Tuesday, December 31, 2013

a chilly end to the year...

the sun was out earlier but the wind made it feel like it was in the single digits. how i have gone years now without a true winter coat is beyond me. saw most of the cats and i'm sure the birds are happy i put out plenty of food for them. looks like we will have a big storm coming through on Jan. 2. good times.

team USA lost to Canada today 3-2 in the World Juniors. the USA played a dreadful 3rd period. way too many penalties and stupid mistakes. they made it interesting late but ultimately couldn't score the tying goal. if they would have, they would have won the group. instead, Canada wins the group by 1 point and gets the much easier route to a potential gold medal. for the USA to repeat they will have to beat Russia, then most likely Sweden (in Sweden) and then probably Canada in the finals. i'm not saying they can't pull that off, i'm just saying i would be pleasantly surprised if they do.

the New York Rangers play Florida in a few hours. hopefully they can start a little streak here soon. it would certainly make my new year's eve much better if they would win.

Monday Night Raw was pretty damn good last night, other than the 30 minutes or so where the USA Network was coming in like scrambled porn from my youth. i've seen what i missed on YouTube, mostly the Brock Lesnar/Mark Henry confrontation. the show started off with CM Punk on the mic, which always means good things. and the show ended with the bold decision to have Daniel Bryan join the Wyatt Family. i'm really interested to see where this goes. overall, a really strong show to end the year on. and next week will be an old school Raw, so i will be swimming in the deep waters of nostalgia once again.

other than that last night, i watched some college football and a little hockey. mostly it was all about trying to beat this level of this pool game i have been obsessed with. and finally, after 3 damn weeks of trying, i finally got past it last night. i think that actually helped me get a few hours more of sleep last night. at my age, i'll take any fucking victory i can get.

not sure if i'm going to the Dayton basketball game tomorrow or not. mom is feeling a little under the weather. and the game is on tv. if i don't go, i will get the chance to watch the Winter Classic as well as the huge Manchester United match with Spurs. regardless, i'll be back on here sometime after all of that is over with.

i have no plans for this evening. i don't think i've really gone out for New Year's in over a decade. it's never been one of those days where i really have felt the need to go party. i imagine i'll have a shot at midnight and be in bed a few hours later. i'll be really happy if i don't manage to write yet another alone at new year's poem.

i hope everyone has a great night ahead of them. be safe. drink more than you should and get home safely. only fuck the ones that cough and name any children born in September 2014 after me.

be well. peace and chicken grease.

music (my top 3 of 2013):

Valerie June - Pushin' Against A Stone
Jason Isbell - Southeastern
Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks (Deluxe Edition)

"My life needs editing." - Mort Sahl

Monday, December 30, 2013

a nice cherry on top near the end of 2013

so i got up yesterday morning full of nervous energy. got a good night of sleep surprisingly and was able to get all the stuff i had to do around the farm done pretty quickly. after a little breakfast i settled in for a little hockey.

team USA destroyed Germany 8-0 at the World Juniors. this was the game i was hoping for. easily handle an inferior opponent in the second game of back to backs. also, a complete performance as they never looked ahead to their next game. they play Canada tomorrow in their annual new year's eve war. should be yet another classic.

after that, a quick shower, and then off to see Dayton play Murray State. of course, i made sure to check all my fantasy football shit before i left. more on that later. Dayton started off cold, uninterested, and sloppy as hell. thankfully, they woke up before the first half was over. and then really flexed their muscles in the second half, winning 72-51. i was a little stunned they beat the spread as they were favored by 17. that's why i quit betting years ago. Dayton plays again on new year's day at 2 pm.

after the game there was a little concert by an 80's cover band, Stranger. it was really better than i ever thought it would be. here's a link to their site: http://stranger80s.com/

i only asked to see my mother's phone to check the NFL scores once. and once i saw that a few of my players had decent games and my opponent's QB had a horrible game, i felt pretty damn good. and then in the car ride home i heard that Drew Brees had thrown his 4th TD in the first half and i knew i was going to win. and with the final score of 168.24 to 102.06 i had won my 5th NFL Fantasy championship. my first on NFL.com and my first in this group with other poets and publishers. needless to say, the alcohol was flowing last night. i figure if i'm going to hate losing the way i do i might as well enjoy winning more than i should as well. so after a nice stiff double shot of whiskey and 2 victory beers from the wins earlier in the day, i was feeling pretty damn good.

the New York Rangers added to my joy last night with a 4-3 victory down in Tampa. it was the King's first victory since god knows when. plus, it was really nice to see the power play start to really click. highlights are below:

i haven't had that victory beer yet. i didn't want to drink myself into a morning on the toilet. so far so good with that call. i imagine i'll have that beer during Monday Night Raw tonight. plenty of rumors going on with who is going to be on the show tonight, so i'm hoping it's going to be a good one. other than that, i'm guessing there's probably some college football or basketball on that i'll be watching as well. all while still glowing about my victory.

and keeping in a private promise i had with myself, i am now officially, (once again), a New Orleans Saints fan. i was a huge fan when i was a child. but once i started playing fantasy football, i gave it up but told myself, if i can ever win a title with Drew Brees or Darren Sproles, i would become a fan again. and after YEARS of trying to do it, last night i finally did. and thankfully, the team is much better than when i was a fan starting in 1983. so, plenty of black and gold once again.

it's been lightly snowing here for hours. maybe an inch of accumulation so far. i was hoping it was going to start snowing heavier so i could do a quick YouTube video. i've got an idea about doing a reading in the snow. hopefully i can pull that off sometime before spring.

hope everyone is well. hope your weekend was as good as mine. and i do hope you are ending your 2013 on top of something or someone. good times.

music:

Queen - Greatest Hits I & II

"I like criticism. It makes you strong." - LeBron James

Saturday, December 28, 2013

a little of this, a little more of that...

first off, let me share something with you...

my friend Natascha Hoover has put out her first art photography book, Pressure Washers For Jesus. you can find a preview and more info on the book here:
http://www.blurb.com/b/4967743-pressure-washers-for-jesus

the New York Rangers played decently last night, but decent doesn't get you wins in this league. a 3-2 loss on a goal that the goalie has to make a save on. of course, when the coach can't decide who is the #1 goalie and who is the backup, this kind of shit happens. they play again on Sunday down in Tampa.

after doing the dishes and going through a few hours of email i had to catch up on, i did manage to get a few hours of sleep last night. not much as i was dreaming about the Dateline episode from last night on NBC. as much as i complain about being alone, i do understand it's much better than being with the wrong person.

got up this morning and watched team USA beat Slovakia 6-3 in the World Juniors. i was happy generally with how they played. they do need to clean up all the penalties they take and they must figure out why they always play shitty in the 2nd period. tomorrow morning should be interesting as it is their first back to back days playing. thankfully, they're only playing Germany. that has a chance to get ugly quickly.

that game ended with plenty of time for me to get some breakfast and watch Manchester United play. it wouldn't be a United game this year if there wasn't some injury concern seemingly out of nowhere. Wayne Rooney didn't make the trip to Norwich, resting a sore groin. i'm hoping it's because of the bigger game coming up on Jan. 1st. United looked dreadful in the first half. bring on Danny Welbeck and it all changes. United wins 1-0 with a dramatically better effort in the second half. a much needed 3 points going into the game at home against Spurs.

so i now have the rest of this sunny Saturday to enjoy a couple of victory beers. i imagine i will be watching some college football and taking a long nap for most of today. i do want to watch the WWE Tribute to the Troops this evening. other than that and some ROH, this might end up being a Saturday of doing little shit around the house.

hope this finds everyone well. hope the weather is decent in your neck of the woods. of course, they are saying it's going to rain tomorrow, which will turn into snow. i figured this would happen as i have a ton of trash to take down the lane tomorrow. as long as it isn't too windy. i'm not a big fan of picking the trash up again. now if i could just get the fuckers across the road to understand this concept.

be well. peace and chicken grease.

music:

The Lemonheads - The Best of The Lemonheads: The Atlantic Years
Guided By Voices - Isolation Drills

"Software is like sex: it's better when it's free." - Linus Torvalds

Friday, December 27, 2013

the middle of a long weekend

holidays in the middle of the week give the feel of one long ass weekend. and today would be the middle of that weekend where i've already done everything i wanted to do. so today was a lot of twiddling my thumbs, looking at porn, figuring out the best deals for my wish list on amazon.com, and wondering if the lady at the bank told me happy new year too early or not. you know, real earth shattering shit.

