March 30th - 0-3

Not much of note on the Monday after my birthday. Work was fine. Home was fine. Whatever. No hockey for team last night...we play Vancouver tonight. The Brutality That is March is over, and we got through it only a little worse for the wear. That we're still in the playoff hunt is pretty good, but I certainly would've liked to have seen us do better. At this point, I'm resigned to not making it, and I'm okay with it. What's the point of going just to get eliminated in the first round again?

At home, I've become obsessed with a game for the DS called "Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon." I've been playing it since December, but since I'm so close to the end, I feel like I have to just tear through it.



I do that with a lot of things: books I'm reading, books I'm writing, supper...once I get close to finishing, I just feel like I have to finish it right away. Would that I had that sort of dedication through an entire project. Anyway, one level to go on Shadow Dragon, then I move on to Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume. Games bring me joy, you see.

Three yard run.

My ball: 2nd and 7 on Life's 48.

March 28th-29th - 0-3

Birthday yesterday. I dig me some birthday. I no longer expect/want parties or friends or family or anything like that, but I like getting gifts. Good time to catch up on all the movies/games/books I haven't been buying all year. So, I did. Plus, my mom made me the cherry pie and the goulash (which isn't actually anything like goulash, but we call it that anyway), and that's always a tasty treat.

Plus, my wife and I did the thing last night...which, despite my age, I continue to get better at exponentially. Do I need a birthday to do it with my wife? Hells no, but it's a good excuse to guarantee it.

Anyway, the better news is that the Zolof concert was Saturday night. Decent show, but because they were the opening act, their set was too short for my tastes. After they were done, Tieraney and I talked to them near their merchandise table for quite a well. Good people, those Rock and Roll Destroyers. We discussed the majesty of Flash Gordon, the inspirational value of Twisted Sister, and whether Phil Collins helped or hindered Phillip Bailey's career. Good times. I'll be interviewing them soon for the Appletellcast (too hectic at the show to interview them there), and I'm looking forward to it.

And although my hockey team lost to Calgary 2-3 on Saturday night, we beat Edmonton 3-2 on my birthday. That's a wash.

It all adds up to my biggest play from scrimmage yet; pass over the middle picks up some nice YAC.

My ball: 1st and 10 on my 49.

March 27th - 0-3

Left work early today...I had the things to do. Picked up the city tax forms, renewed my vehicle registration, and did something else I can't remember right now but I'm sure involved me somehow paying money to the government. I don't like I government, in case you haven't noticed. I consider the U.S. government a failed opportunity. Looked great on paper, but never mounted a Super Bowl winning team. Sticking with the football analogy, I don't mind teams that suck so long as they know they suck. But the U.S. government is like a team with an 8-7 record talking like they're 13-2. And that annoys me. Finland's government may not be perfect, but they're not out there walking around with a Super Bowl swagger, either.

Am I saying I want to move to Finland? No. Only during the winter Olympics, because I dig me some Finnish hockey team. I'll stay in America for now, because I'm realistic enough to know I'm not going to be happy anywhere. It's not in my nature to blindly salute a flag just because I live under it. Flags annoy me...they just block my view of the sky. Plus, it's economically and logistically unreasonable for me to move out of the country.



A big perk to living in the U.S. is that you sometimes get good movies before the other countries, such as "Role Models." Bought and watched the Blu-ray last night. My God, that's a funny movie. It's not the funniest movie I've ever seen, but there's never been such a huge separation between awful premise and flawless execution. There are a ton of extras (including a great episode of Wainy Days), and I'm looking forward to getting into them.

Life punts, returned to the 32.

My ball: 1st and 10 on the 32.

March 26th - 0-3

My hockey team didn't play last night, but many did. Not a good night, overall, as the Wild got bumped down to 11th place. Yet, we're one win away from being in 7th. That gives me hope, but our schedule does not. We're at Calgary on Saturday, and at Edmonton on Sunday. Tough weekend, but then we've got two home games the following week: Vancouver and Calgary. Again, all division rivals, and all ahead of us. Let's win three, or at least get two and an OT loss.

On the bad side, one of my best writers at Appletell told me he's moving on to bigger things. That's cool. I never expect Appletell writers to stick with it long, but this guy gave me the greatest volume and was spearheading the podcast. So, that's on me now, and the last thing I need is more work to do. But I've got Bill Stiteler on board, and Bill's funny. He and I have a fairly decent rapport, so we'll see how that works out. Maybe it'll be better. I don't know.

