How do you know when you’re on a plane full of Canadians?

When there’s an afternoon hockey game on, and half the little t.v.’s in the seat-backs are on the same channel. It was Rangers v. Sabres on the flight back yesterday, and whenever a goal was scored, there were both Yah’s and D’Oh’s scattered around the cabin.

The guy across the aisle let out a loud groan, and then clapped his hand over his mouth, like he just remembered he was on a plane and not in his living room. Funny.

The Rapid Return of Bob

Bob will be back in Montreal for another show in July. Am I going? Why not? Life is short. I like the idea of seeing him in a small hall, and Place des Arts has only 3,000 capacity.

If this was any other artist, I'd be thinking how many more chances will I get? (RIP Mr. Strummer.) But with Bob the answer to that question would probably be 20 or 30, as he appears indestructible and forever peripatetic.

Scratch, scratch

Why is it, when your sunburn starts to peel, that it itches the most in the places you can't reach?

My back is driving me crazy this morning. Right between the shoulder blades. I'm wiggling around on my chair. Anyone spying from the building across the street probably thinks I'm having way more fun than I actually am.

I have returned

Un gros merci (Oncle Tom) to Ms Mushrooms and her exceptional efforts at guest blogging. Of course she was helped along by current events. Any week that has an Alec Baldwin scandal in it is a good week for blogging.

11 hours ago I was walking along a beach, now I'm back at the computer, while waiting for laundry to dry. That's life.

Florida was great. The weather was utterly perfect. Mid-80s with no humidity. Sunny every day. In the Believe It or Not Department: I went parasailing! Photographic evidence will eventually prove this fact.

Nanuk, Back in the North.

And in nostalgia news...

What is more nostalgic than EXPO 67? Montreal is celebrating Expo's 40th anniversary (how old does that make me...). The globeandmail.com site has a great photo gallery (featuring people buying 30 cent hotdogs and 15 cent cups of coffee: talk about yer hog heaven) AND a link to Jason 67's Expo Lounge site (way to go, Jason).

Now I have the CANNN-A-DAAAAA song in my head

(mushrooms
hey Nanuk, are you back yet?)

Peg puts up her dukes

Margaret Atwood blasted the Harper art haters at the opening of Mtl's Blue Metropolis Lit fest saying the tories want to "squash the arts into the dust." You Mtler's can go and hear her interviewed by Jian Ghomeshi for CBC (another "arty" place, apparently) tonight at 8. Get your tickets. Me, I'd have to take a plane and get a sitter, not to mention the time change that would mess me up.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/04/24/qc-atwoodonartsfunding0424.html

And in Happier News: Spinal Tap Saves the world from Global Warming!

Spinal Tap will re-form to save the world from Global warming despite the fact that they are a little hazy on the concept. Says guitarist Nigel Tufnel from his miniature horse ranch, "I thought I should just take off my jacket if it was too warm."

Despite the confusion, Spinal Tap -- including singer David St Hubbins (lately running a colonic clinic) and drummer Derek Smalls (currently in rehab, battling an addiction to the internet) -- will appear in a new Rob Reiner mini-doc which will open NY's Tribeca Film Fest (note to Nanuk: hosted by Big Al Gore), and perform their latest rock anthem "Warmer than Hell".

Note to J FAN: like our friends Queen, Spinal Tap also has a "Fat Bottomed Girls" song: "Big Bottoms". Naughty lads.

Dad is sad, very, very sad. Dad had a bad day. Oh, what a bad day Dad had.

In other words, Alec "Bad Dad" Baldwin is back in the news. Rather, it's a CBC re-hash of his and other "Bad Dad's" woes. Check out poor ol' Alec at cbc.ca/arts/media/baddaddiscussion.html/

Everthing I know about Florida I learned from Carl Hiaasen

Well, except what I learned when I went there on Boxing Day when I was in grade 10 (I know it was grade 10 because my sisters and I had just gotten Queen's "Day at the Races" and "Night at the Opera" for Xmas. How could I forget that?). I learned that you can tell the Canadians in Florida because they are the ones swimming in the freezing post-Boxing Day waters (tho' it felt warm to us) when the locals are all wearing sweaters and woolen hats. The weather must have been crappy that week because the other thing I remember is that we went to see the first remake of "King Kong", the one that nearly wrecked Jessica Lang's career before it began (she played, if I am remembering this correctly, a character called "DWAN"...). We had to go to the movies because it was so miserably rainy and cold outside. Tho' we did manage to fit in a fair amount of Disney-Landing while we were there. Not that I remember that much. I can only think of all those swaying palm trees at the airport when we first touched down, and the smell of coconut suntan lotion everywhere.

