Mornin' Bloggin'

9:34am - I'm afraid I may have to kill the guy sitting next to me. He's trying to annoy me on purpose. How do I know this? Because no adult chews gum with their mouth open. Loudly. I swear he's gone python, unhinging his jaws for maximum annoyance. Between his recent trend of bouncing in his chair and making it squeak like bedsprings to chewing like a mastiff on a postman's bloated carcass, it may be funeral pyre time for him. Bloody savage.

Last night, I made my first appearance at a meeting of the Super Friends D.C. Bloggers Meetup group. Unfortunately, I was dead tired from even more lack of sleep than usual (only a fraction of it related to GoW), and was not my usual self. This is probably a good thing. In this case, I was quietly polite, laughed when appropriate, and did not make a huge spectacle of myself. Those who know me know that this is no small feat. Of course, the decision to have the next meeting at a place that sells alcohol will likely undo all of that, should I be able to make it. Eh, I had a good run.

It was a small but friendly group of people, with the expected demographic make-up (and J, who was also attending for the first time). After the gathering broke up, I headed to Olsson's to use my "20% off purchase" certificate that was due to expire at the end of the month. In retrospect, I should have waited so I could spend more. The few discs I did pick up: Stereolab's Oscillons from the Anti-Sun, Orthrelm's Ov, and Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning by Behold...the Arctopus. So far, I've listened to the Orthrelm disc (1st listen verdict: different, difficult, but not bad) and part of disc one of the Stereolab collection, which, for the money, should be picked up with all due speed. It is three CDs and one DVD for the nifty price of $27 (at Olsson's; I saw it at Melody for $22). Unfortunately, these listening experiences kept me up much later than expected, and for the second day in a row, I'm operating on too little sleep. Boy howdy, I am going to crash tonight.

Randomness

-Way #312 to Amuse Yourself At Work: When waving your hand in front of a sensor-automated paper towel dispenser, pretend you are performing the Jedi Mind Trick and say "you will give me a paper towel." For added fun, refer to the machine as a "weak-minded fool" while drying your hands. (Note: This trick can be used with any other sensor-automated device.)

-God Of War is one heck of a game, if a bit easy. What I like about it, and what more seasoned gamers--especially those with extensive time playing fighting games--might actually consider a negative, is the ease of combat. There are no complicated button combinations, making gameplay very smooth. From a graphics standpoint, the game art is some of the best you'll find on the PS2, with incredible character detail, particularly during the (ultra-violent) cut scenes. The scene where see Kronos crossing the Desert of Lost Souls is one of my favorites, particularly the close-up on the titan's face as Kratos climbs to Pandora's Temple. The music in the game is also first-rate, providing a perfectly cinematic score that enhances, but never overwhelms, the game.

-The ECW One Night Stand PPV was one of the best PPVs I've seen in some time, and a prime example of what fan-friendliness, in any entertainment setting, can do for your product. It wasn't that great from an in-ring standpoint, the highlights being the insane Awesome-Tanaka match (how anybody takes unprotected chair-shots these days is beyond me, and the ones Tanaka took were even scarier looking) and, of course, the bloody clusterfuck that was the main event. What it lacked in mat skills, the night made up for with rabid enthusiasm by all involved, fueled both by passion and nostalgia. Visual of the night: a crimson-masked Tommy Dreamer giving real-life wife Beulah a hug in the ring. He had the biggest grin on his face, knowing this was the end of the road for something that meant so much to so many. Priceless.

-A's took two of three from the Braves. Huzzah! Only a game and a half to get out of the cellar.

-I have missed both games of the NBA Finals, and it seems I've missed nothing at all. I don't care what Wilbon says, Phoenix-Miami would have been just as good at showcasing what is right with the NBA as this series, and they would have been a lot more entertaining while doing so. This series is dullsville, daddio.

Notes On Tonight

-Watched the Nationals take apart the Mariners (with a Mariners fan as company!). It was all jake until Hasegawa was put in. So, so small. But hey, now I have a favorite Nats player: Ryan "Crazy Train" Church.

