Two days away from work

Two straight days where I did not go to work? I honestly can't remember the last time that happened. Dad was in town and the weekend was pretty much all myself with my parents. You never really know how that is going to turn out. All in all, I would say it went very well.

We opened with breakfast at Egg Harbor, simply the best place to eat breakfast. If you know a place that serves better breakfasts than this place, let me know. And I guarantee they don't serve carafes of fresh orange-strawberry juice!

Then it was back home for a few games of Yahtzee. We must be stuck in the 80's, playing board games. Suffice to say, I got whipped. Mom just gets on these streaks of Yahtzee, large straight, four 6's, it's crazy. And watching Dad's reactions to them is just priceless.

Then we drove to Aurora and watched Kenny Rogers live. He has so many awesome songs and he is a very good performer. He is in command on stage and really knows how to work an audience. One thing, we went to the 3 p.m. show. I swear I was the youngest person in that audience. As I sat down in my seat, waiting for the show to start, and getting used to the surroundings of the Paramount Theater, I know I smelled Ben Gay in the air.

And there's this unwritten rule, when you go to a concert in this part of the country, you have to be quiet. They even announced we were not allowed to stand during the performances! That is sad. I paid my money, I should be able to have fun within reasonable limits. But anyway, Kenny sang "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" early in the show. You know he sings "Ruby" and holds that word for a few seconds and then the music stops and he sings "Don't take your love to town." Well, each time, the music stopped, and he held the mike toward the audience. They were so quiet. Kenny remarked even Quebec did that louder and they don't even speak English there!

Then it was dinner at Catch 35, a seafood restaurant in downtown Naperville. Very innovative menu with a bit of an Asian edge to it. I had swordfish with a peppercorn crust and a cognac/avocado salsa. Came with fried rice and veggies. I would rate it as very good, but I don't know if I would spend the money to return. The hot sourdough bread and coconut shrimp were incredible though! And I'm not a big apple pie guy, but this had a lot of cinnamon flavor, which made it more appealing to me. Dad and I ended the night watching Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi, voted the greatest match in the first 100 ROH shows. What a fight.

Sunday started with church at Willow Creek. They started a series on James, which is probably my favorite book in the Bible. James 1:22 was repeated so much I think I have it ingrained in me. "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

Then it was time to lace up with the black mesh and the sleeveless t-shirt and begin a brand new volleyball season. Jim, who I've played with for two seasons, is our new captain, as Susan is captaining a new team. Kimberly, one of the sweetest women I've ever known, is a holdover too. Then I recruited Matt and we have two free agents, Eli and Erin. Matt still has the basketball mentality going and he hasn't played much volleyball in a while, but he's got the raw ability to be really good. Eli does everything well. He's not flashy, he's just reliable. And in a league like this, that goes a long way. Erin might weigh 80 pounds. She's really small and really seemed terrified that she had never played volleyball before, though she had experience playing wallyball. After missing on her first few serves, she knocked a few over and all her front court hits kept going over the net. We all need to work on our court positioning and execution, but that will come in time. Oh, we played a match! We went 2-1 in our first 3 games, including winning the last two in blowouts. Considering how new we are to each other, I feel really good about where this team could go.

Then it was a ride home and 1 hour drive to Lincolnshire and Fleming's steakhouse. I ate at the one in Baltimore and this one was awesome too. First of all, the New Orleans BBQ shrimp appetizer is out of this world. They don't come in a traditional BBQ sauce, it's more of a thin, dark gravy that's smoky, a little spicy, and very satisfying and hearty. Not to mention the toasted buttered, bread that you can dip in the gravy after you've finished the shrimp off!

I ordered a bone-in strip with a huge baked potato, and sauteed spinach. Mom ordered lamb chops and Dad had a ribeye. For his potato, Dad got the shoestring potatoes. The presentation on these things was not what I expected. They came in a huge paper cone, like you would eat cotton candy out of. They were lightly fried, really crispy, and loaded with salt, pepper, and parsley. Great stuff. But the star of the show was the hot peach cobbler for dessert. The fresh whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, and peach schnapps mixed with those hot sliced peaches and crumbling crust make for a taste of heaven.