i went to the bank today and made a decent deposit. definitely my biggest one in months. nothing quite like holiday cash. i held the door for the elderly black woman coming out of the bank and she said thanks, happy new year. i said you're welcome, same to you as i truly believe Dec. 27th is way too early to start wishing happy new year. i'm sure this is part of the asshole in me.

after a few days of just not thinking about anything quite frankly, i got back online and started looking at my fantasy sports. nothing like a few injuries to snap me back into oh fuck mode. had a key player on my fantasy hockey team go down with a torn ACL, so it's going to be a wide mix of replacements until the right one shows up. i've got a decent lead in that league, but i've seen such leads go away in a matter of weeks before. as for football, had to make some minor adjustments in the just in case mode for the fantasy football finals. hopefully the injury reports later today come out in my favor. that will help calm the stress since i won't be watching for the first part of the games on Sunday. another basketball game at Dayton awaits. hopefully there is a much better outcome this time around. on both fronts.

it actually got to "normal" temps today. the sun felt pretty damn good when i was out feeding the animals. of course, the sliding door that i use to get inside to feed the cats came off the rail. and it was a bitch trying to get it back on. amazingly, equipment from the 1930's tend to rust and no longer function after 80 years. i was able to get the door shut but i won't use it again as i know i didn't get it back on correctly. perhaps if it was a little warmer out i would have fucked with it for longer than the 20 minutes i did. sadly, here in the winter, sun does not equal heat.

the New York Rangers play tonight in Washington. i have no clue how they are going to play. i'd love to sit here and think they are going to win their 3rd straight. i'll believe it when i see it i guess.

i'll be back on here tomorrow after my morning sports. team USA plays in the World Juniors at 7:30 in the morning. that will go right into Manchester United playing Norwich at 10 in the morning. hopefully i'll be having a few victory beers later in the day.

as you'll see below, i also listened to a shitload of music today.

hope everyone has a great last weekend of 2013. be well, be drunk, be creative, be generous, and believe in yourself... just in case no one else gives a shit.

peace

music:

Otis Redding - The Very Best Of
Ray LaMontagne - Till the Sun Turns Black
Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
Prodigy - The Fat of the Land

"Better remain silent, better not even think, if you are not prepared to act." - Annie Besant

Thursday, December 26, 2013

the day after...

as a sports fan for the majority of my life, what the day after Christmas truly means is 2 things. 1) a full day of Premier League games and 2) the start of the World Juniors Tournament in hockey. so, unlike the rest of the greedy souls spending gift cards or taking back the shit they didn't want today, i was up at the crack of dawn to get the vocal chords ready.

to say i was a bit pissed when Manchester United went down 2-0 in just 13 minutes against Hull City would be an understatement. i was beyond fucking livid. thankfully, my mother was already awake so i didn't need to keep quiet. my mood got better quickly as United had tied the game in the next 15 minutes. they ended up winning 3-2 thanks to an own goal from Hull. i could have gone without the red card from Valencia and the madness in the final 3 minutes, but i'll gladly take the much needed 3 points. next game is on Saturday.

and that game got over in time for me to check some email and get ready for team USA in the World Juniors. the tournament is over in Sweden, so the time difference should work out for me this year. i like the fact that they say they aren't defending the gold medal from last year but trying to win their own gold medal. nice Jedi mind tricks (if they happen to win it again). team USA had a pretty solid opener with a 5-1 win over the Czech Republic. not too many mistakes and plenty of positives to build on. they play again in a few days.

so that's 2 victory beers i will be enjoying later tonight.

i spent most of yesterday watching bad basketball. the first 2 NBA games absolutely stunk. i ended up trying to find movies or something else on the television. thankfully, the last 3 games were pretty good. of course, the last game didn't get over until 1:30 in the morning. good thing i took plenty of cat naps during the day that i was actually refreshed when i was up just 5 hours later.

i have no clue what i'm going to watch tonight. maybe some of the bowl games, maybe i'll do some end of the year writing. i am hoping to get some money together to hit the bank up tomorrow with a decent end of the year deposit. mom gave me 2 scratch off lottery cards yesterday and one hit for $10. so, at least i know i'll be putting $10 in.

i need a damn haircut as well. i can't see my cheap ass paying for one, so tomorrow might be a day to clean the razors and get to shaving this mop down to something a little more manageable. of course, the beauty of apathy is i may not feel like this come tomorrow so nothing will happen. i often wonder why i'm single and then i step outside of myself and truly realize there isn't a woman on earth that should be willing to deal with this madness. although, i'm always willing to listen to offers.

hope everyone enjoyed their boxing day. the sun actually made an appearance today, so it wasn't too bad out here. now, if only the damn wind would calm down...

until tomorrow afternoon with bank stories and god knows what else as i have no clue where my mother is dragging me to tomorrow. maybe car shopping, maybe a little lunch, maybe a trip to a box store for some deals, maybe long lines of traffic where i'll write horrific murder poems in my head... time will tell.

be well. peace and chicken grease.

music:

Radiohead - In Rainbows
Beth Orton - Sugaring Season

"An artist is always alone - if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness." - Henry Miller

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas

i don't have very many traditions when it comes to Christmas morning. but ever since i was a teenager, i have played this on repeat every Christmas morning:

and in the last few years, this song has been added to the mix:

hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. be well and take care.

music:

William S. Burroughs - Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales
John Prine - Souvenirs

"Santa Claus has the right idea - visit people only once a year." - Victor Borge

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

some miracles come out of nowhere

i was watching the NFL game last night and somewhere around the 3rd quarter, i started to panic. my fantasy football team needed points from the 49ers defense, who quite frankly weren't doing shit. so, i ran to the computer and checked the scores. i was 4 points behind. then, after a punt return i was .4 points behind. fast forward to the 4th quarter and i'm still trailing. the Falcons had just scored and looked like they were getting ready to score again. and i'm muttering to myself, i need an interception returned for a touchdown, over and over again. and right after i mumble that this is what i get for trusting a defense ran by some fuck from Michigan, my early Christmas miracle happens. an interception returned for a touchdown. i immediately ran to the computer to watch the score get updated. i won the game by 8 points or so. not bad when i was trailing by 13 to start the night. i'm really thankful my mother wasn't filming me as i was one of these over jubilant assholes acting nuts. i think she was more thankful that nothing was going to be destroyed now. so, i'll be in the finals of this league as well. first time in the decade plus i've been playing in multiple leagues that i have gone to the finals in 2 of them in the same year. hopefully i do a much better job in this final.

and to go from that elation to the good news from Nerve Cowboy today was simply amazing. and the poem they accepted is one of my recent favorites. i'll pimp that issue for sure when it comes out.

the New York Rangers did something last night that i'm not accustomed to this season; win 2 games in a row. a 2-1 shootout victory over Toronto. of course, the game never should have gone to overtime, but i'll gladly take the 2 points. it's very apparent the officials need some time off as well. here are the highlights:

i didn't watch much of Monday Night Raw at all last night. it was taped last week, so i already knew what was going to happen. i did like the news of Batista returning. that should make for some interesting story lines. plus, he returns on the Raw the day before my birthday.

not sure what i'm going to watch this evening. maybe A Christmas Story, maybe the college football game, hell, maybe i'll just write this evening away. i did have a little fun decorating my art set last night. a good place for some stickers. maybe i'll break out some of that and do some art tonight. given how fucking cold it is here, i might just sleep.

not sure what i'm going to do on Christmas day. i get the feeling mom and i might end up at Waffle House. that might make for some interesting poems. i do have planned what i'm going to put on this blog tomorrow. stay tuned.

wherever you are in the world, i hope you have a wonderful Christmas or whatever you choose to celebrate. be safe, be well, enjoy it.

try not to choke on the milk and cookies...

music:

Patrice O'Neal - Unreleased
Bettye LaVette - I've Got My Own Hell to Raise
Eurythmics - Ultimate Collection

"I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage." - Erma Bombeck

response from Nerve Cowboy

i heard back from the guys at Nerve Cowboy on my poetry submission from back in July. my poem "what it all means" has been accepted for publication. it will appear in #36, the winter 2013/14 issue.

