saved by a wonderful Saturday night

it was a beautiful night of schizophrenic television last night. at any given time i was flipping between the Global Citizen music festival, the Southern Ground Music and Food festival, the New York Yankees, Ohio State, LSU vs. Georgia, and Mexican soccer. later on, toss in Saturday Night Live, ROH. Austin City Limits, and some late night college football. i finally ran out of gas at 3:30 in the morning. and of course, i was back up 4 hours later.

some quick thoughts...

Global Citizen - i really enjoy this music festival. could be timed out a little better with the social messages and the music, but that's only a minor complaint.

Southern Ground - i love the Zac Brown Band and i love that their musical tastes are so varied. that was a wonderful thing to watch.

i was so happy that the Yankees won yesterday and did so with Andy Pettitte pitching a complete game to do it. he now becomes the only pitcher EVER to pitch more than 15 seasons and NEVER have a losing season. that's a nice way to leave the game for good. i highly doubt i will watch any of the game today. though, if i do get a feeling that Mo is playing CF, i will have to check that out.

Ohio State started fast last night against Wisconsin. the defense really halted their running game, which is one of the best in the nation. to me, that was the difference in the game. that and Braxton Miller reminding everyone that he is the most athletic person on the field at any given time. quite the winning streak going on. may it continue for a few more months.

LSU vs. Georgia was one of those shootouts that make me truly appreciate college football. and it also reminds me why i gave up gambling.

Saturday Night Live was great last night. i enjoyed the segments on the new cast members. i am familiar with 2 of them. hopefully the other 4 do something that allows me to remember them. it will be interesting to see which old cast members fill the most reliable spots that had the same guys in it for almost a decade.

the Arcade Fire special after SNL was bizarre, in a good way. i enjoyed it much more than i thought i would.

ROH was the semi-finals from the heavyweight tournament. since i already knew the results and had seen most of the action, i was in and out of it all hour long.

as for tonight, basically between 9 PM and 1 AM i will be between HBO and Showtime. Boardwalk Empire, Eastbound and Down, and Hello Ladies. then the west coast feeds of Homeland and Masters of Sex. i figure mom would appreciate me watching that last one after she goes to bed.

the rest of the day will be on the NFL. both of my fantasy games won't be finished until after the Monday night game. i'm hoping that i have leads in both of them going into tomorrow.

got the results of my fantasy hockey draft. i am pleased as most of the guys drafted i have had before and know their tendencies and whatnot. so now it's simply a matter of handling injuries and winning the waiver wire wars. and i am fully aware that i do so good in these fantasy leagues because i have the time to devote to them. at the same time, you can understand why i get so fucking pissed when i lose.

that's all for me. the trash is picked up and the cats are fed. i figure i will get my ass down in the chair before it starts raining and before i start scrambling to check injury reports. hope everyone is in the middle of a great weekend. and if you're not, have yourself a drink. it always works for me.

music:

Jason Isbell - Southeastern
Kid Rock - Rebel Soul

"I don't care what anybody says about me as long as it isn't true." - Truman Capote

i wept like a baby

i had an uneventful drive to the airport yesterday to pick up my mother and sister, until the airport cop decided he wanted to play tough guy and literally tell me where to park, not really giving a shit i would be cutting off a car to do so. so, just to show what an asshole he was being, i did like he said. the woman i was now blocking in wasn't happy. she looked at me and i pointed to the dickhead and gave her the look of, there's where your anger needs to be. the police in general have always pissed me off.

i tuned into the Yankees game just in time last night to see everything regarding Mo. it was his final game at Yankee Stadium. he entered the game in the 8th to get the final 2 outs, which he did. he got the first 2 outs of the 9th (which lowered his career ERA to the lowest ever for a pitcher with over 1,200 innings pitched). then Andy and Derek came out to take him out of the game. i was doing fine until i watched Mo start to cry while hugging Andy. then i lost it. all the emotions of the last 17 years or so; the championships, the unbelievable moments, the crushing defeats, the parades... just reflecting on watching the greatest closer to ever live and how remarkable his entire career has been. of course, the Yankees lost again last night. not sure what next season holds for the team, but i do know without Mo it will never be the same.

