadmills and about 15 exercise bikes, but no ellipticals. Plus, one or two of the weight lifting machines are out of order right now.

For drinks, I've had a beer and a couple of virgin coladas. The cool thing though is my package allows me to drink a couple of different types of red wine. Time for dinner.

Resigned

Well, I am done. After eleven months, tonight was my final shift and I am no longer a regular employee at Gino's East. Feels pretty good. It was nice making some extra money, but it wasn't really enough and I'm glad to have my Saturday nights free again.

Severed

If I choose to be friends with someone, I expect them to be loyal. What that comes down to is I can't be the only one putting any effort in. If I'm the only one making a phone call, sending a text, arranging a time to get together, etc, then I can only assume the other person doesn't really care.

For two years, I thought JC was my friend. I asked him to do different things, including going to Milwaukee on my birthday this past year. He was a fellow Mets fan in Chicago. Sort of. Then I found out he rooted for the Mets and the cubs, which qualifies him as a fraud. Not a big deal, but it confirmed something that I had been noticing in him. He always seemed to be automatically agreeing with anything I would say. It was like taking to a puppet. I could say "hey, it's 90 degrees in December," and he would just nod and say "yeah" in an excited manner. Translation: he lacked a backbone.

Now I knew he was in a running group with a small group of mutual friends, including my ex. But last night, I found out they had gone off Facebook and had started dating. And to see her friends spew the garbage of "She deserved the best, she got the best." I don't know if I should laugh or be disgusted. A real friend would actually tell you that he wanted to date your ex. He wouldn't have you find out through a third party on Facebook. Barring an apology from him, it's safe to say there will never be a reconciliation between us.

Over/under: 3 months. I regret ever spending a nickel on that woman.

Song pick: "Asking Too Much of You" Marshall Tucker Band

Accelerate

Work has picked up tremendously this week. Out of the 50 or so institutions within the family that I work at, our specific school is the second worst with unpaid aid. What that comes down to is students not turning their required documents into our department.

We're getting to the end of the calendar year and we're trying to get as much of that aid to pay as we can. Unfortunately, a lot of these students don't seem to understand that they have a repsonsibility to not just go to class and and do well, but if they want their aid, we need certain documentation.

So what it comes down to is we have to go to their classes, drag them out of class, walk them to our office, give them the document, and watch them fill it out. Meanwhile they're not getting their aid.

It may be a lack of knowledge or a lack of caring. But it's tough when we have this sizable gap to cover and we have to rely on a group of people who aren't proving themselves to be reliable. We have two weeks left. I can't say we have a definitive goal besides doing the best we can.

Song pick: "Sometimes I Cry" Chris Stapleton

Being a single man

It is amazing how hard it is to be a single man. I am at a meetup event right now at Willis Tower with overt a hundred other singles. I don't know who set this gimmick up, I don't know who destined for life to be this way, but it is obvious that the man has to pursue the woman all the time. A man can't be by himself and expect a woman to come anywhere near him. It is solely on the man and that pressure is just absolutely insane.

Even if a man is friends with a girl, and he wants to take it to the next level, it's up to the guy to make the move. And then if it doesn't work, the friendship is likely dead.

And now I look at tonight. I try meetup events for the first time and it is just ridiculous. I had a couple of conversations, but now there are a lot of people here everybody seems to be in conversation with everybody else and I have absolutely nobody to talk to. Most of the time, I am happy to be single, but tonight it absolutely sucks.

When a man is struggling to like himself, it isn't fair to put that kind of pressure on a woman to like them and fill that void. Maybe I'm guilty of it. But I look to the future. Now I'm 34. My prime is likely gone. I will always try to be a better person, but physically, my best years are probably done. Maybe I really AM meant to be by myself for the rest of my life. And if I am, well, I will just try to be as happy as I can.

Nervous

There are a number of memorable oxymorons in the English lanugage. Baby grand, jumbo shrimp, and awesomely bad, for instance. Well, add this one to the list: job security. As I grow older, I realize that there is no such thing. And I realize that since I now finally have a job that I want to keep for a long time, but haven’t completely figured out yet, my fears are resurrecting. After the way Kaplan ripped my heart out in 2014 and College of DuPage mistreated me in 2015, I am dreading to see how this one will end. There is just no way around it. I am terrified that the slightest mistake will get me fired.

I was put in a position to communicate with both a student and a parent today, well before I was ready. I felt totally embarrassed since I knew I didn’t have the answers for them. It took all I had to not burst out hysterical. But I know I spoke faster and any sense of cool I had totally vanished. It was just brutal for me and I feel like I’ve blown everything already. For the most part, at work, people will choose to remember your negative moments and ignore anything good that you do. That’s one reason why I rarely socialize with colleagues and almost never become friends with them on social media. I don’t need them knowing more about my personal life that what I tell them. One day, I could become their manager or they might become my manager. 

Maybe I’m freaking out a little too much. But I’ve experienced loss and I stand to lose a lot if I were to lose this position. After my last two experiences, I’m wondering if I’m meant to work in financial aid. But then again, outside of pathetic sales, financial planning, and insurance jobs, nobody else seems to have any interest in interviewing me. So what is there to do when I’m trapped? Just learn as much as possible and try to survive, I guess. I just wish I could thrive vocationally.

I love you Maggie

I have posted about my cocker spaniel, Maggie, many times over the last year and a half. I had Maggie 17 months, she was 8 or 9 years old when we got her. Long story short, we rescued her from a hard life in Wisconsin two summers ago. Around here, people knew her for her calm demeanor, her sweetness, and her obsession with people food (yeah, a little like me). Sliced turkey, beef, and chicken seemed to be her favorites. She'd lick the plates after we were done eating before putting them in the dishwasher. I remember her sticking out her paw to me when she wanted my attention or petting. She'd drink so much water, but liked ice in her bowl. She  She was ok with taking a bath, but didn't like walking in the heat. She wasn't always comfortable with car rides, but got used to them. 