Anyway, birthday weekend starts tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.

Pass is complete to the sideline, but the receiver's knocked out of bounds before picking up the 1st.

Life's ball: 4th and 4 on their own 34.

March 25th - 0-3

When you're playing the worst team in hockey, you should win 6-2, which we did last night against the Islanders (which kind of upsets me...I like the Islanders). Gaborik had two goals, the rest were spread out, and three of them came in the third. We were still outshot, which is unsettling, but I'll take the two points. We have no more games against sub .500 teams, and six of our final eight games are against division opponents, all of whom are ahead of us. In fact, now that I look, every single game left on our schedule is against a team ahead of us in our conference, save for Dallas, who are four points behind us. How does that happen?

Annoying day yesterday. I had to wear a suit. And a tie. I hate wearing a suit and tie, as I'm neither a politician nor a stock broker. If you're not making their money, you shouldn't have to wear their clothes. However, my daughter did thank me for wearing a suit, then said I look awesome because I "... look like a boss." I suppose I wouldn't mind it so much if I could wear this suit.



Anyway, the reason for the suit was because I had to attend a Beachwood Chamber networking luncheon. The two things I hate most about business are trying to sell something and having someone trying to sell me something. But my boss is on this kick where we all have to become salesmen, so hell it is. What really sucks is that four of us went, and I'm the only one who came out of it with a potential client. The last thing I need is for Bruce to think I'm good at this this sort of thing and want me to do it more.

Run play is stuffed at the line.

Life's ball: 3rd and 11 on their own 27.

March 24th - 0-3

The Wild lost last night, 1-2, to the Rangers. Fair enough. I didn't have much hope that we'd win it. The Rangers scored at 19:55 in the first, which you never want to see. We tied it up in the second, but the Rangers got the game winner just 55 seconds later...no scoring in the third. I would've at least liked OT since we kept it so close, but so be it. We just need the win tonight against the Islanders.

Despite the loss, I'm calling it a good day because my two CDs from Japan arrived: Shonen Knife's "Super Group" and Puffy's "Puffy Amiyumi x Puffy." Shonen Knife, who recently surpassed They Might Be Giants as my second favorite band of all time are a threesome again, which they need to be. The last few albums have all been a bit too heavy and one dimensional. They're better when they're as much The Supremes as when they are The Ramones, and when the majority of your songs are about animals and food, it's important to keep things fun.

Horrible album cover, though.



Puffy's new album is just a cover song comp, half of which I already have. There are some great songs on there I'd never heard, so we'll call it a successful purchase. This is important, considering what I'm paying to have these CDs imported from Japan.

Also, I finally wrapped my head around a project at work that's been stumping me for quite some time, so I have a happy client.

Pass over the middle is thrown behind the receiver.

Life's ball: 2nd and 10 on their own 28.

March 23rd - 0-3

Sadly, no dream with the Brit Rock bands in them last night. No dreams at all, that I can remember. No hockey, either, which means very little to talk about. So, let's run down the previous years' games, going back to:

1988 - Win. A very strong beginning for an early lead compensates for a fourth quarter meltdown.
1989 - Loss. Back and forth battle where neither team ever lead by more than 7 points.
1990 - Loss. Another very close game, marked mainly by big plays from both teams.
1991 - Win. Same as 1990, only this time we come out on top.
1992 - Win. A comfortable game. We didn't win by much, but we were never behind.
1993 - Loss. Blowout. We had nothing at all until life gave us some compensatory points at the end.
1994 - Win. Uneventful. Boring game to watch.
1995 - Win. Best game yet. It's quite possible this was a shutout.
1996 - Win. Life plays a better game, but the 1995 team is still largely intact, and you can't beat the 1995 team.
1997 - Win. Making it four in a row, but this one's close. We need a big finish to save the victory, and we get it.
1998 - Loss. We jump to an early lead, but can't hang on late in the fourth.
1999 - Win. Again, a close one, but we were never behind.
2000 - Win. Uneventful. Few highlights, but solid defense.
2001 - Win. Easy win. Unlike 2000, plenty of big plays for the highlight reel.
2002 - Win. The team is cruising now. Solid on both offense and defense.
2003 - Win. A strong first quarter and a frantic finish help us pull this one out.
2004 - Loss. Our worst start yet is too much for us to overcome, and the dynasty ends.
2005 - Win. Possibly a bigger win than 1995. This was never even close.
2006 - Loss. An early lead trickles away throughout the game.
2007 - Loss. Another back-and-forth game with many lead changes.
2008 - Loss. Worst yet. The kind of season that gives you little hope for the next three years.