Monday, December 23, 2013

making up for lost time

so when i last left this adventure, it was raining cats and dogs out here and the water was rising. thankfully, we only had some minor flooding, nothing of the holy shit kind. the cold weather has come back but it was so windy yesterday, it dried most everything out before it could freeze. good looking out mother nature.

let's go back to Saturday night. SNL was absolutely great. the chemistry that Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake have together is spooky. plus, you can never go wrong with an episode when you have surprise guest after surprise guest. easily, the best episode of the season and will probably win another award. as for ROH on Saturday night, i did watch a good portion of it. i do hope that Adam Cole gets to be seen on a much larger scale in 2014 as he has a pretty high ceiling in pro wrestling.

i woke up Sunday with anxiety and joy and was basically, busier than 9 cats covering up shit in a windstorm. my mother, sister and i all exchanged gifts Sunday morning. to put it mildly, i was blown the fuck away with what they gave me. a few of the highlights: a mandolin (which i now need to teach myself how to play), an art set (like a real, professional one, with a wooden case), some much needed cash, a Derek Jeter rookie card (holy shit) and some Jameson Irish Whiskey from Ireland (let the drinking begin). easily, my best Christmas as an adult. i'm just really thankful that both of them liked what i got them as well. after all that, it was a quick shower and then off to a basketball game.

and as per usual in my life, after any really good high, i have only one place to go. straight fucking down. Dayton loses 79-76 in overtime on a 3 pointer at the buzzer by Southern Cal. and as the ball went through all the last second misery i have lived through in that building just came crashing back into me. nothing like having your guts punched right out of your soul before Christmas. hopefully the players and coaches take this as a horrific lesson to learn and come back with an unbelievable attitude after the break. they play again on the 29th.

being the asshole i am, i decided to check my fantasy football teams as i was coming home. nothing like piling on. my CBS team shit the bed yesterday. only 60 fucking points. less than half of what they were projected to get. needless to say i lost the championship. and that's with my opponent still having 2 players to play tonight. but, amazingly, my NFL.com team did amazingly well. i am only 13 points behind going into tonight. i have the 49ers defense. if they can just do average tonight, i should win. that would avenge the 2 earlier losses this season to my opponent and also put me in the championship game in a league that i have never finished higher than 3rd. and that's a league with other writers, so this has the potential to be pretty damn sweet. needless to say, my eyes will be on the Monday night game. (of course, if i would have started Andy Dalton instead of Drew Brees i would have already won.) (whoops)

the New York Rangers lifted my mood a little last night by actually putting forth an effort worthy of me giving a shit. of course, they started the game off in a fog. but, they manhandled the Wild in the last 2 periods, winning 4-1. that was a victory beer that i really savored. they play again tonight against Toronto. this ends their long ass home stand. hopefully they go into the break with a win.

i imagine i will watch a little of Monday Night Raw as well tonight. i know what happens but, i tend to never want to watch commercials. so, i guess i'll check out a few segments at least.

my sister took a picture of me with one of her friend's children yesterday and i guess it has been posted on Facebook now. i think it's kind of funny when people are shocked when they see me or act like they didn't know i was still alive. like i haven't lived in the same place since 1997 or had the same email since 1995. out of sight out of mind. if they really wanted to show their appreciation, they could always buy a book.

it was good seeing my sister again. we got along pretty good. much better than i think my mother was fearing. helps that my sister wasn't on her period and there wasn't a full moon. there will be a series of poems about all that one day.

i will be a little sporadic on here for the rest of the week. i will try to blog every day but i might be busy using the new gifts. especially if i'm feeling a little artsy fartsy in the next few days.

hope everyone is doing well. seeing that tomorrow is the 24th and knowing that most of my readers are males, good luck with the shopping.

music:

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Miami Pop Festival
Tori Amos - Live at Montreux 1991 & 1992

"Stuff happens when you are a kid; it scars you inside for life." - Corey Haim

Saturday, December 21, 2013

when does winter start with a flood?

well, all the ice and snow is finally gone. i've got a part of one field under a few inches of water. no bridges washed out yet. but, i think the bad stuff is still to come. i've got a feeling it is going to look a little different come tomorrow morning.

Manchester United won today 3-1. a very good performance by the team. nice to see Rooney healthy again. hopefully the injury to Welbeck is nothing serious as he is just now rounding into his best form EVER  for the team. and holy shit, the first Premier League goal for Ashley Young in 19 months. a badly needed 3 points.

the New York Rangers last night tried every fucking bit of patience i have. they lost to the Islanders 5-3, the ass clowns first regulation win in something like 17 games or so. i'd love to know who the fuck thought putting 2 young refs in this game would be a good idea. nearly the entire game was played with special teams. and i know if i'm grasping at straws trying to come up with reasons for why this team stinks, the management and coaching staff is lost as well. something has to change soon or the season will be lost.

i internalized all my hatred last night, so my sister and i got along fine. she's out with my mother at the moment at my uncle's i believe. they are having their Christmas today. i haven't participated in that for over 25 years now, so i really couldn't care. i believe my sister and mother and i are exchanging gifts tomorrow morning. that will be interesting as i will need to wake up early to get all my fantasy football shit done. plus, we have a basketball game at 2 p.m.

i believe the rest of today will be a mixture of watching it rain, maybe a little writing, watching some sports, and taking a nap. i have a victory beer to consume. i am looking forward to Saturday Night Live tonight. with Fallon and Timberlake involved, i am thinking this will be the best show of the season. i think ROH this evening is a year in review for Adam Cole. i'll be in and out of that.

i did hop on over to Noise Trade today and picked up some free music from fun. i'll include the link down in the music section. very good.

the cold weather comes back in tomorrow afternoon. i'm really hoping all this fucking water doesn't freeze all at once. i know for damn sure we don't have that much ice melter out here on the farm.

not exactly sure when i will be blogging again. maybe late Sunday night, maybe early Monday morning. i'm going to be a little preoccupied with fantasy football on Sunday to do much of anything else. unless of course my CBS team starts to shit the bed. i'll drag myself away from it, just for my health. and if you think i hate losing normally, imagine me in a championship game. it's not pretty. i've lost more of them than i have won so far. tomorrow could bring me even. and i really, really would love that.

that's all for me today. i hope you are dry wherever the fuck you are. be well. stay safe for all of you procrastinating shoppers out there. and don't be afraid to buy me something, i won't mind.

peace and chicken grease.

music:

fun. - Before Shane Went to Bangkok: Fun. Live in the USA
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Nothing But the Water
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

"I never set out to be weird. It was always other people who called me weird." - Frank Zappa


Friday, December 20, 2013

the warm rain

i woke up this morning and it was 50 degrees outside. most of the ice and snow is gone now, but there is still some stubborn places that haven't melted yet. nothing like the lane and all the areas around the house becoming shitty and muddy right before we're supposed to get 3 inches of rain. fun.

the Dayton Flyers won last night 96-84. they should have scored 100 but they have a terrible habit of getting a big lead and taking their foot off the gas pedal. big game coming up on Sunday against Southern Cal. Dayton will be looking to get some revenge for their overtime loss last season in California. the game is close to being a sell out, so it should be a pretty good one.

was listening to the post game show on the radio and heard the news about the death of Pat Flanagan. he owned the bar where the post game show takes place. the best Irish pub i've ever been in. and one of the nicest humans ever. at least he didn't have to deal with this round of cancer very long. rest in peace.

of course, i got home and immediately got sick. not sure what the fuck it was from, but it's a little hard to enjoy a victory beer sitting on the toilet. good times.

today has just been one long dreary mess. must be the holidays.

i now have some injury concerns on my fantasy football teams. figures.

the Rangers play tonight against the Islanders. nothing like a little hatred for the holidays. if the Rangers lose tonight i will be beyond pissed off. plus my sister will be here, so that will add to the fireworks. something will get said, i'll end up blowing a fuse... good times.

i'll probably be on here tomorrow after Manchester United plays. hopefully i will be in a better mood. just don't count on it.

music:

AC/DC - Back in Black
Valerie June - Pushin' Against a Stone
Shovels and Rope - O' Be Joyful
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation

"Never let go of that fiery sadness called desire." - Patti Smith



Thursday, December 19, 2013

let the melting begin...

today was the first day in weeks it wasn't below freezing when i woke up. it's been around 40 degrees all day long. some of the ice and snow has started to melt. i imagine once the rain starts, it will all start to melt. but, until that happens the lane is like a damn skating rink. thankfully there is plenty of grass to walk in.

