Last weekend, my family (which consists of my wife, my 6 yr old stepson, and my 5 month old son), left to go to Branson for our first family vacation. We packed our bags and headed to Branson on Friday night. We made pretty good time. My wife was driving, due to me coming down with some sort of sinus/allergy infection. I did the best to get as much sleep as possible, that way I would be as fresh as I could be for the next day. And the next day, was the day that was the important one. We got checked into the hotel about 10 pm. Unpacked out family SUV, and got settled in for the night. Now, when I say we got unpacked for the night....my wife is one of those people that if it isn't bolted down in our house, it stands a good chance that it's going to get put into a duffle bag and loaded into the car. You could say, she practices the theory of "I would much rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.". So, after I spent a good 45 minutes hauling in the luggage and getting the pack and play put together for the baby to sleep in.....I got to go to bed myself. We woke up on Saturday morning around 8 am. The plan was to get ready and head to Silver Dollar City around 10 am. Well, around 10:15 am, that plan was shot. My wife had an uncanny knack to pump (those of you that have had a baby, know what I mean by that), right whenever we either need to leave. Anyway, we leave the hotel about 10:30 am. I decide that I don't need to look at the directions my wife printed off, due to the fact that I saw about a billion signs leading up to the hotel, that said the theme park was 1 mile this way..... Long story short, we we ended up taking the long way to the them park.
We get to the theme park around 11:30 am. My cousin was actually meeting us at the park. My stepson actually managed to sweet talk me and my wife into letting him bring a cousin of his to come along on the vacation to ride rides with him. So, it actually worked out really well. I was able to ride with my cousin, and my stepson was able to ride with his. I haven't been to Silver Dollar City since I was 14. I have to say, it was just as fun last weekend, as it was 16 years ago. Now, obviously they have added a few rides since then. Which helped the experience. The new rides which included, the Powder Keg, and Wildfire, are very nice additions to the staples, such as Fire in the Hole, the American Plunge, Lost River of the Ozarks, and Thunderation. And something else about that place......is the smell. I can't really put my finger (or nose, for that matter) on it. But, it's like a plethora of smells....cotton candy, funnel cake, bbq, wood chips, and sweaty people. I know, I know, on the surface those deadly combination of smells doesn't seem appealing. But, if you could find a way to bottle that smell.....I would buy it by the gallon! After a fun day of riding ridesd eating some fine food, we retired back to the hotel for the evening. We make the trip back on Sunday. While I was listening to the NFL channel on Sirius. Had to keep up with my fantasy team, the Alley Cats! We lost. But, I have a good feeling about this week...we play a team that hasn't won yet this year! I'll keep you updated.
Friday, September 30, 2011
The king of all sports
I don't know if any of you were paying attention to what was happening in major league baseball Wednesday night.....but many pundits, fans, fellow players and coaches have called it possibly the best night in the history of baseball. Certainly, if not the best night ever for the sport......it was at least the best night of the year so far for the sport. 6 games, which directly had some influence in what the playoff landscape looked like this year. I have blogged in the past about my love for the St. Louis Cardinals. As a Cardinal fan, I owe a great big thank you to the Philadelphia Phillies, who we play in the first round of the playoffs this year. The Phillies played the Atlanta Braves wednesday night. The Atlanta Braves were in control of the wild card spot in the National League, until this particular night. The Braves held a 9.5 game lead about a week into September. The Cardinals were dead in the water, a week into September. The Cardinals held a players only meeting around that time and since then have won 19 of the last 23 games of the year. With the Phillies win, it marked the biggest collapse of a team that held a playoff position in the history of the game. The history of the game! Baseball dates back to the late 1800's. What was so special about this night, was the fact that it was a record the Braves were able to hold for about 2 hours. About 2 hours after the game between the Phillies and Braves, the Red Sox followed the epic collapse of the Braves with one of their own. The Red Sox had over a 10 game lead in the wild card spot in the American League with less than a month to go in the season. The collapsed and the Tampa Bay Rays took advantage of it. In addition to the games between the Red Sox and Orioles (who beat the Red Sox in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs!), the Cardinals and Astros, the Yankees and the Rays (the Rays won in 11 innings on a walk off homer, after they were getting beat as bad as 7-0 in the 8th inning), the Phillies and the Braves......there were also games played by the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers, that had heavy playoff implications. If both of those teams won, they would start at their respective stadiums in the first round of the playoffs. Actually, Arizona needed to win and Milwaukee needed to lose, in order for the Diamondbacks to get home field advantage.
I told you about these games and situations to illustrate a point. All of these games took place on the last day of the regular season. It's my prerogative, that when the game of baseball has moments like this, in games like this....it is unrivaled by any other sport. I know some of you may be saying, "Hey, isn't NFL football king of the sports world now?". And the answer is yes, to that question. However, how many times in the past 10 years have we had meaningless games the last game of the regular season in the NFL. Where teams that have locked up their playoff spot, don't even try to win.....or even play their regular starters to keep them from getting injured. How would you like to be the person who buys a ticket to the game where you don't get to see your favorite player, because he is being benched to stay fresh for a playoff game, you aren't going to go to. In basketball and hockey both, 8 teams from each conference make the playoffs. So, at the end of the year, there never seems to be any drama. What baseball lacks in excitement, in the course of play by play action....it makes up for in intrigue, history, and sportsmanship. If you saw the way the players in each of their respective dugouts were hanging on the guard rails, hanging on every pitch......so much drama, so much tension. Nothing could beat it. I can't wait to see what the playoffs have in store.