This leaves us at 13-8, which I suppose isn't all that bad. But looking at us being 1-4 in the last five games is what has me worried.

Good punt returned to the 28.

Life's ball: 1st and 10 on their own 28.

March 21st-22nd - 0-3

And so it goes with the Minnesota Wild. We get shut out one night, then turn around a post a shut-out the next game. We beat the Edmonton Oilers Sunday afternoon, 3-0. A great win for many reasons. First, Edmonton's just ahead of us in the standings, and this win chips away at the lead. Second, it saw the return of Marion Gaborik, who got no goals, but he will. And third, after getting pummeled in the first period 2 shot to 15, we turned around in the second to get a franchise record 23 shots on goal. There are games where we won't get 23 shots in three periods, so that's fairly amazing.

Sadly, the win didn't help us much in the standings. We're still tied for ninth with the Ducks (who have won three in a row to get there). We're one game behind Nashville, three behind Edmonton, and six behind Columbus. Below us, the Blues are one game back and the Stars are two games back. Freaky tight as we head to New York for back-to-back games against the Rangers and Islanders. I expect will win one (the Islanders are the single worst team in the league), and would life at least a tie in the other.

Beyond that, a decent weekend. Weather was good, so I cleaned out the cars yesterday between Appletell writing sessions. Tieraney bought the movie Twilight, which she oddly goes gaga over despite admitting that it's not very good. I guess I do the same thing with Godzilla movies, though, so I won't judge. I watched it with her, and yeah, it's pretty much godawful. Who knew a romance between a boy and girl could come across so gay? But whatever. Next weekend, the Role Models Blu-ray, and I'm really looking forward to those out-takes and deleted scenes.

Oh, and I had a dream last night in which after learning that Seahawks player Lofa Tatupu would miss the first 5-7 games due to injury, I found myself discussing shampoo dispenser technology with the Galagher brothers from Oasis.

A well covered play forces the QB to dump the ball to the TE, which doesn't get us enough for the first.

My ball: 4th and 3 on my 45.

March 20th - 0-3

I certainly didn't expect the wild to beat New Jersey (featuring the winningest goalie of all time, as I've covered here before), but I also didn't expect a 0-4 shut-out. If you're going to lose, though, I guess it doesn't matter by how much you lose. And it seems the Wild played fairly well. We had 35 shots on goal to their 29, but another horrible night by Backstrom doomed us. He was pulled when, in the second, they had 3 goals on 11 shots. The Wild is not an offensive team, so we certainly need a goalie who can play better than that.

I left early again on Friday, which I suppose I should quit doing, but I'm growing tired of dealing with the 13 hour days. I should really hunker down and get back into that, because I desperately need the money. Time to get back the Hiner resolve.

Incomplete pass.

My ball: 3rd and 8 on my 40.

March 19th - 0-3

Two nights without hockey leaves me little to talk about. We play again tonight, and we'll likely lose on the road to the New Jersey Devils. This is bad, because although we're still tied for 9th place, the teams ahead of us are starting to pull away. We have 74 points, Nashville and Edmonton have 77, and Columbus has 80. Barring a meltdown from Columbus, we don't catch them. So, we're chasing after Nashville and Edmonton. Nashville has played two more games than we have, so making up those two wins would be enough to put us over them. Edmonton is right with us at 70, though, so we need them to lose while we win. In the next ten days, we play them twice: once at home and once on the road. It's going to be a crazy finish.

Beyond that, I'm just enjoying the video games and working on a pet project I've been meaning to do for a while. Simple, in an effort to get me back to writing. We'll see how it goes.

Run up the middle is stuffed, but the runner bounces outside for a couple.

My ball: 2nd and 8 on my 40.

March 18th - 0-3

Kind of a crappy morning at work. Got blamed for something that mostly wasn't my fault, and got so mad about that that I had to take an hour-long walk to calm myself down and get any work done. But things smoothed out after that, and it ended fine. As my only reader of this blog knows, I need just two hours to get over anything. This one only took one, so it obviously wasn't that bad.

