Living Reflections from a Dream

According to Boston.com right now West Virginia is beating BC 54-39 with about 12 min. to go.

Go, West Virginia, Go!

** Update **

West Virginia won!! Yee-haw! Take that BC in your final Big East game.-----
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Today I read something over at Halley's Comment that I been thinking in the back of my mind..

My theory: it distracts millions of middle and working class male baseball fans from realizing the Bush social security plan is going to screw them. OR.. is there something worse going on that we don't even know about yet? Frightening. Because I find it hard to believe with all the shit going on in the world today that we don't have bigger fish to fry than steroids in baseball.-----
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I'd be deterred from continuing to ask these questions based on the fact that no one seems to care about my tile selection, but you'd be wrong. Next up:

replace parquet wood floor or go with plank wood? Same color as before.-----
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Blockbuster to Settle 'No Late Fees' Claims

clap clap clap clap clap clap.. Tourney Time Has Arrived*

Get your brackets ready! I've already joined Paul's** pool, where I will not be getting my ass kicked as I did in his fantasy football league. My winning prize had better not be an ARod t-shirt.

The tournament is the absolute greatest sporting event. I can't even argue this point, nothing else comes close. I'm SO excited to just sit and watch hoops all weekend long. And now, with Tivo I get to see EVEN.MORE.GAMES.

If you are a fan of collegiate hoops, Tivo has informed me that ESPN Classic will be playing some outstanding games from tournaments past:

3/16: Arizona v. Gonzaga 2003. This triple OT game is one of my absolute favorite games. By the 3rd OT these kids were so exhausted they were running up and down the court like.. well, Craig Forth. Neither team would give an inch.

3/26: Indiana v. Michigan 1979 (aka Bird vs. Magic for the National Championship). I've never seen this game.. I can hardly wait.

and, of course, the all time greatest game in college hoop history (ahem, perhaps a slight exageration)
3/15: Syracuse v. Kansas 2003. If you are reading this site and don't know how this one ends (Hakim blocking Lee's shot after missing the 2 biggest free throws of his career): for shame!

* actual cheer used during my high school days. NO, I was not a cheerleader.. I was on girls sports teams - we had to cheer for ourselves.

** Paul being the illustrious espn.com author of Top 100 Sports Movie Quotes. Go read it now so when he becomes super cool with his own cartoon like the Sports Guy, you can say you read him when...-----
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who at the NFL got paid to come up with this list???

> 1,121 banned words on personalized NFL jerseys

How am I suppossed to go on without my GODDAMNMUTHAFUCKER jersey?

Seriously, I am pissing my pants this is so funny. Sadly, it was exposed when someone tried to order a jersey with the word "Gay" on it (which is the name of an actual player) and was rejected.-----
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in South Boston that you hear or see at no other road races:

Guy 1 lining up at the starting line: I feel dizzy and we haven't even started yet
Guy 2: that's because you're drunk
{note: race start time - 10am}

Guy running in Guiness pajama bottoms and a leprechan hat grabbing a beer from his friends on the side of the road instead of water

Runners in general yelling out to people living along the the route to throw them beers. Of course, these people had beers because they were getting ready for The Parade, which started 2 hours later.

Every stereotype seems to have a glimmer of truth in it somewhere, I guess.

Here is the good thing about this race, despite going out way too fast resulting in total lack of energy in the last mile and intense desire to puke on the last hill, I did my best 5k time. I'm still not fast, but I'm getting there. yeah!!-----
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Do you find today's date to be really cool?

it's 03-04-05

ok, so I'm alone on this one, I'm guessing. I am a dork to the 10th power!-----
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Congratulations to the 2005 Big East Champion Syracuse OrangeMEN!!

Look at that smile on Hakim's face.. makes me all warm and fuzzy. I'm so happy that Hakim, GMac, Pace and even Forth got to win this. It's really the only thing they haven't accomplished in their time at Syracuse.. though another national championship wouldn't be bad, boys!

There was an article on Syracuse.com yesterday about UConn talking some smack firing up my Orangemen. To which I say: you mess with the Orange, you're likely to get juiced! Also, I'd like to say to the Orangemen: when you get up by 18 - 20 points: don't let 'em breathe! My heart can only take so much.

Please read what CJ says so I don't have to repeat it here. All I have to add is that the play of Roberts and more recently, Watkins, has given me more hope not only for the tournament, but for next year. Earlier in the season I was depressed about next year.. no Hakim or Pace, what ever implosion befalls Edelin.. I imagined poor Gerry running all over the court trying to do everything himself and passing out by half time. But there is a future! And I do believe credit should be given to our fearless leader, future hall of famer, Jim Boeheim.

Also, please read the only tolerable Boston sports writer left, Bob Ryan, on the Orangemen's victory. This was front page on the Boston Globe's sports section today. A paper that usually snubs my Orange.

I'm off to the seletion show!-----
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Today, on my first official road race of the "spring" **, I thought I would wax on about the things I love about running.