Hope Nanuk is having fun in Florida. Hope she has need of her sunscreen.

(mushrooms)

Steve 'n' Yann

Seems Yann Martel has still not received an answer from the rt hon. Stephen Harper after he sent him a book and a letter. (see his whatisstephenharperreading website) Yann is vexed that the PM doesn't care for culture and when 50 artists visited the vistor's gallery of the house of commons to commemorate the Canada Council for the Art's 50th anniversary, Steve barley looked up from his desk. (Still huffing and puffing from quesiton period?) Since then, Yann has started his web site outlining his plan to send the PM a book every 2 weeks ("an improving book", as Ms Nanuk might say), written a piece for the Globe, and been interviewed everywhere about his get-the-PM-reading project. And yet still no word from our glorious leader.

You can drag a PM to culture but you can't make 'im read (or fund it).

(mushrooms)

The great Iggy Pop turns 60

All that living on dog food has kept him strong and clever too!

And in Alec Baldwin news...

No, no, I don't mean the parental melt down so cunningly caught on tape (note to self: yell at kids live rather than on voice mail). I mean the fact that in the DVD of the best of Larry Saunders (which of course I haven't seen yet)Larry gets to box w/the notorious Alec.

WWNW?

(What Would Nanuk Write?)

good question

maybe something about MPStorm and his fine wingtips?
I have no wingtips

just a pair of gardening shoes (tho it's too cold to garden in this northern mushroom city today) that I got in 1982- back then they were called "duck shoes" and were a fashion statement in their rubbery ugly duckness- we all wore them w/long straight skirts so we probably all walked like hobbled ducks too- I remember teaching one of my first eng comp classes and this red haired guy (you always remember the red-heads) looked down at my shoes and then back up at my face w/a bemused look and I thought (not for the first time) "fashion faux-pas"

meanwhile miss mushrooms is currently making pencil rubbings of the whole family's shoes for a science project-
no wingtips tho'
alas

Bonvoyageeee Nanuk!!

Have fun.
Hope you come back speaking like a pirate.
May Johnny Depp kidnap you.

(mushrooms)

Off to Florida

I'm off to Treasure Island in the morning. What a dumb name. I expect it to be full of peg-legged pirates. Arrrrrr.

If she manages to log-in, Ms. Mushrooms may do some Guest Blogging in my absence. Stay tuned...

Me and My Polyp

I'm back from my test. I am minus a polyp that was apparently a nothing burger, non-cancerous, non-threatening thing. Yay.

Having a colonoscopy is a completely painless procedure. This surprised me. I expected it to hurt, but I was sedated and happy and didn't feel a thing. This was really good news.

So I am going to Florida on Sunday for a week. Hey, I deserve this vacation after the week I had. Time to relax...with an improving book (as Bertie Wooster likes to say.)

And maybe a couple of cocktails, too.

Rafe on the Move

British actor Ralph Fiennes arrived in Nunavut this week to start his search for an Inuk woman to star in his first feature film. (CBC)

It's official.

Rafe will literally go to the ends of the earth to meet a woman.

In the Sick Bay

Blech! I spent all of yesterday in the hospital with an undiagosed abdominal problem (Spicy Curry Chip syndrome?). A first! I'd never been in the hospital before. More tests are to come either tomorrow or next week...which puts my Florida vacation in jeopardy.

I feel okay today, but my stomach is jumpy.

Health is more important than fun in the sun, though. So if the test is scheduled for next week, I guess I'll cancel my trip. I spoke to my sister and she is okay with this, of course.

I was in the hospital for 15 hours, saw 8 different doctors. I never expected such thorough treatment. I only saw this many docs because I was there through 3 shift changes, so I kept getting new consults every 7 hours. I felt like a Very Important Patient.

I had a CT Scan, which means I got to whirr through the big machine. It was exciting, just like being on House. Sadly, Hugh Laurie never showed up to abuse me.

It turned out to be not so bad because there weren't any moaners, groaners or crazies at all in Emergency during the entire time. It was very peaceful, though very crowded.

And all the doctors, technicians, nurses and aides were super nice. So, if you are ever in Montreal and you get sick or injured, go to Emerg. at the Montreal General. You will be treated very nicely.

Sick Day

I'm home sick today. Bleh.

I visited my aunt on the weekend, and she'd had a mild bout of gastro bug, and last night I got it. Stupid contagious thing.