Now, it's late on Tuesday and I should go to bed. I'll be getting up a little earlier than normal tomorrow, since who knows what the roads will be like after all the snow and wind we've had today. I hope I'm a little busier while I'm at work tomorrow than I was today. For most of the afternoon, I was trying to find something to do. And having nothing to do at work is not good.

Wednesday and Thursday will both be very long work days for me. Long as in I'll be out of the house at work for about 15-16 hours tomorrow alone. I have Friday off and I will definitely rejoice when it arrives.

Survey when there's nothing to do at work

1. Name one person who made you smile today?
Jen

2. What were you doing at 8:00 this morning?
Working

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Surfing the net

4. What is something that happened to you in 2006?
Attended Wrestlemania in Chicago

5. What is the last thing you said aloud?
Bye

6. How many different things did you drink today?
water, coke, apple juice

7. What color is your hairbrush?
electric blue and black

8. What was the last thing you bought?
Coca-cola

9. What was the last gift you received for your birthday?
Hmm, nothing sticks out, I'll just say new clothes

10. What color is your front door?
Pale blue

11. Where do you keep your change?
In a jar on my desk

12. What was the weather like today?
Heavy snow and wind

13. What is the best ice cream flavor?
Cinnamon

14. What is something you are excited about?
Volleyball season

15. When was the last rainbow you saw?
The last time the sun came out after a lot of rian

16. Do you have a sister?
No

17. Are you very random?
I don't think, uh, believe, so

18. Do you want to cut your hair?
No

19. Are you over the age of 25?
I am 25

20. Do you talk a lot?
Sometimes yes, depends on the topic

21. Do you watch The O.C.?
Never have

22. Does your screen name have an "x" in it?
No

23. Do you know anyone named Steven?
Does the name Steve count?

24. Do you dream?
Sure

25. Do you make up your own words
No

26. Are you ticklish?
Haven't been on the receiving end in a while

27. Are you typically a jealous person?
Can be

28. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter "A"
Anthony

29. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter "T''
Ted

30. Who's the 1st person on your received calls list?
My father

31. What did the last text message you received say?
Meeting at 6:00 right?

32. Do you chew on your straws?
That's sick

33. Do you have curly hair?
No

34. What is the next concert you're going to?
Saw Kenny Rogers last Saturday

35. Who is the rudest person in your life?
A certain co-worker

36. How many times have you sworn today?
Actually zero!

37. What is something you say a lot?
Hi

38. What is the last thing you ate?
Sausage pizza

39. Have you seen the movie "Donnie Darko"?
Nope

40. Do you have to work tomorrow?
Of course! Both jobs.

41. When was the last time you said "I love you"?
2 days ago, to my dog

42. What should you be doing right now?
Working

43. Do you have a nickname?
Bart, The Bar, Piazza

44. Are you a heavy sleeper?
Usually

45. When was the last time you used a skateboard?
Never

46. Who is on your mind right now?
My parents

47. Is there anyone you like right now?
In some ways yes, in other ways no

48. When was the last time you did the dishes, be honest...?
2 days ago

49. Are you currently depressed?
No

50. Did you cry today?
No

As usually happens

When I go a week or 2 and barely post, it means two things. I'm no longer allowed to blog at work and I have a lot on my mind. Let's get the sports out of the way.

Jim Duquette, former GM of my Mets, and now the GM of the Orioles must be hell-bent on recreating the 2003 Mets. Because he has brought in former Mets like Jorge Julio, Tyler Yates, Bruce Chen, Chad Bradford, and now the lovely Roger Cedeno. Now he acquired Kris Benson (the pitcher with the attractive wife who can't keep quiet) at the beginning of last season. Today, it comes out Benson tore his rotator cuff and will miss most of the season. Duquette promptly goes out and signs longtime Met Steve Trachsel! Uh Jimmy, when you were here the Mets never hit finished a season .500. This will not work.

And that brings me to the current GM of my team and yours. The New York Metropolitans. Omar. Omar Minaya. I trust you. But Chan Ho Park? Chan Ho Park? Instead of acquiring one or two solid reliable starters, Omar got 5 or 6 fringe starters and is hoping one of them holds up. My thought is this. No matter how much crap you pile on top of crap, in the end, it's just smellier crap! I hope I'm wrong. I hope I'm wrong.