the New York Rangers frustrated the living shit out of me last night. i don't think i have ever seen a team turn down so many chances to shoot to try to make the perfect pass in my life. the light bulb must have finally gone on in the 3rd period when they were down 3-1. they came back to tie the game at 3 to force overtime. now, instead of taking advantage of a power play in overtime, they went back to pissing any good chances away. it didn't surprise me at all when they lost in the shootout. to a team missing 12 regulars. 4-3 loss but they did pick up a damn point. this team is just good enough to be mediocre.

a big thank you to Jonathan Hayes for sending me his book, American Haiku. what a fun, quick read. i really enjoyed it. check it out at Amazon.com. i highly recommend it.

i will be going to see the Dayton Flyers play Iona tonight. it should be a high scoring affair. it's on national tv (NBC Sports Network) so i do expect a pretty hyper crowd and game. hopefully Dayton plays just enough defense tonight to get another win at home. of course, it wouldn't surprise me if both teams were in the 90's tonight either.

i got the mix cd i had to do done this morning. i'm willing to bet that 90% of the songs on it my 10 year old cousin has never heard. i always enjoy the chance to educate or corrupt the youth.

i'm facing a big fucking decision in my fantasy football playoffs. do i bench Drew Brees for Andy Dalton like some of the "experts" are saying i should? i just can't bring myself to doing it. and if it costs me the chance to go to the finals, so be it. i just can't believe that will be the deciding factor. i'm a pretty decent underdog in that match on NFL.com. i'm still a 28 point favorite in the championship game on CBS. thankfully, i have no injury concerns at all this week. that's really helpful as i will be at a basketball game for a good portion of Sunday. Dayton plays Southern Cal.

that's pretty much all for today. hope this finds everyone well. i will hopefully have some good news to report tomorrow.

music:

Gary Clark Jr. - The Bright Lights EP

"Don't care what people say. Don't give a damn about their laws." - Edith Piaf

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

a little sunshine

with victory beer in hand, i come to this blog with a much better mood than i have had in a few days. could be the sunshine today. could be the alcohol. could be the impending chaos coming with the weather...

Manchester United won today at Stoke 2-0. a crazy first half that saw winds so strong that a ball wouldn't go more than 10 yards into it and then a damn hailstorm. thankfully, that weather passed and then 2 guys i have been extremely critical of decided to shut me up finally. Ashley Young with an incredible bullet goal and then Patrice Evra with a nice bender with his off foot. as i sip on this victory beer, all i can say is well done boys. they now advance to the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup.

i did watch the finale of The Voice last night. i thought the show itself was a little up and down. a few of the performances were top notch and the rest were hey, we flew you out here so you have to do something... Tessanne winning was the right choice. it will be interesting to see what kind of music career she has here in the states now. the show is back in February as i guess between The Voice and The Winter Olympics, nothing else can keep NBC afloat. unless they decide Jimmy Fallon is going to do every show on the channel. he may be naive enough to try...

i did get all the Christmas gifts wrapped today. i knew the Sunday paper would come in handy.

the New York Rangers play the Penguins tonight. even with a ton of injuries, Pittsburgh should still win. hopefully i will be surprised while watching tonight.

other than that, not much going on for me tonight.

the weather is starting to turn out here. the next 3 days will start a big warm up and a complete melting of the snow. between the heat and the rain, looks like we may have 4 inches or so going into the ground. this will be a good chance to see if the irrigation changes we made out here survived the harvest. i doubt we will have any flooding. as long as it doesn't wipe out the little bridge in front, we're good. if the bridge gets washed out, i guess my sister will have to wait to have Christmas out here.

we did get a delivery of propane today. at least i know that tank is full.

now i'm off to go figure out what songs to put on a mix cd for a 10 year old boy. i'm figuring i will go with some classics. and then sprinkle in some songs that he shouldn't hear, just to keep his mother on her toes.

hope this finds everyone well. until tomorrow...

music:

Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing

"If you're going to kick authority in the teeth, you might as well use both feet." - Keith Richards

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

and soon the snow will be a flood

let me start this out with the usual bullshit Ohio weather update. a quick blast of snow (right now) and then here comes the warm up. in 2 days it is supposed to be in the 50's and raining. and combine that with all the snow melting and the assholes on the local tv are talking about flooding. here's hoping it's biblical, considering the season and all.

just got done watching Sunderland upset Chelsea in Capital One Cup play, 2-1 in extra time. i absolutely love that Chelsea is gone from this competition. of course, Manchester United plays Stoke tomorrow on the road and my glee could very well be anger 24 hours from now.

i did end up winning my NFL.com fantasy game by over 40 points. my reward is to face the #1 overall seed, the same guy that has beat me twice already this season. one more win and i'll be in the championship game. as for the CBS league, i play the #3 seed in the finals. i beat him by over 40 points earlier in the season, not that that means anything at this stage. i'll be a little more hyper paranoid about injury reports and waivers, that's for sure. and the true tricky part is i will be at a basketball game for most of Sunday. more on that later in the week.

i did catch a good portion of The Voice last night. i think all 3 really did a great job. but, i'll still go with Tessanne winning it, seeing that she hit #1 on iTunes last night for her cover of a Whitney Houston song.

Monday Night Raw was really good right up to the bullshit finish of the main event. i really hate when a really great match is ended on a cheap DQ. it's just really lazy booking. almost as lazy as having a fucking run in to set up another angle. the highlight of the night was the exchange between HBK and CM Punk. i flipped out as #2 and #3 on my all time list of wrestlers were going back and forth in a classic verbal exchange.

tonight will be a night of putting groceries away whenever my mother gets home and watching the finale of The Voice. other than that, i don't see me doing much of anything. i've already cleaned the toilets today. i might start wrapping Christmas gifts. that day is sneaking up way faster than i want it to. i believe we're doing Christmas this weekend.

if we do get some epic rain this weekend, i will try to get pictures or video. at the very least, i could see a few poems popping out.

that's all for me. back to being in front of the heaters. the beauty of living in an old farmhouse is no one believed in insulation i think before the 1960's. and my stepfather, god love him, remodeled this on the cheap. that's why it is a holy shit moment anytime the power goes out here in the winter. it's one thing to get snowed in (i was for a week before out here), it's another to try to live out here with no power in the winter. unless you want to burn off a portion of the house, it's not going to be warm at all.

sorry for the random thought tangent. my mind tends to wander when i've got one eye on the screen and one on the window watching for cars.

look for me tomorrow sometime after the United game. hopefully with victory beer in hand.

music:

The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen
Blakroc - Blakroc
Pearl Jam - Yield
Nirvana - Nevermind

"Nothing is more intolerable than to have to admit to yourself your own errors." - Ludwig van Beethoven

Monday, December 16, 2013

the worm has turned...

i woke up to some unexpected snow this morning. just enough to really fuck everything up. luckily, the guy who farms out here came out to put a few tracks in the lane. he also brought up the empty trash cans. that means i won't have to start the truck again. that was a bitch yesterday. but, it got warm after 30 minutes or so.

Manchester United won 3-0 yesterday, with the goals coming from unlikely places. Danny Welbeck gets 2, his first goals since the first game of the year. Tom Cleverley gets the third goal, his first in exactly one year. hopefully with RVP down for the month, they actually get some of the kids to help Rooney out. a big 3 points. today was the Champions League draw. when i saw United got the team from Greece i was really pleased. much better than it could have been. i love that City and Arsenal got fucked on their draw. good times.

the New York Rangers won last night 4-3 in a shootout. i was in and out of the game for the most part. here are the highlights:

the season finales last night were excellent. Homeland really surprised me. i didn't think the show had the guts to kill off a main character. Masters of Sex ended with a perfect cliffhanger. and Total Divas once again made me laugh. and it did make me move Bryan Danielson up a few spots in my book. way out punted his coverage and made sure he did everything possible to make sure he didn't fuck it up. kudos.

tonight will be my insane mix of The Voice and Monday Night Raw. i want to see as much of both shows as possible. so, it looks like i may be doing some YouTube catching up on The Voice. i am very curious how the final 3 respond to the pressure of the moment. i'd be surprised if Tessanne doesn't win it. as for Raw, any show after a ppv is usually good. hopefully that is the case.