In the last two weeks, she rarely ate though. In the last few days, she nearly stopped eating and lost a quarter of her body weight. She also started hiding in dark places. We took her to the vet Wednesday and it didn't seem good. The doc didn't have a clear diagnosis, but said it was probably either an infected uterus or a tumor. We gave her pain meds to help her cope. In the last two days, she began panting excessively. After a late night visit to the vet, they took X-rays and there was a massive tumor around her kidney. There was nothing else to be done. They gave her a sedative and then she was calm, but still shaking. We couldn't bear to watch her hurt anymore. So with a lot of tears, we said goodbye around 12:15 this morning. 

I truly dread the quiet and emptiness that the morning will probably bring. My spirit is hurt, but it is, at the same time, grateful.

Maggie, I love and appreciate you so much. I can never thank you enough for your spirit, companionship, and devotion when I was going through some hard times. I pray God will allow me to see you again someday.

Our time together: June 18, 2014-November 14, 2015.

Waiting for the train to leave

So I'm sitting on a train in Ogilvie station in Chicago and it's a Monday night. First week where I'm doing my late night schedule. I'll be working till 7 p.m. on Monday and 8 p.m. on Wednesday. On Tuesday and Thursday, I work until 5:30 and on Friday I work until 5 p.m.

The result is two totally different paces. On the other three days, I find myself rushing from the office a few minutes early just to run fast enough to catch an express train that will get me home about 20 minutes sooner. The train home is totally jammed and it feels incredibly hectic and can be quite stressful.

But on these other two days, everything slows to a grinding halt. It only takes me about 15 minutes to walk from the office to the train. And that leaves me with another 25 minutes of waiting before the train even goes in motion. Toss in over an hour riding on the train and 15 minutes in the car to get home, and it's a very long commute. But I have to say it is kind of peaceful and it's nice that I have a chance to be able to reflect and just relax for a little while.

I can't say this is something I'm really going to enjoy in the long run, especially when the weather turns really, really cold in the next month or two. But this life is kind of enjoyable right now and I think it might work out. At least I hope it will. At this point in my life, I think I've earned the right to be happy at work. I hope God grants me that.

WWE Title Tournament Predictions

I remember when WWE did their title tournament at Survivor Series in 1998. There were several wrestlers who seemed like they could win and there were only a few matches where I was absolutely certain of who would win and who would lose. Fast forward to 2015. Seth Rollins tore his ACL and a new champion will be crowned at Survivor Series. The bracket was just released and I have to say I think WWE did a bad job of booking this bracket.

The Final 4 are an absolute given: Reigns, Ambrose, Del Rio, and Owens. But the selection of wrestlers just has me shaking my head. What are Titus O'Neil and Kalisto doing in it? Jack Swagger, Damien Sandow, and the New Day members didn't deserve a spot? And Cesaro is guaranteed not to advance past the second round, if he even survives Sheamus. The only match I have any question over who will win is Cesaro and Sheamus. And that is a bad job by WWE in terms of establishing credible contenders. Anyway, on to my predictions.

Roman Reigns over Big Show

Cesaro over Sheamus

Alberto Del Rio over Stardust

Ryback over  Kalisto

Kevin Owens over Titus O’Neil

Neville over King Barrett

Dolph Ziggler over The Miz

Dean Ambrose over Tyler Breeze

Roman Reigns over Cesaro

Alberto Del Rio over Ryback

Kevin Owens over Neville

Dean Ambrose over Dolph Ziggler

Roman Reigns over Alberto Del Rio

Dean Ambrose over Kevin Owens

Roman Reigns over Dean Ambrose

NL Champions

I never thought I'd be able to experience that level of euphoria. Well, I got to be there live and in living color. It has been six days since the New York Mets rolled over the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS and won the 2015 National League pennant. As I type this, they are 90 minutes from kicking off Game 1 of the World Series against Kansas City.

Tickets that were going for at least $600 just a few days prior were suddenly available for around $200. I scored one for $140, which I was pretty pleased with. Before the game, I went to the Fifty/50 bar in Wicker Park for a Philly foldover sandwich (not as good as last time, can you guys cook the peppers and onions please?). Then it was the 70 bus east on Division, followed by a 2 mile walk north on Clark St to Country Club, where I met up with about 25 Mets fans. I saw some old friends like Larry and Vic and met some people who came in just for the game, like Brian, Scott, and Chico. I sat in Section 524, right next to the press box. The weather was pretty comfortable, around 50 degrees, unseasonably warm for an October evening in Chicago. And thankfully, I had two Mets fans sitting behind me.

I was incredibly excited, but very focused. I was not about to get cocky; I've been burned too many times to do that. Plus, I had a feeling that Chicago was due to at least take one game. But even if they did, I felt good that Matt Harvey would close them out in Game 5. Curtis Granderson lead off with a single against Jason Hammel and Daniel Murphy got yet another base hit. And then Lucas Duda, silent all playoffs, smoked a three-run homer to center field and it was 3-0. Travis d'Arnaud immediately followed with a bomb to right field for a 4-0 first inning lead. I was feeling really good at this point, but wasn't ready to celebrate. In the second, Duda knocked a two-run double into right center for a 6-0 Mets advantage. The air went out of Wrigley Field right there. Yes, the Cubs rallied in the fourth and fifth innings, but managed just one run. They even loaded the bases with no outs and settled for one run.

Defense played such a pivotal role in this game, as well as the series. David Wright caught a blast from Starlin Castro to save at least two runs in that fourth inning. Meanwhile, you had Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler playing the outfield for the Cubs like they were Stevie Wonder. A missed dive here, a dropped fly ball there.

After the seventh inning, I headed closer to the field to watch with my friends Larry and Daniel. We saw Murphy hit a home run in the eighth inning, his sixth consecutive postseason game with a home run, setting a new major league record. Tyler Clippard gave up a two-run homer to Kris Bryant and the lead was 8-3. But Jeurys Familia closed Chicago out in the 9th inning, striking out Dexter Fowler, and about a thousand of us Mets fans who were in Wrigley got to celebrate the franchise's first pennant in 15 years.