I told you about these games and situations to illustrate a point. All of these games took place on the last day of the regular season. It's my prerogative, that when the game of baseball has moments like this, in games like this....it is unrivaled by any other sport. I know some of you may be saying, "Hey, isn't NFL football king of the sports world now?". And the answer is yes, to that question. However, how many times in the past 10 years have we had meaningless games the last game of the regular season in the NFL. Where teams that have locked up their playoff spot, don't even try to win.....or even play their regular starters to keep them from getting injured. How would you like to be the person who buys a ticket to the game where you don't get to see your favorite player, because he is being benched to stay fresh for a playoff game, you aren't going to go to. In basketball and hockey both, 8 teams from each conference make the playoffs. So, at the end of the year, there never seems to be any drama. What baseball lacks in excitement, in the course of play by play action....it makes up for in intrigue, history, and sportsmanship. If you saw the way the players in each of their respective dugouts were hanging on the guard rails, hanging on every pitch......so much drama, so much tension. Nothing could beat it. I can't wait to see what the playoffs have in store.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Alley Cats get their first win!
Yeah baby! The Alley Cats are officially in the win column. Which puts us on the season to 1-1. And, at the rate my players are getting injured (Lee Evans, Marques Colston, Steven Jackson, Knowshon Moreno, Dez Bryant....I'll stop), is probably going to be the only time I am .500 the rest of the year. Seriously! I loved getting the win, but I had to shop at Football Players R Us, to get enough players to fill up my roster for this week. I know that their was almost a work stoppage, so there wasn't any training camp, ota's, spring practices.....I get it. But come on man! Put on some man pants! For Pete sake! You know how many days, I've missed at work due to injury.....0! Ok, so there was one time I missed half a day, because of the flu. But I have worked through broken toes, sprained ankles, pneumonia, colds.....etc. Now, I haven't seen an actual NFL players paycheck. But I would venture a guess, that they probably bring home more money every two weeks than I do.
Sorry, I'm alright.....I'm alright. It just gets frustrating, when you have to resort to playing a receiver who netted you 0 points last week, and has been out of prison all of 3 and a half months. (Plaxico Burress). Yeah, that's what I am dealing with at this point people. But, I am still somewhat optimistic about my matchup for this week. The guy I'm going up against has the starting quarterback for the Cowboys, (Tony Romo), starting for his team. The Cowboys play the Redskins on Monday night. Now, this is advantageous for me for a couple of reasons. 1. If the Cowboys decide that Romo is a game time decision, and doesn't play.....he won't have time to plug in a replacement for him, because all of the other NFL games were played on Sunday. 2. Even if he does play, he stands a good chance to face the best the other team has to offer, due to it being a prime time game. Which basically means, the Redskins defense doesn't want to look like a bunch of chumps out there in front of a national audience. Now what's really interesting is that Romo used to be on the Alley Cats roster, as little ago as a couple of weeks. I was forced to trade Romo to the Rogers Roids (team I'm playing), for a running back and a tight end, to help fill out my roster from the abundance of injuries I've faced in the first two weeks of the season.
So, if Romo has a good game.....I will be kicking myself. I will blog later next week of the results, cause I know you all are interested!
Sorry, I'm alright.....I'm alright. It just gets frustrating, when you have to resort to playing a receiver who netted you 0 points last week, and has been out of prison all of 3 and a half months. (Plaxico Burress). Yeah, that's what I am dealing with at this point people. But, I am still somewhat optimistic about my matchup for this week. The guy I'm going up against has the starting quarterback for the Cowboys, (Tony Romo), starting for his team. The Cowboys play the Redskins on Monday night. Now, this is advantageous for me for a couple of reasons. 1. If the Cowboys decide that Romo is a game time decision, and doesn't play.....he won't have time to plug in a replacement for him, because all of the other NFL games were played on Sunday. 2. Even if he does play, he stands a good chance to face the best the other team has to offer, due to it being a prime time game. Which basically means, the Redskins defense doesn't want to look like a bunch of chumps out there in front of a national audience. Now what's really interesting is that Romo used to be on the Alley Cats roster, as little ago as a couple of weeks. I was forced to trade Romo to the Rogers Roids (team I'm playing), for a running back and a tight end, to help fill out my roster from the abundance of injuries I've faced in the first two weeks of the season.
So, if Romo has a good game.....I will be kicking myself. I will blog later next week of the results, cause I know you all are interested!
Customer service? Anyone.....anyone.....
I am getting ready to load up our family SUV with all of my families luggage, we will require for this upcoming weekend. It's our first family vacation, so to speak. We have incurred a lot of expenses this past year, so instead of taking a week to go somewhere really nice, we are heading to Branson, MO to go to Silver Dollar City. I took today off, to help get things in order for the trip. Which got me thinking about some things. Let me be more specific. What really got me thinking about things today, was standing at the counter of the photo department, picture studio, whatever you want to call it at JCPenney for around 20 minutes, before someone would help me. All I had to do was pick up some pictures of my son. We took him in for his first pictures, by himself only, a little over a week ago. Apparently there was only one person working, so since she was taking pictures back in the studio, no one was available to help me at the counter. Or, at least if there was anyone else working, I couldn't see them anywhere. Which standing around for 20 minutes wasn't as bad as the day we actually had the pictures taken, when we stood around for over half an hour (after arriving at our appointment time) waiting to get my son's picture taken. Which I don't know if any of you that are reading this have kids, but if you do, you may know just how impatient a 5 month old can be. There was a small window for him to be in a really good mood, alert, not hungry, ready to be a ham........and we missed it. I was extremely unhappy with the quality of the pictures, after we finally got them taken. So, disappointed that I actually opted for the lightest package, and made arrangements to have my son's picture taken another time, at another place.
