Resolutions

The new year is only a few hours away, and it's hard to not look back and survey the year that was. New friends were made and old ones kept in touch, I moved into a new house, coached for another soccer season, went out on a few dates, experienced some new places and tried to stay true to myself and to the people who matter.

There is always room for improvement though. Looking back, I know there were things I could have done better or wished I had done differently, so in the spirit of the new year that is upon us, here are my resolutions for 2007.

- Strengthen the friendships I've already made. The people I've met at school are incredible, and it would be nice to stay friends with them after we've graduated.

- Get in shape and stay in shape. Efforts made earlier in the year lacked commitment, but in the last few weeks I've kept up running and lifting, even during the holiday break. This time, I really want to stay with it cuz I already feel physically better.

- Put more effort into school because these last 15 months are all I've got.

- Get back to my billiards roots, because I love the game too much to stop playing. If a pool table in the basement ever happens, this one will be a piece of cake to keep.

- Stop settling for less because I deserve better than I think.

- Play some soccer.

- Keep some sort of job during school, even if it cuts into my free time or limits my weekends.

- Upgrade my license for coaching and try to do better this year. Also, I need to be more involved in the club and have more contact with the other coaches in town.

- Talk to strangers.

See everyone on the other side.

Progression

I've come to find that the saying "hunger is the best pickle" is most certainly a law of the universe. When you go for long stretches of time without something you desire, you enjoy it that much more when you finally get it. Seriously, is a Thanksgiving turkey even that good? Don't get me wrong, its a wonderful food option, but think about it, could it be that we love turkey mostly because of the holiday we associate with it and for the simple fact that we don't eat it that often. God knows I don't have five hours to cook a turkey and I'm pretty damn sure most people don't either, but that's why it's so good when we finally get treated to it.

Similarly, there is another universal law that I've discovered called "The Law of Progression." Maybe one morning your alarm clock doesn't go off and you're late for work, but suddenly your boss treats everyone to pizza for lunch, you hit no traffic when you leave, and you come home to find all your friends ready to go out and have fun. Now on its own, all those good things would make any day a good day, but starting at a lowpoint and progressing to increasingly better things makes it much more fulfilling. In both cases, your climbing to the same level of enjoyment, only in one situation you dug yourself into a hole to start, making the overall distance traveled greater.

Saturday, December 2nd, provided a perfect example for the "Law of Progression."

The Hole - Friday night was a bust. The house got a bite to eat at Famous Dave's, but once we left the night fizzled out. Sleeping late the following morning after a full week of work would normally be a small consolation, but I had to go and help take down soccer nets to put into storage at 9am. What's worse was that the unseasonably warm weather had come to a swift end the night before and for the first time all year the temperature was very cold. Anyone can tell you that if you throw a college kid outside in the cold, early in the morning on a weekend, he won't be the happiest of people.

*Manly Observation of the Year: Men are fascinated by giant holes in the ground. Walking past the site of the new skyscraper in Philly earlier this year, I made this startling discovery. Is it because it has sexual connotations and appeals to the male subconscious? Perhaps. I think it has more to do with the fact that a giant hole is the ultimate conquest over our environment. Anyone can build shit on top of the ground, but digging a big hole is our way of dominating the universe at a primordial level. If you're a guy, think about it, you'll find I'm correct. Giant holes are cool. Ladies.... I can't help you understand, sorry. Just trust me on this.

The Silver Lining - After we took down the nets, we had to store them over at Green Wave Park, and I got an up-close look at the new artificial turf my team will be playing/practicing on next year. Not only will a field in Audubon finally have lights, but we'll also be treated to a playing field that you don't usually come across. Frankly, I can't wait till next year when my team (and me) will get to play on it. It looks sexy.

Getting Better - It was proclaimed earlier in the week by one Kaitlin Weaver that something would happen Saturday night, and that while she wasn't sure what, it would be fun. Considering that she had to take a 6 hour LSAT test that morning, we knew she was damn serious. We finally decided on trying Chickie's and Pete's. When we pulled up, the parking lot was packed and it looked like there were people waiting outside (at this time, I remembered that the Army/Navy game was that day and that we might be fucked). Turns out we weren't as unlucky as we thought.