For me, it was my redemption. Maybe my biggest sports fandom triumph aside from the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup 21 long years ago. For the 20 losses I've seen the Mets have in Chicago compared to maybe 3 or 4 wins. After we've gone through Bernie Madoff scams, the reduced payroll, the terrible signings (ala Jason Bay, Frank Francisco, and Oliver Perez), the Yankee dynasty, and the Phillies title, and the heartbreak in 2006, the epic collapses of 2007 and 2008, Willie Randolph getting unjustly canned in California, the Tony Bernazard scandal, Citi Field initially opening as a Brooklyn Dodgers tribute park, and on and on.

My expectation was I was certain this series would go at least six games, even though I felt the Mets were the better all around team. It took all the pressure off. Honestly, the World Series would be gravy now. I'm sure I'll be disappointed if they lose, but I can't imagine that I would be devastated. Onto Kansas City. Kansas City, here we come.

We New York Mets fans have a moment to be on top of the mountain. A precious moment on top. Actually, it's right on the crest. Just a few steps left...to the summit.

Goosebumps

Check out @brianpmangan's Tweet: https://twitter.com/brianpmangan/status/659024605886181376?s=09

It is on.

Well, the Mets took care of business in Game 5 in Los Angeles...well, Daniel Murphy, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Jeurys Familia did anyway. And for the first time in nine years, they are playing in the NLCS. Against the hated Cubs. Game 1, I still can't believe this is actually happening, is tonight. Matt Harvey pitching against Jon Lester. 

It's pitching vs. hitting. 

The Amazin's vs. The Lovable Losers.

1969 and 1986 vs. 1907 and 1908.

Flushing vs. Wrigleyville.

Meet the Mets vs. Go Cubs Go.

Mr. Met vs...that weird Woo Woo dude.
The 7 Line Army vs. The Bleacher Bums.

Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner vs. Harry Caray and Jack Brickhouse.

Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock vs. Bill Murray.

The City That Never Sleeps vs. The Second City. 

Nathan's vs. Vienna Beef. 

Real pizza vs. deep dish.

The MTA vs. The CTA.

Times Square vs. Logan Square.

Central Park vs. Lincoln Park.

The Empire State Building vs Willis Tower, or whatever it's being called this month.

And Me against my home.

Gonna be intense. Gonna be stressful. Gonna be a classic.

NHL predictions

Metropolitan division
y-Washington
x-N.Y. Rangers
x-Pittsburgh
x-Columbus
N.Y. Islanders
Philadelphia
New Jersey
Carolina

Atlantic division
y-Montreal
x-Tampa Bay
x-Toronto
x-Detroit
Ottawa
Boston
Florida
Buffalo

Central division
y-Chicago
x-St. Louis
x-Nashville
x-Minnesota
Winnipeg
Colorado
Dallas

Pacific division
y-Los Angeles
x-Vancouver
x-Anaheim
x-San Jose
Calgary
Edmonton
Arizona

Eastern conference
Montreal over Pittsburgh

Western conference
Anaheim over Chicago

Stanley Cup Finals
Montreal over Anaheim

NLCS Dread

I first moved to Chicagoland in July of 1997. At the time, I was still attending summer camp when I should have been working, I was incredibly shy and insecure, and I was about to become a junior in high school. Obviously, being the New Yorker that I am at my roots, I knew I would deal with clashes with the New York and Chicago cultures. Those clashes apply to food, accents, landmarks, and certainly sports. And in no sport is it more relevant than in baseball.

The New York Mets are my number one team; anyone who has known me more than 15 minutes knows that about me. After God, friends, and food, they're probably my next biggest passion. And out here, the Chicago Cubs are the number one baseball team and probably the second biggest sports team after the Bears. They used to play in the NL East together, and there have been several very competitive divisional races between the two clubs, most notably 1969, 1984, and 1989.

Since I have lived here, the two franchises have rarely been good at the same time. The teams fought for the 1998 wild card along with the San Francisco Giants. Of course, the Mets dropped their last five games, leaving the Cubs to beat the Giants in a one-game playoff. the only other years that really comes close is 2008, when the Mets blew the division to Philadelphia and the Cubs won their division.

So now, it is 2015. Both have young, exciting teams that made the playoffs. One won their division, one won the wild card playoff game. One is built on starting pitching, one on offense. One has ownership who spends money, one has to roll pennies to turn the lights on in the stadium. And both are leading their NLDS series 2 games to 1. By the end of this night, there may be an NLCS in place of the New York Mets vs the Chicago Cubs.

Never before has anything like this happened. The Jets and Bears won't be playing in a Super Bowl anytime soon. The Knicks and Bulls have barely had any kind of rivalry since Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing retired. But each of the least two springs, we came one game away from seeing the Rangers and Blackhawks go at it in the Stanley Cup Finals. Two years ago, the Blackhawks lost in overtime to the Kings in Game 7. This year, the Rangers screwed it up with their dismal effort in Game 7 at home when they didn't even register a shot on goal in the third period.

Now we are one game away yet again. The Cubs all but have Game 4 in the bag, as they proceed to hit one home run after another against St. Louis. The Mets can advance to the NLS if they win Game 4 tonight in New York or Game 5 in Los Angeles. I would honestly rather see the Mets blow this series against the Dodgers than lose to Chicago. Because no matter what happens, I lose. I will either be incredibly hated or incredibly bullied. I really don't even want to imagine the hell my life is about to become over the next two weeks and beyond. Because no matter what happens, the result will live on forever. It's truly scary.

Mets magic

So we are just two days away, 48 hours away, from the New York Mets playing their first postseason game since October 19, 2006. I, and so many others, have waited years for this moment. We have endured Bernie Madoff, Jason Bay, ownership not being willing to spend money, Luis Castillo's dropped pop up, the Tom Glavine implosion, and on and on and on I could go.