Now, I can't give you a definitive answer, as far as why we had to wait so long, either time we went there. But, if I had to pinpoint it down to one thing......I would have to say, it was in general due to bad customer service. Yes, there were other people there that day we were getting the pictures taken. Yes, there was a group in the studio when I went to pick the pictures up. I get that they were doing the best they can, I do....and I appreciate that to a degree. But sometimes, your best just doesn't cut the mustard. The reality of this situation is, that this happens at almost any place anymore. How many times lately, have you gone to a restaurant and ordered some food, only to have it overcooked, undercooked, half cooked. And you know you have to eat it, because we have all seen the movie "Waiting". So, what does a person do. Log a complaint with the manager, just chalk it up to a bad experience and never go back? How can we make a stand against this overwhelming change in attitude towards customer service? I'll come back to this.....
Maybe that's why there has been a dramatic increase in online retail sales. People are getting tired of traveling somewhere, having a bad experience, and then traveling back home. Not only do you make an evening of going out to eat somewhere, or going shopping for a car, freezer, whatever.....but you also incur a fuel expense to do so. Whereas if you order something online, all you have to do is just pay for the shipping and it's arriving at your door in minutes, or days. You can print movie tickets online, order food, car shop....the online shopping experience has no prejudices these days. Everyone is eager to take your money, it doesn't matter the method. So maybe that's what happened to all the people who used to work at places, where their employers put an emphasis on good customer service. They are all working for Amazon, or Best Buy.com....in some warehouse trying to keep up with the orders that are flying in, from people who are just sick of dealing with the incompetence. What did you do, whenever you wanted to watch a movie from the comfort of your own home? You probably, just as I, made the trip to your local video store and rented it from there. How many video stores are in Joplin these days?
Back to that "How do we make a difference?" question. Truthfully, you can't. Not one of us can. You just have to bide your time and hope this is just a fad, and that a new Sam Walton is going to make an appearance real soon.
Now, I can't give you a definitive answer, as far as why we had to wait so long, either time we went there. But, if I had to pinpoint it down to one thing......I would have to say, it was in general due to bad customer service. Yes, there were other people there that day we were getting the pictures taken. Yes, there was a group in the studio when I went to pick the pictures up. I get that they were doing the best they can, I do....and I appreciate that to a degree. But sometimes, your best just doesn't cut the mustard. The reality of this situation is, that this happens at almost any place anymore. How many times lately, have you gone to a restaurant and ordered some food, only to have it overcooked, undercooked, half cooked. And you know you have to eat it, because we have all seen the movie "Waiting". So, what does a person do. Log a complaint with the manager, just chalk it up to a bad experience and never go back? How can we make a stand against this overwhelming change in attitude towards customer service? I'll come back to this.....
Maybe that's why there has been a dramatic increase in online retail sales. People are getting tired of traveling somewhere, having a bad experience, and then traveling back home. Not only do you make an evening of going out to eat somewhere, or going shopping for a car, freezer, whatever.....but you also incur a fuel expense to do so. Whereas if you order something online, all you have to do is just pay for the shipping and it's arriving at your door in minutes, or days. You can print movie tickets online, order food, car shop....the online shopping experience has no prejudices these days. Everyone is eager to take your money, it doesn't matter the method. So maybe that's what happened to all the people who used to work at places, where their employers put an emphasis on good customer service. They are all working for Amazon, or Best Buy.com....in some warehouse trying to keep up with the orders that are flying in, from people who are just sick of dealing with the incompetence. What did you do, whenever you wanted to watch a movie from the comfort of your own home? You probably, just as I, made the trip to your local video store and rented it from there. How many video stores are in Joplin these days?
Back to that "How do we make a difference?" question. Truthfully, you can't. Not one of us can. You just have to bide your time and hope this is just a fad, and that a new Sam Walton is going to make an appearance real soon.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Beer, wings, family, and.......injuries!
A few posts back, I wrote about fantasy football. I declared myself, as not one of those "fanatics", or people who take it too seriously, that they aren't able to enjoy the game themselves. That said, last Sunday was the opening kickoff to the NFL season. Now, it's tradition for myself, my cousin, and a few of our friends to get to Buffalo Wild Wings early, get a table, and basically gorge ourselves on food and drinks, for about 6-8 hours. As a married man, it's probably the only day of the year, that I don't have to worry about taking care of the kids, helping my wife with whatever task she's assigned me for the day, or doing anything else other than watching football. I'm sure most of you probably aware, that last Sunday was 9/11. This part of my blog, doesn't really have anything to do with the rest of my rant, but it's still a pretty cool story. Anyway, my cousin and I had posted ourselves at a bar top table in the restaurant....ordered up some nachos with chili cheese dip, and started talking about the upcoming games and our fantasy matchups. Before kickoff, the stations broadcasting the games, cut to a piece that Robert De Niro taped for 9/11. Basically stating what happened, how we have dealt with it the past 10 years, and how we will always remember that day. The video then cuts to a member of the armed forces, who begins to play "Taps". I didn't really notice it at the beginning, but as the song played out I noticed that the entire bar, had grown silent. You couldn't hear anybody shushing anyone. It was almost as if everyone stopped what they were doing, and thought back to that day. The song ended, and the entire bar began to applaud. It was very cool.