Got some good news, too. The band I'm going to see on March 28th have kind of agreed to an interview for the Appletellcast podcast. My first interview of an actual band, so that'll be cool. It's not definite, as we'll have to work around their scheduled, but they're up for it.

And that's enough for the measurement to indicate first down.

My ball: 1st and 10 on my 38.

March 17th - 0-3

I don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day, just so you know. I'm not Irish, not in the least, and I don't believe in bogarting other people's holidays just to have an excuse to drink beer. Other holidays I don't celebrate? Bastille Day, Cinco de Mayo, National Talk Like a Pirate Day.

My hockey team won on a night when the only thing that mattered is that Marty Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils broke the league record for most wins ever by a goalie: 552. Wow. I don't know what impresses me more; the number of wins or the fact that he got all of them playing for the Devils. In a league where not even the great Wayne Gretzky couldn't play his whole career on one team, that's quite the thing.



My game wasn't nearly as important to hockey, but it was to the Wild, who are still a point out of the playoffs despite picking up two points last night. Down 1-2 with just under two minutes to go, Nick Schultz scored his second goal of the entire season to tie it up. No goals in OT sent us to the shoot out, where Backstrom stopped 2 of 3, and Koivu and Zidlicky beat Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj to get the win.

Finally.

Also of note yesterday, I introduced my daughter to Bugs Bunny, and I picked up a game for the DS that I've eagerly awaited for nearly a year: Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume. How's that for a haughty title? Also, I left work early to have dinner with my family and actually spend time with them. Good day, over all.

A give up draw play gets us six surprising yards.

Official measurement.

March 16th - 0-3

The good news is that I found something to do on my birthday. This allows me to avoid my birthday party.

What?

Yeah. I'm not going to my own birthday party, because it's not mine. My birthday is March 29th. That's a Sunday this year. I don't have birthday parties anymore, of course, and that's preferred. But this year, my younger brother decided to celebrate the birthdays of his kids (one was born in mid-March, one in early April) on the weekend of my birthday. This means party. On my birthday. For someone other than me. Do I want to spend my birthday celebrating someone else's birthday? No. Do I want to see other people opening gifts, then toss something my way because, "Oh, that's right, it's your birthday, too. Here." No. I don't want a party, but I also don't want to be at a party that's not mine. Kind of like getting married, then going to someone else's reception.

So, how to get out of it? Concert. It was getting close. I was even considering driving all the way to Dayton to go the Air Force Museum (I dig me some airplanes) just to avoid not my birthday party, but now I don't have to. One of my favorite indie punk/pop bands, Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer, will be in Cleveland on the 28th opening for Pink Spiders (okay music, but their lyrics make me want to punch them).



Simple as that. Take the kids to Cleveland that day, meet Tieraney's folks there, hit a museum, send the kids home with the grandparents, then Tieraney and I see the show. I avoid everyone, I get to do something I'll enjoy (I dig me some concerts), and I don't have to look like an ass to do it. Well, unless someone in the family finds out about this blog.

No hockey last night to screw up my play. We've got Colorado at home tonight. We do well against Colorado, but I'm not convinced we'll do well against anyone for the rest of this year.

Open receiver, but the QB doesn't have time to get the ball there. Scrambles for four yards.

My ball: 3rd and 6 on my 32.

March 14th-15th - 0-3

I equate selecting sports teams with selecting the hammer with which I want to be hit in the head. Doesn't matter what I pick, it's going to hurt like hell.

There are those who choose their sports allegiances based on geography. That's never been my thing; locality does not begat loyalty. I didn't support my high school football team until I actually had friends playing on it, and I never rooted for the home team in professional sports...even when I was into sports. So, I pick, and I couldn't tell you why I ended up with the Seahawks and the Wild (North Stars when the decision was made). I can tell you, though, that it's been nothing but heartache from both. It's just not at all worth it, and never will be, but I'm stuck. It's like ordering a terrible meal at an expensive restaurant. Too late to change my mind, so it's best to just get through it and hope it at least won't make me puke during the night.

This weekend, the Wild darn well near made me puke. Loss in OT to Dallas Saturday night, then a straight up loss to St. Louis on Sunday evening. That's four in a row we've dropped at a point in the season where post-game interviews always include the line "...every game matters."