-I did not join a few of my co-workers to "support" another co-worker who, we recently discovered, has a side gig doing le striptease. Another time, perhaps. Dolla dolla bills, y'all.

-Ran into The Clintons as they left Tunnicliff's Tavern in Eastern Market. J and I happened upon a crowd of gawkers on the sidewalk, stopping a little too close to a limo parked at the curb. A gentlemen asked us to step back from the vehicle. Next thing I know, here's Hillary and Chelsea just feet away from us, with Big Poppa Bill pulling up the rear. I was in D.C. during his entire presidency and tonight was the closest I've ever been to the man. It was such a random occurrence that it had nearly been forgotten later.

-Had beers and great conversation with J at The Lil Pub and the Capitol Lounge. She's good people.

-After the slowest winter and spring, the women of the night were out in full force. I was like a boxing ref during a KO on the walk home, because I counted ten. That is, until I stepped into my local 7-11, where another was at the counter making a transaction (tee hee) as I entered.

I know, I could have crafted this into something more substantial, instead of giving you the PowerPoint slide version. Maybe later I'll punch it up with a few more details and crude language. But now, it is late.

Do the rockaway...lean back...

This evening was spent in the company of Mrs. O and JG. We did the dinner thang at Luigi's downtown (too hot and lazy to link at the moment), where we had some excellent Italian food and conversation. Mrs. O wanted my take on the bachelor party, and instead of being obnoxious and saying "Don't you read my blog?!" I happily retold the story. Some details were left out, some were added in, and no names were changed to protect the innocent.

After dinner, we headed up to Dupont and took a leisurely stroll inside of Second Story Books. The find of the night, at least until we opened up to look at the content, was a book called Women: Pro or Con. I was hoping for an intellectual dissection of the pros and cons of women, but instead was treated to a bunch of quotes about women. Booooring! Also found: The Non-Chew Cookbook, for you people (like me) who think that food that requires you to work your teeth is for suckers. We eventually left when I started getting punchy in the form of dancing to the music that was playing in the store. What can I say? I'm just une machine de danse.

And now, a couple of hours and some ice cream later (so, so hot), I'm groovin' to one of my Xbox playlists and bringing the evening to a close.

Tomorrow: beisbol (Go Nats!). The rest of the weekend is undecided, though I plan on filling any down time mit God of War, which Mrs. O brought for me tonight. Mr. O finished the game before he went fightin' 'round the world.

One Advantage Of My Job

I now have a connection (and a pretty high connection at that) to this hotel. Depending on how the numbers shake out by mid August, I might could make this my birthday destination, instead of Los Angeles. (Sorry JC!)

"Look, I don't know why basesball means so much to everyone. There's important work to be done, to make things more decent."

"More decent than baseball? Dun-dun-dunnnn!"

Speaking of "basesball", the in-first-place-by-the-end-of-August Oakland A's are in town this week to do some hot, interleague action with the Nats. I am very tempted to go Wednesday night.

That is all.

DV$ 1, Baltimore 1

Yesterday was a trip to Charm City for the unofficial Bachelor Party for RF, who will be getting married in August. This was just a small gathering of friends looking to have a good time in the city that Peter Angelos ruined.

The Fantastic Four on this trip was me, JG, G/T/D (which stands for Greg/Todd/Doug), and RF. JG and RF picked me up at the King Street Metro and we returned to JG's place so that he and RF could finish their recently purchased lunches. While they ate, I played the DVD that was in the player, Playmate something or other.

JG: "You may want to jiggle the cords to get the sound to play."
ME: "Why do I care about the sound? Am I watching this to hear them talk?"