Back to my rant. So, my cousin and I were by ourselves last Sunday. One of the mainstays of our crew, had a case of wussitis, or something along those lines. Anyway, the games get started and everyone settles in for a very long day of football. We had asked a waitress earlier, before kickoff, to politely turn the two televisions that were directly above our table to the two early games that had our interest piqued the most. The Detroit Lions vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the St. Louis Rams. My cousin is a big Lions fan. I know right. I am a huge Rams fan. Well, my cousin, on his fantasy team, was actually starting the quarterback, and one of the big playmaking receivers for the Lions. I had Steven Jackson, going for my team respectively. Steven Jackson, being an Alley-Cat mainstay. For those of you that don't know, my team is named J-Dizzles Alley Cats. Now, the Lions actually took the opening possession and marched right down the field. Got into the red zone, and after failing to score a touchdown, kicked a field goal. Great for my cousin. The Rams actually started the game on defense. And they came out on fire. The quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, is a guy by the name of Michael Vick. Who a few years ago, came into some fame away from football, by running an illegal dog fighting operation in the state of Georgia. He did over a year in federal prison, and is back in the NFL now. Now, for those of you who haven't seen him play. He's good. He's fast, and elusive, and he can throw the heck out of the ball. We shut him down three straight plays, to force the Eagles to punt. With the punt, and a short return, we actually start off with great field position for our opening drive. And it didn't take long for us to score. Steven Jackson took a handoff from our quarterback, and scampered his way 47 yards for a touchdown. Great for the Rams. Great for the Alley Cats. Great for me. Shortly after he scores and we go up 7-0. The Eagles begin their next possession, and the camera cuts to Steven riding a bike on the sideline. Now, most of the time, when players ride a bike on the sideline, they are attempting to stay lose, or work out some sort of muscle pull. Unfortunately for all the parties above, this situation was the latter. Mr. Jackson returned to the game for only 1 more play, before shutting it down for the rest of the day. Thanks a pad load Steven!
Long story short Rams lose 31-13. And after the games on Monday night, the Alley Cats lose 155-196. I actually had 3 more players go down with injuries.....it was a long week. After a few tweaks, and waiver wire pickups the Alley Cats are back and ready for this weeks opponent.......which is my cousins team. I'm really glad I didn't play him week 1!
Back to my rant. So, my cousin and I were by ourselves last Sunday. One of the mainstays of our crew, had a case of wussitis, or something along those lines. Anyway, the games get started and everyone settles in for a very long day of football. We had asked a waitress earlier, before kickoff, to politely turn the two televisions that were directly above our table to the two early games that had our interest piqued the most. The Detroit Lions vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the St. Louis Rams. My cousin is a big Lions fan. I know right. I am a huge Rams fan. Well, my cousin, on his fantasy team, was actually starting the quarterback, and one of the big playmaking receivers for the Lions. I had Steven Jackson, going for my team respectively. Steven Jackson, being an Alley-Cat mainstay. For those of you that don't know, my team is named J-Dizzles Alley Cats. Now, the Lions actually took the opening possession and marched right down the field. Got into the red zone, and after failing to score a touchdown, kicked a field goal. Great for my cousin. The Rams actually started the game on defense. And they came out on fire. The quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, is a guy by the name of Michael Vick. Who a few years ago, came into some fame away from football, by running an illegal dog fighting operation in the state of Georgia. He did over a year in federal prison, and is back in the NFL now. Now, for those of you who haven't seen him play. He's good. He's fast, and elusive, and he can throw the heck out of the ball. We shut him down three straight plays, to force the Eagles to punt. With the punt, and a short return, we actually start off with great field position for our opening drive. And it didn't take long for us to score. Steven Jackson took a handoff from our quarterback, and scampered his way 47 yards for a touchdown. Great for the Rams. Great for the Alley Cats. Great for me. Shortly after he scores and we go up 7-0. The Eagles begin their next possession, and the camera cuts to Steven riding a bike on the sideline. Now, most of the time, when players ride a bike on the sideline, they are attempting to stay lose, or work out some sort of muscle pull. Unfortunately for all the parties above, this situation was the latter. Mr. Jackson returned to the game for only 1 more play, before shutting it down for the rest of the day. Thanks a pad load Steven!
Long story short Rams lose 31-13. And after the games on Monday night, the Alley Cats lose 155-196. I actually had 3 more players go down with injuries.....it was a long week. After a few tweaks, and waiver wire pickups the Alley Cats are back and ready for this weeks opponent.......which is my cousins team. I'm really glad I didn't play him week 1!
Serious? No, Sirius......
As I mentioned a week ago, I deliver medical equipment. For those of you who didn't read that blog, and in case I didn't mention it then.....I hate it. I work long hours, I drive long distances, I have to put myself in harms way by dealing with patients who are infected with a plethora of communicable diseases, etc. Now, I deliver all the inventory we have to offer, with a large cargo van. Needless to say, this thing isn't loaded. Uncomfortable seats, awkward mirrors, no cd player. I know right. So, shortly after I started working at Therapy Support, I purchased a Sirius radio. Which, for those of you that don't know. Sirius is a satellite radio service. At the time I purchased the satellite radio receiver, there were two companies, competing against each other. The other company being XM Radio. My cousin had purchased his radio, about a year before I bought mine. So, I had a good idea what receiver to get, what payment option to go with, etc. Now, the main differences between the two rival companies at the time was.....one had Howard Stern, and one didn't. Outside of that, you pretty much had the same programming for both the companies. Rock channels, country channels, pop channels, etc. I can honestly say that without that radio, I would be insane now. About a year and a half into my service, the two companies merged, and now today there is only one satellite radio service.....SiriusXM.
Now again, when I originally started my service, I was an exclusive Sirius customer. My monthly payments were around $11.00 a month. A small price to pay for sanity. However, there was some court settlement, to a lawsuit, I hadn't ever heard of, before the two satellite companies merged. Apparently some of the record labels had taken the satellite companies to court, stating that they had to pay them for the rights to play their music. So, long story short......they tacked on a couple of extra dollars a month to my membership fee. Again, a small price to pay for sanity. Then the merger. And of course, since I had "Double the channels, double the satellite experience!", I also incurred more of an expense. I think right now, I pay around $15.00 a month for the service. And until it hits $20.00, I will gladly pay it. And here's why. How many commercials do you hear on the local FM stations here in town? How much of the local programming, is actually spent playing music? You might get a good, solid, 20 minutes of music.....in an hour! It's bad enough, I have to sit through endless amounts of commercials when I watch football on the weekends, I really don't care to be subjected to the same worthless jingles, and pitches when I am in my uncomfortable, worthless van. For that reason alone, it's worth the money! Now, how many times when you are going on a road trip, family vacation, etc. And you are driving to your destination, you actually find an FM station that is playing music.....maybe even good music, you get to listen to it, for about 15 minutes before you get out of range of the station broadcasting it, and you are back to tapping the search button. You never have to worry about the stations cutting out with satellite radio. Once you find a station playing what you like, you can enjoy it for as long as your in the car.