I hope I didn't infect anyone at work yesterday. I guess I'll find that out tomorrow...

In other shocking news

CNN has a poll today asking: Are the British snobs?

An astounding 89% of respondents say yes. Who knew?

I'm very concerned about what is going to happen to all those souvenir cups and saucers that had already been mass-produced in anticipation of the Royal Engagement. They must be flooding eBay by now.

I never saw this coming

NEW DELHI -- Angry crowds in several Indian cities burned effigies of Richard Gere on Monday.

In Chip News

I finally got my hands on some Lay's Spicy Curry chips this weekend.

Verdict: thumbs up.

On first tasting, I thought these might only be an occasional chip, but last night, while stuffing my face in the hope that this would make the snow go away (chip-eater's logic), I came to the conclusion that this was a tasty treat with staying power. As far as Indian flavour goes, the Lay's Spicy Curry is far superior to the Doritos Tandoori Sizzler.

I'll definitely buy these again.

It's Snowing Again

and the forecast says it's going to snow all night. 15 to 20 cm.

I'm so sick and tired of this.

Sometimes you just want to drink yourself into a stupor.

Nappy-Headed Ho No Mo'

I wish I could say something even slightly knowledgeable about Don Ho, but frankly I know nothing about him. He's some kind of icon, but does anyone really know anything about him other than he was from Hawaii and sang Tiny Bubbles? I don't.

I suppose I could drink some kind of fruity refreshing cocktail in his honour. I suppose.

But in celebrity news, I'm more concerned about the break-up of Prince William and his now-not-the-future-queen. The British tabloids must be going ape over this. She seemed smart and level-headed. Which is exactly why she wouldn't want that life, I guess. Good luck finding another reasonable one, Wills.

Wills doesn't look that interesting to me. If I had to choose between Wills and Harry, I'd go for Harry every time. And not just because he likes to dress up like a Nazi.

Heh Heh

I love seeing a Neo-con sweat, so I am totally enjoying the story of Paul Wolfowitz on the hot seat at the World Bank for giving his girlfriend a promotion and a big raise. (Insert your own joke here.)

Wolfowitz apologized. “He made the comments to a few hundred staff members, only to be greeted by booing, catcalls and cries for his resignation.” (NY Times)

Booing the Big Boss. I love it. I also like that the World Bank has internal message boards that employees can post on anonymously. I wonder if this will give ideas to other UN Agencies?

Snowy Friday the 13th

It’s going to be one of those Fridays. I just don’t feel like working.

My Friday the 13th started by sitting next to a middle-aged, Middle-Eastern man on the bus who was blasting Pink Floyd’s The Wall on his Ipod. Hey, teacher, leave those kids alone!

Now I’m thinking about cocktails. The last time I had a really good cocktail was at my birthday. At Mesquite on Decarie. They have excellent cocktails. I had a couple of Long Island Ice Teas. Got a bit drunk. Some would say more than a bit, but really it was only a bit.

Mmmm. Cocktails.

Oh, Keith

I know I'm a coupla days late with this one, but I have to make a quick comment about Keith Richards' snorting his father's ashes.

Normally, I'm okay with just about anything Keith says or does 'cause he's Keith.

But this.

I can't believe old Bert would've been okay with Keith's snorting him up.

The New Monkey King

Jet Li and Jackie Chan are making a movie about The Monkey King. There are two things wrong with this:

1) The new project will feature an original script about a modern-day, kung fu-obsessed teenager who is transported to ancient China after discovering an artifact from the Monkey King in a pawn shop. (CBC)

I hate framing devices. Lose this idea and just tell us about the Monkey King.

2) There is only one Monkey King and that’s Stephen Chow. Not that I have ever been able to figure out what exactly was going on his Monkey King movie, and this despite repeated viewings.

I was completely, utterly, hopelessly lost in all of Part Two as to who everybody was and just what they were doing. Ah, memories.

Where’s Stephen Chow when we need him?

A Few Little Words Gone Astray

I saw this in an obituary today.

“The family will receive condolences Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15, 2007 from 2 to 7 p.m. at (Free valet parking)”.

Nothing kills the solemnity of an obit like some typographical screw-up.


Also, we got an e-mail message from one of the Stationery staff today. I quote:

Due to circumstances beyond my control Stationery will be open today from 14:00 - 14:45.

You know, he’s trying to keep the doors shut but those darn stationery supplies just demand to be distributed!