So they ate and I watched and, eventually, G/T/D showed up and we were ready to leave. With bags loaded and everyone strapped in (for funny!), we made our way to Baltimore. Not much in the way of highlights on the road, as it was the usual chit-chat und comedy. Eventually, I nodded off a bit and before I knew it, we're at the motel, a cozy little spot in the travel plaza called the Rodeway Inn. I shan't remark too much about the motel, because for our needs, it was good enough. So there is no need for me to really rip on it. There was a bit of mix up with the room assignment, as the room in which JG and RF would be crashing had no card reader. Once that got situated, we dropped off our thangs, took a few minutes to just stretch and unwind, and then it was back out the door. We snagged a cab in front of the Best Western across the street and took it to Camden Yards, where RF had to pick up some tickets for an O's game. After the purchase, we walked over to see what was happening on the field, as the announcer was doing his thing. As it turns out, there was a Fantasy Baseball Camp going on. I immediately called for the pitcher to throw something high and tight (I think my exact words were "Bean him! He's crowding the plate!"). After a few minutes of mockery, we headed for the inner harbor and our first stop, Pier 4 Kitchen + Bar. We got ourselves a table by one of the open windows, a nice breeze making our time there very comfortable. We had a few appetizers, a few drinks (I had a Honeydew martini and a beer or two) and some pleasant conversation, delving into such important topics as "What are the three things you always look for when you first meet a woman?" and its natural follow-up, "How many women have you dated that had all three things?" (Had in the sense that they were up to your "standards." My answer to that question was zero.) This conversation starter was offered by JG, and I assume was brought about by our particular circumstances, given that the reason for the season was RF's impending nuptials. Or else, he swiped it from his most recent issue of Redbook.

After we settled up, we began walk toward Fells Point. This is where the first bit of deja vu stirred in my head, as memories of the last trip to Baltimore bubbled up to the surface...

Aside: I still cannot believe I didn't blog about that trip. It is relevant to this post only in terms of the subject, as my record versus Baltimore after that night was 0-1. I'll probably jump in the time machine to blog about that special evening soon. If anything, it will be a fun companion piece to this entry.

We walked through Little Italy and got to Fells Point in pretty quick time. Our first stop was inside the bar and grill which was the centerpiece of our last trip, to see if Rose (the delightfully cute bartender) was there. Alas, she was not. Probably a good thing, as anything remotely resembling a duplication of that previous night would have caused me to dry heave. We popped in and out then went to an Irish bar down the street. Here, we played a couple of beers and played a few games of pool. I also played some music on the jukebox, which was surprisingly good considering the location. We left there and walked around a bit, trying to decide where to go next, finally deciding upon a Caribbean themed restaurant on the roof of an Irish Bar. (Names, as you can see, are escaping me. Not really important.) Once again, more drinks, more food, though I only opted for a scoop of ice cream this time, and more people watching. We settle up and make our way back to the street to find the next spot for what is sure to be madcap hijinx. We select Max's on Broadway, which, for those who made the previous trip, is the bar we were leaving when JG randomly smacked me on the back of the neck. This is where the evening started to pick up. In between all of the drinking, this stuff happened:

We encountered the first bachelorette party of the night. By the end of the evening, I counted 11 different bachelorette parties taking place. I'm convinced this was a scam.

One bride-to-be came in wearing a shirt that said "Suck For A Buck" and, of course, was covered with lollipops. First, RF was adamant that I get one. I begged off, but as soon as he was distracted, I got her attention and waved her over and bought RF (he's the man of the hour, after all) a suck.

JG roped in a girl who came to bum a cigarette from him. Very cute girl, very drunk girl. Her first words to me, as introductions were made: "I love your glasses! They're hot." I mention this only because it will come into play later. Also, when she was going around the table guessing the age (I brought this on, after asking hers), she guessed I was 24. See? Drunk! Anyway, most of the conversation was between Very Cute Girl and JG, but occasionally it involved the entire table. For instance, she picked up JG's sunglasses and put them on.

VCG: How do these look on me?
JG: Great.
RF: It looks good.
DV$: I don't like it.
G/T/D: Looks good.
VCG: So that's three who like it and one who doesn't? Why don't you like? The frames are too big, right?
DV$: Yes, the frames are too big. Plus, they hide your beautiful eyes.
VCG: That's such a line!
DV$: I know it sounds like that, but seriously, you have beautiful eyes, and I should know. I'm an optometrist.

So from that point forward, I was an optometrist. Fortunately, it was never really challenged, though she did try to get me to diagnose a problem she was having. I resisted, saying I had too much to drink to be of much help. She persisted a little, I asked her a couple of questions re: eye makeup and we both decided it was probably just allergies. Despite that less-than-glowing assessment, I really am a tremendous liar.