I sound like a pitchman. I know. But if you are stuck in a vehicle all day long, that doesn't have any sort of output jack, or cd player.....man, does it make a difference. The radio situation at work, is by far one of the best perks of the job. So, if you are having a crappy day, and you are in your car on your way to work, school, whatever. And you look over and see a guy in a big white van, with the music turned up loud, singing with it......just know, that it probably won't be long until he reaches his destination, and then he'll be having as bad a day as you are.
Now again, when I originally started my service, I was an exclusive Sirius customer. My monthly payments were around $11.00 a month. A small price to pay for sanity. However, there was some court settlement, to a lawsuit, I hadn't ever heard of, before the two satellite companies merged. Apparently some of the record labels had taken the satellite companies to court, stating that they had to pay them for the rights to play their music. So, long story short......they tacked on a couple of extra dollars a month to my membership fee. Again, a small price to pay for sanity. Then the merger. And of course, since I had "Double the channels, double the satellite experience!", I also incurred more of an expense. I think right now, I pay around $15.00 a month for the service. And until it hits $20.00, I will gladly pay it. And here's why. How many commercials do you hear on the local FM stations here in town? How much of the local programming, is actually spent playing music? You might get a good, solid, 20 minutes of music.....in an hour! It's bad enough, I have to sit through endless amounts of commercials when I watch football on the weekends, I really don't care to be subjected to the same worthless jingles, and pitches when I am in my uncomfortable, worthless van. For that reason alone, it's worth the money! Now, how many times when you are going on a road trip, family vacation, etc. And you are driving to your destination, you actually find an FM station that is playing music.....maybe even good music, you get to listen to it, for about 15 minutes before you get out of range of the station broadcasting it, and you are back to tapping the search button. You never have to worry about the stations cutting out with satellite radio. Once you find a station playing what you like, you can enjoy it for as long as your in the car.
I sound like a pitchman. I know. But if you are stuck in a vehicle all day long, that doesn't have any sort of output jack, or cd player.....man, does it make a difference. The radio situation at work, is by far one of the best perks of the job. So, if you are having a crappy day, and you are in your car on your way to work, school, whatever. And you look over and see a guy in a big white van, with the music turned up loud, singing with it......just know, that it probably won't be long until he reaches his destination, and then he'll be having as bad a day as you are.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Fantasy Football
Yeah, I play it. I am one of those guys. It hasn't consumed me, like it has some friends of mine.....but I still play it every year....it still drives my wife crazy every year....and it's one of the few joys in life I feel like I have left. At least one of the joys, I can truly say I don't have to share with the rest of my family. I'm not going to go into detail, such as "How do you play it?", with this blog. This blog is being published, with the intent only, to let me vent. So last weekend we had our big draft. Now, with all fantasy football leagues, there is a draft. Without one, you wouldn't be able to have players assigned to any teams. I had the 7th pick in the draft. Which isn't good. Ideally, I would have liked to have had the second.....or eight pick in the draft. But, whatever, I made it work. As the draft was going along, and I was picking my players.....I began to feel really good about my draft. I didn't get the ideal players I had hoped, would be available when it came my turn to pick.....but I was filling my roster out quite nicely. The draft concluded, and as I scanned down my roster.....I felt really good about my team. Not great, but good.
One of the new additions to the league this year. Or, new gimmicks....whatever you want to call it. Yahoo, decided to declare a draft winner. They went ahead and projected how many total fantasy points each player, should rack up during the course of the season. The team with the most projected points in our league, won a medal. The J-Dizzles Alley Cats won that medal. Yeah, that's my team name. Now, just to give you a little back story into our league. It's named Hot Route. Why, I don't know. My cousin is the league creator. You would have to ask him, where he got that name from. Anyway.....the league was founded in 2006. I was living in Chicago at the time, so thank goodness for the internet. I was able to still draft at the same time as the other team owners. There are 10 teams total in the league. Some owners have had to be replaced, due to lack of maintenance on their respective teams.......and lack of interest over a period of time. However, there is a good core of about 5 owners, that have been mainstays since the inception of the league. I, being one of them. I actually won the whole thing the first three years of the league. Made the playoffs in 2009, and was in the championship game last year.....but lost. No other owner has had the success in Hot Route, as the owner of the J-Dizzles Alley Cats has had. Which, not to confuse anyone...is still me.
Which, brings us to tonight. I start out the season playing against one of my closest friends. Whose team name is The Cork Soakers. It's actually a pretty interesting matchup. Both of the starting quarterbacks for the teams playing tonight, the Saints and the Packers, were on our rosters. Brees on mine, Rodgers on his. I almost threw my phone against the wall tonight, when Rodgers threw his 3rd touchdown pass in the 1st quarter! Now also, keep in mind....we are very competitive...and we are guys. So, obviously there are playful texts being sent throughout the course of the game. And, I would have been disappointed if that wouldn't have been the case tonight. But, happily, the owner of the Cork Soakers was happy to oblige. So, when my phone went off, with that text message received chime....I knew it was him. Anyway, as far as the actual football game went, it was a pretty good game. The Saints went down big early, crawled back into it and actually had a chance to tie the game with 0.00 seconds left. There had been a defensive penalty in the endzone, so the Saints were awarded an untimed down. Now......here is where I really lost it. Brees, actually had a pretty good game. Started off slow, but finished strong. And you can ask anyone, he hands down, is the best player on the Saints. So, what do they decide to do with the game on the line? Give it to their best player and try to let him make a play? No.....they give it to their rookie running back, who runs the football right up the middle of both, the defensive and offensive lines. Needless to say, he wasn't able to score and the Saints lost the game. Now, why couldn't Sean Payton (head coach of the Saints) just let Brees throw the ball there? Doesn't he realize that both his best interests, and the best interests of the Alley Cats, hinge on how many touchdowns Brees throws?