But the weekend was otherwise okay. Good weather, so we took the kids to Lions Park in Mogadore on Saturday, then out on their tricycles on Sunday. It was good to actually get out and let them have some fun, and they enjoyed it. Too much, maybe, as neither child was pleased when we brought it to an end.

Here's what I like about Lions Park. See that rectangle in the bottom center of the photo below?



That's a football field. A football field, marked off, with goal posts at each end. There's a regulation size football field for public use in the middle of the town park. That is completely awesome, and it shows how dedicated the town is to football. It shows, too, because the high school team goes to State pretty much every year.

Of course, that'll end when my kids are old enough to play. Hammer, you know.

Wide open receiver over the middle drops a perfectly thrown ball.

My ball: 2nd and 10 on my 28.

March 13th - 0-3

Friday was a good day. I couldn't tell you why. Work was okay. Quiet. I like it quiet. I get work done when it's quiet. The more I go through life, the more I wish people would just shut up. That could mean age, but it's not like I'm turning down the rock and roll or yelling at the kids outside. I just want everyone to stop yelling so much. I blame you, Dora and Diego. It's bad enough you've got my kids thinking every language outside of English must be Spanish, but do you always have to yell. Shut up, you stupid brats. If you don't know how to use a map by now, it's because you're simple, and you'll never get it, and no amount of yelling at my kid through the TV is going to help.

It's because of shows like Dora and Diego that I'll grow up to become Republican and vote to build castle walls along the Mexican border.

Anyway, good day. Warm and sunny. Normally, weather doesn't affect me at all, but just as much as I look forward to first snowfall in winter, I also look forward to the first warm day of spring. I like the change. I like something different.

Kickoff caught at my 2, returned to the 28.

My ball: 1st and 10 on my 28.

March 12th - 0-3

Well, the Wild played a horrible game last night. Outshot 17 to 41. Half our shots were in the first period, and we only had four shots on goal in the third period and overtime combined. Yes, overtime, because despite sucking on offense, Backstrom had 40 saves. 1-1 going into OT, where nothing happened, then we blew it in the shootout. Colorado scored on their first two shots, we didn't, so they get the win. We got a point, but Colorado is full of suck, and we normally dominate them, so it should've been two.

Still, the one point moves us one step closer to a playoff spot. We're now in 9th place. Eight get in. That's enough to convince Life to not go for it on 4th, but the field goal is good.

Life scores first with a chip shot field goal. 0-3.

March 11th - 0-0

Nothing of note to talk about, so let's discuss the rules, as brought up by only follower, Jim Jividen. Jim says Life would go for it on 4th and 3 at the goal line, considering that if they don't make it, I'm trapped deep in my own territory. I have yet to mount any sort of offense, so that makes sense.

But, it's not fair to Life, as I know before I write the play what happened, and would know if they made it. For example, nothing of note yesterday does not get them three yards. My ball. But nothing of note yesterday would mean a good field goal try, so they'd get the three points. How to handle it? Time out.

Life calls a time out. They do this because Life knows I've got a hockey game tonight. A loss would equal a three yard gain, likely, so they get the TD if the Wild loses. A win would mean no chance for the TD, so they kick the field goal. This way, life isn't screwed out of their points just because I know what's already happened. I'll be doing this on my end, too, should I ever get past the 50 this year.

And, of course, other things can still come into play. The Wild may lose, but I may find $37,000 in my driveway. We won't know until tomorrow morning.

Time out, Life.

Life's ball: 4th and goal on my 3.

Go Wild.

March 10th - 0-0

Wild lost last night in OT to San Jose, 4-5, but I'll take that. I didn't think we beat the best team in the West twice in six days (I'm surprised we beat them at all), so I'll take the point last night. It was almost a repeat of the earlier win, as we were down 0-3 in the second, and had to fight our way back up for the OT. It's encouraging we're able to do that now, but discouraging that Backstrom sucked in goal, blocking only 18 of 23 shots. He hasn't been playing well since getting his contract, and now's not the time for a slump. A win would've moved us into a three-way tie for 7th. As it stands, we're 9th, and one point out of the playoff picture.

And the brutality continues tomorrow in Colorado.

Beyond that, I finally finished up a freelance web project I've been working on since what seems like third grade, and I started playing "Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers" on the Wii last night. As far as games where women in bikinis and cowboy hats fight hordes of zombies with double fisted swords go, it's pretty fun.