Anyway, once VCG got up to talk to her people, RF, who had left for who knows where, comes back with a girl and sits her down. Hilarious. Her boyfriend also came over with her. Some drunk and forgettable conversation took place. At this point, there was a noticeable lull, so drunk girlfriend and drunk boyfriend dragged RF and me over to the bar and set us up with a couple of Jaegerbombs. Damn it all, that's now a second drink with Jaeger that I enjoyed. My taste in alcohol is getting very odd. But I digress...

It was about this time that we broke out of there after some valiant efforts by both JG and RF to convince VCG and her friends to tag along with us. They declined. So we left, walked about the square a bit, and decided our next stop would be the Greene Turtle. Got a round of drinks, grabbed a spot in the middle of the room, and just took the scene in. RF found another bachelorette party and before I knew it, we were doing shots with them. This particular bride-to-be was doing the bachelorette party scavenger hunt. One of the items on the list was to have her picture taken with five guys at once. So RF grabbed some random dude and we helped her check it off the list. Another item on the list was "have a guy give you a pair of his boxers." RF demanded that one of us give it up for the cause. Nobody stepped up and RF himself claimed to be going commando (one of the super drunk girls in the bachelorette party attempted to verify this). So there was nothing more we could do for them and we parted ways.

An aside: I should state that at this point, I was feeling nice and toasted. When I reach this state, one of the first inhibitions to go is the one involving public dancing. Not that I'm a bad dancer (quite the contrary, IMO, as I've been blessed with an inordinate amount of rhythm for a white guy), but I'm usually not quick to hit a dance floor until I've had a few in me. Anyway, the DJ started playing music to which one could actually dance and before you know it, I'm doing my thing. I offer this only as evidence of my state of drunkenness.

Moments later: After unsuccessfully convincing The Sisters, two blondes that RF found at the end of the bar, to come dance with us (though one of them did finally get up and dance with RF), the evening takes a turn for the worse. JG lines up some shooters for our group and we dutifully down them. Soon after, RF makes a beeline for the bathroom. Uh oh. I give JG a look and he goes in after him. A few minutes later, they both emerge and JG informs us that the evening was over. Honestly, I don't feel like leaving, because once I'm dancing, I get very energized and do not really want to stop. But, we all go outside to find a cab. JG is steadying RF while G/T/D goes out to find a cab and within minutes has one. We steer RF through the streets to get to our cab, load him in the back, and as G/T/D and I are about to climb in, I ask him, "you wanna stay?" So at that point, G/T/D and I decide we're going to stay and try to find some trouble to get into. Our next destination is the Admiral's Cup, where the bachelorette party from the Greene Turtle said they were going. We go inside just as they are leaving. There was one girl in the party--the same one I think who was going to verify RF's commando status--who was just blitzed and a bit too agreeable. Dangerously agreeable. "My husband is way down in Georgia" agreeable. Ahem. She grabs my arm and tells us that we should go with them. So, we're talking and, as it turns out, they have finished everything on the scavenger hunt except for getting the boxer shorts. So I ask, what's in it for me?

The upshot: I got a kiss from one of the twin sisters in the group and was commando for the rest of the night.