my fantasy hockey team did just enough to get a 5-5 week. better than a losing week. as for fantasy football, yesterday couldn't have gone much better. in the CBS league, i will be playing in the finals next week. i won by 11 points, mostly because my opponent didn't take an injured player out of their lineup. which was really good, as the winning points were on their bench. as for the NFL.com one, i have a 72.50 points lead going into tonight. if i blow that, i don't deserve to go to the semi-finals.

my mom got her car into the mechanic this morning. turns out she might need a new exhaust system. hopefully that isn't a problem for the rest of the winter. or, hopefully she gets it taken care of before that vehicle becomes mine.

happy to see that the postal service still works. hopefully everyone has got what i sent out last week. a thank you to the ones that have emailed me.

well, i'm going to try to sneak in a shower and dinner before i sit my fat ass in front of the television for the rest of the evening. hope this finds everyone well. until we meet again...

music:

Hayes Carll - Trouble in Mind
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes - Here

"Life is an adventure in forgiveness." - Norman Cousins

Sunday, December 15, 2013

quickly my boy, i've got shit to do...

let me quickly pound this out... (you dirty minds)

i did get to see the Dayton Flyers play last night... on television. if they play like that when i'm not there, i may not come back (the sacrifices i'm willing to make...). a complete ass whipping of Central Michigan, 84-58. my first victory beer in way too long.

the game got over just in time to turn over to see some of the UFC on Fox. 2 great finishes in the co-main events.

i did watch Saturday Night Live last night. excellent. ROH was great as well, but the dickheads at my local ABC station moved the start time up 30 minutes. so, i was basically flipping back and forth between the two. that drove my mom nuts.

got up this morning after my required 4 hours of sleep. my fantasy rosters are in order for football. i'm a little pissed that my fantasy hockey roster shit the bed last night. i'm looking at my first losing week in a long while.

while Manchester United plays this morning, probably during a point they piss me off, i'll be picking up the trash and getting some breakfast. and after the game, (fingers crossed), my truck will start. i've got animals to feed and a ton of trash to get down to the end of the lane.

and if i get all that done without any drama, i'll be ready to get next to a heater and watch some football.

the usual Sunday night viewing for me this evening. season finales of Homeland, Masters of Sex, and Total Divas. i'm hoping all 3 are really good.

that's all for me.

music:

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell

"The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race." - Don Marquis

Saturday, December 14, 2013

winter wonderland

it snowed all night here. a very light, wet snow. probably no more than 2 inches so far. when i went out to feed the cats this morning, i did manage to take some pictures. here are a couple of my favorites:


the rest of the pictures can be seen in the slideshow on the right hand side of this blog. they also have been posted on Google+.

i now know i will not be going to the Dayton Flyers game this evening. mom's check engine light came on last night. this was just a few hours after she got it back from the mechanic. i've got a funny feeling that we're going to have to replace 2 vehicles here soon. good times.

so, the rest of my day will be watching sports, and probably doing some shit i would normally do on Sunday morning today (trash, dishes, etc.). i know Saturday Night Live is new tonight. and there should be another good episode of ROH as well.

i will probably be back on here sometime before Manchester United plays tomorrow morning.considering it is a fantasy football playoffs Sunday, i'm sure my anxiety will have me awake around 6 in the morning.

hope you enjoy the pictures. be well, stay warm, drink one for me.

music:

Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation
The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole

"Nothing ever quite dies, it just comes back in a different form." - Lester Bangs

Friday, December 13, 2013

the Friday the 13th blues...

the last Friday the 13th of the year, so why wouldn't there be a school shooting today. it boggles my mind the number of times this happens, let alone in Colorado. and as much as i would love to feel sorrow or compassion, as a poet i'm thankful for the material. that's the cold reality of it all, but my bleeding heart stopped beating years ago. probably right around the time the blood clots should have killed me.

of course, this shitty mood could be to the New York Rangers losing yet again, 4-2. i think they have given up 4 goals in each of the past 4 or 5 games. scary how shitty this team has become. or, it could be the news that RVP is out for a month, right when Manchester United's schedule gets the busiest.

or, it could be the impending storm that will bring 1 to 6 inches of snow, or ice, or rain, or whatever bullshit they want to tell us.  if we do get it bad, my chances of actually getting out to see the Dayton Flyers play Central Michigan tomorrow will be somewhere around slim or none. and none is winning by a mile.

looks like the radio will come in handy tomorrow. and if we do get a few inches, the lane will have to get plowed for anyone to get in and out of here. for some reason i see me walking the trash down on Sunday morning. good times.

my mother took her SUV in to get the oil changed today. she was told it was 10,000 miles since her last oil change. whoops. of course, this is the vehicle she is planning on giving to me. why wouldn't she run it into the ground before she does...

i did enjoy The Big Bang Theory last night. another 30 minutes where i get to turn my mind off and just enjoy something.

i watched way too much of the NFL game last night. my hunch paid off as the switch i made at RB got me 15 more points than i would have had. thank god my brain still goes good at 2:30 in the morning. i'm only trailing by 3 points in one league and i'm up by almost 29 points in the other. my fingers are crossed. a very decent start to my fantasy playoffs.

made my sister her Christmas mix tape today. this one should blow her mind.

the snow is supposed to begin overnight and keep going until tomorrow evening. it might change over to rain or it might just keep snowing. if it does end tomorrow night and i don't go to the game, i may just shovel then since Manchester United plays Sunday morning. decisions, decisions.

that's the end of my bitching for today. hope this finds everyone well. i've already taken my Imodium for the evening, so hopefully i'll be feeling better soon. anyone who has read this blog for any amount of time should know that my shitty attitude normally has something to do with shit. literally.

have a great weekend. feel free to send me Christmas cash if you so desire. or just a card will do as well. hope you have better weather coming your way than i do.

be well

music:

Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Seesaw
Jeff Buckley - Mystery White Boy: Live '95-'96
The xx - Coexist

"We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know." - W.H. Auden



Thursday, December 12, 2013

the colder it gets...

so i woke up to a balmy 1 degree temp this morning. thankfully, the power was still on so it was a nice 70 degrees inside. i joked to my mother these are the mornings where we get to see just how much the cats really want to live. i was surprised when i saw all but one of them. and the missing one is one of the older ones that just does her own thing all the time.

got my ass in gear and got all the Christmas cards and gifts done and mailed out today. it was glorious at the post office. walked in with 20 things that needed postage and just watched 6 people come in behind me and get pissed off. i LOVED it. now these fucks know how i feel when i've got poems to mail out and i'm stuck behind the ebay queens. fuckers.

so, you special ones, check your mailboxes here in the next few days. and if you don't get something from me but want something, email me your mailing address and you may be a lucky winner next year.

i did watch Duck Dynasty last night. i did get some good laughs but mostly, it allowed me to turn my mind off.

American Horror Story was excellent last night. the last 10 minutes blew my mind. so many fucking layers to everything at that moment. sadly, no new episodes until the new year.

tonight will be a mix between the New York Rangers, The Big Bang Theory, and the NFL game tonight between Denver and San Diego. tonight starts the fantasy football playoffs off for me, so you can imagine what i'll be paying the most attention to. though, the Rangers did call up the defenseman i was pleading they call up and he'll make his debut tonight. should be interesting as it will be the first time many of the Columbus players make their return to MSG after being traded.

that's all for me. hope this finds everyone well.

take it easy and if it's easy, take it again.

music:

Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks (Deluxe Edition)
Foy Vance - Joy of Nothing
Cat Power - Sun
Black Sabbath - 13 (Best Buy Deluxe Edition)

"I like intelligent women. When you go out, it shouldn't be a staring contest." - Frank Sinatra

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

not a good sign

there's nothing quite like waking up at 6 in the morning because the power has gone out. thankfully, it was only out for 6 minutes. but when the temps are somewhere around 10, all i could think of what i was going to have to burn to stay warm. so all my books from shitty writers can rest easy for the time being.

the New York Rangers proved last night why closed door meetings don't work. they lost 4-1 to a Nashville team that had lost five straight before last night. i just love when we're the team everyone gets healthy against. what a great fucking feeling. i'm really at the point now where i don't give a shit when they play next (ok, that's me letting off steam, they play tomorrow against Columbus).

made my football picks today. i've gone 25-7 the last 2 weeks. not too shabby. my fantasy teams are lined up. i have a ton of players playing tomorrow night. hopefully it's a high scoring game so i can get a good jump on my opponents this week. losing in the first round of the playoffs truly fucking suck. been there way too many times before.

looking forward to a new episode of Duck Dynasty tonight. i believe it is the Christmas episode. i'll go right from that to American Horror Story. what a nice transition, rednecks to witches.

i was one off on my prediction for the final 3 on The Voice last night. 2 from Team Adam made it (the 2 i really like) and Jacquie made it from team Xtina. it was a really good episode last night. this competition is now Tessanne's to lose.

that's pretty much all for me. spent most of today getting addresses ready and watching some bad European soccer. now i'm off to take a shower to warm up and sit in front of the television as the temps plunge back to the single digits now that the sun has gone down. hope everyone is well and warm.

music:

Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Valerie June - Pushin' Against A Stone

"I forgive my mom for being a psycho and my dad for being a loser." - Nikki Sixx

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

an inch of snow and all hell breaks loose

when i woke up this morning there were roads closed and schools on delays and i ask my mother, didn't we only get an inch of snow overnight? and she says yes. crazy. you'd think this kind of weather doesn't happen here EVERY FUCKING YEAR. the wind has been really picking up during the day. mom's gonna have some fun when she comes home from work driving through the snow drifts in the lane now. thank god they are only a few inches deep. i got stuck in one years ago that was damn near a foot. that was a fun dig. good times.