I guess not. So, my feeling is the Saints deserved to lose that game, because of that worthless coaching strategy. How are the Alley Cats doing, you ask after the first game of the NFL season? Well, despite Sean Paytons best efforts....the Alley Cats are winning 64-44. It's going to come down to the games on Monday night, but I feel pretty good. Like I did about a week ago....when I drafted my team.
One of the new additions to the league this year. Or, new gimmicks....whatever you want to call it. Yahoo, decided to declare a draft winner. They went ahead and projected how many total fantasy points each player, should rack up during the course of the season. The team with the most projected points in our league, won a medal. The J-Dizzles Alley Cats won that medal. Yeah, that's my team name. Now, just to give you a little back story into our league. It's named Hot Route. Why, I don't know. My cousin is the league creator. You would have to ask him, where he got that name from. Anyway.....the league was founded in 2006. I was living in Chicago at the time, so thank goodness for the internet. I was able to still draft at the same time as the other team owners. There are 10 teams total in the league. Some owners have had to be replaced, due to lack of maintenance on their respective teams.......and lack of interest over a period of time. However, there is a good core of about 5 owners, that have been mainstays since the inception of the league. I, being one of them. I actually won the whole thing the first three years of the league. Made the playoffs in 2009, and was in the championship game last year.....but lost. No other owner has had the success in Hot Route, as the owner of the J-Dizzles Alley Cats has had. Which, not to confuse anyone...is still me.
Which, brings us to tonight. I start out the season playing against one of my closest friends. Whose team name is The Cork Soakers. It's actually a pretty interesting matchup. Both of the starting quarterbacks for the teams playing tonight, the Saints and the Packers, were on our rosters. Brees on mine, Rodgers on his. I almost threw my phone against the wall tonight, when Rodgers threw his 3rd touchdown pass in the 1st quarter! Now also, keep in mind....we are very competitive...and we are guys. So, obviously there are playful texts being sent throughout the course of the game. And, I would have been disappointed if that wouldn't have been the case tonight. But, happily, the owner of the Cork Soakers was happy to oblige. So, when my phone went off, with that text message received chime....I knew it was him. Anyway, as far as the actual football game went, it was a pretty good game. The Saints went down big early, crawled back into it and actually had a chance to tie the game with 0.00 seconds left. There had been a defensive penalty in the endzone, so the Saints were awarded an untimed down. Now......here is where I really lost it. Brees, actually had a pretty good game. Started off slow, but finished strong. And you can ask anyone, he hands down, is the best player on the Saints. So, what do they decide to do with the game on the line? Give it to their best player and try to let him make a play? No.....they give it to their rookie running back, who runs the football right up the middle of both, the defensive and offensive lines. Needless to say, he wasn't able to score and the Saints lost the game. Now, why couldn't Sean Payton (head coach of the Saints) just let Brees throw the ball there? Doesn't he realize that both his best interests, and the best interests of the Alley Cats, hinge on how many touchdowns Brees throws?
I guess not. So, my feeling is the Saints deserved to lose that game, because of that worthless coaching strategy. How are the Alley Cats doing, you ask after the first game of the NFL season? Well, despite Sean Paytons best efforts....the Alley Cats are winning 64-44. It's going to come down to the games on Monday night, but I feel pretty good. Like I did about a week ago....when I drafted my team.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Made in.....?
I have my job title in the profile section of my job. I am a DME technician. Which basically means I drive around in a van all day long, delivering medical equipment to private homes and long term care facilities (nursing homes). The company I work for is Therapy Support. It was started by two brothers in the state of Ohio. Their story, as far as the story of starting their company, probably doesn't differ a whole lot from a lot of other entrepreneurs. They went to college, took what start up money they had and borrowed a little extra from the bank, bought some equipment, and essentially......through a lot of hard work and determination, built a very successful DME company. DME, stands for durable medical equipment, by the way. Now, I tell you that story, because while I was at work today, I saw something that made me pause and think. The two brothers that started the company I work for, were born and raised in the United States. They've never worked a day in their lives outside of this country. They've never delivered any equipment, or had any employee deliver equipment to anyone outside of this country. Every employee at Therapy Support, was born in the United States. There are Therapy Support offices in the states of Ohio, Missouri and Texas.
Getting back to what I saw, while I was at work. Now that I've told you all about the origins of Therapy Support. Now, that I've given you a little back story, into the company I work for. Knowing those things now, I would like to pose a question to you. Where do you think the equipment, that we deliver on a daily basis comes from? Here at the Joplin office, we get most of our inventory from our big office in Springfield. So, when we are running low on supplies, I have to make arrangements with the manager in Springfield, to either meet a driver from that office in Mt. Vernon, or try and sweet talk him into sending someone all the way down to Joplin, from Springfield. Now, just so you know, we deliver all types of medical equipment. Hospital beds, air mattresses, wheelchairs, oxygen machines and tanks, etc. One of our primary vendors is Invacare. While I was unboxing a wheelchair, I happened to notice on the front of the box, right below the Invacare sign, in big blue bold letters.....Made in Mexico. I probably have looked at the box for all of the equipment that comes from Invacare about a million times. But, for some reason today, it really made me stop and think. I got to thinking about all the wheelchairs, I've had to replace in the almost 5 years I've been with the company. Either for faulty brake handles, or bad wheels (I had the tread come off of the back wheel of a wheelchair the other day, which up until that point, I didn't realize that was possible.), to the arms, literally falling apart. Now, I'm not trying to put the good citizens of Mexico down. In all actuality, it was probably some machine in Mexico, that did the assembling. Not some underpaid worker, who really could care less where the wheelchair he was building was being shipped.