i did watch The Big Bang Theory last night. very funny. one of my guilty pleasures i suppose. i really love how quick the writing is on the show. as a writer, it's that kind of stuff that hooks me.

the rest of the night was spent watching the NFL. at least the defense i started showed up last night. unlike all the other games this season. that gave me a nice start in my NFL.com fantasy league.

i have no clue what i'll be watching tonight. i might just hand the remote over to my mother and go write the night away. or, it could be an evening where i flip between the Smithsonian Channel and Food Network. i always tend to try to learn shit when i'm bored. i never stop trying to learn everything i can about everything there is. not sure my family enjoys it when they end up getting stuck watching some documentary on a topic they couldn't give 2 shits about. i almost care.

big sports weekend and Sunday night shows coming up. should be interesting to see how i map out the 5 shows i want to watch on Sunday night that all air at the same time on 2 different networks. thank god for the west coast feeds.

i caught bits and pieces of the New York Rangers last night. i think they play again tonight though i imagine it's probably going to be blacked out for me. i could tell one thing hasn't changed even with a new coach. they struggle to fucking score goals beyond belief. 41 shots and 0 goals. and people wonder why i get so fucking frustrated at times. my fantasy hockey draft is this weekend as well.

i will most likely be back on this blog sometime between the end of the Manchester United game and before Ohio State plays tomorrow night.

peace and chicken grease.

music:

The Killers - Hot Fuss
Morphine - Like Swimming
Ani DiFranco - Living In Clip

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Peter Drucker

after the day of horror

where do i begin? might as well start at the beginning of the horror show that was my Sunday...

when i got the news that RvP was injured and not going to play against City, i was worried. but when i saw the lineup David Moyes put out i was mortified. how the fuck Ashley Young still plays for Manchester United is beyond me. why Kagawa can't get in a game is fucking ridiculous. a 4-1 loss that could have been much worse was fucking embarrassing. got so bad i didn't even bother watching the last 20 minutes or so. hopefully they play much better than that on Wednesday. don't think i can stomach another loss to Liverpool.

the ceremony for Mariano Rivera yesterday was great. had a feel of Old Timers Day and a Hall of Fame ceremony wrapped up into one. it was good to see some old faces and to see Metallica play live at it. after i got back from taking my mother and sister to the airport, it was just in time to see Andy Pettitte get pulled from the game. just in time to see DRob blow it and watch Mo get the final 5 outs. Yankees lose 2-1. fitting for how this fucking season has gone. and then find out today CC is done for the year with yet another damn injury. i have never seen a team get so many fucking injuries in one year in my life. thankfully, the playoffs are now in the not a fucking chance in hell category.

my fantasy football teams stunk yesterday. well, at least one of them did. i was really surprised to see i won my match on NFL.com with still 2 players to go tonight. thank you Drew Brees. as for the other one, i have no fucking chance on that. even with 2 guys going tonight. not a chance.

as for tv last night, Dexter ended pretty much the only way it could end. Ray Donovan had a twist i didn't see coming. Boardwalk Empire was brilliant as always.

got up this morning to a chilly home. kind of weird not hearing mom's country music playing coming down the steps. she usually forgets to turn her alarm off when she is away. had a ton of mail in the po box. i was surprised it all fit. 1 piece for me. got my laundry done today but somehow managed to strain my back doing that. needless to say i'll be laying on ice for the rest of the evening.

tonight will be a night of constant channel flipping. The Voice is back. on at the same time as Monday Night Raw and Monday Night Football.  and then hopefully my back cooperates and i can get my clean laundry back upstairs and put away without having to spend some time in the fetal position.

good times.

