Me no wanna play!

Last year, before the NFL draft. Eli Manning declared that he would not play for San Diego - who had the first pick. He said that he would sit out. Here was a college kid who looked like he thought he was about the rules of the NFL and wanted to manipulate things to get his way. There were some reasons cited, leading to he felt he had a better chance for a championship elsewhere (by the way the Chargers wen to the playoffs last year). He, frankly, came off as a whiney, spoiled little boy - who thought he could do what ever he wanted because he was a "Manning."

I had a problem with this because he got away with it. The Chargers drafted him and then traded him to the NY Giants. So my dislike for Eli began. I knew he was going to be a good QB, but I didn't want him to be. Anyway, this brings us to last night. NY Giants vs. San Diego Chargers in San Diego.

The San Diego fans booed and booed. They yelled, and wanted him to fall flat on his face. I didn't want that. It doesn't matter because he played extremely well.

Here's why I didn't want Eli to fall flat on his face. I wanted him to play well, and I wanted the Giants to get beaten (which is what happened) because I wanted San Diego to show Eli that they were the better team. That all the way around, San Diego had much better players than little Eli gave them credit for; that they were better coached than Eli thought; that they would beat him and his team in spite of his best efforts. And that's what happened. It was close in the first half as it ended with the score of 21-20 in favor of the Chargers, but the Chargers took control and poured it on in the second half, and won 45-23.

I know Eli will be a good pro. But Dan Marino was one of the top QBs ever, and didn't win a championship. I can only hope that karma dictates that a) Eli doesn't win a championship and Peyton Manning does. Or, if Eli does win a championship that the Chargers win one first.

Regardless - the Chargers took Eli's best shot last night, and beat him down handily. I think it's time for football to have a curse like baseball does, and New York needs one against them rather than for them anyway. Who knows. 80 years from now maybe the Giants will be talking about the Eli Manning curse.

I wonder.....

what a week. i have worked late every night. I am tired. I am cranky. I need a little lift in my disposition.

Here's one thing I always wondered - let's say it's a Tuesday. You have to work from 9:00 - 6:00. Would you rather a) have it be a sun shiny day and have to be working inside all day missing it or b) would you rather it be a rainy day and think "I'm glad it's not my day off"?

Here's something else - there is one gas station within a mile from the office - right on the way to the I-83 (which I take to get home). Any other gas station is out of my way and easily extends my travel time by 20 min - 30 min. The nearby gas station closes anywhere between 5:30 - 6:00. And it's not the same time daily. So even on days I get out of work on time, if I need gas, I usually have to drive around a lot. It has been a large number of years since I have seen a gas station close so early. And, "no" they don't have the Pay-at-the-pump machines, so you have to pay inside. So it's not like they close the Convenience Store (an Oxy Moron in this case) and can leave the pumps on. I wonder if that place makes money...

Nice thing of the day. In a training class today - someone mentioned it was his birthday. Another guy - who didn't know this guy prior to class - went out and bought cupcakes to celebrate the birthday, and had enough for everyone. That was a really cool gesture.

What's today?

My patience IS thin....

On Top the Cage

I consider myself a decent person overall. I go to work and work hard. I love and care for my wife. I love and care for my family. I don't commit crimes. I live my life quietly and don't really bother anybody. I think I am happy most of the time. I feel like I am fairly giving as a person.

But sometimes, by doing these things, I somehow anger some people. I'm not sure how, but it happens, because I never intend it. People take things the wrong way, or too personally, then I become a target. I guess I'm an easy one. I mean, I guess it's easy to take my simple lifestyle and mistake it for apathy. I don't say much, so that must mean I don't care to some people. I don't get too riled up about negative things and I don't get too excited about positive things - and people mistake that for being emotionless. I just roll with what life hands me and adapt accordingly. That is just the way I am.

So when I am made a target and challenged - it brings out the competitive side. I go from quiet and non-assuming to almost fierce. Unfortunately, I have to control that too - to a degree. I make mistakes like everyone else in life - but like everyone who makes mistakes - decisions are made with information available at the time. Sometimes they end up being the wrong decision. But I always, always, have justification for why I made the decision I made. I can produce a laundry list of evidence of support for making a decision. It doesn't make it right, but it does justify it and defend it.

It's not wise to challenge me, in general. I have lost my fair share of 'challenges' but I have won my fair share too. The bad thing is, it always comes out nasty. I don't care if I win, but if you hurt me and/oor my wife - I will come at you hard with guns a-blazin'.