G/T/D overheard that the party was going to the Have A Nice Day Cafe, which was going to be our own final destination (if we decided to forgo the strip clubs, which was likely, since it was established that 'tis far more of an accomplishment to see the naked breasts of women who are NOT strippers) until RF took a turn for the worst. So we start to hoof it in that direction, stopping for the most delicious steak burrito I ever did taste in my state of drunken hungriness, when I get a call on the Batphone from JG. He has lost the email address of the girl from Max's. I communicate this with G/T/D, who says he thinks she gave it to RF as well. We walk another block and we decide to go back to Max's, as JG had requested, just in case she was still there. No luck. So we reverse direction and head back toward Have A Nice Day. This was a long, foolish walk and we really should have grabbed a cab. But you know, if we had done that, we only would have arrived earlier and drank more, which would have been very bad. As it was, we got there later, wound up going to Tiki Bob's instead, grabbed a beer and a chair and just took it all in. I could not even finish that beer, as it would have put me over the edge. It was good to just be up on an open air deck and chillin', especially after the long walk. Couldn't argue with the eye candy, even though the super-charged courage from earlier in the evening had abandoned me, leaving me an admirer and nothing more. We finally decide that, since last call had just been announced, we should just grab a cab. One semi-confusing (we had no idea what the address of the motel was, and the phrase "travel plaza" had completely escaped my vocabulary) and overpriced cab ride later, we were back at the hotel, crashing. I had forgotten to pack sleep clothes, so I slept in the clothes I was wearing. I also slept without properly rehydrating myself, since I didn't trust the sketchy sink water in our room and was too lazy to go downstairs and purchase any. So, I just passed out, eventually reaching a deeper sleep than I imagined. While it was only around seven hours of sleep, it felt like so much more. JG, bless him, came by the room and asked if we needed any water or other hydrating beverages, then went downstairs and bought it for us. Like the steak burrito the night before, that was the most refreshing water my previously drunken self had ever tasted. After that, I felt completely replenished. Within an hour, we were all cleaned and ready to roll, though RF still looked beat. We stopped by a Bob Evans in Columbia and crammed food into our pieholes. From there, it was a sleepy ride to the King Street Metro to drop me off. I got home, took another shower. I tells ya, I wish I had packed shorts for today, because that Metro ride and walk back was sweatier than I would have liked. The rest of the day has been mostly relaxing, doing a load of laundry, writing this post, and getting my game on. Now I must mentally prepare myself for the creativity-deadening eight hours that I call "work" tomorrow. Oh well, the weekend was great while it lasted.

I cannot wait to play the rubber match against B'more. I'm pretty confident I'll come out on top. You hear me, Charm City? Your fate is sealed...

I Think I Blew My Brains Out

I have this theory, supported only by personal experience, that when your body reaches the breaking point in terms of sleep deprivation, you will start sneezing like a pepper factory has opened up in your sinuses. I first suspected this a few years back, had the idea reinforced last year on the day I flew to Chicago, and have had a few more experiences this year to add a bit of credibility. Today, however, was the worst its been since Chicago. The trip to Chicago was a nightmare, because I sneezed from the time I woke up at ungodly o'clock in the morning until about 4pm Central. Yet, as soon as I took a nap, the sneezing disappeared. This was doubly amazing, considering that the apartment at which I was crashing had two cats. (I'm allergic, don'tcha know.) Today's bout of nasal explosiveness nearly rivaled the Chicago trip in both quantity and power.

Anyway, yes. As you can see, the sneezing has caused me to sink to even lower depths of inanity on this blog. But hey, I never promised you A-material. You take what I give you. Take it!

Actually, I have been working on some more serious (read: focused) writing, possibly to be pitched (thanks to the encouragement of EMT), but I won't get into the details here. We don't need another "CO running a marathon" public relations fiasco. Ha! Punching out the man while he's not even in the country to defend himself. Yes! Yes! Stick with the kid, baby!

Holiday weekend
Gone by without enough sleep
I should have done more.

There, in haiku, is the summation of this past weekend. Friday, I did a little shopping, picking up two DVD sets (Chappelle's Show Season 2, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law Vol. 1), a CD (Pitbull M.I.A.M.I.) and more fuel for the Xbox (the second Splinter Cell game). The damage was nearly a lot worse, but I showed some restraint.

Saturday was a whole lotta nothing, really. I woke up late (for the record, sleep for this past weekend started at 3am, 5am, and 5am), did some much needed grocery shopping, and putzed around the house, splitting time between napping, finishing up the second Ratchet & Clank (an excellent 3-D platformer for you PS2 owners out there), reading (some articles I printed from the internet that will, with any motivation, help flesh out some writing I have planned), some writing (my web presence grows ever larger), and little in terms of much needed housework.