i'm hoping to get some music together to go sell tomorrow. not all of this music i take a chance on is a keeper. i might as well make some money back. plus, i need some more experience driving mom's SUV if she actually plans on letting me have it one day. i'm sure that won't happen until she gets close to 300,000 miles on it. sadly, she's much closer to that than you actually may believe.

until tomorrow. be well.

music:

Nine Inch Nails - hesitation marks (Deluxe Edition)
Ana Tijoux - 1977
Black Joe Lewis - Electric Slave

"Love is a piano dropped from a fourth story window, and you were in the wrong place at the wrong time." - Ani DiFranco

here comes the storm

i heard the rumblings this morning but really didn't pay any attention to it. then i got the email this afternoon. so, probably before i get done with these ramblings, Andy Pettitte will be having his press conference to announce his retirement, again. the kicker is his final start at home will be on the day they are honoring Mariano Rivera. Sunday is going to be a long, emotional, fuck me runnin' kind of day.

the truly sad part of this is with yet another loss last night, the Yankees more or less have about .00000000000000000000000000000000001% chance of making the playoffs now. to see 2 of the greatest postseason pitchers of all time retire and their last games not be in the playoffs pretty much sums up the total disappointment of this Yankee season. almost reminds me of the early 90's and they had too many questions and not enough answers going into the off season.

i didn't watch much last night. just sort of flipped through the channels, avoiding the Yankees game as much as possible.  not exactly sure what i'll be watching tonight either. we are supposed to have some pretty big storms come through here tonight, so i'm not sure if we'll even have power. if we don't, i'll try to break out the flip cam and take some videos. maybe a poetry reading in the dark. who knows.

thanks to those of you who have shared your comments on my latest YouTube video. i really do appreciate it.

mom got the check for the soybeans last night. it was more than i was hoping for, and i was hoping for much more than we got last year. always nice when there's more than 1 number to the left of the comma. sadly, with this rain coming, the corn harvest is going to be pushed back after the 1st of October. the corn still looks good though, so my fingers are crossed that it will still be that way come harvest.

speaking of the harvest, had a good laugh at the coyotes the other night rolling around in the field where the soybeans were, howling at the full moon. they didn't appreciate me turning on the outside lights and scaring the shit out of them.

busier than shit weekend coming up. all the sports, my mother and sister going on another trip (they haven't decided if i'm driving them to the airport or not), i have a ton of laundry to do, add on grocery shopping and getting everything ready for trash day... if i find the time to write anything on this blog i'll surprise myself. or, keep your eyes peeled for a post at 3 in the morning or so.

well, i'm off to go watch a press conference and think back fondly on the glory days.

hope everyone has a great weekend.

music:

Valerie June - Pushin' Against A Stone
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes
Trampled By Turtles - Stars and Satellites
JD McPherson - Signs & Signifiers
Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See

"The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." - Bertrand Russell

sweating before noon

i woke up this morning before 7 am. my first thought was why. i can't believe that i'm still not able to sleep in. drinking doesn't work, exhaustion doesn't work, no alarm doesn't work, fuck me.

i decided this would be a morning of music and no television. that also allowed me to get the toilets cleaned, the trash picked up, animals fed, and the paper picked up (after a 1/2 mile walk down and back to get it) all before 11 am. and i wasn't exactly productive because i wanted to be. it was more about being pissed i was awake.

the Yankees got just enough offense yesterday to win 3-1. it was the 250th victory for Andy Pettitte in his career. a nice round number. they will have their work cut out for them today going against King Felix. not sure how much i want to watch a constant path of walking back to the dugout today.

last night's ROH was excellent, at least what i saw of it. i woke up just in time for the main event. and anytime you can watch the American Wolves and the Briscoes wrestle it's going to be worth any time spent on it. and it was.

while watching Chicago eliminate the Kings last night in double overtime i was really happy that i have Patrick Kane on my fantasy team. he seems to be getting hot at the right time.