Before the season, my expectations for modest. I expected the Mets to win at least 80 games for the first time since 2008. But I didn't really know if they had the offensive depth to make a legitimate run at a division title. But early on those expectations were exceeded as the compiled an 11 game winning streak in April. But during that street, within 48 hours, those ominous signs of disaster invaded our positive mindset. David Wright injured a hamstring, and it would eventually be diagnosed as spinal stenosis. Travis d'Arnaud broke his hand and left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins, who looked outstanding early on, broke his forearm. May was not a month that I would like to remember as they got swept in Wrigley Field over for games. I did get to see Noah Syndergaard make his big league debut, but that was a night I would just as soon forget. June got off to a decent enough start but a seven game losing streak against Toronto Atlanta and Milwaukee threaten to derail any hopes of a successful season. The only games I attended in New York or in mid-july against Arizona, where Kirk Nieuwenhuis somehow hit 3 home runs in a single game. The Mets end of the first half with a 47 and 42 record having won six of their previous seven games.

But this line up was still a big question mark. With Eric Campbell, John Mayberry, and the like having everyday roles on this team, this line of just did not seem capable of carrying the team to a playoff berth. The young starting pitching, anchored by Jacob deGrom Matt Harvey, and Syndergaard looked to be dynamite. In the bullpen, Jeurys Familia was really emerging as a legitimate closer. But the middle relief, with Bobby Parnell, Carlos Torres, and and Alex Torres had Mets fans popping Zantac every time they entered a game. Hansel Robles, had electric stuff, but didn't usually know how to control it.

In late July they lost two of three games in Washington, with the last loss being absolutely brutal. General manager Sandy Alderson did make some moves, acquiring Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson to shore up the bench. A trade was in the works for the Mets to trade Wilmer Flores and injured starting pitcher Zack Wheeler to Milwaukee and reacquire outfielder Carlos Gomez who could have been an excellent addition to the offense. But at the last minute, the trade fell through and we knew that something had to be done to really push this offense over the edge. The fans needed something to believe in. And then on July 30th, they lost a horrific game at home to San Diego in the rain. Justin Upton, who was rumored to be coming to the Mets, hit a three run homer off Familia and our playoff hopes seem to be in a lot of trouble. They were 52 and 50 and four games out of first. It was one day before the trade deadline and the first place Nationals were coming to town.

Then, on July 31st, my 34th birthday, I was at Gino's East working. With less than one hour to go before the trade deadline, I got the alert that the New York Mets had acquired Yoenis Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers for two minor league pitchers. I knew the combination of power and defense that he provided and that he would be an amazing addition. The team turned around that night. Flores drilled a off homerun in game one of the series, and in reality the National League Eastern Division race was over right there. The Mets win on to sweep Washington and they would win their next 4 games as well. They took back first place on August 3, never letting it go. The Mets swept the three game series in Washington in September, rallying in each game to do so. By the end of this series, their lead was seven games and everyone knew the race was over. The clinch day turned out to be September 26th when they defeated Cincinnati 10 to 2.

A few things need to be pointed out. Curtis Granderson has had an amazing season. We had no idea he would be the teams leadoff hitter, and that was one of the things they were really missing going into this season. But he stepped in, showing excellent plate discipline, hitting 26 home runs and driving in 90 runs, while walking 91 times. Lucas Duda is an incredibly streaky had her, but at one point he hit 9 home runs in a games.  Daniel Murphy will drive you crazy with his base running and defensive mistakes, but he's a professional hitter and one that will be missed when he leaves after this season. Travis d'Arnaud has definitely emerged as a legitimate catcher in baseball, if he can stay healthy. Wilmer Flores may not play great defense, but he has a knack for coming up with big hits. Even Ruben Tejada hit .261 this season.

And that pitching. Bartolo Colon won 14 games and pitch to nearly 200 innings. Matt Harvey pitched 281 innings, coming back from Tommy John surgery. DeGrom was in serious contention for the Cy Young Award until he started to struggle in late August. Steven Matz has only started six games, but looks like he is becoming that left handed force. And out of the bullpen, Addison Reed and Tyler Clippard look like an excellent bridge to familia.

So on Friday, they will be in Hollywood to play the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 5 game series. The Dodgers have two phenomenal pitchers in Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. After that, their pitching staff scares nobody. They have some decent hitters such as Adrian Gonzalez, Corey Seager, Yasiel Puig, and they have Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins coming off the bench. But there is nobody that should terrify the Mets staff. Chances are this will be a long series, but I'm not worried about the Dodgers having home field advantage. The Mets have a better lineup and a better bullpen and should win this series. Meanwhile, on the other side of the National League playoffs, the three dominant NL Central teams can beat each other up.

Fall is definitely here

I guess when the temperature can't even hit 60 degrees anymore, it's an ominous sign that winter is around the corner. I don't mind bundling up, but I'd at least like it to get to Thanksgiving before I have to start doing that. But it is the first week of October and we hit 70 degrees today, so I guess this is our last rush of heat. I took Maggie to Kankakee River State Park which is near Bourbonnais. It's about 90 minutes south of where I live and it was a nice area to walk around. We walked a three mile trail near the river, and there were many cliffs that I stood on, while overlooking the river. It was very calming to hear the rush of the river water crash and flow.

Ronnie Milsap setlist

Prisoner of the Highway
He Got You
Any Day Now
I Wouldn't Have Missed It For the World
What a Difference You Made In My Life
In Love
There's No Getting Over Me
Where Do the Nights Go?
Don't You Know How Much I Love You
Take the Long Way Around the World
Still Losing You
She Keeps the Home Fires Burning
What Goes On When the Sun Goes Down
A Woman in Love
I'd Be a Legend In My Time
Guest: You're Looking At Country, Walking After Midnight
Back On My Mind Again
Lost In the Fifties Tonight
Daydreams About Night Things
Stranger In My House
Your Cheating Heart
Button Off My Shirt
Smoky Mountain Rain
America the Beautiful

Festival of the Vine

So today, I stopped by my favorite summer festival, Festival of the Vine. They have samples of food local Geneva eateries as well some great wines. They also have live music and a craft fair as well. this year, I had to attend on Friday afternoon, since I worked Friday night, Saturday morning, and Sunday afternoon and Ring of Honor is happening Saturday night in Chicago Ridge. 