Playoff Time

I'm glad I didn't start watching the Vancouver game last night. 4 overtime periods. Jeesh. There wouldn't have been any point in going to bed at 3:30 a.m.

Ottawa won. I would say hurray but I just know they're going to go down to defeat, if not in the first round, then certainly in the second. I refuse to be optimistic about their chances. I've been burnt too many times.

Go ahead, Senators, prove me wrong.

In other "good" news

The forecast says 5 to 7 cm of snow today. BLEH!

2 more dead

Two more soldiers killed in A'stan, around the same time that the six from Sunday were arriving back in Canada. Although both of these guys were based in Petawawa, I believe they were both from New Brunswick. I think that's at least six just from N.B. this week. That's too much for such a small province to bear.

And, today, the US Defense Secretary is in Quebec City asking for Canada (and other NATO countries) to commit more troops. Poo, I say to that.

The Australians have committed 1,000 more? That's a lot. Why do I feel like the Canadians and the Aussies are the saps in this whole debacle. Maybe because our numbers are small and each death still means something. For the Americans, the numbers of deaths have become meaningless. That's even worse.

Bye Bye Belinda

Oh no. I'm so disappointed that Belinda's leaving politics. She's one of my favourite whipping girls. Who am I going to complain about with Belinda gone?

Wheee for Me; I Broke the Ice

I spoke to The Perfect Storm today.

He's nice. He laughed. He has teeth! I'd never seen them before. They aren't great. You know how the British never have particularly good teeth. Oh well.

But he does have a lovely accent.

Never again will I be stuck waiting for an elevator with him, feeling tense and not speaking. What a freaking relief.

Grindhouse Woes

I see that Grindhouse had a disappointing opening. I think I know why.

I was watching the commercial for it with my niece and nephew, ages 21 and 18, respectively, and it was clear that the “fun” that is supposed to be derived from the experience of watching a deliberately badly-made movie is lost on them. Completely foreign and alien to them. They’ve never gone to a smelly theatre (Hello, Cinema V) and watched movies from the 1970s where the film burns up or the sound is out of synch. Or seeing always the same print of a movie, so a certain jump in the film happens at the same place every single time. If you’ve never seen an original, what’s to “get” about a tribute?

And if the film-makers don’t attract the under-25 market, then they’ve got nothin’.

Who did Rodriguez and Tarantino make this movie for, other than themselves? People like me, in their age group. And how many 40-somethings who went to movies like that (like seeing The Road Warrior, oh I dunno, a dozen times…) are still interested in a movie experience like that? I still want to see it, but the kids think it looks dumb and uninteresting. I feel old.

Happy Anniversary to Me!

One year of Little Words already! How time flies when you’re having fun and wasting company time.

The year in review, in point form:

Azerbaijani pomegranate juice
Bob Dylan
Casino Royale
Diaper worn by a crazy astronaut
Evil Bush Administration
Figo
Gore
Hugo Chavez dolls
Italia, baby
Joe Strummer, still RIPing
Kitty Cats
Losers
Mushrooms!
Nanukistan
Oxford English Dictionary
Pope Benny 16
Quebecois
Rafe!
Snow shovelling
Temperamental tenors
Ulysses
Volvos
Ware
Xenophobia, thy name is Lou Dobbs
Yop
and last but not least
Zinedine Zidane

Ouch!

Chris Kelly actually calls George Bush a murderer this week. And still manages to write a very funny column. The young man is getting very feisty.

More Bad News

Well, that was a pretty shitty Easter. I'm not talking, of course, about the ham, and the turkey, the sweet potatoes and the chocolate bunnies, all of which were delicious.

I'm talking about 6 more Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan. The Spring Offensive is officially up and running. Five guys from CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick and a Reservist from Nova Scotia. The oldest was 31, the youngest 20. What a loss.

I stared long and hard at their pictures on the front page of the Toronto Star this morning. It's incredibly sad.

I can't believe our troops are committed to staying in A'stan until 2009. For what? This is making me ill.

On Saxondale

I have now seen 3 episodes of Saxondale. I have to confess I am woefully unfamiliar with Steve Coogan, never having seen Alan Partridge. At some point in the near future, I hope to remedy this.

As for Saxondale, the first episode was so-so, the second better and this week's was very funny. It's amazing I can say anything positive about a show that refers constantly to 70's rock bands, especially Jethro Tull.

This week Saxondale delivered a eulogy that quoted a lengthy part of Kashmir by "the great Led Zep". Painful, but funny.