i was flipping between that and the concert last night for Big Head Todd and the Monsters last night on AXS TV. i can't believe their first album is now 20 years old. shit i feel old. it was a great concert. first time i really watched Trombone Shorty (the opening act) play. i'll definitely have to check out more of his music.

as for today, i see a long nap during NASCAR or the Yankees game or both. then the usual Sunday night shows and a good portion of game 2 of the NBA Finals.

and sometime before the rain comes tonight i need to get some dead limbs cut down and read the damn paper i guess.

may your weekend end in style or at least without any blood on your hands.

music today:

Big Head Todd and The Monsters - Sister Sweetly
Steve Earle - Copperhead Road
Ryan Bingham - Tomorrowland
The Band - Greatest Hits
John Prine - In Person & On Stage

"Me, I'm dishonest, and you can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you have to watch out for." - Johnny Depp

welcome to the weak end

so i have spent a good portion of today on the toilet. not sure if it was something i ate, misdoings in a previous life, or the changing of the weather that has me feeling like shit. just how i wanted to spend mother's day weekend.

as my sister and mother were out running around earlier today, i watched the FA Cup final. i did feel a bit better when i watched Wigan upset Manchester City. always nice to watch those fuckers lose.

the New York Rangers lost another heart breaker last night, 2-1 in overtime. i don't know if that result made me physically ill, but i wouldn't doubt if it did. a crushing loss. game 6 tomorrow afternoon. do or die. i have no clue if the team has what it takes to force a game 7. i'd like to think they do. but i don't know.

the Yankees offense came to life last night in a 11-6 win over the Royals. would have liked to seen some better pitching but i'll definitely take the runs. and it would really be nice to sew up another series win with a win later tonight. i'd really like to see Andy Pettitte pitch better tonight or i think the end may be staring him right in the face.

tomorrow will be an emotional one for me. Sir Alex Ferguson's last home match. and the rumor now is that Paul Scholes will announce his retirement (AGAIN) after the match. on top of all that, they finally get the trophy for winning the Premier League. i really hope i'm feeling much better by tomorrow morning. i'll be kicking myself endlessly if i miss anything.

i got the mp3 player i got a few weeks ago finally loaded with some songs. nothing like being the old guy who is a little slow figuring out this technology shit. thank god my sister is a genius when it comes to that shit.

well, my mom and sister brought me back some food from where they ate this afternoon. so far so good with being able to keep it in me. some of the best ribs i've had in a long time.

i plan on watching Saturday Night Live tonight. whether i make it all the way through or not, that's a different story. Kristen Wiig is hosting and i have always enjoyed her. so i think i will make it to the end. and hopefully catch a little ROH as well.

and if none of that happens, i'll be in bed by 10 trying to sweat out whatever demon crawled inside me.

my new YouTube video "what is rain" can be seen on the right hand side of this blog. check it out. would love to know what you think of it. and also, go get yourself a copy of Sofisticated White Trash today. follow the links on the right hand side of the blog and take advantage of the discount while you still can.

music today:

Van Morrison - Moondance
Brandi Carlile - Live at Bear Creek EP
Hayes Carll - KMAG YOYO (& other American stories)

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anais Nin

sometimes the old men are more than just old

when i noticed the Yankees had a lead last night, their first of the season, i quickly started watching more and more of the game. i found myself laughing at how easy the old man Pettitte makes it look sometimes. helps when you can get a double play ball on command it seems. and then, turn the game over to the hammer of god Rivera. sure, he gave up a run, but the man is 43. Yankees win 4-2. thank god.

flipped through some hockey games and even a little TNA wrestling, which i hardly ever watch. why i was up till 3 in the morning with such little of interest to me on is beyond me.

i'm not sure if the bird feeder problem is a raccoon after all. i get the feeling it may be a deer. i guess i will be pulling one of my up all night routines to make sure. i guess it really is spring now out here at the zoo, i mean farm.