In football, the New York Giants released Carlos Emmons (no surprise), Lavar Arrington (minor surprise considering they'd had him one year), and Luke Petitgout (shock!) While Petitgout was the anchor of their offensive line and it was his injury that really sent the Giants downhill, I'm happy. He gets called for more penalties than the Rangers and Islanders will get combined in their season series this year. His nickname should be "False Start." Nobody has the art of taking the false start penalty down better than #77. So sayonara.

Sean Avery is making a big difference since joining the New York Rangers. And in a good way! Maybe he's the sour that was needed to counteract the sweet. Avery is tough, not afraid to speak his mind, and aggressive. With all the speedy, shifty European skaters we suit up every night, this kind of player was needed. So a good move by Glen Sather. And let's see what the other recent acquiree, Pascal Dupuis, can contribute.

My time at home at night has gotten to the point that when I make it home, I just want the kitchen and living room empty. That may not make sense to you. To tell the truth, it's too upsetting to expand on what I just typed.

Carrie Underwood, please go away. You're overrated. You're a puppet.

I'll get to the weekend that was, a little bit later.

Heading into this one

Well, we got through a tough week at work. Nothing really bad happened, it was just one of those weeks that dragged a little bit more than usual. But it doesn't matter now. It's over. Now a few things to comment on.

1) Shame to hear about Anna Nicole Smith. But I can't say I'm too surprised. It always seemed like she was heading down the wrong path.

2) Samoa Joe is leaving Ring of Honor. Most likely, he was force to leav so he can concentrate on wrestling in TNA, as they will want him to become NWA World Champion. And I will be watching his final ROH match in the United States on Feb. 24 live in Chicago. The atmosphere will be absolutely amazing and extremely emotional. May not be manly to admit, but I probably will shed a tear. We will miss him.

3) Had my first personal training session at the South Barrington Club gym last night. They did all these body tests on me, like the body fat indicator. Much to my surprise, my mass puts me in the ideal group. That's pretty cool. And they asked me all these questions like how much do I move during my job, favorite snack, do I eat meat, and all of that. And my trainer is from New Jersey! It was cool and I have my next appointment on Friday.

4) I'm very happy we haven't really had a lot of snow and ice this winter. But it's easy to forget how mild December and January were considering the cold we've been fighting the last 4 weeks. Considering how many "incidents" I've had in my car where driving on ice was involved, I guess I'll take the cold if the roads are clear.

5) My father is scheduled to arrive at O'Hare in 1 hour and 15 minutes. And I'll be seeing Kenny Rogers in concert later this afternoon. Time to get ready.

Back in the groove

I must say we in the midwest got very fortuante with a mild November, mild December, and mild January. I guess all the cold was waiting to just splurge on us and with it being 2 degrees outside right now, that's what is happening. At least I don't have to walk outside across a college campus. Thankfully, I never really have to be outside for more than 2 or 3 minutes at a time.

Obviously, it's Super Bowl time. Nobody in this area is as big a sports fan as I am and cares so little at the same time. It's a weird dichotomy, I guess. I will root for Indianapolis. But if the Bears do win, at least they're a respectable team. And I'll leave it at that.

I just brought two Eddie Rabbitt CD's. This guy was from New Jersey like me and was big in the late 1970's and 1980's in country music. Probably his best known songs were "Every Which Way But Loose," "I Love a Rainy Night," and "Drivin' My Life Away." He had 26 #1 singles in all.

Unfortunately, he died in 1998 due to lung cancer and while one of his songs will occassionally play on the radio, he has really been forgotten in country music history. It's a shame because he really helped cross country music over in the 1980's to the urban audience. But both albums are really good. Maybe he's playing a show somewhere in heaven tonight.

Mets preview

As of now, the Mets season is four days away from kicking off. After being the best team in the National League last year and falling short of our destiny (a title), you would think this is our time. Well, it's not going to be easy. The team's performance in spring training has been abysmal, going 10-21. We have question marks and they're going to be answered one way or another. I may be very happy or I may be very sad. I can see a pennant and I can see a third place finish.