Sunday, I did not participate in a family barbecue, partly because I wanted to keep the day open just in case anything popped up and partly because I need a break. I love my family and I always have fun with them, but I've seen them so much in the last two months due to the parade of birthdays that I did not feel like making the trip. A social gathering, as it turns out, did happen, but it would not have precluded my attendance at the family barbecue. Oh well, at least I got to sleep in, relative to when I would have had to be up to make it to the barbecue. That night, I had dinner and drinks with Los O's and JG, the first time we had all been together at once in what seemed like forever. After, Mr. O, JG and I watched a movie, Anchorman, at JG's spot. A fun, relaxed evening. Even though I got home a bit before 3, I wound up being up even longer because I made the mistake of throwing on Project Gotham Racing 2, which brings out the OCD-gamer in me.

Monday was chore (note the singular) day, as I did a load of laundry and dedicated what little I had left of my holiday weekend to sloth. Oh, I did do a bit more writing, so I guess that is something. And now, I bring the banality to you, bloggie-style!

On the horizon:

The "unofficial" bachelor party for Fletch is this weekend.
Having the last of my clutter being carted off on Thursday.
Should have new furniture to fill the spaces within the next couple of weeks, including a drafting/art table, if I can find a cheap one. (Helloooo, Craigslist)
More writing!
Minor league baseball: I'd like to throw this out there to my peeps. The Potomac Nationals (I had no idea they had changed!) have a home series against the Frederick Keys in a few weeks. We can marvel at new mascot, Uncle Slam, and take in some hot, single-A action. If I didn't have this bachelor party, I'd suggest it for this weekend.

Thursday: had dinner with NV after she failed the Furr'n Service Exam. Fortunately, she was pretty even-tempered about the whole thing and wasn't really depressed that she did not pass. Her sister had taken and failed the exam before, so I think she was really mentally prepared for that outcome. Dinner was good, then we walked around downtown for a while. Was good to see her. I had not seen her since she transferred from AU.

Friday: was supposed to be birthday dinner with Big Lou, but it didn't pan out, as he had fallen ill. He sounded terrible when I called to confirm our plans. We've made plans to reschedule for this week sometime, should he feel better and have the time. I did not really do anything with my new free time, which was nice. Good to be able to wind down the week that way.

Saturday: early to rise so that I could meet with MT to have a bit to eat before going to see Revenge of the Sith. I had higher expectations going into this movie than either of the previous episodes and I am happy to say that they were met and exceeded. The only other thing I will say is that I was a bit disappointed with the way that Mace Windu went out. It wasn't nearly as embarassing as the way Boba Fett went out, but I still expected more. At least he will always have the coolest lightsaber of all time.

That night was the Virginia Wine Party with Los O's. I was unable to score a Virginia wine from my neighborhood liquor stores, so I chose a random chardonnay (Fat Bastard, from France, I believe) as my contribution to the party. It was another fun gathering, despite my normally indifferent attitude toward wine. The people there were all very nice and friendly and provided a lot of entertainment, especially when the evening just boiled down to a few people. With a few of the remaining partygoers sufficiently lubricated, some quality music on the Hi-Fi, including Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk, a 1977 release on Casablanca Records (scroll down nearly halfway to check out a description of the album, the artist, and the cover art), the hilarity was pretty consistent until the end, including a ridiculous cab ride home with Mojo.

Sunday: Nada. Slept late yet again, but not as late as I should have. Had some Chinese food for lunch, and now I'm here, watching G4-Tech TV and blogging. I know I'm your hero.

SOS: Students for an Orwellian Society: Won't someone please think of the children?

Well, when it rains, it pours. On my plate:

-Big Lou's Birthday dinner (mmmm...steak)
-Revenge of the Sith with MT (who, I discovered this morning, got accepted into SMU's Perkins School of Theology to get his D.Min. He is the Obi-Wan to my Luke. Or at least the Bunsen Honeydew to my Beaker.)
-Dinner(s) with NV, who is in town to do the Furr'n Service Exam thing.
-Suburban Wine Tasting avec Les Obergois (Sacrebleu!)
-Laundry (I'm a dirty, dirty boy.)

Plus, I need to get more furniture in and out of my apartment.