I was wondering if the theme music was Jethro Tull, given that it contains some heavy 70s flute-playing, but a quick Internet search (google "Saxondale theme") revealed that it is not in fact Tull but Focus. Remember Hocus Pocus by Focus? Ah, man, those were the days. Not.

Anyway, I'm going to keep with Saxondale. Prog rock rules!

The War on Ware

A quiet Good Friday has given me the opportunity to catch up on the Michael Ware/John McCain insanity of the past week. A few things are clear.

1) McCain is an idiot.
2) Ware is way mouthy.

It was incredibly silly of McCain to claim that the Baghdad market was safe. And it was a bit much for Ware to say that McCain is living in "Neverland". But that’s Ware. Last year he said that Condi lived in a make-believe world, too.

I’m surprised it’s taken the right-wing blogs and media this long to mount their attack on him. They hate Ware so the only natural thing to do is accuse him of being an alcoholic. Sensible?

Other facts:
1) Ware is a war correspondent.
2) Ware is Australian;
so, of course, he drinks. I wouldn’t doubt that at all. And if he does? What of it? It’s such a cheap shot to attack someone’s character because you don’t like his reporting. Lame.

A journalist shouldn't become a story. Ware didn't ask for this.

Ware has a terrible nervous habit of laughing a bit at inappropriate times. A lot of people do this, but a guy in his position shouldn’t. It is too open to misinterpretation.

The right-wingers are so busy hating Ware that they’ve missed the point that, much to my dismay, Ware agrees with Bush. He thinks if the US pulled out now it would be a disaster. I don’t like to hear him say that, but I trust him enough to believe that he believes that is the truth. He’s there, I’m not.

I still trust and respect Ware.

McCain’s campaign is dead and not a moment too soon. He’ll never recover from this.

Heading-Banging Parents

A young Swedish couple is locked in a legal battle over their right to name their child Metallica.

Michael and Karolina Tomaro managed to get their 6-month-old child baptized as Metallica, but now the Swedish National Tax Board is putting up a fuss. While the Tomaros insist on their right to choose (asserting that the name "suits her" because "she's decisive and knows what she wants"), the Tax Board claims not only that the name is a direct reference to the rock band but that it contains the word "metal." According to the AP, the official handling the case "also called the name ugly." (Salon)

Any opinions on this?

I’m not a parent, but if I had had a son, I suspect I would’ve named him Joe after Strummer, but Joe is a real name. Metallica, however... If they had had twins, would they have called them AC and DC?

More Fun with Mr. P. Storm

My buddies and I decided to bait my nemesis with an anonymous Easter treat, quietly left on his desk by our spy in his department. They were certain it would get a rise out of him, and he would find it funny.

She reports that he left it on his desk all day yesterday, and today it is gone. He didn’t say one word about it. I suspect he decided to eat it, thus destroying the evidence.

He still hasn’t mentioned it. Now it is a question of who will crack first. I’m sure it won’t be him.

I suspect it was a mistake to take on an ex-cop.

Let's talk about the weather

ARGH! ARGH! $#&^$&#* !

I know it always snows at least once in April but that doesn't mean I have to take it like an adult. I want to stamp my feet and cry. Wah! Go away, you stupid snow.

No snow at Christmas, but plenty at Easter. This is not right.

And the slush! Don't get me started about the slush and the speeding, splashing cars! grrrrr.

Travels with Dead Rat Packers

A post on Greg’s blog reminded me that whenever I’ve travelled it always seems that some American celebrity has died.

I remember being in Amsterdam in May 1990, sick as a dog and unable to leave my hotel room, barely even able to leave my bed. All day I lay there near-comatose, with CNN on the t.v. And every hour on the hour I watched the lights dim in Vegas in tribute to the late, great Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy’s death and being deathly ill in Amsterdam are forever linked in my brain.

Then in 1998, I was in Brazil on a work-related trip. I was sitting on a shuttle bus waiting to go to the conference centre, sitting next to a Tunisian man who was very high in the organization and who would’ve never spoken to me back at HQ, but since we were away from home apparently I was worthy to converse with. He pointed out the news-stand by our bus. Every Brazilian and foreign newspaper had big photos of Frank Sinatra and long tributes to Ol’Blue Eyes. And the Tunisian man was so pissed off. "So many important things are happening in the world," he fumed, "And all they care about is a dead American celebrity." (Of course, I’m thinking "but it’s Frank! He's the Chairman of the Board!" but I nodded politely and agreed.)

Scots on Parade: A Primer

They run the gamut.