I love:
- setting a goal, working towards it and then reaching it
- that if I run 4 miles or more, I literally feel thinner the very same day
- the large groups of people all snazzed up in their cute running outfits at races,
- the free banana after you get after races
- tying the timing chip onto my shoes
- wearing my Red Sox baseball hat (which I do for every race)
- the free t-shirts you get at races. I'm a free t-shirt whore
- being able to run up a hill that previously kicked my ass without stopping
- that I let myself eat whatever I want when I do a good time in a race
- the pseudo jock guys who show up at races thinking anyone can do it.
Inevitably they have brand new sneakers on along with a sweatshirt and sweatpants (can you say chafe?). They see me at the start line and seed themselves in front of me. They burst off the start line at high speed. I laugh to myself and think: see you at mile 2 when you're about to pass out, dripping with sweat from wearing that outfit and I whiz past - well paced and properly attired. Eat my dust!

I think I like that last part the best.. NO, it's the personal accomplishment. ;)

** as it snowed yesterday, one can hardly call this spring. Running on snow and ice blows by the way.-----
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The Big East must represent! You were right, Btezra, they are the ones to route for!

If you had told me a week ago, that only 2 Big East teams would make the Sweet 16 and those 2 teams were West Virginia and Villanova (not to mention that Notre Dame, who I considered close to getting in, not only wouldn't get in, but would lose in the first round of the NIT to Holy Cross - Holy Cross??), I would laughed in your face. But here we are.

Let's Go Mountaineers!-----
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My ride on the West Virginia bandwagon continues. Go Big East!-----
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Kevin Millar to be made over on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.-----
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ahem, that didn't involve Syracuse.... seriously, I will always have a little place in my heart for the P. Snog, and I swear earlier today on espn.com the word 'Pittsnoglian' appeared. This must come into general usage - what an outstanding word. Poor Gansey is getting the shaft. And didn't seem like it took about 2 hours for Sparks 3-pointer to go in at the end of regulation? I was breathless...

Anyway, after all that, it's somewhat of a letdown to be spending this evening noting places on my floor that the contractor scratched with the dehumidifier...even if I am excited about the fact that tomorrow the mold is removed from my walls. Yeah, you read that right. I'm excited about mold remediation. Who has more fun than me??-----
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If you running late in the morning and decide you can multitask to make up time, attempting to gargle with Listerine and blow your nose are not the 2 tasks to attempt at the same time.-----
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> Data Suggest Obesity Is Rampant in NFL

Seriously, aren't there many, many other medical problems we could be spending money solving??-----
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Not only is it St. Patrick's day*, but it's day 1 of the Tournament and the steroid hearings. Curt Schilling on C-Span is not something I thought I'd ever see. For those who aren't at home to watch the mind numbing coverage, you can see it stream at c-span.org. Yes, I'm a big enough geek that this is not the first time I've streamed something on c-span during the day.

Let's Go Orange!

* when all those of Irish descent and those who pretend to be embrace all things green and tacky (does McDonalds still make the Shamrock Shake? I loved that when I was a kid) in the name of having a good time. If you grew up eating my mothers atrocious corned beef and cabbage every St. Patricks day, you would need to drink green beer, as well.-----
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(let me count the ways). I hate Best Buy because the sales people won't leave you alone in the store. They always, always, always try to sell you something more expensive than what you want or need and they always try to get you to buy things you don't need.

But, apparently I'm sucka for punishment because I returned to Best Buy last weekend. I needed a new printer. I did all my research - thought about the functionality I desired. I hadn't bought a home printer in some time - for a couple hundred bucks you can get a piece of equipment that prints, copies, scans, faxes, does the dishes and wipes your butt in the bathroom - I was floored. Anyway, I decided on a model and researched the prices. Best Buy had the best price. I was tense just thinking about going there, but I had my whole game plan down. Walk in, go directly to the printer section, hope and pray the printer can just be picked up without contact with the salespeople. DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT with them!

The plan went smoothly at first. I circled for a moment until there were so salespeople in the printer aisle. I went down. The printer was RIGHT THERE. I got it in the cart with no problems and made my escape. Phew.. no one saw me. I get in line to pay... feeling quite good about myself. The cashier is ringing up my sale when a printer salesperson comes literally running up with an armful of printer cartridges. "You forgot these!" he exclaims. I stare open mouthed. He somehow saw what printer I had and is now stalking me with printer cartridges! Unbelievable! We then have the following exchange: He Stalker Salesperson (SS): You need ink. You won't be able to print.
Me: {narrowed eyes, biting tone} It comes with printer cartridges
(who does he think he's dealing with? I'm no amateur. I do my research).
SS: It only comes with a sample cartridge. You can only print 10 pages.
(this is complete bullshit. I hardly believable that he had the balls to say it)
Me: Wrong.
SS: No, really!!
Me: Well, I'm going to have to only print 10 pages, then.
SS: But if you buy 4 cartridges from us now, you will save $5.
Me: That's ok.
SS: How about a printer cable. You need a USB cable for that printer.
Me: I HAVE ONE!