Manchester United played like dog shit today in Champions League play. sadly, dog shit was a step up from how they had been playing lately, as they won 1-0 on a second half goal from Phil Jones. this allows them to win the group and avoid the great teams in the next round. still, they'll probably face a team they will struggle against. need to get some fucking midfielders SOON. they play again on Sunday at Aston Villa.

sure is nice to enjoy a victory beer again.

i split my fantasy football matches last night. i won the CBS one, which i am very happy about as that was against the best team in the league. my reward is the 4th seed in the playoffs and i get to play that team this week as well. joy. i lost the NFL.com one by less than 2 points. i really beat myself up about that as the winning points were on my bench and the guy that beat me was on my roster earlier this season. OUCH. i'm the 5th seed in those playoffs and have to play the team that spent all but the last day of the regular season in first place. good times. and if you think i'm a little anal during the regular season for fantasy football, the playoffs are a whole other level of insanity.

the New York Rangers play tonight at home against Nashville. i'd love to see a much better effort than the last 2 games. but i have my doubts. this team isn't talented enough to be a pretty team. and they aren't physical enough to be a mean team to play against. to put it kindly, they are mediocre at best. being 15-15-1 pretty much spells it out.

i did manage to catch a good portion of The Voice last night. i really enjoyed all 5 performances. it wouldn't shock me if Team Adam is the final 3 but i have no fucking clue who should go home tonight.

Monday Night Raw was pretty damn good last night. the crowd was great and i really loved how the Daniel Bryan chants threw HHH off his game in the final segment. helps that they were near Bryan's hometown. the final chaos between Cena, Orton, HHH. CM Punk, HBK, Daniel Bryan, and Stephanie McMahon was perfect. one of the better endings to a show in years.

it is supposed to get down to the single digits this evening. should be interesting to see if my truck will even start in this shit. i haven't even thought about the damn thing in over a week.

that's all for me. i'll be working on the Christmas cards tomorrow afternoon, so you lucky ones out there be checking your mailboxes soon.

music:

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
Japandroids - Celebration Rock

"Saying nothing... sometimes says the most." - Emily Dickinson

Monday, December 9, 2013

the long cold days

much as i figured, my Sunday was way better than my Saturday was. not that it had far to go to be much better...

the New York Rangers lost again 4-1. thankfully, i had other stuff i wanted to watch than be stuck watching professional athletes just basically show up and do nothing. they had a closed door meeting after the game. those only "work" when you win a few games after it. we'll see.

i have decent leads in both of my fantasy football matches. but, both of my opponents have 2 players each playing tonight. so, i guess i need to pay a bit of attention to that game tonight.

Homeland was excellent last night. had a great pace to it and plenty of drama. can't wait to the season finale next week. Masters of Sex was pretty good. my big bitch about the show is the lack of consistency from week to week. they say next week will be a shocking season finale. we'll see. Total Divas had me laughing my ass off. and not at the pet cat being put to sleep. although, that's part of the reason i keep all mine outside.

tonight is a busy night on the television. Monday Night Raw has the Slammy Awards tonight. that's usually a pretty fun episode. The Voice has a huge 1 hour show tonight seeing that it is the semi-finals. and i'm sure there are some college basketball games i should be watching.

congrats to Joe Torre for making the baseball hall of fame. i guess the Yankees can now retire his number 6.

looks like the deep freeze is getting ready to come here in the next few days. hopefully we have enough propane to get through that. had to put some ice melter on the walks this morning as they had a little black ice on them. last thing i need is my mother falling again.

a big thank you to Amazon.com for getting my stuff i ordered to me 4 days before you said it would be here. now only if the post office could be that good.

that's all for me. i hope you are warm wherever you are. peace and chicken grease.

music:

Black Joe Lewis - NoiseTrade Eastside Manor Sessions
The Ragged Jubilee - B-Sides
Nina Simone - Anthology
Ryan Bingham - Mescalito

"I don't want to be boring. But that's not always easy." - John Malkovich

Sunday, December 8, 2013

to my good friend pain

yesterday goes up there as one of the worst sporting days of my life. right up there with horrific Yankees losses in the playoffs, right up there with all the times Ohio State blew a perfect season against Michigan. thank god Saturday Night Live and ROH were excellent last night or i might have slipped off into the deep end this morning.

to summarize quickly...

Manchester United lost at home to a team that hadn't won there for 41 years.

the New York Rangers lost in overtime 4-3 after blowing a 2-0 lead. they get a chance to extend my misery tonight.

the Dayton Flyers decided they didn't want to be ranked any longer and lost by 6 on the road to Illinois State. honestly, the game wasn't that close. 18 fucking turnovers and way too many missed 3's. but, the students did storm the court afterwards, so maybe Dayton has made it after all.

Ohio State had its' 24 game win streak come to an end last night in the Big 10 Championship game. so fucking deflating after coming all the way back from down 17 to take the lead and then piss it away to lose by 10.

i told my mother last night that my Sunday will be excellent as i am at the bottom of the fucking barrel now.

the plan was to get up before the snow started and get the trash picked up and the animals fed. well, say hello to my first failure of the day.

i have some classical music on deciding how bad do i want this day to get. do i just say fuck it and blow up the entire weekend? decisions...

out of the 10 poems i typed up yesterday there are some winners. not sure if i'm going to do another submission before the end of the year or not. kind of funny, i wrote 13 poems all last month and turn around and write 10 in one day this month. what a moody prick genius i am.

the usual Sunday night shows are in order tonight unless my shit weekend continues and then i just might pull a Dylan Thomas.

have a good one. i need to get some breakfast and get the outside shit done before this snow changes over to freezing rain. on the good side though, that does mean it is warming up.

music:

Beethoven - 25 Favorites

"Some of the worst mistakes of my life have been haircuts." - Jim Morrison

Saturday, December 7, 2013

misery is a mistress with beautiful long legs

so i got up this morning begrudgingly. i was so damn warm in my bed and i believe i was having a dream about an old girlfriend cheating on her husband with me. i went downstairs and got settled in for the Manchester United game. no Rooney today because of a suspension but much to my surprise, RVP made his return.

yet another game where United hit the goal post and had a goal called back for being offside (correct call). and yet another game where Manchester United has ruined my fucking day. a 1-0 loss at HOME to Newcastle United for the first time in 41 years. fuck me. it appears now that Moyes is simply grasping at straws trying to find the right lineup. i wouldn't be surprised if they are 15 points out of first by the end of the weekend. i'm not sure if the 99 team could have come back from that deficit. and yes, it may seem like i have given up hope, but i haven't. i learned a long time ago that sometimes sports gives you a giant shit sandwich. if you love the good times you have no choice but to take a fucking bite and swallow it.

i was pretty happy last night when i saw that the Yankees signed Carlos Beltran. as long as he can stay healthy i think he will definitely help make up for some of the production that has left. now, sign some fucking pitchers already.

after i get done with this post i'm going to type up the 10 poems i wrote yesterday. i figure it would be better to do that than just fucking be miserable for the rest of the day.