These are Fugly Scotsmen:

And these, too, are Fugly Scotsmen:

This is a fabulous Scotsman:




And this is the Ultimate Scotsman:

Crazy Old People

A pensioner aged 102 has been granted a 25-year mortgage despite the fact he would have to live until 127 to pay the loan back. (Times of London)

You see where this is leading? Now the 30-year-old wife of that 110-year-old Saudi is going to want him to take out a mortgage too. We're heading down the slippery slope of centenarian mortgage default by death. Can the world's economy sustain this trend?

Where's Alan Greenspan? Probably at Best Buy maxxing out his credit cards.

Somehow I can't picture myself at 100+ saying, hey I'm really old and I feel like owing money.

Here They Are

Wow. They were really horrible looking, weren't they? I don't care if they were teen idols, they give Scotsmen a bad name. Just like Franz Ferdinand. They are today's Rollers. Ugly Scotsmen. If Sean Connery were dead he would roll over in his grave at the likes of them.

Freeing the Brits

Mahmoud says he's going to "forgive" the British sailors and let them go today. He better.

I was just about to blog about how this situation had been dragging on for far too long, that it was dangerous and no good would come of it. And, shudder, if it went on much longer Bush might want to get involved to "help" Tony. And then all hell would break loose.

Mahmoud must've known he was on the verge of getting a severe talking-to from me and decided it was easier to play the statesman than to endure my wrath.

All in a day's work.

Chocolate Jesus: Visuals

Chocolate Jesus No. 1 is highly offensive, but No. 2 seems to be a-okay. It's obvious No. 1 isn't even the real JC, he doesn't have a beard!

On Jesus, of the Chocolate Variety

I suppose I should comment on the Chocolate Jesus sculpture controversy. My view is: it's dumb.

But it brings up an important point.

I'm one of those Westerners who's always griping about the fact that moderate Muslims or moderate Jews never seem to speak up for their religion whenever fanatics make them look bad. I'm constantly groaning about "why don't the regular non-nuts say something?".

Well, when it comes to Christians, the same holds true. Are ordinary, none-too-churchy Catholics going to stand up and say this Dobson nut and his cronies don't speak for them? Somebody should.

I'm sure Chocolate Jesus is deee-licious.

Scottish Storm

Had a chat with Mr. Perfect Storm’s admin assistant today. She’s trying to teach him to be nice. One of her first lessons was how to nod and acknowledge people in elevators. I told her these lessons of hers aren’t working. She’s frustrated, and has told him he has to “Stop being a robot”. Heh heh.

Then she “accused” me of not trying hard enough. Ha, said I.

Apparently when he yells at people “in that Scottish accent” secretaries hit the deck. What a charmer. She said he reminds of her of her crotchety old uncles (and he’s younger than she is). That says a lot.

I should stop now because I’m making him sound too desirable. He just sounds too good to be true. I just don’t understand why every woman in the building isn’t chasing him…

In IT news

My computer re-staging hit some kind of snag this afternoon. Some kind of "application error" screwed it up. Calvin, Mr. Suave from IT, assured me I would be his first task at 8:15 tomorrow morning. My PC would up and running by the time I arrived, he assured me.
Liar.

Baseball's Back

The Orioles and the Twins are on right now. I wish we still had a team. sniff.

I'm rooting for Boston this year, only because they have that cool new Japanese guy. The expensive one whose name escapes me. I'm for him.

Update:

I was just checking the Red Sox roster. They have an outfielder named Coco Crisp. How can I not like this team?

And I looked up the pitcher's name. It's Matsuzaka. I'll never remember that name without some kind of catchy reminder.

Falling into the Abyss

The IT people are "re-staging" our computers today. Whatever that means.

What it means, I suspect, is that I won't be able to blog from work for a while.

I may never be heard from between the hours of 8:30 and 4:30 again. We shall see.

One week to go

This year for the first time in a gazillion years I decided to give up something for Lent. My sister always nags me about making a Lenten sacrifice. Being a lazy heathen, I never do. But this year I decided to test myself. So I gave up colas. No Coke or Pepsi. And, frankly, it's killing me.

I can't wait until Easter.

A Diet Coke is my comfort drink around 2:30 or 3:00 in the afternoon at work. When I'm bored and time is dragging. It's a modest pick-me-up. But I thought I was drinking too many cokes. I suspected I was growing dependent on them, and apparently I was right about this. I miss my coke! waahhhh!

I'm so glad I never took up smoking. I have no will power.

But I will make it to next weekend without a coke. I'm too close to victory (moral victory!) to give up now.