But what if that's not the case? What if the hospital bed that I delivered to the Missouri Veterans Home in St. Louis (lived and worked there for a short period at the beginning of last year), was made in Vietnam. How ironic would that be. A veteran sleeping in a bed, that very well could have been made by the ancestor of someone he killed in combat years ago. Or made by the ancestor, of someone he met in combat that got the better of him....and that's why he has to live in a nursing home in the first place. I realize that, in this world today, the majority of everything we buy isn't made in the U.S. anymore. To be completely honest with you, as I type this blog, I am enjoying a Bud Light.....which up until a year ago, when Anheuser Busch sold out to a bunch of Belgiums, was made in the U.S. I realize, that to buy only American, would probably put more of a burden of cost onto your family. I wish I had an easy answer. But, maybe the first step, is just being more conscious of where it is, your goods come from.
Getting back to what I saw, while I was at work. Now that I've told you all about the origins of Therapy Support. Now, that I've given you a little back story, into the company I work for. Knowing those things now, I would like to pose a question to you. Where do you think the equipment, that we deliver on a daily basis comes from? Here at the Joplin office, we get most of our inventory from our big office in Springfield. So, when we are running low on supplies, I have to make arrangements with the manager in Springfield, to either meet a driver from that office in Mt. Vernon, or try and sweet talk him into sending someone all the way down to Joplin, from Springfield. Now, just so you know, we deliver all types of medical equipment. Hospital beds, air mattresses, wheelchairs, oxygen machines and tanks, etc. One of our primary vendors is Invacare. While I was unboxing a wheelchair, I happened to notice on the front of the box, right below the Invacare sign, in big blue bold letters.....Made in Mexico. I probably have looked at the box for all of the equipment that comes from Invacare about a million times. But, for some reason today, it really made me stop and think. I got to thinking about all the wheelchairs, I've had to replace in the almost 5 years I've been with the company. Either for faulty brake handles, or bad wheels (I had the tread come off of the back wheel of a wheelchair the other day, which up until that point, I didn't realize that was possible.), to the arms, literally falling apart. Now, I'm not trying to put the good citizens of Mexico down. In all actuality, it was probably some machine in Mexico, that did the assembling. Not some underpaid worker, who really could care less where the wheelchair he was building was being shipped.
But what if that's not the case? What if the hospital bed that I delivered to the Missouri Veterans Home in St. Louis (lived and worked there for a short period at the beginning of last year), was made in Vietnam. How ironic would that be. A veteran sleeping in a bed, that very well could have been made by the ancestor of someone he killed in combat years ago. Or made by the ancestor, of someone he met in combat that got the better of him....and that's why he has to live in a nursing home in the first place. I realize that, in this world today, the majority of everything we buy isn't made in the U.S. anymore. To be completely honest with you, as I type this blog, I am enjoying a Bud Light.....which up until a year ago, when Anheuser Busch sold out to a bunch of Belgiums, was made in the U.S. I realize, that to buy only American, would probably put more of a burden of cost onto your family. I wish I had an easy answer. But, maybe the first step, is just being more conscious of where it is, your goods come from.
Friday, September 2, 2011
It's time for a change.
You ever have a favorite tv show? What about a favorite pair of jeans? Or maybe you drove around in a beat up old car, because you were too scared to trade it in, in fear that the new one would break down on you within a week? Well, that's where I'm at with the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Tony La Russa. I don't know if I would go so far as to say, that I live my life by the saying, "If it isn't broke, don't try to fix it." But I do like the saying, none the less. I guess you would say, I maintain the stance that the Cardinals are broke, and do need fixing. They need to start by fixing the manager position, and removing Tony La Russa from the manager post. This isn't a case of misguided anger. You might be saying to yourself, "Well, the Cardinals aren't having a good year this year. They've missed the playoffs the last two years, but isn't La Russa one of the all time winningest coaches?" Or, "Everyone wants to point to the manager, but aren't the players ultimately responsible for their performance on the field?" Valid points and questions. To answer the first, yes...he is actually second on the list of wins by a manager. http://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/larusto01.shtml. And, as for the second question, it is up to the players to produce on the field. However, it is up to the manager, to put the players in the best position to produce. Tony, in my opinion, doesn't do that. He has become too obsessed with statistics, and probabilities, and past matchups/results. Today's baseball game, is played more by instinct. A natural feel for the flow of the game you are playing. Tapping into the momentum, the electricity in the ballpark. Not burying your head in some notebook, trying to figure out how many times your current pitcher has faced a particular batter on the other team, in the last 10 years. Quite frankly the game has passed him by.
Don't just take my word for it. Sportswriters who have covered Tony for years, are puzzled by the way he has managed the bullpen this year. http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/article_b3479fb0-ce5e-11e0-b5f9-001a4bcf6878.html. You might make the argument that the local media in St. Louis has it out for him. Maybe they are looking for a new manager to talk to during spring training? Someone that doesn't keep everything a little too close to the vest. Someone who won't belittle them when they make a suggestion, at the post game news conference following a loss. Tony La Russa's criticism isn't just confined to fans and media personalities alike. He has drawn the ire of managers of other teams, players of other teams, sportscasters from other teams, and players on his own team! In 2009 Sports Illustrated conducted a poll, in which they asked 380 current major league ballplayers, who they would least like to play for. Tony La Russa came in third. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1157450/3/5/index.htm. He has fought publicly with Scott Rolen, while he was a member of the Cardinals. Tony La Russa publicly questioned his toughness before a playoff series, during their world series run in 2006. He has been videotaped arguing with Chris Carpenter and other players, in the dugout during games.