I'll boil this down to what I think are the 5 key questions that will affect this season.

1) Can Moises Alou and Shawn Green drive baserunners in? Both these guys are so old they could be my grandfather. Can they stay in the lineup? And if they can, will they be productive. The top of the lineup is incredible with Jose Reyes, Paul LoDuca, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, and David Wright. Those two guys need to hit well though.

2) Is Oliver Perez ready to step up and become a consistent starter? This guy has so much upside yet is wildly inconsistent. He's a hard-throwing lefty who is either great or horrible when he pitches. If he can harness his stuff and become dependable, that will be a huge boost. And he'd better be; I have him on my fantasy team.

3) The bullpen. Ours was amazing last year. But Chad Bradford and Darren Oliver left. Eighth inning setup man Duaner Sanchez is out till August. We have four good guys in Billy Wagner, Pedro Feliciano, Aaron Heilman, and Scott Schoeneweis. Joe Smith is a young sidearm pitcher with very little experience, but he's been getting people out. Chan Ho Park terrifies me. One of the biggest overpaid busts in recent baseball memory has been converted to a reliever. I cannot imagine this working out. If Ambiorix Burgos can harness his stuff, he could be a weapon. He looked great today against the Braves, but that's been the exception, rather than the rule.

You know if I ever have a son, maybe I'll name him Ambiorix. Ambiorix Bartolo.

4) The division. We won last year in a runaway. Philly and Atlanta are substantially better. It will be a fight to the finish. Do we still have their number?

5) The trade market. We have the resources to make a trade and we have some good young players in the minors. If we need to add another piece to the puzzle, who will we add, and more than that, what will it cost to get him?

Maybe Carlos Zambrano is on the horizon...

Alone in the house

Yep, mom's off to San Diego for her latest vacation. But that comes with great news, she's going to return to work on March 1 after 18 months on disability leave. So this will be her last trip for a little while. the big difference between her trip in December and this one is Hogan stayed home this time. And he's already miserable without her. I do the best I can, but dogs tend to attach to one person more than anyone else. And that one person is just not me.

Now this is one rare weekend where I have nothing planned except work on Saturday night and Ecclesia on Sunday night. So let's look a little farther ahead to the next couple of months. February is known for a few things. Known as one of the coldest months of the year. Known for Valentine's Day. Yippee. And for me it will likely be remembered for seeing two shows: Ring of Honor and Kenny Rogers in concert in Aurora.

I got a new haircut today. Since I was old enough to grow a goatee, I've gone with the straight back look. Well I went to a Vietnamese guy in downtown St. Charles who has only been open for 9 months or so. This guy, Vince, knows his stuff and he is developing a rabid following in shirt order. He talked to me about the shape of my head, what look would work, what products would suit me, how to maintain a look, all this kind of stuff.

After some initial cutting which gave me a high bouffon like Kim Jong Il of North Korea, I finished up with a part on my left side, and combed over along with some mousse and a lot of blowdrying. It's so different that all I can say is I like it, but I have to get used to it. The only thing I'm not too sure of is I may have to blowdry it for several weeks. Man, the way I'm breaking down my hair, am I turning metrosexual or something here???

Back to covering more games here at the Daily Herald. Drop me a line sometime.

How does the world manage to put up with me?

The answer to that is..... I really don't know. I blew up again over a senseless stupid thing in front of my friends on Sunday night. It was brutal. I'm enbarrassed. And God knows that's another wonderful memory they have of me now. There's my piece on that. Moving on...

Sorry, but I think it's too late for me to get into 24. Not because it's a bad show, it's just 5 years since it began and I really don't have the time or the inclination to catch up on 5 seasons of episodes.

The Knicks play Miami and they're without Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal. What do the Knicks do? They lead 3-2 early and allow Miami to score 27 straight points. 27 straight! That is terrible coaching by Isiah Thomas, plain and simple. Maybe the Rangers were out there in basketball uniforms tonight, I don't know.