Nice coverage by our D forces Life's QB to go under on the pass, and the TE is hit immediately for a three yard gain.

Life's ball: 4th and goal on my 3.

March 9th - 0-0

Left work early again yesterday to get my dog out of jail. It was decently timed, too, because the concrete fellow met me at the house to give us an estimate on pouring a back patio. We can't afford that right now, obviously, but we'll see what kind of quote we get. Tieraney really wants one, so I'll try to find a way to make it work.

New Bishop Allen album yesterday. It's pretty good. Better than their second, but still not back to where they were with first album. I think the success of "Click Click Click Click" after it was in that Sony camera commercial is driving them artistically now, and I suppose that's not a bad thing. What is a bad thing is the album's title:



See? I wouldn't lie to you.

Oh, and my coworker let me borrow season one of Flight of the Conchords, so Tieraney and I have begun to work our way through that. The first episode was amusing enough. We'll see how far they can take it.

Beyond that, bunch of Appletell work and no hockey. So...

Sweep is well covered.

Life's ball: 3rd and goal on my 6.

March 7th-8th - 0-0

Hockey team lost in L.A. on Saturday afternoon, then won in Anaheim on Sunday evening, so that's a wash. We end the longest road trip in team history finishing 2-4. Not good, but I'll take any points I can. The brutality that is our March schedule continues.

The boy's birthday party went well. That we boarded the dog and can now trust all the kids to play upstairs and in the basement helped to reduce the chaos. It was also a decent day for weather, unlike last year when Sam's party was snowed out. The whole thing ended up being easier to manage than expected, so that's cool, but I'm greatly looking forward to when he can just invite a few friends over and we can forgo the whole family gathering. I mean, I really can't recall anyone making such a fuss over our birthdays when my siblings and I were kids.

Sunday, I went to Ashland to hook up my mom and dad's new Toshiba LCD. Yes, my parents have finally left the 1980s behind and have a TV that won't fry their eyeballs or make them tilt their head to level the picture out. My reward for doing this? A Donna D's pizza. I love me some Donna D's. It's the pizza I grew up on, which of course means it's the best pizza in the world.



Yes, I realize that's probably not true, but I have yet to taste a pizza I like more, and I lived in NYC for five years.

Life has an open receiver streaking across the end zone, but a badly thrown ball allows our defender to make a play on it.

Life's ball: 2nd and goal on my 8.

March 6th - 0-0

Worked from home for multiple reasons.

1. Had to get the dog to the kennel.
2. Had to get the car to the repair shop.
3. Had to help get the house ready for the party.

Sam's birthday party Saturday, you see. So, I worked at home and helped out Tieraney when needed. That's pretty much it. But, the car repair was over $500 (new CV boots). On one hand, good, because my car sounded as if it was driving on bubble wrap the whole way to work. I'll be glad that's over. On the other hand, didn't I just spend $500 on an auto body job? And $200 on a new muffler?

This is getting ridiculous.

Five yard dump to the TE for the first down.

Life's ball: 1st and goal on my 8.

March 5th - 0-0

I hate my stupid hockey team. Why do we lose to completely mediocre teams, then turn around and beat the freakin' San Jose Sharks again in San Jose? We were down 3-0 in the second, then came back to win in OT, 4-3, largely due to a freakish goal in the third that tied it. Zidlicky was at center ice looking to dump it into the Sharks end for line change. He did, and puck slowly bounced its way to the goalie, past his glove, under his legs and into the net. Zidlicky had to be told there was a goal, because he was heading to the bench when it happened. Damn. If that had happened to us, I'd be sitting here right now wondering why that only happens to us.



Then, a winning goal with just over 10 seconds left in OT.

That alone is enough for the measurement to show they came up short.

Life's ball: 3rd and 1 on my 13.

March 4th - 0-0

Nothing much happened yesterday. Nothing at all. Kind of a down day, though. One of those days where you just get angry with everyone all day long. But that's cool. I'm enjoying this new, largely negative person I've become. I embrace it, and I wish I would've been bitter back in college, because the ladies dig that. I would've been much more popular if I hadn't been so happy and cheerful and funny all the time. Now that I'm married, being angry with the world and bored by most everyone in it doesn't really do me much good.