After running a few errands at the cleaners, car wash, and bank, I got to downtown Geneva around 11:15, well before it got crowded. I bought 30 dollars in tickets, trying to stay on a budget. Yeah I know, some budget right? All the food samples cost 1-5 tickets and the wines are all 4, 6, or 12 tickets. All the 4 ticket ones are the basics with brand names like Rex Goliath and Beringer. I couldn't mentally or financially justify spending $12 for one cup of wine, so I stayed in the six ticket range. 

I usually opt for red wine over white, so I started with the Urlo Red Blend. This Tuscan blend combines the rustic flavor charm of an Italian red with the full-bodied, fruit-driven style of new world wine making. It had a full finish with a lingering vanilla note. I definitely enjoyed that one. The Dreaming Tree Pinot Noir comes from musician Dave Matthews. This California Pinot Noir highlights flavors and aromas of ripe cherry, wild strawberry, and caramel. It had a much lighter taste than the blend, but it was still enjoyable. I did have a white, the Ruffino Moscato. I could taste the fruit flavors, especially peach and orange blossoms. It was just fine, but I wouldn't drink it again.

For the food, I started at Geneva Ale House, one of my favorite bars in the area. They have an excellent menu and an extensive beer selection. I tried the campfire slider, which was a burger topped with maple-glazed pork belly, maple bacon, maple chipotle BBQ sauce and onion straws. It was really a good combination of flavors, thought the burger may have been a little overcooked. then I checked out the Nobel House stand, my other favorite restaurant in Geneva. I planned on getting their burnt ends, but the executive chef was there and he sold me on the pulled bacon sandwich. It looked just like pulled pork. They served it on a small brioche roll and there were two housemade BBQ sauces to top it with. It was so ridiculously tender and fatty. Just a total indulgence of happiness and pork goodness. 

I got a fish taco from Bien Trucha, which I think I've done the last two years. I would like to go back to their restaurant, but I don't like that you have to get four of the same tacos in each order. I mentioned to the guy at the stand that a taco sampler would be great for people like me, who would likely come alone. Four different tacos, just to try a little of everything. As good as their Mexican food is, I would be willing to pay for that. For dessert, I went with Kilwin's, a new addition to the dessert scene in Illinois. I had their apple pie ice cram in a waffle cone. The ice cream looked like French vanilla on the surface, But inside were tiny chunks of apples, caramel, and bits of apple pie crust. It was an awesome flavor of ice cream. 

OK, I bought five more dollars in tickets to get the ice cream. Well worth it though. I'll be back next year, for sure. 

9/11

1) So those pricks at the local college in Glen Ellyn let me go one week ago. What I thought was a part time job that had potential to grow into a full time role turned out to be nothing more than a probationary period. And they chose not to extend my deal. I was pissed off for a day or two, but I'm feeling better about it now. I think back to when I was let go a year and a half. I lost full time pay, benefits, my Master's tuition, and I had no backup job. None of those thigns apply now. Yeah I have bills and a huge ass loan to pay back in time, but I have a waitering job and it looks like I can still get a little unemployment. And with an additional job under my belt and my Master's completed, I'm pretty sure I'll get a decent offer a lot faster than I did last time. In fact today, I had Career Education and Universal Technical Institute reach out to me about possible job openings. So who knows where they may lead.

2) Mom is gone. She is away leading a Collette tour throughout Colorado for the next nine days. We need the break from each other, but I'm glad she has a chance to be on the road since I know she loves it.

3) Those New York Mets. Sweeping Washington three games in Nationals Park, building that division lead to 7 games. Since then, the Mets have beat the Braves twice and Miami knocked off the Nats tonight. The lead is 8.5 games and the magic number to clinch the NL East is just 14. This is such a special season and I wish it wouldn't end. Yoenis Cespedes. The man is an absolute machine. I really hope the Mets find a way to sign him.

4) So the NFL has started. Great. I need a game where Satan (the team in Foxboro) isn't playing. I did not watch one play of Opening Night.

5) 14 years ago. I will never forget. I love New York and I love America.

2015 NFL Predictions

AFC East
b-New England 11-5
x-Miami 9-7
Buffalo 8-8
NY Jets 6-10

AFC North
y-Pittsburgh 9-7
x-Baltimore 9-7
Cincinnati 7-9
Cleveland 4-12

AFC South
y-Indianapolis 11-5
Houston 9-7
Tennessee 5-11
Jacksonville 3-13

AFC West
x-Denver 12-4
San Diego 8-8
Kansas City 7-9
Oakland 5-11

NFC East
y-NY Giants 10-6
x-Dallas 10-6
Philadelphia 9-7
Washington 3-13

NFC North
b-Green Bay 11-5
Minnesota 8-8
Detroit 8-8
Chicago 6-10

NFC South
y-New Orleans 10-6
Carolina 9-7
Atlanta 8-8
Tampa Bay 5-11

NFC West
z-Seattle 13-3
x-Arizona 10-6
St. Louis 7-9
San Francisco 5-11

AFC Championship
Indianapolis over New England

NFC Championship
Seattle over Dallas

Super Bowl
Seattle over Indianapolis

22 hours gone

So it was Tuesday night and I’d just had dinner. I believe I had leftover baked honey mustard chicken and roasted potatoes. It was around 6 pm, so I headed downstairs to the basement and listen to the Mets game. About 20 minutes later, my mother came down the stairs. She said Maggie was gone. I wasn’t sure what to think at first. But I came upstairs.

I went straight to the backyard and called her name a few times, to no response. It wasn’t dark outside; we still had about two hours of light left. I checked the house and she was nowhere around. I took a drive around our street. Still nothing.

Mom seemed pretty much devastated. She had already had too much wine anyway, so I knew it was up to me to take action. And I knew that I had to get started immediately. So I knocked on at least eight doors to alert them what was going on. They didn’t know anything. Now Maggie has tags on her dog collar with our address and phone numbers. However, she was never micro-chipped. I’m not even sure I was aware of the technology until now.