Let's get more personal. I should be happy considering I got hired full time by CEC. So I'll have a salary, loads of benefits, a health club membership. But it feels very empty. Growing pains are a part of any new experience, especially in jobs. But I still don't feel right there. Today was a really brutal day. I hate to say I'm doing something for the money, but that's really the truth. After working temp and hourly jobs for three years, I need something more substantial. Oh, and tomorrow morning I have a meeting with my boss and the division boss. That's a comforting thought to sleep on tonight...

What does this say about me? & Bam Bam

On Wednesday, I wrote about the price of gasoline and how hybrid and electric cars are probably going to become more and more commonplace. I immediately went over to the Honda website and checked out their Civic Hybrid and started building my own with the various colors and options just to see what it would look like and how much it would cost. Just 24,000 dollars! I guess that's not too bad for a new one. Hopefully I won't be in the market to purchase a car for a little while.

I'd like to take some space to remember Scott "Bam Bam Bigelow", one of the best wrestlers of the last 20 years. You may remember him for wrestling football legend Lawrence Taylor at WrestleMania 11 in Hartford back in 1995. Bam Bam was between 350 and 420 pounds but he was so agile. He was doing backflips off the ropes before they became commonplace. He was from New Jersey, like me. I remember seeing him for the first time on TV. I was 6 years old and got a little scared because I had no idea what was wrong with his head. And with the fire, he looked like a beast. I guess that's why his moniker was "The Beast From the East." And did I mention that classic head? Yes, those are flame tattoos.

But after he retired a few years ago, his life got really rough. A rough divorce, missing child support payments, a failed attempt at owning a restaurant, credit problems, escaping to Florida, and just last year, a brutal motorcycle crash that nearly killed him and his girlfriend. But on the other hand, in the summer of 2000, he saved two children by getting them out of a burning house. I guess it was in the ring where he did best.

So thanks for the memories, Scott. In the ring, you did well. You were truly ahead of your time. Hopefully you will get the praise and respect you should have had more of. RIP.

It may soon be time to switch cars

This is from CNN.com

"U.S. auto executives are bracing for gas prices to more than double over the next decade and for sharply higher U.S. fuel economy standards - a step the industry has long resisted, according to an academic survey released Tuesday. Gas prices will average slightly more than $4 a gallon by 2015 and just over $5 a gallon by 2020, according to the survey conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute."

Four dollars?! I think this has a lot to do with Americans loving the SUV's and mini-vans. They use up gas so quickly that the demand for gasoline goes more and more up. And for large families, it makes sense to have one. But now I think we will soon realize that we'll need to make some concessions. Electric cars and hybrid cars will continue to increase in their availability. And who knows, perhaps one day, gasoline powered cars will be as old-fashioned as cassette players are now.

A "sort of" day off, thanks to MLK and a few opinions

Well, I have to work Monday through Friday. But the schools we work with were all off on Monday. Evidently CEC, does not care to observe Martin Luther King's birthday. Usually what happens is the school send us information late in the day that we process the next morning. But because of the holiday, I am out of stuff and I've been here for less than 3 hours. So a few things on my working, yet bored, mind.

1) Snow is great when you don't have to drive through it.

2) Trader Joe's Orange flavored chicken (the kind you would get at Panda Express) is great, especially with some hot sauce sprinkled on top.

3) You know those little red chili peppers that are used in Kung Pao dishes? Make sure you have plenty of bread or milk when you eat one. I had a Kung Pao shrimp with rice stir-fry last night and it had a lot of those chilies in it. I think I burned 50 tastebuds right off my tongue.

4) After being gone for almost 2 weeks, Mom wants to go to San Diego for a week before she finally goes back to work. She won't be able to vacation for a year so she's doing what she can. The problem is she won't take Hogan this time like she did when she went to Florida. I love being with him, but he's just so much happier with Mom. Besides, I work 10 hours a day, it's hard for me to give him the time he wants, needs, and deserves. We'll see what happens.