Bad thing is, I'm doing no writing. I mostly write the comedies, after all, and I have absolutely no desire at all to try to be funny.

I should note, by the way, that this doesn't include my immediate family. I'm the same as I ever was with them. Got to make sure my kids don't grow up to be me, you know.

Oh, and my sister just won a $26,000 basement makeover.

Four yard run. They're calling for the sticks.

Life's ball: measurement.

March 3rd - 0-0

I get no kick from champagne, and I get no joy from hockey. The Wild were up 2-0 in the first in Vancouver last night. When I went to bed, it was 2-1 in the second. When I checked the score at about 2 a.m. (yes, I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about hockey, and I have my phone right there ready with the scores), we'd lost 2-4. Four unanswered goals to lose our fourth straight.

I'm calling Steve Crane today to tell him not to get tickets to the Wild/Blue Jackets game. I'm not paying $130 to watch my team go through the motions as they try to stay healthy for next season. Because this season saw my Seahawks fall to 4-12 and miss the playoffs for the first time in six years, and my Wild won't be returning, either.

I totally suck at picking things. My teams never win championships, my bands die to early (that's mostly not true...I have an incredible taste in music...easily better than that of anyone I know, save for one of my coworkers), my TV shows all get cancelled after a season, and my restaurants all close down or become sports pubs with TVs in them. I hate restaurants with TVs in them.

Defense is on its heels, and can't bring the runner down until he powers forward for six.

Life's ball: 2nd and 4 on my 16.

March 2nd - 0-0

Slight reprieve from the worsening crap that is my hockey team, yesterday, when the Seahawks announced that they signed Bengals wide receiver T.J. Housmanzadeh. T.J.'s a big receiver with great hands, and he runs precise routes; exactly what we need in the WCO. He could play the role that Joe Jurevicius played for us in our run to the Super Bowl in '05, and there ain't nothing wrong with that.



Also, after seeing a bunch of top ranked free agents visit Seattle in the past few years and leave without signing, it's good to see someone decide to stay. It makes me feel better about the team.

But that was overshadowed yesterday by word from Appletell that the money won't be as good for a while. The advertising dollars just aren't there right now, thanks to this economy of ours, so we're tightening our belts. As all of you fictional readers know, now's the time for me to be losing income. How much less am I getting a month? It's a decent percentage, leading to:

Short pass with a nice run after the catch gains 15 yards.

Life's ball: 1st and 10 on my 22.

February 28th-March 1st - 0-0

Screw hockey. I'm done talking about it (until we manage to win something). Idiot hockey team.

Decent enough weekend. No birthdays or trips to Ashland for anything, so we actually got to stay home and cook some meals and get some stuff done. Sam's birthday is Sunday. Party on Saturday, so a bunch of things we've been putting off had to be completed. Hung up the Godzilla poster in Sam's room.



There it is, right above his bed. Sweet. Little known fact about Hiner? I, too, am an incredible, unstoppable titan of terror. Trivia, this poster is the reason Godzilla was forever mistaken as being green. Godzilla has never been green. He's grey, but this poster got it wrong from the B/W movie, forever screwing up American perception of my childhood.

Anyway, the story from the weekend is that I was hanging up a poster of sorts in Sophie's room. Had it made in New York when I went to see Queen in 2005 (2005, how I loved you!). It's a sidewalk artist's rendering of her name, each letter being an ornate animal of sorts. Had it mounted, and it's been sitting around the old house, my workplace, and new one for nearly four years now. Finally when to hang it. Sam was helping me, handing me the tools. Screwdriver, pencil, that sort of thing. I turned to screw in the first clip, took may 20 seconds, and when I turned around Sam, had written all over Sophie's name.

I yelled at him to stop, and he had no idea why I was mad. "Why did you do that?!" I yelled. "Look what I made for Sophie," he replied. "You didn't make anything," I told him. "You ruined it."

Immediate devastation on his part. I was heartbroken. Felt like a total ass. He thought he was doing something nice, and I crushed the poor kid. I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if the little bastard didn't deserve it.

I was able to erase most of the pencil, so we hung it up anyway. Sam's cool, so no need to call social services. I'm sure he'll do worse things in his life, and I'll say worse things to him, but we'll all make it through, because no matter how made he makes me, my hockey team will make me more mad.

Three yard run.

2nd and 7 on my 37.