And, if I have time, I must hunt down and torture Bono.

Not enough hours in the day, I tells ya.

For three strange days, I had no obligations...

Friday: Cubs vs. Nats at RFK. I joined CO and his gang (wife, a few in-laws, co-workers), as well as JG and his co-worker, for some hot, non-DH baseball action. Unfortunately, I was enraged when I first got there. Between navigating through Dockers nation to even get to the Metro, to having to endure the inane banter of my fellow passengers, to pushing through and ocean of idiocy making my way into the stadium, by the time I reached my seat (which took two attempts, as I misread my ticket--the idiocy is contagious!), I could no longer mask my contempt for humanity. Fortunately, I was able to decompress much faster than expected and enjoyed myself. Post-game, JG, his co-worker and I traipsed through the neighborhood around RFK to find a cab, as enduring the Metro was not exactly a "must-do" event. After about ten or fifteen minutes of walking, we manage to snag one and get ourselves downtown for the night's drinking destination: The Saloon (on U Street, a few doors down from Ben's Chili Bowl). I really enjoyed that place. They had great beer, the surroundings were intimate and conducive to conversation, and they had games to play! I wound up beating a Russian (JG's co-worker) at chess. Three in a row, no less. U-S-A! U-S-A!

Saturday: This day was dedicated to shopping and a bit of cleaning. What did not go to those two endeavors was spent napping or eating. Shopping was for household products, as I'm trying to get the tasteless hovel that I call "home" into shape. So there was a trip to the hardware store and a trip to Staples (nice walks in absolutely gorgoues weather) and finally a trip up to Adams Morgan to hit the CD/Game Exchange, where I purchased nothing. Still, it was worth it for the walk alone. I got back just in time to avoid getting soaked, as the skies opened up probably thirty minutes after I got home. The evening was a quiet one on the couch, basking in the glow of TV, video games, and a long overdue phone conversation with EMT.

Sunday: Wasted day, just about. I woke up at 2:45 (!) and pretty much just putzed around the apartment. Got my first food at 6. The only other thing I did was hit the Black Cat to see the Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet play on The Backstage. (My thoughts on the performance can be found here.

All American Weekend!

Actually, before I begin that: Happy Birthday, Carl O! Welcome to XXX. Try not to wreck the place.

Anyway, tomorrow is an evening game of America's Pastime at RFK, watching the displaced Canadian team take on the hapless Chicago Cubs. It's unfortunate that Nomar is busted. It would be nice to have someone to boo.

Saturday will be some sort of spring cleaning. I've already started the disassembly of my apartment. Now I need to wrap it up over the weekend. Beyond that, I think I'll be hanging with Big Lou during the day, with a possible trip to Bethesda squeezed in.

Sunday will be a jazz performance at The Black Cat, featuring German jazz legend Peter Brotzmann. I'm expecting a blowout of terrific proportions. Hopefully, I'll have something interesting to say about it over in mein music blog.

Tonight was my monthly night out with ES. As is our custom when we hang out on Friday nights, it means dinner and games. Tonight's game of choice was the incredibly addicting Lego Star Wars. The game is almost laughably easy, but superb fun all the same. It's probably more fun if you're a Star Wars nerd, but even if you're not, the art (who knew it was possible to make Darth Maul adorable?), storyline gameplay, and free play modes should be sufficient to suck in even the casual gamer. It's amazing how the Star Wars series of video games have turned around; it used to be that the success rate was extremely low. But with the Knights of the Old Republic Series, Bounty Hunter, Battlefront, and now Lego Star Wars, they are on quite a hot streak. Hopefully, Episode III (both the movie and the game) will be just as good.

"Chappelle's Show" Shut Down

This sucks. First guess: it's the cheeba. The stickiest of the icky. Second guess: Dave is a really sensitive perfectionist who is crumbling under the pressure to produce a season that will live up to the hype and millions of dollars invested in him. Occam's Razor says...

Oh well. I hope he can pull it together and get the new season done.

(Thanks to EMT for the heads up.)