Thankfully, he then retreated. The cashier turned to me and said: Go ahead and say it. "Say what?", I replied. "That was really annoying!", she said.
Finally, a normal Best Buy employee.

On a related topic. I've noticed that whenever I write something like this about a company, I get a comment or an email from someone telling me that I'm a loser or an asshole for writing negative things about the company and don't I have better things to do. I say: don't you have better things to do than defend companies with horrible service. But really, I believe they are paid by the companies. So bring it on whatever Best Buy employee reads this and tells me I'm the freak.-----
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on Sat. during the Syracuse/UConn game debacle:

Table of UConn Fans:

Syracuse Fans:

ok, this was just one guy in an orange SU sweatshirt, who did pull his hood up to cover his face, right before he put his head down on the bar.

Could it be possible that Syracuse threw this game to allow UConn at least a share of the Big East title so despicable BC didn't get it alone? It's really the only logical explanation for such a horrific display.

yeah, I'm 2 days behind in my posting. You would be, too, if you spent most of the weekend at Home Depot.-----
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well, it's because I don't a rag called the Boston Herald, but..

Someone get Manny involved. I must see what Kyan would do with his hair!-----
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Until then, you'll have to live with my little tidbits of tournament scuttlebutt.

This morning on NECN (new england cable news) I watched a story about how people in Vermont are SO excited UVM is going to the tournament. The father of whoever the star of the team is has brought in tapes of the games to local video store and apparently they are popular rentals. Ok.. So I thought: awww.. that is SO cute. Too bad you're going to get your ASS KICKED in round 1 as your opponent is the the mighty Orangemen of Syracuse.

Let's Go Orange!-----
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And I do refer to last nights Syracuse/UConn game, which I don't have time to talk about right now, but I'm SO happy about. I now take back my Go West Virgina concept from Thurs.

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It's a very happy day
because the dehumidifiers have gone away
no sound echos through the place
where once a jet engine like roar set the pace
the neighbors wind chime
can once more be heard all the time
the tv can be turned on once again
without requiring volumeset to ten
To hear no sound has made me so happy
I've churned out this this poem - quite crappy
I'm not a poet
Don't I know it-----
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That is what I kept saying over and over while watching the Syracuse/Vermont game. It was the same nauceous feeling I had at the end of Game 3 of the ALCS when I just laid on my living room floor practically catatonic. Last night I just went home and laid on the bed, too depressed to move or even watch the other games and good thing, too, because if I had watched I would have seen Bucknell beat Kansas, thus ensuring that I am DONE in every pool I'm in as I had both Syracuse and Kansas in the Final 4). I kept thinking: this is just not how Hakim Warrick should go out.

Then my old Syracuse roommate, who is not a hoops fan, called me to tell me she was in NY for work and was hanging out with a fellow alum who had forced her to watch the game. This is the conversation that followed:
her: he's crazed! I've never seen him so angry. He running around. Everyone here is pissed. Everyone seems to be a Syracuse fan. I don't get it, it's just a game..
me: oh Noooo... this is a horrifying loss. You can't hang around him with that attitude. He'll kill you.
her: here he comes, I'm putting him on
him: ARRRHHHHGGG
me: what was up with that officiating? that was ridiculous! If Hakim had cracked ribs from being roughed up, I wouldn't be surprized. But then again, you can't go the tourney, give 24 turnovers and expect to win.
him: Vermont came to play! They were prepared for us and we played like we had looked past them to the Final 4.

Yes, that pretty much sums it up.

That said, I have to give credit to Vermont for completely shutting down GMac and for making some of the most spectacular 3 point shots. Shots I'm sure I will be forced to endure for years to come in highlight films. I'm bracing for it now.-----
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My boss is a techie geeky guy who when presented with a problem tends to jump in and try to solve it rather than put in a context of the current work going on. He just starts doing things or asking IT staff to do things randomly. As you can guess, the technical staff works hard all the time, but not much ever seems to get done. In the 6 weeks I’ve been here, I’ve been working on him to get organized. We need a list of projects you want done this year, we need to general timelines for these projects, we need to figure out the resources needed for these projects, we need to know the priorities of these projects – in short: management is needed, else how do you even know all of this stuff can get done? At first he looked at me as if to say: but that would take time.. time that could be spent on the projects! But I finally cracked him when I put together my own list, prioritized it and put who I thought should work on it and it was clear not everything could get done. He took my list, added 3 or 4 projects that previously existed only his mind, and reprioritized.

There are 17 things on the list. #15 is: Create Disaster Recovery Plan. On his schedule we are starting this in November.

I swear technical people sometimes are missing the common sense gene. I now have to walk down to his office and actually ask: there isn’t a current disaster recovery plan? Um.. hello??-----
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The return of the Remdog:

aka: the very first spring training game for the Boston Red Sox as they begin their quest to repeat as World Champions.

p.s. I was a little disturbed that the World Series film was on ESPN Classic the other night. Don't we get a little more time to enjoy it before it's "classic"???-----
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