My next step was to make some phone calls. Anderson Animal shelter, Fox Valley Animal Control, and the St. Charles police department. Most businesses were closed, but Animal Control left me a voicemail that they had not heard anything. I also posted on a website called Lost Dogs Illinois, which I heard was a very useful resource. Following my friend’s advice, I put her blanket on the back deck, hoping the smell might attract her. By that logic, I guess I should have put a cheeseburger outside too.

After that, I posted her picture and the news on a St. Charles community Facebook page, and the photo got shared by at least 60 people that night. I was surprised how many people were on the page that lived near me and said they would watch out for her.

My next step was developing a flyer on MS Word with a big color photo of her taking up most of it. Finally, around midnight, I headed upstairs to my room. That night in bed, I grabbed an old stuffed polar bear. I guess I just needed something to hold onto.

The next morning, Mom left for work around 3:30 a.m. As she walked past our neighbor’s to get to her car, she later said she thought she heard a single bark. Maggie rarely barks, so she let it go. But she couldn’t shake that thought.

As for me, I posted about eight flyers in various sets of mailboxes around Whittington Course before driving to work. During my break, I called the vet clinic and a local groomer to see if anything had been reported. It wasn’t my best day at work. I don’t think I made mistakes, but I just wasn’t feeling very happy or outgoing. I actually left an hour early because I was so distracted by what could have happened to Maggie. I got home around 1:30.

Mom was there as well and we started walking through the tall grass behind the house, trying to come up with any clue as to where she might be. I dressed in sweats, because I knew I’d be going through poison ivy. We explored for maybe 20 minutes. Again, no luck.

So it was back to posting more flyers. We posted at the window at 7-11, the entrances to Fox Chase Boulevard and Keim Trail, which is where the tall grass ends. I tried to grocery store, but they took down their bulletin board years ago. Somehow, I never noticed. We got home around 3 or 3:30, starting to feel a little more concerned. I just knew we were in a pet-friendly area and if someone had her, they would have contacted us. The longer it went, the deeper my concern grew.

I went back into the basement and sat in my chair. Around 4:15, the next door neighbor called and asked if we’d found the dog. I said no. He said good luck and he’d let us know if he had any news. Fifteen minutes later, he called back. I will never forget those words.

“We found the dog.”

My eyes bulged and my pulse started racing. I jumped up from the chair and loudly asked “Where?”

He didn’t even need to answer. Immediately, I heard the familiar pounding of her paws scattering across the wooden floor above me. I hurried upstairs and she was flying through the living room like she was Usain Bolt in the Olympics. She was home. Physically, she seemed fine, she just drank a ton of water. She was gone for 22 hours, but we got her home. Thank the Lord!

Three Floyd's

We arrived 20 minutes before open and the line was already about 25 people long outside. Unfortunately, they were not doing tours for whatever reason. So it turned into a beer and food trip, not that there's anything wrong with that. The decor was very left of center. Loud metal music, skeletons, and tattoos, which isn't necessarily my thing but I still felt welcome. Plus on the shelves was some old school WWE merchandise, always a plus in my book. The music wasn't ear-splitting, but still loud enough where we had to raise our voices to have a conversation.

I'd never been to the brewery and I'd only had Gumballhead before, so I tried a couple of new ones. First, I ordered the Alpha King, their flagship beer. It had a caramel overtone to it and a citrus hoppiness on the end. It's a very solid beer that would pair well with a good burger or some fried chicken. Second, the Zombie Dust is another one of their most popular selections. Like the Alpha King, this is also a Pale Ale. It's not quite as bitter and went down really easily. I would easily buy a case of this beer. Finally, I tried one of their specialty brews, called Perched Atop the Denim Throne. Just the description alone convinced me I had to try it.

"This American Amber IPA was brewed as a tribute to our favorite fallen heroes in the squared circle. Gone too soon are: "The American Dream", Mr. Perfect, The Ultimate Warrior, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Andre the Giant, Macho Man, Miss Elizabeth, Ravishing Rick Rude, Owen Hart, The Von Erichs, Paul Bearer and the Junkyard Dog."

Even though I'm not a real big IPA fan, this was incredibly drinkable. It had a robust flavor with a full crisp finish. I sampled a Moloko, which is a milk stout, and I never ever drink stouts. But the one that I tried didn't taste overwhelming or heavy. It was just a deep, bold satisfying beer, that tasted like it had been roasted. Would be very satisfying in the winter.

And then there's the food. Wow, that food. I am so impressed with how much planning they put into it. The presentations are nice, the combinations are creative, and the flavors are wonderful. The chicken wings were brined and smoked. They were then covered in a spicy BBQ coffee rub and served with refreshing pickled watermelon cubes. The spice was great and the wings were juicy. We also got the bacon and porter caramel corn. they pop the corn in duck fat and add in chopped house-cured bacon. Need I say more? And the cheese curds may have been the best I've ever had. They were huge, dipped in a tempura batter and deep fried. They were topped with a kimchi aioli and then served with julienne red peppers and green onions on top for a pop of color. Amazing.

I asked for my steak sandwich to be cooked medium rare and it was cooked right on the money. It had grilled onions, arugula, dijon mustard, chihuahua cheese, and was served on a baguette. It was really good and the arugula added a different flavor that what you'd normally get in a steak sandwich. And don't skip the fries. The are definitely fresh cut, topped with garlic and salt, and sprinkled with parmesan shavings. And that parmesan is incredibly robust, it ain't from a can. It tastes like it was just grated. And the beignets were an incredible dessert. Hot and soft pillows of fried dough. The chocolate sauce is totally unnecessary, but try it if you must.

This is a tremendous place and I plan to visit the brewery a few times every year. It's that good.

No control

So here was the plan for Saturday. Get up, run, go to work, then meet up with my friends in Wheaton and head into the city for dinner at Shake Shack and then to Navy Pier for fireworks.