5) This has me annoyed. At work, the group of SBI processors (15-20 of us) that I'm in apparently had a great year in terms of wiping out our debt and allocating money where it should be. That's the easy way to put it. So the VP of Finance of CEC wants to take us out for lunch. That's the good news. The bad news? We're going to Jersey's in Hoffman Estates, a pizza/bar and grill type place. I went there once. It was sad. We got a pizza with sausage and some veggies on it. Now we knew this would like be a Chicago thin crust pizza, which I've said a lot of negative things about before. But the flavor of this one was brutal. It was a little overcooked, the meat had no flavor, the crust was forgettable, the sauce was just tomatoes, little seasoning, there was nothing to savor.

And the best part? We asked them to cut the pizza like a pie or a deep dish, you know 8 slices. The server (and I'm not blaming her at all) comes back and said the kitchen staff won't do it. They don't have the capability. How can you have the ability to cut a pizza in little dinky squares, but no slices. The blade still covers the same amount of space. So looking to Thursday, at least it's free.

6) I'm moving on. Quite Frankly with Stephen A Smith has been cancelled from ESPN2 due to low ratings. I knew it wouldn't last. SAS is aggravating to some, and I understand that. There are sometimes I am really mad at him, particularly when he extols Mr. Overrated, Tom Brady. But at least he's honest and has no fear. He'll still be on ESPN radio in New York so I'll have to settle for that from now on. And remember, it's his house, but you welcome any time.

7) Wildfire has the most amazing carrot cake I have ever had. The cakes is round, warm, and soft, and the frosting tastes like the icing you would get on a gourmet cinnamon roll.

8) I'm ready for the weather to warm up so I can play some disc golf again!

9) It would be awesome if the Presidential election came down to Obama vs. Giuliani.

10) Now here's what I want to get into. A student who attended Columbine High School when the infamous school shootings happened in 1999 has made a video game called Super Columbine Massacre RPG. It was going to be debuted at an upcoming video game festival in Utah, but recently got pulled due to sensitivity issues. Here's what happens in this internet-based game. Players take the place of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who killed 13 people and themselves. The tagline, if you can believe this, is "How many people they kill is ultimately up to you." Now I'm quoting this from wikipedia about how the game works.

"After the bombs fail to explode as planned, Harris and Klebold decide to go into the school and murder as many people as they can. The player is armed with a Tec-9, two shotguns, a carbine rifle, and many other bombs and weapons: the same weapons the shooters had at the school in the actual event. Their "enemies" are only named as stereotypes or occupations, such as "Preppy girl", "Janitor", "Math teacher", and "Jock", among others.

The player decides whether or not to kill, while making his way from the school cafeteria to the library. Eventually, after the police arrive, Harris and Klebold commit suicide. The actual grisly security photographs of the shooters' bodies are shown, followed by a montage of crime scene and newspaper photographs; finally, family photographs of Klebold and Harris from early childhood to high school are shown.

The game begins its second part at this point, with the player taking control of Klebold alone, as he finds himself in hell. Unlike the first half of the game, this segment departs from historical accounts, as the player makes his way through Hell while combating demons and monsters from the computer game "Doom." After reuniting with Harris, the two joyfully proclaim their excitement at the prospect of living out their favorite video game.

The game's creator, Danny Ledonne, said 'I had the same kinds of issues in high school that the two shooters did and I just dealt with it differently, fortunately.' "

Oh I see. So this guy is fighting emotional issues and being bullied and his response is to turn a tragedy, a massacre, of young adults, and their supposed descent to hell, into a game? And don't tell me about freedom of speech. I know he can do what he wants to in his own time. That's his life, he can live it how he wants to.

But who in their right mind would play a game where you can step into the shoes of two teens who murdered over a dozen of their classmates, wounded 24 more (many more would have died if the bombs they planted in the cafeteria had exploded), and then killed themselves? Then see them battle demons from another video game in the setting of hell? Who would do that? Well, the game has been out for a year now and has been downloaded roughly 40,000 times. Apparently, the youth of American has too much time on his hands. And it's not a video game thing with me, I play them a few times a week (though it's mostly golf and football). But I'm very uneasy reading about someone turning this event into a game that's supposed to be all innocent and fun. Move on, yes. You have to move on. But tell me how making a game like this supposed to give you peace of mind. I'd like to know.

And I'm sure the Columbine movie will be getting released in the next few years...

I wish I was diffferent.