Spotlighting sports in the Sportlight Spotlight

Heckuva game tonight between the Wizards and the Bulls. I tells ya, if the Wizards knew anything about second half defense, they could actually make a real impact in the playoffs. As it is, while it's impressive that they seem to be on their way to winning a first round series in ages, beating a depleted Bulls team in less than convincing fashion isn't the way to gain confidence with Shaq and the Heat on the horizon. Honestly, as much as I'm pulling for the Wizards to make some noise (especially since my sorry, no-account Hawks are once again the laughingstock of the league and won't get better any time soon, since the #1 pick will "miraculously" wind up going to the lottery-bound Lakers), if Curry and Deng had made it to the post-season, I think this series would have already ended, especially the way the Wiz have lapsed in the second half of the last two games. Here's hoping that these two collapses will toughen them up for game six, because they seem to be the kind of team that could very well be thinking about round two already. Playoff inexperience and youth, don'tcha know.

I have to admit it: I'm actually enjoying the NBA playoffs. It's been a while since I've been able to honestly say that, but the games I've been able to catch have been fun. I'd love for there to be a Phoenix vs. Washington final, but that's not going to happen. We'll likely get Miami or Detroit vs. San Antonio, which should be ultra-competitive, but rarely high-octane. Nothing wrong with that; I'm just a sucker for a fastbreak.

Hey! Kentucky Derby this weekend. I have no idea what's what. My junior high self (the one that was addicted to horse racing, thanks to "Swing For the Fences" Big Lou) is weeping.

Football: I haven't much to say, except that the current state of the Miami Dolphins quarterbacks is the most pitiful I've seen it in my lifetime. Not even the laughable days of just a few seasons ago when Damon Huard (Huardball running wild!) was "managing" the offense and clowns like Cade McNown and Jim Druckenmiller were on the sidelines was this bad. A.J. "We Traded A Second Round Pick To The Eagles And All We Got Was This Lousy Quarterback" Feely sucks, and I'm not interested to see what he can do. I think we know what he can do, and adding Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to the backfield won't make him better. Hell, adding Randy Moss would not have made him better. He's a serviceable backup, slightly less talented than Gus Frerotte, the current #2 and, I'm guessing, eventual #1. To add insult to injury, Brock Berlin--the only quarterback from "The U" that I've never really cared for--has been brought into camp. (I haven't been reading the wires, so if he's already cut, well, good.) Meanwhile, The Ultimate Sage Rosenfels Experience continues to get ignored. And even though he hasn't done anything to prove he should be given a shot, I still have this hunch that the kid is good and is just being wasted. It's sad. How they went from Marino to this motley crew of turd polishers (and Sage) is beyond me.

Baseball: Fuck baseball. I keed. I will say this: I don't have Nats fever, I hate that Baltimore is doing well, and I have not kept up with the A's at all, except for the morning box scores. I have no idea who is doing what for that team. I think one of the reasons why I cannot keep up with baseball is because the people who do the baseball shows on TV are all terrible. I can't watch a show like Baseball Tonight because I cannot stand anybody on there. I think my days of being a "true" baseball fan (whatever that means) are well behind me.

Plus: I am really, really tempted to pick up God of War and Jade Empire, but will not do so for several reasons. However, for any readers who have a PS2 or Xbox (respectively), go do yourself a favor and pick those games up if you haven't already.

And away I go!

iPod One

Yeah, I'm sure this has been blogged to death. But I must make my own joke! Ahem...

I'm surprised there's no Geto Boys on the disc. I mean, besides being the second most hardcore act to come out of Texas (behind G-Dub himelf), who doesn't think of our esteemed leader when hearing the line, 'Back up in your ass with the Resurrection'?

Thank you. And if that joke has already been made...well...it was obvious. I plead innocent to plagiarism.

The legislature of the State of Idaho is sweet.

WHEREAS, any members of the House of Representatives or the Senate of the Legislature of the State of Idaho who choose to vote "Nay" on this concurrent resolution are "FREAKIN' IDIOTS!" and run the risk of having the "Worst Day of Their Lives!"

I really must see this movie. Hey, CO, wanna send me another one of them thar Netflix coupons?