I got to work at ten and it's important to note that the last couple of weekend lunch shifts have been dead. I have been leaving at 2 pm or 2:30 most of the time. My hope was to leave by 4:30, which would give me enough time to home, change, and drive thirty minutes to Wheaton. So I checked the schedule for the day and my heart sank. The third server was not scheduled to come in until 4:30 and then three more were coming in at five. Previously, the third server would come in at two or three in the afternoon. So I knew it was trouble.

The lunch shift wasn't dead, but it certainly wasn't busy. I had maybe five or six tables until 3 pm. But I just knew around 4, someone would come in and I'd stay late. Sure enough, I got a table at 3:15 and then another right before 4 pm. On the second one, I knew At the end, I left the building around 5:30. I was not going to hold anyone up, so I texted them to go ahead without me.

As I reflect on what feels like a wasted day, I realize something. America is only the land of the free if you have the money to buy the freedom. When you don't have the money, you pretty much to give in to authority just to get by. It's sad, but it's reality.

Five hits

It's one of those evenings when I feel like knocking out a few bullet points, because I really don't know what else to do right now. I'm not feeling incredibly articulate, so here's what will be.

1) I want this job at COD to work. It's to the point that I'm desperate. I just get the feeling that as a part-timer, I'm incredibly dispensable and they are looking for any excuse to throw me out. It may just be my paranoia. But it feels like every mistake gets blown up. I feel like I'm on borrowed time there.

2) At the restaurant I work at, I'm convinced the manager in charge of schedules has a learning disability. How many times must I explain that I have no interest in working Sunday mornings anymore?

3) How did I lose my COD ID card? I have no desire to pay ten bucks for a replacement, but I'm running out of options if I can't find the stupid thing.

4) Penrose in Geneva makes pretty good beer, but I've had better.

5) I'm totally slacking on my training. I went to the gym Monday through Wednesday and have done zero since, aside from dog walks. Time to get back on the wagon on Monday.

Why we as Mets fans are crazy

This is taken verbatim from Bill Price's blog in the Daily News this afternoon. It perfectly sums up the mentality of a Mets fan and why we are crazy, especially as this team is a few games out of a playoff spot, but feel so far away.

I went to the Yankee game Thursday afternoon and while I was there got into a conversation with a non-Mets fan (something I usually don't like to do), and he asked me why are Mets fans so dramatic, so reactionary, losing their minds with every bad loss and even looking at a positive sign with a crooked grin?

I thought about it for a second and told him that we are like that because we are so used to things falling apart, so beaten down by the losing and that any good news is taken with a grain of salt and any bad news is looked at as the beginning of the end.

All day long, as the Yankees were pounding the quitting Orioles, I didn't think twice about my answer, figuring I had nailed it on the head, but when I got back to BBHQ and started reading all the quotes from Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins, I realized my original answer is incorrect. What I should have said is, "Because the franchise we root for is a complete, dysfunctional mess."

Think about what has gone on in the last 24 hours: The Mets lose a brutal game, the manager takes the blame for the game (as well as he should have), and then today Terry Collins reveals Michael Cuddyer can barely walk, but won't go on the DL, and then Alderson says he can take on a big contract, but no one believes him (gee, I wonder why).  Oh, I forgot to mention that the Mets also announced a lineup for Thursday's game that most Triple-A pitchers could dominate, let alone the guy they are facing in Clayton Kershaw. The only good news is that Zack Greinke's wife is in labor and he headed back to LA (take your time Mrs. Greinke).

And then we find out the Aramis Ramirez went to the Pirates for a bag of balls. The Pirates just had to pick up $3M. Imagine having Ramirez hitting cleanup tonight instead of John Mayberry Jr.

Anyway, back to my original point, you get the feeling the Mets players, execs, managers and GMs enjoy screwing with us, playing with our emotions, making us crazier than we already are. How else can you explain this Cuddyer situation or Alderson being a smug, joker as another season goes down the tubes? Maybe they hold these press conferences, then go on twitter and have a couple of good laughs.At least that would make some sense and make us feel better.

But in reality, as each day goes on you get the impression they have no idea what they doing, no idea how to fix this mess and no idea how insane they are driving their paying customers. Unless something changes by Friday, the only non-pitching big names playing for the Mets this weekend will be Nancy and Ann Wilson. At least the Mets, for once, will have some Heart.

As for the fans, we have heart, but our patience and minds are wearing thin.

The worst loss of the season

Going into this series against first place Washington, I really wanted the Mets to win 2 of 3. The Nationals are missing four everyday players and the Mets were able to avoid the dominant Max Scherzer. After splitting the first two games, it came down to the rubber match this afternoon. After this game, they'd either be a game out of first place or three games out of first.

The Mets were leading 3-0 early and 3-1 after five innings. Noah Syndergaard didn't have his best stuff, but he worked his way through five innings. Hansel Robles escaped two outs and nobody on in the sixth. Jenrry Mejia came in and shut Washington down in the seventh. And then came the eighth. The freaking eighth. Bobby Parnell had been a good pitcher this season since coming back from Tommy John surgery. One run allowed in 13 innings. And he starts off striking out the Mets killer, Wilson Ramos. Then Ian Desmond walked. When Matt den Dekker singled, I knew it was trouble. This stiff is their 8th place hitter, a former Met, and the Mets couldn't get him out once today. Then pinch-hitter Tyler Moore lines out. two down. Up comes Michael Taylor, a bench player who has done almost nothing in his career. Single. Two runs score. Tie game. With two down, this is where the genius manager Terry Collins needs to bring in his lights out closer into the game. This is the biggest game of the year and Jeurys Familia needs to be pitching to Danny Espinosa. But Collins doesn't have him up yet. And Espinosa gets a double to left field. Right there, the game was over.

Meanwhile, the Mets offense went into the tank. No baserunners after the fifth inning. And the last three hitters all struck out. This is unquestionably the worst loss of the 2015 season. In fact, it may be the worst loss the Mets have had since 2009. They are hanging on barely to the division race and wild card race only because of their starting pitching and closer. They play brutal defense, they have no team speed, and they have the absolute worst offense in baseball. Second fewest runs scored, fewest hits, and lowest batting average.