I really wish I was not this sick, wacked out, twisted, anal sports fan that I am. Because I really think my life would be a lot less aggravating otherwise.

Bears win in OT, Pats beat the Chargers. I'm not surprised, but I am disgusted.

I'm not in the mood to deal with the Bears, Seattle is not that good. I will say, go Saints! But I have a lot to say about Sunday afternoon's joke of a game.

If Asante Samuel was playing for the Jets in that game, he would have been called three times for pass interference. The last one actually turned the game around because SD would have had a first down at midfield with a little over three minutes left. Instead they had to punt. I have never seen a team get more breaks and big calls from the officials in my life since the Chicago Bulls of the 1990's.

This was the best team in football this year, San Diego. And I knew the game was over on the first Patriot drive. 3rd and 10 on their own 20 I think. Mr. Overrated throws a pass, it gets tipped three times, and the ball flied up in the air and it starts to drop. One of the Charger players is right underneath, all alone, ready to catch the ball on the NE 30, putting the Chargers in scoring range. Instead it slips out of his hands and New England gets to punt. You could have shut your TV off right there. Then I'm driving to Ecclesia, San Diego is driving, Michael Turner runs for a first down on a 4th and 1. Next play, Rivers throws a pass to Antonio Gates (the best TE in football), catches it, and gets stripped on the line, and New England recovers it. I know it was called back as an incomplete pass, but the feel was obvious. I knew midway through the second quarter, San Diego would lose.

And you can bet your soul, New England and Chicago are making the Super Bowl. I would bet everything I own on that happening. In a season where the Jets stepped up, everything could be ruined by watch my two least favorite sports cities play for a Super Bowl. In the context of football, it could not be any worse.

The same damn brick hits me in the head every year in one sport or another. Whether it's the Rangers missing the playoffs 8 years in a row, the Devils winning 3 Stanley Cups, the Knicks never winnning the title they should have and being reduced to a joke, the Braves' run of division titles, the Mets choking against St. Louis, the Giants embarrassing themselves, the Jets blowing playoff opportunities, it's always the same. It never changes.

So if I could come back in another life, which I don't think is something that happens, but who knows, if I could come back and live over again, I would do a few things different. I want to be a man of the arts. I'd want to be a guy that goes to the theater. I want to go to the Met, not root for the Mets, but go to the Met. I want Picasso, not Pennington. I want William Shakespeare, not Willie Randolph. I want Liszt, not Lundqvist.

So I pray to God, relieve this agony. I have enough aggravation in my life already. Why am I the insane, intense, crazy, battered NY sports fan that I am? Oh the pain....

Friday's article

Wheaton Academy 69, Walther Lutheran 61

One of the keys to success for any team is to play consistently well from start to finish. That proved to be the difference for the Wheaton Academy boys basketball team.

After seven minutes of play, the Warriors had raced off to a 17-4 lead against Walther Lutheran and stayed on top the rest of the way. The Warriors won the game and remained undefeated in three Private School League games.

“We just lacked intensity in the beginning,” said Broncos coach Bob Koehne. “When you have to dig out of a 13-point deficit early, it’s tough to do against a good team.”

The Warriors, traditionally known for outside shooting, frequently converted from close range. They scored 27 of their 35 first-half points from short to mid-range and from the foul line.

“We’re trying to discipline our offense,” said Wheaton Academy coach Paul Ferguson. “When we started running it through, we got buckets inside.”

The Broncos made a number of runs in the second half. Led by point guard Jeremy James’ speed and quickness as well as 6-foot-7 senior center Fred Rose, Walther got as close as 47-44 late in the third quarter.

The resilient Warriors (7-7) kept responding with big scores.

The Broncos got within 54-50 with 3:30 left. But Joel Malmquist converted a layup, and following a Rose free throw, Ben Euler swished a 3-pointer. Walther inbounded the ball, promptly turned it over, and Tim Rusthoven’s layup extended the Warriors’ lead to 59-51.

Ferguson was pleased with his team’s early energy as well as his bench, especially the big men.
“Paul Werkema, Jared Cochrum and Mike Lindstedt were key for us because they battled Rose and really made him work for things,” Ferguson said.