my evening will be pretty tricky. roughly around the same time, the New York Rangers will be at home against the Devils. the #25 Dayton Flyers will be on the road against Illinois St., hopefully avenging the loss last year to them. and Ohio State will be playing Michigan St. for the BIG 10 Championship and the right to go to the National Championship. there will be plenty of channel flipping and i might have to have the radio on in the background. mom's tablet will be getting a workout this evening.

so, hopefully full of victory beers, i'll be watching a new episode of Saturday Night Live. it should be a good one. and a new episode of ROH if i am somehow still awake.

my afternoon will be plenty of college sports, mostly football i imagine. i was able to get the walks cleaned off this morning so i don't have to worry about those for the rest of the day. we really only got about 4 inches of snow. we have a few drifts over 6 inches. and of course, i have to go through those to get to the cats. i am a bit worried as i haven't seen my cat A Boy Named Sue in the last few days. it's not a shock when she goes missing but it is a shock when she doesn't show up before or after we have a storm. we've got another one coming tomorrow so hopefully she'll show up then.

mom was able to make it out to get to the post office and whatnot. hopefully the roads aren't too bad around here. and hopefully her new sunglasses work correctly as it is one bright ass day so far out here.

i'll be back on here in the morning tomorrow unless something i just need to fucking babble about happens this evening. then it might be one of my infamous 3 in the morning drunk posts. those are always fun.

hope your weekend started off better than mine. be safe, be warm, and be on the lookout for mail from me.

music:

Metallica - Ride The Lightning
Korn - Issues
Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss

"I'd rather have a free bottle in front of me than a prefrontal lobotomy." - Tom Waits

Friday, December 6, 2013

hello winter

we haven't got nearly as much ice and snow that the doomsday weather assholes on the television were saying we were going to get... of course, it's still snowing like there is no end in sight. i didn't have a hard time getting out to feed the cats this morning, but i didn't press my luck and try the streets. i figure they will be better tomorrow. at least for one day before the next storm hits.

my alma mater stunk last night in high school football, losing 24-0. i feel bad for the senior class. 4 straight trips to the final game and only 1 title.

the New York Rangers played a pretty good game last night. but, when you're playing one of the worst teams in the league, you're supposed to win. highlights below:

i got off to a really good start in fantasy football for the week. i've got a feeling i'm going to need it. thank you Andre Johnson.

kind of got bombarded with Yankees news this morning. i'm a little bummed that Cano has gone to Seattle but if someone is dumb enough to offer him that much money, i understand. he can be their non hustling superstar. i get the feeling in 3 years they will be looking to trade him. probably back to us. i wasn't surprised that the Grandy man went to the Mets. i figured once the Yankees signed Jacoby the writing was on the wall. i am pretty happy that Kuroda is coming back for another season. hopefully they sign a few more pitchers with the money they didn't spend on Cano.

i did watch the draw for the World Cup this morning, team USA is in the group of death with Germany, Ghana, and Portugal. if they make it out of that group, go ahead and make the coach a saint.

this afternoon i decided to escape the tv and computer for a bit and write. i put on some music and just stared at the blank page in front of me. about 40 minutes later, i had 10 poems. not bad. i imagine i will type them up sometime this weekend.

i enjoyed The Big Bang Theory last night. i've watched the show so damn much over the years now that i am saying dialogue to new episodes that i think the character will say. spooky how many times i am correct.

not sure what i'm going to be watching this evening. i know i have a big sports weekend on tap. tomorrow alone will be a Manchester United, New York Rangers, Ohio State, and Dayton Flyers day. i will probably be on here after the United game. i think they play in the morning. yikes, just checked, 7:45 in the morning. yeah, so i guess i will be getting to bed early tonight.

hope the weather is better wherever you happen to be. or, you have plenty of alcohol to get you through it. until tomorrow.

music:

Joe Bonamassa - LIVE from nowhere in particular
Jeff Buckley - Grace
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Morphine - Like Swimming
Cat Power - The Greatest

"I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers done." - Steven Wright

Thursday, December 5, 2013

hunker down for a storm

we're under a winter storm warning as i'm writing this. the warning lasts for the next 33 hours. they are saying we might get some ice but it is more likely we get 4 to 6 inches of snow. even typing it my back starts to hurt. they are rarely ever correct with these reports but i still pay attention to them.

my yesterday was a mixture of the unacceptable to the joy of being freaked out.

Manchester United lost 1-0 at home to Everton for the first time in 21 years. i did get a good laugh when the traveling Everton fans started to chant that David Moyes would be sacked in the morning. from your lips to god's ears. how they manage to finish in the top 4 this season is beyond me. i'm not sure they have enough money to buy the players they actually need to turn this around. the more i talk about it or write about it the more it just enrages me...

the Dayton Flyers won by 10 last night, 56-46. a very frustrating and sluggish game, mostly due to Delaware St. deciding the only chance they had to win was junk defenses and a 3 man weave that took up 20 seconds of every possession. i think Dayton won that game by attrition. didn't help that for long portions of the game Dayton couldn't put the ball in the ocean, let alone the basket.

i did get home in time to watch American Horror Story. what a fucking great episode last night. i knew what was in the box at the end but i certainly didn't expect it to talk. that was fucking fantastic. i can't wait to next week's episode.

i got an email today from Amazon.com saying the rest of my shipment should be here on the 10th. that gives me plenty of time to wrap them in the obituaries.

i also got an email from Sam Roberts last night. kind of spooky that someone a hell of alot more famous than me actually wrote me back. i urge all of you to check out his podcast and tell everyone you know about it. you can find it at notsam.com or on the right hand side of this blog.

tonight will be a busy night on the television. all of this will be going on at the same time. the high school i graduated from will be playing for the state title tonight in football against the high school LeBron James went to. the New York Rangers are playing up in Buffalo in a game they desperately need to win. i have a player on both of my fantasy teams going tonight in the NFL game. plus, The Big Bang Theory is new this evening. how i manage to watch all this and keep it all straight in my head is one of the joys of being crazy.

i've got the last load of my laundry in the dryer. figured i better get that done just in case the weather is worse than these assholes believe it will be.

i did see a new kitten today. looks like it might be a few months old but certainly not one of the ones that went missing. i believe it is one of Whitey's. i almost hope we do get a big snow just to see the cats that were born this summer freak the fuck out.

if we do get a decent snow, i will try to take some pictures. it's always good to share your misery. if the snow gets really crazy, i might get the video camera out and make a quick YouTube video. just need to find the right poem for that, just in case.

that's all for me. i'm hoping for a few victory beers this evening. i'll be on here tomorrow, probably after the snow quits. or whenever it gets bad enough that i'd rather be typing than shoveling.

hope everyone is well and you are doing good in your neck of the woods.

music:

Buddy Guy - Buddy's Baddest: The Best Of
Beck - Guero
Old Crow Medicine Show - O.C.M.S.

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." - Walt Disney

and just as i was getting ready to publish this i get the news that Nelson Mandela has died. maybe finally that man may be at peace.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

blindsided with news

to say i was a little shocked last night when the news came down that the New York Yankees signed Jacoby Ellsbury would be an understatement. i figured he would leave the Red Sox but i never thought the Yankees would sign him. and certainly not to a deal worth $169 million if all the bonuses are met. wow. i should have played baseball.

add to that the news this morning that the New York Rangers have signed The King to a long term contract extension. i am absolutely thrilled they got this done and didn't let it drag out any longer. hopefully, Henrik knows now the expectation is winning the Stanley Cup.

i certainly wasn't surprised when the last 2 facing elimination on The Voice last night was Matthew and James. and when Matthew got eliminated, i immediately said aloud fuck you Christina. he was good enough to win the show but picked the wrong coach. as she is only interested in Jacquie winning. now, i hope Cole wins the show. Adam has 3 of the final 5, so he has the odds. i don't like him as a coach either, so i wouldn't be surprised if he fucks this up as well.

other than that last night, i flipped between some college basketball games and listened to the latest podcast of the Sam Roberts Show Online.

my today is pretty damn packed. Manchester United faces Everton this afternoon. i believe RvP may be back for this game. chances are they will need him. i'd love to see United get a home win over a side higher than them in the table, but i wouldn't be shocked if Moyes somehow fucks this up against his former club.

after that ends it's pretty much right into the car and on my way to watch the Dayton Flyers face Delaware State. what i am hoping to see is Dayton destroy this team and really start to flex the muscles of a top 25 team. they faced this scenario 2 years ago after winning a Thanksgiving tourney and got their asses handed to them by a shitty Buffalo team that only ended up winning 10 games that year. i hope they have learned from their mistakes.