We live in a results based world these days. The job market is flooded, with people looking for jobs, all over the nation, in all professions. For some reason Cardinals chairman Bill Dewitt Jr, has given Tony La Russa a pass for not producing these past few seasons. In the nearly, 16 years Tony La Russa has been manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, he has brought home 2 pennants and 1 world series to St. Louis. Can you imagine being a car salesman, and you only fulfill your quota 2 years out of the 16 years you are with the company? I wish I had that kind of job security. It's time to pull the plug on the Tony La Russa era. Bring in a young manager to coach our young team. Let's re-energize this place!
Don't just take my word for it. Sportswriters who have covered Tony for years, are puzzled by the way he has managed the bullpen this year. http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/article_b3479fb0-ce5e-11e0-b5f9-001a4bcf6878.html. You might make the argument that the local media in St. Louis has it out for him. Maybe they are looking for a new manager to talk to during spring training? Someone that doesn't keep everything a little too close to the vest. Someone who won't belittle them when they make a suggestion, at the post game news conference following a loss. Tony La Russa's criticism isn't just confined to fans and media personalities alike. He has drawn the ire of managers of other teams, players of other teams, sportscasters from other teams, and players on his own team! In 2009 Sports Illustrated conducted a poll, in which they asked 380 current major league ballplayers, who they would least like to play for. Tony La Russa came in third. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1157450/3/5/index.htm. He has fought publicly with Scott Rolen, while he was a member of the Cardinals. Tony La Russa publicly questioned his toughness before a playoff series, during their world series run in 2006. He has been videotaped arguing with Chris Carpenter and other players, in the dugout during games.
We live in a results based world these days. The job market is flooded, with people looking for jobs, all over the nation, in all professions. For some reason Cardinals chairman Bill Dewitt Jr, has given Tony La Russa a pass for not producing these past few seasons. In the nearly, 16 years Tony La Russa has been manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, he has brought home 2 pennants and 1 world series to St. Louis. Can you imagine being a car salesman, and you only fulfill your quota 2 years out of the 16 years you are with the company? I wish I had that kind of job security. It's time to pull the plug on the Tony La Russa era. Bring in a young manager to coach our young team. Let's re-energize this place!
Self induced torture
I don't get it. I just don't. After years of being a St. Louis Cardinals fan....no, check that....after years of being a disappointed St. Louis Cardinals fan, I continue to torture myself with the idea that, "This year, could be the year we win the World Series!" Like I said, I don't know why I do it. Maybe that's because 5 years ago, it actually was "The Year". Maybe it's because I was born and raised a St. Louis Cardinals fan, and my father would be disappointed in me, if he believed that, I believed, we weren't able to win it all. Maybe it's because every year, the Cardinals start to show that, just maybe they are the best team in the National League. The bats start to come alive, the pitching is lights out for a good solid 2-3 weeks, and the Cardinals put together a stretch where they win 12 out of 14 games.....and it looks like nothing can stop them! Then reality sets in. The players that were producing at a career high clip, realize that they wouldn't be starting on any other team, and they are backup players at best. The handful of players that are on the team, that could start for any other team, start to play as mediocre as the rest of the team. The manager, (who will be discussed in another blog shortly), starts to get tight. And manages tight. His players feel this, and respond to this by playing tight. Errors are committed in the field, that aren't usually made. Hitters start to expand the strike zone, helping the opposing pitchers get themselves out. The front office isn't immune to this sense of urgency. They make moves that are viewed throughout the baseball world, as "questionable", "short term fixes". http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jeff-gordon/article_238288cc-d3f4-11e0-98c2-001a4bcf6878.html
So, with a little over a month to go....and the Cardinals about 10 games out of first......I start to throw up my hands, and say, "Thank goodness football is here!" Then the Cardinals go out and sweep the first place team. Win three games in a row, against a good team, and do it in convincing fashion. http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/article_55b212f6-d4c4-11e0-86ac-001a4bcf6878.html Then I start to say, "Well, maybe we aren't out of it just yet." I start to feel this way, not just because of the last three games, but because they look like a different team! Players that were discussed in potential trades, because everyone written off this lifeless team....all of a sudden, found some life. Even the announcers notice the difference. They begin calling the games as if they are back in the middle of a playoff hunt. They've seen the look in the eyes of the players on the field now, before. The players are sharks. They smell blood in the water and have sighted in the team right above them in the standings.
And then they do it again. Literally, as I was writing this piece, the left handed reliever viewed as a "lefty-specialist", and "tough on left-handed hitters", http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rzepcma01.shtml,
gives up a go ahead two-run home run to a left handed hitter! And then reality sets in.......
So, with a little over a month to go....and the Cardinals about 10 games out of first......I start to throw up my hands, and say, "Thank goodness football is here!" Then the Cardinals go out and sweep the first place team. Win three games in a row, against a good team, and do it in convincing fashion. http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/article_55b212f6-d4c4-11e0-86ac-001a4bcf6878.html Then I start to say, "Well, maybe we aren't out of it just yet." I start to feel this way, not just because of the last three games, but because they look like a different team! Players that were discussed in potential trades, because everyone written off this lifeless team....all of a sudden, found some life. Even the announcers notice the difference. They begin calling the games as if they are back in the middle of a playoff hunt. They've seen the look in the eyes of the players on the field now, before. The players are sharks. They smell blood in the water and have sighted in the team right above them in the standings.
And then they do it again. Literally, as I was writing this piece, the left handed reliever viewed as a "lefty-specialist", and "tough on left-handed hitters", http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rzepcma01.shtml,
gives up a go ahead two-run home run to a left handed hitter! And then reality sets in.......
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