Just because I am quiet doesn't mean I can be walked on and over. Haven't you heard? It's the quiet ones you have to worry about.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Baltimore!

Is Tucker Carlson and Paul Simon (not the singer) the only people left wearing bow ties? Are they waiting for them to 'come back' like the flipped up collar and Care Bears? Does anyone remember when they were in style last?

Yay football is back! I live in Baltimore. I am not a Ravens fan. I seem to always have to say that. Anyway, I watched the Ravens game the other day and their Quarterback got injured. Apparently the crowd cheered when that happened. I have listened to Baltimore chastise this quarterback (a 24 year old kid) for not coming through. He has had poor (or below average) completion percentages in the past (50% - 55%). But he left this game with 65% completion. He drove his team into scoring position 3 times to have the kicker miss all three field goal attempts. So I have been frustrated because the city has really not given this kid a chance, and now they cheer him getting injured.

A couple people told me today that the city is upset because the head coach has backed him all the way - singing the praises of 'potential,' and 'you just wait and see' type of attitude. So he has the city on the edge of its seats saying "any minute now.... wait for it...." The sad thing is the QB (Kyle Boller) will never be able to win over these fans.

So it seems to me as if the coach is Linus touting the Great Pumpkin and its impending arrival. The city is Sally who stays in the pumpkin patch with Linus all night waiting, and waiting. Boller is Snoopy - who shows up at the pumpkin patch to incur the rant of Sally.

I went a long way for that analogy - but I think it works.

I was destined to write this.

One of my friends and I were talking the other night about destiny. Does it exist? I say yes - he says no. Though I didn't bring it up at the time, I think I have found definitive proof that destiny does exist. You may ask: How did you do it? Did you find the answer in physics or science? How big was the study group for this grand experiment?

Well, it wasn't as complicated as all that. I found the answer in commercials. That's right. More specifically - commercials for movies.

Each movie commercial has one thing in common: a voice over guy with with a deep voice that is able to create anticipation. People who are born with this voice are destined to be voice-over guys. I know this because you don't encounter them anywhere else.

I have never gone through a drive thru and heard the voice-over guy take my order. ("That'll be one Whopper... the most intense taste this summer and it is.... $1.99!). I have never heard a voice-over guy real estate agent ("a two car garage has enough room for.... a work area!). You don't encounter him in Insurance, or banking. Why? Because they were destined to be movie voice-over guys.

100% proof. The defense rests.

I'm not a doctor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express?

I'm a doctor!

Ok... maybe not. But we've all done it. If you say you haven't done the following - you are lying, or -in fact - a doctor.

Yesterday a co-worker wasn't feeling too well. At this point I noticed that no matter who you are, if someone tells you that they are feeling off and they don't know why, you ask questions; "Did you eat something different?" "Has this happened before?" "Did you take any medication?" "How long has this been going on?" These probing questions may be valuable to someone who knows what the hell they are talking about.

What do we expect to do with the answers? Do we really think we are going to accurately diagnose anything? Even if we do, would you suggest that this person listen to you over going to a doctor? Especially given the state of malpractice insurance.

Parking -
At work we are in a parking lot upheaval... literally. There is construction going on, so people have to either parallel park on the street close to the building or park in an overflow lot waaaaaaaay away from the building.

Ok. So here's what happens. A car pulls up to the curb first and parks along the side - it's the first on to park. And from then on the cars parallel park simply by filing in behind the previous one. I'm fine with that.

But looking at all of them filed in, and it seems each person either a) thinks the next person is going to pull so closely behind them that it could trap them in or b) that they have no depth perception because there is about 4-5 feet between each car. If they'd just move up 2 feet - I bet 10 cars could park a little closer to the building. I guess this happens when people don't have lines guiding them on how close to be.

It's amazing how people obey lines. "Well the line goes that way, so let's follow it." It's also amazing how angry people get when others don't obey lines. "Look at that ... they're straddling the line, that takes up 2 spaces!"

Think about this - Drive thrus at fast food restaurants, not only have a line showing where the drive thru is (which is necessary sometimes) but a line guiding you AROUND the buildingto pick up your food!! I wonder if this was natural to do, or if someone actually drove off into a bush trying to find the pay window. "I didn't know where to go (sob, sob). I thought the people in the bush would give me my cheeseburger."

"Well now I guess we gotta put a line showin' people where to go."

I just realized how powerful lines can be.

Now, please exit this way ------------------------------->