And now they get to face the West division-leading L.A. Dodgers with Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw, probably the two best pitchers in the game. The Mets have been notorious for getting off to decent starts in recent years before collapsing in the second half. That's exactly where this is going. Because a loss like that will kill seasons. And with this front office's unwillingness to call up Michael Conforto or to trade for a legitimate hitter, this season will just slowly, quietly, painfully fade into the abyss. But why should any of us as Mets fans be surprised?

New York City, part 4

Well, this day started slower. I woke up around 7:30 and Jimmy and I grabbed breakfast at Pruzzo's again. I went with egg whites, bacon, and cheese on a roll and it was awesome as well. We also stopped at an Italian bakery, where I picked up some bread and cannolis. I packed up and also got a breast of chicken that I wrapped in aluminum foil, which I put it in my backpack. Little did I know what that would result in later in the day.

Jim's friend Meredith picked us up less than an hour before the game started. Of course, being an early bird, I was stressing inside already. I put my luggage in the truck of her very compact car and climbed into the backseat, where twenty packs of Parliament cigarettes were laying on the floor. I wanted to gag, but at least the car didn't smell too much like smoke. We fought some traffic, but we got into the stadium around 12:45. We got our drawstring bags and they went to left field, while I walked around towards right field. I happily wolfed down a Italian special hero from Mama's of Corona. I even took a few bites during the National Anthem. I don't know if that's taboo, but what can you do now?

I sat in the first row of the right field Pepsi porch, which was an awesome view. In one of the most improbable things I may have ever seen in baseball, Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit three home runs and the Mets won 5-3. With the Mets three game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks, they are one game behind the hated Cubs for that second wild card spot. Hopefully this great performance by a player who usually stinks will not dissuade Sandy Alderson from going out and trying to bring a professional bat in.

So Meredith and Jim took me straight to the airport. Now I usually get through security quickly at La Guardia, since there aren't long lines with only ten gates in the terminal. But after I passed through the full body scanner, I saw my backpack had been pulled out. So I knew I was getting held up. But with two hours to go until my flight, I wasn't worried. The TSA agent emptied my backpack, checking my books and phone primarily. After they found nothing, they told me they'd have to do a full body search. I was taken into a secured back room and all of me was searched for nearly ten minutes. Again, nothing. One more check of my phone. Nothing. On my way I went. And a few minutes later, a thought occurred to me. I had thrown that chicken wrapped in foil in my bag. I'm now thinking that foil resulted me getting searched!

When I got to the gate, I was 4th of 5 people on the standby list. With the flights I could take, I felt good. Twenty minutes later, I liked at the board and I was suddenly 12th. Suddenly my stomach got tight and I felt myself getting very nervous. Indeed, I got bumped off the first flight. The next flight was larger, which was encouraging. I got on and as I sit on this plane, flying over somewhere in Canada, I don't see an empty seat around. I'm just thankful and relieved I got on. I believed I would, but you just never know sometimes.

New York City, part 3

I left the apartment sound 8:30 and planned to get a bottle of water at the local Pelham mini mart. I did there behind one guy for for minutes and then two people cut in front of me, so I walked out. Fun start. I took 6 to the F and had to walk three blocks to Lexington and 63rd from 59th St. I went down five flights of stairs only to get to the platform and find out that the F trains were not running downtown that weekend. So back up the stairs I went, all five flights.

So I was 15 blocks away and my father had already been waiting 15 minutes the NHL store, so I did something I'd never done before. I caught a cab on my own. I bought a gray 3/4 sleeve Rangers shirt. I was looking for a hoodie, but i was pleased with my purchase. I needed a drink, so I got a green peach tea lemonade at Starbucks, about a full dollar more expensive than the Starbucks where I work. We walked by Carnegie Hall, after he turned the wrong direction, but hey, we killed a few extra minutes before lunch.

I had a groupon for Uncle Jack's steakhouse and since neither of us go out for steak much, I thought it would be a nice treat. We started with two appetizers: Wagyu meatballs and  baked clams. Both were great and the clams and that oreganata bread crumb topping that we like. The house salads with citrus vinaigrette were gobbled quite quickly. Then cane the main event. We both got a 14 ounce strip streak and it wad excellent. Great crust, full of juice, and cooked a perfect medium rare. Usually it comes with garlic mashed potatoes and creamed spinach, but the chef gave us German potatoes and sauteed spinach due to my dad's dairy allergy. The sides were outstanding as well. For dessert, we split a ginger and key lime crumble with graham cracker crumbs in a mason jar. It tasted like an upside down key lime pie. Nice tart lime flavor but it was really filling. The service was prompt and friendly and we had just a great experience.

Then it was onto Queens and Citi Field for the Mets game. We had seats in the Caesar's club section, right in front of the press box. It was a warm day so I'm glad we were in the shade all day. Arizona took an early two run lead and we were all nervous. The game turned in the fifth inning when Lucas Duda crushed an opposite field home run. Later that inning, Matt Harvey hit his first career home run, giving the Mets the lead. Mets won 4-2. I walked away with a lot of mercy, including two Juan Lagares bobbleheads, a new cap, a key ring, and car decal. I didn't even eat though, just drank a souvenir lemonade. So I said goodbye to my father and I wound up sitting in Grand Central for an hour waiting for another friend to finalize her plans.

I met Laura for the first time and she took me to Throggs Neck to an Italian place that she enjoys. I liked it, but they were pumping the house music so loud that it quickly got annoying. And I ordered an iced tea and I know it wasn't brewed. It was disgusting. A decent restaurant should always brew their own tea, no excuses! I had a dish with chicken, sausage, potatoes, pepperocini, and a lot of olive oil and white wine. Really good stuff. Nothing like good 10 pm Italian food. She was great company and I'm glad we finally got to meet after about a year of virtual communication.