after the game and a bit of food, i'm hoping to get back home in time to see American Horror Story. if not, there's always the repeat that comes on at like 2 in the morning.

not sure what's going on with my computer this morning. not fun when you put in a CD you really want to listen to and it says that it is blank. i'm really not in the mood to try to get this figured out at the moment, so i'm hoping a reboot is all i need to do.

that's all for me today. hope this finds everyone well.

music:

The Ragged Jubilee - B-Sides
Tei Shi - Suadade
St. Paul & The Broken Bones - Greetings From St. Paul & The Broken Bones
The Lighthouse and The Whaler - Pioneers EP
Ivan & Alyosha - The Cabin Sessions

"I'm always busy, but I'm lazy as well." - Jeff Bridges

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

thoughts before pondering a crime

my poem "thoughts before pondering a crime" was published this evening in Regardless Of Authority #4. you can find the poem by going here:
http://regardlessofauthority.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/j-j-campbell-2/

a dense fog that never ends

i woke up to a fog today that only got thicker as the morning went along. it wasn't until nearly 1 in the afternoon that i could see down to the end of the lane. you'd think i live in a Stephen King novel.

had a pretty good night fantasy football wise last night. somehow, made up a 44 point deficit to end up with a tie in my CBS Sports league. that was good enough to qualify me for the playoffs. my reward, i get to play the same team 2 weeks in a row. that team just happens to have Peyton Manning at QB. just my fucking luck. i made up a 10 point deficit to win the NFL.com match last night by 16 or so. i believe i have made the playoffs in that one as well but i have no clue who i will be playing in it.

the New York Rangers can't seem to manage to play 2 good games in a row this season. they started off good in the first period last night and then got manhandled the rest of the game. maybe the coach will soon realize that Cam Talbot is a backup for a reason.

i did catch a few glimpses at The Voice last night. if i had to rank the six by personal preference, it would go like this 1) Matthew 2) Cole 3) Jacquie 4) Will 5) Tessanne 6) James. i have no doubt they won't finish in that order. the elimination show this evening should be really interesting.

Monday Night Raw was pretty good last night. of course, any time the show starts off with CM Punk i will be watching. they are setting things up pretty fast for the next PPV, which usually leads to mistakes. this won't be any different, sadly.

i shaved off the beard i had grown for November today. now, it's back to the long goatee.

that's all for me. i will be on here tomorrow, probably in the morning since Manchester United plays in the afternoon and i have a basketball game to go to in the evening as well.

music:

Barenaked Ladies - Rock Spectacle
Jim Morrison - An American Prayer
Stone Temple Pilots - Core

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most." - Ozzy Osbourne

Monday, December 2, 2013

the perks of being lazy

i was somewhat amazed this morning when i woke up. i actually got almost 7 hours of sleep last night. it still feels somewhat weird to wake up refreshed.

we're in the midst of a warm up here in Ohio. might even hit 60 degrees in a few days. of course, in true Ohio tradition, there is a chance of snow on the weekend.

thankfully, i had a much better Sunday picking games than i did the week before. to go from only 5 wins to sitting on 12 going into tonight's game is quite the jump. and tonight is a huge game. i am trailing in both of my fantasy matches but i have 4 players going tonight, including both quarterbacks. i really hope the game is a shootout as i really need the points.

other than that, it will be the usual busy Monday night on tv. the New York Rangers are at home against Winnipeg. it would be nice to see them start rolling here soon. The Voice is down to the final 6. i have no clue who is going to win. just 2 weeks left for this season. Monday Night Raw should be an interesting one. been hearing rumors all day of people showing up for tonight's show. if any of them are true, it could be a memorable evening.

i found out today my mother has a fractured rib. thankfully it's non-displaced. only thing that will heal it is time. so, it's more or less a pain management issue. i've suggested to her to start drinking whiskey. always helped me over the years.

i nearly shit today when i saw the Dayton Flyers were ranked in the AP top 25 for the first time in 4 years. they start on a nice run of games they should win on Wednesday. it would be nice to see they aren't satisfied with just being ranked but actually want to destroy other teams.

my other holy shit moment of the day was when the New York Yankees announced they traded Chris Stewart to the Pirates for a player to be named later. goodbye to the human white flag. thank god.

Homeland was really good last night. but, Masters of Sex won the night in my eyes. their best episode in some time. really, really good. Total Divas really made me laugh. like i needed more of a reason to not like John Cena... and it's good to see the divas really are clueless at times.

thankfully, the mountain of trash i put out yesterday didn't get scattered around by the wind last night. and it was all picked up this morning. probably a good 100 lbs. of shit gone for good.

looks like the first of the gifts i ordered should be arriving here soon. can't wait to hear the bitching as i believe i had them all sent to the po box. good times.

that's all for me today. tune in tomorrow as i come up with yet another reason why i didn't spend the afternoon writing instead of looking at porn.

music:

Imagine Dragons - Night Visions
The Black Keys - El Camino
Jason Isbell - Southeastern
Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed
Gin Wigmore - Gravel & Wine

"Some people say my humor focuses too much on stereotypes. It doesn't. It focuses on facts." - Sarah Silverman

Sunday, December 1, 2013

way too busy for a Sunday

so i was up before the crack of dawn this morning. had plenty of things i wanted to get done before Manchester United played. the trash is down at the road, the toilets are clean, the animals are fed, and the water filter in the cellar has been changed. not bad for 3 hours of sleep.

Manchester United played Tottenham to a 2-2 draw this morning. i wasn't thrilled with the first goal United gave up. but, the second was a absolute beauty. just tip your hat there. i was very pleased that Wayne Rooney was able to equalize both times United fell behind. take the point and move on. especially when you are on the road facing a good club.

Ohio State beat Michigan yesterday 42-41. the defense stunk but the running game of the offense absolutely emasculated Michigan's defense. i completely understand why the Michigan coach went for 2 instead of going to overtime. he didn't want to see his sorry ass defense embarrassed anymore. and given that later in the day Auburn upset Alabama on one of the craziest fucking endings i have ever seen in college football, Ohio State should be in position to play for a national championship this season. just need to beat Michigan State in the Big 10 title game.of course, the national media doesn't want it to play out like that... but if you ever want to see the NCAA go away forever, keep an undefeated Ohio State team out of playing for a national championship. heads will roll.

the New York Rangers played a surprisingly strong game and beat Vancouver 5-2 yesterday. i was so damn happy for Chris Kreider to get his first career hat trick against the coach that was too fucking stubborn to play him last season. highlights below:

ROH was excellent last night. Steve Corino had me laughing all throughout the broadcast with his commentary. and the match between Cole and Jacobs was top notch. as was the match between Richards and Strong.

here in a bit i will be sitting my ass in front of the big screen and watching football for the rest of the day. i have so many guys playing tomorrow night that i'm not too stressed about what happens today in fantasy football. now, mind you, i'll still bitch up a storm if my players aren't doing anything, but nothing will be decided until the Monday night game is over.

if i am somehow still awake this evening, i will be watching Homeland, Masters of Sex, and Total Divas. and probably a bit of the Sunday night game as well. my opponents this week have players in that game. fun.

no sight of my cat Irvine Welsh this morning, so i am now placing her on the dead list. i haven't seen her in a month. she was the cat who last had kittens, so i'm guessing she died either by the claws of another animal or simply ran away to get away from those kittens. only one kitten survived, so i hope that one does good as a loner.

on a positive note, it has warmed up a bit here. might even hit the 40's all day long. holy shit after a week in the 20's.

hope this finds everyone well. i do hope you survived the huge shopping weekend and don't fall for the cyber Monday scams. and always know that if you'd like to buy anything off of my Amazon.com wish list, you are more than welcome to do so. i am not too proud to beg.

if you didn't see, please check out the new poem that was published today in the previous post. it is one that i am pretty proud of. not sure where it came from or who i was thinking of when i wrote it, but it did come out a winner.

enough of my rambling. i have sports to watch.

music:

Bassnectar - Freestyle Mixtape

"When you ain't got no money, you gotta get an attitude." - Richard Pryor

higher on the priority list

my poem "higher on the priority list" was published this morning at The Camel Saloon. you can find the poem by going here: http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2013/12/higher-on-priority-list.html