Euler scored a game-high 23 and Malmquist scored 10 of his 21 points in the third quarter. Matt Jones grabbed 10 rebounds and scored 8 points.

The Warriors, winners of four straight, compete today in the Wheaton Shootout against Wheaton North. Ferguson said the little things will go a long way in deciding that game.

“We have to box out, take care of the ball, make the extra pass, and we have to be the scrappier team,” Ferguson said.

James finished with 19 points for the Broncos (6-7, 2-2) and Rose grabbed 11 rebounds and scored 16 points.

Three years? Three years?

Omar Minaya has said many times you can't have enough pitchers. Well, that is now half of a sentence. The other half is "that throw under 85 miles per hour and don't strike batters out."

The Mets are on the verge of signing 33 year old lefty pitcher Scott Schoeneweis to a three year major league deal. Now SS is a decent pitcher. He can spot start or be a swing man out of the bullpen, like Darren Oliver was for us last year. But three guaranteed years? Unless the annual salary is around 500,000 dollars, I really don't like this. Oliver was 50 times better last year than I ever dreamed he would be. That was catching lightning in a bottle. I can't see it happening again. And if we're giving out 3 guaranteed years to SS, why couldn't we match Baltimore's offer to Chad Bradford, who was so good for the Mets last year? Answer that for me, Omar.

So as I've said before, Mike Pelfrey must step up. Phillip Humber must step up. Jason Vargas must step up. John Maine must step up. Oliver Perez has damn sure got to step up. There are so many question marks with this Mets pitching staff right now. And looking at Florida's incredible youth, Philly adding Freddy Garcia to go with Utley, Howard, Hamels, and Myers, the Braves still being themselves, I don't know what to think right now. Right now, as great as the 2006 Mets regular season was, that kind of dominance is not about to happen again this year. Not with such a questionable pitching staff.

But as I learned the hard way last year, homefield means nothing in the baseball playoffs. All you have to do is qualify. Last year, the magic came together very well. Let's see what happens in 11 weeks.

Solitude is over

I had the house to myself for the last 12 days. Mom took Hogan and they drove to Florida.

I've been alone for days at a time on numerous occasions, but two solid weeks was unprecedented. It was amazing how quiet everything suddenly became. I didn't hear Hogan's excited panting ringing in my ear, which has been standard since I was 11 years old and enduring elementary school. Didn't have to make coffee for mom in the morning, the evening news was never on (thankfully), did a lot of laundry, had to cook everything myself, which I don't mind all that much. I really did work most of the time anyway, so it's not like I was lazy. Then again, when I wasn't working, I mostly watched Get Smart and Ring of Honor DVD's, and played video games.

Got a holiday party tomorrow night for the Daily Herald at Gino's East. I hope they spring for some deep dish pizzas this year. Unlike with the thicker crust pizzas, literally every Chicago thin crust pizza really tastes the same. Little dinky square pieces with the toppings buried underneath the cheese. You pick up a piece, take a bite, and you have no idea what it is. It's like a bad surprise party. If I had to pick my Gino's East pizza, it would be the supreme (peppers, mushrooms, onions, and I'd choose the sausage over pepperoni) and, as an extra kick, add garlic. Of course, I'd have to make sure I wouldn't be near any other human beings for the rest of that week...

Rangers-Islanders tonight. That would be hockey. Big game.

Speaking of which, I have a grammar question here. The New Jersey Devils are getting a new arena in downtown Newark soon. Prudential is going to get the naming rights and the building will be called the Prudential Center. CEO Arthur Ryan said he doesn't mind if the arena is referred to as "The Rock," after the company's symbol of the Rock of Gibraltar. Here's his quote.

"We're going to put 'Prudential Center' up there. I suspect someone before long will be calling it 'The Rock,' and that's fine with us," he said after a news conference Monday. "That's been our icon for over 100 years and we're not uncomfortable with that."

Why does he have to say "not uncomfortable"? Doesn't it seem odd that he uses the word uncomfortable in this situation? Especially considering he works in insurance! It makes me feel... well, not comfortable. Hey Arthur, I took speech in college. How about saying "We're fine with that."