absolutely hard to believe it's been 19 years since Kurt Cobain died. i can still remember sitting in the parking lot of the Trotwood, Ohio library when i heard the news. just a few weeks before my high school graduation. i can still recall that moment like it was yesterday. nothing like these moments of nostalgia to really make me feel old. and it also brings to mind that another high school reunion is coming up. of course, i rarely get invited to any of this shit, much like high school when i come to think of it. good times.

the poet of the day on my Google+ page is my good friend Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal.

the Yankees play here in a couple of hours. Detroit's home opener. get to relive all the playoff losses of the last few years. great. the Rangers play tonight in Pittsburgh. i'm sure the Penguins will be looking for a little revenge after that ass-whipping they get in New York. other than that and watching various wrestling interviews for Wrestlemania week, i can see myself enjoying the outdoors a bit today. it seems like forever since i have seen the sun for 4 straight days.

hope everyone has a great weekend. a big sports weekend, between the Final 4, Wrestlemania, the hockey season getting to the point of every game is a playoff game and finish it all off with a tasty Manchester United vs. Manchester City clash on Monday. hopefully, a few victory beers will be had along the way.

music today:

Nirvana - Nevermind

"The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing." - Marcus Aurelius

after a great weekend...

happy pointless Monday off. where to begin...

the Yankees rally last night came out of nowhere. i was shocked when they scored that many runs off of the Baltimore closer. shocked and thrilled. hopefully that fucks him for the rest of the series. hopefully the old war horse named Andy Pettitte can go out tonight and get a commanding lead to the series.

i can't remember the last time Ohio State put up 63 points against a name team. let alone Nebraska. that game was a pleasant sight of hopefully what is coming in the next few years. i can't imagine what this team will look like when Coach Meyer gets all of his players in. i can certainly get used to beating the shit out of people.

Sunday morning was the best i have seen Manchester United play this season. a complete 90 minutes. 3-0 to repay Newcastle back for the loss last season. shockingly, the goals came from Evans, Evra, and Cleverly. i can only imagine the amount of money you could have won if you got those 3 names right. hopefully they bottle that performance and repeat it for the rest of the season. if so, shine up the trophies.

the only negative of the weekend was how i can manage to score over 100 points in fantasy football and still lose. hopefully i can pull out 1 of the 2 remaining matches with a good performance from the Texans tonight. between the baseball playoffs, Monday Night Raw, and The Voice, i doubt i'll watch much of it. what ever happens happens.

music today:

Ivan & Alyosha - The Cabin Sessions
Hammock - Departure Songs Sampler
Escondido - Escondido EP
Various Artists - Mom + Pop Mixtape Vol. 1

"Picture deface walls more often than they decorate them." - William Wordsworth

a couple of drinks into a Wednesday...

this blog post is brought to you by Frontier Communications. the worst fucking Internet connection i have ever had, and that includes the ten plus years i was on dial up. avoid this company like the fucking plague, they fucking suck.

you would think from that little diatribe i have had a shit day, but honestly it's the complete opposite. i've been trying to get on for the last hour to post my happiness. if it would be anything else, this computer would be in pieces.

so nice to see Andy Pettitte pitching again. gave the Yankees exactly what they needed. 5 shutout innings. of course, i turn away to watch some Champions League and the bullpen managed to turn the game into a stomach turner. but, great games from Ichiro and Swisher, a tack on run and game over. now, hopefully they go out and win the second game and have yet another day in first place.

speaking of the Champions League, nice win from Manchester United. i would prefer if we do score in the first 7 minutes in the next game, tack on a few more goals instead of having to defend for the next 90. also, MAKE A FUCKING PENALTY KICK. jesus christ, i can guarantee that is going to cost us sometime this season.

finale of Big Brother tonight. i'm hoping Dan gets rewarded for being a bastard this season. he's the only reason this season has been watchable.

music today:

William Fitzsimmons - NoiseTrade Sampler
Delta Rae - Live at Lincoln Theater
The Civil Wars - Live at Eddie's Attic
Kristy Lee - In This Room

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." - Winston Churchill