The place was full, but not much more than its seating capacity. While we waited for the rest of our party to show up, we headed over to the bar so that everyone could get an early jump on the festivities. When we finally were sat, John, Jason and Sundja accepted the "120 oz Tower of Beer" challenge. We ordered wings and crabfries, along with countless other junk-food platters, and our waiter brought them out surprisingly fast. Combined with the fact that hockey and college football were being shown on the TVs, the trip turned out to be a great idea. So in the end, it turned out to be a pretty good day.

Wait, there's more??? - Right when everyone was toasty and proper, ideas started getting thrown around about how to continue the night. I wasn't too excited about spending much more money, but I figured that a trip to Dave and Buster's and an opportunity to watch everyone get silly drunk was too good to pass up.

So now it's almost 11 and we're on our way to Dave and Buster's when we pass by a place called 'Cheerleaders', which I explain to the inebriated ones as being a strip club. This utterly fascinates them. Suddenly I hear from the back of my car "c'mon Kaitlin, you should totally get a lapdance."

Huh, what? That's right, the five of us are now on our way to Club Risque down near the waterfront. Apparently, a trip to Chickie's would not be the only "first" trip of the night. When we got inside, my brain immediately hit ocular overload: I'm surrounded by topless women and flashing lights, on the mainstage are two pole dancers, and behind them is the Winky Wright middleweight fight that I had forgotten about but really wanted to see.

*Sidenote* The things those girls can do on those poles is incredible, and I don't even mean that in a sexual way. Seriously, they could have been overweight geeks from a Star Wars convention and I would have been equally impressed. How the hell can you hold yourself up while doing a split five feet above the ground using only your right hand? I've seen it and I still don't know how. My head hurts.

We finally found seats and everyone got to drinking again, but I could tell that everyone was still a little uptight. I suddenly found myself the target of a "lapdance conspiracy" by Sundja and John, both of whom had decided that I wasn't having a good time. They found a dancer named Sonja, but I made it clear that if Kaitlin wasn't going to get one that I was out of luck. She agreed, everyone cheered, and I went back to get my dance. Soon to follow was Jason (who ended the night with two), then Kaitlin (whose dancer actually removed her shirt and then her belt, hitting her with it) and finally John. All the while, Sundja was knocking back beers and throwing out twenties to pay for the dances, saying that just seeing us going to get lapdances was all the entertainment he needed.

The verdict was in: THIS WAS AN AWESOME IDEA. Not only did we have good food and drink at C&P, but we then were wildly entertained by dancing naked women. It was probably the most fun I've had this year. I don't think I'd want to do it every week as a drunk John suggested, but apparently a birthday party plan for me is already in the works. Hooray!

Rejiggered

Ever notice how being famous, no matter the median through which you achieved "status", makes people think they suddenly have a license to stand on a soap box as if their opinion means a damn? Sad thing is that there are so many followers out there who actually listen that it perpetuates the cycle. For me, what a person says or stands for personally can negatively affect my perception of the person, even on the professional level (I can tell you right now that I'll never look at a Tom Cruise or Mel Gibson movie the same way again). Well Bernard Hopkins, probably one of the best fighters of his time and my personal favorite son of Philadelphia, is dangerously close to approaching that point.

My boy recently had a radio show throw-down with my other boy, Howard Eskin. The topic: Bernard's opinion of Donovan McNabb, his place in the quarterback hierarchy, and his "lack of heart". It was obvious during the verbal spat that both Eskin and Hopkins respect each other, and that much of the emotion and trash talking was in good nature, but it became pretty clear that Bernard really didn't have any proof or logic behind his arguments and was simply spewing biased rhetoric (he is a big T.O. supporter after all). The only real evidence he had to point to was the puking that happened during the Superbowl and again against Tampa Bay.

Just for a second, let's ignore the fact that one was during a game where Donovan was running all day at a hot and humid Tampa field with pickle juice in his stomach, and that the other was during the biggest game on the biggest stage of football. Let's ignore the fact that legends like Bill Russell, Dale Earnhardt, and Pete Sampras all had a history of vomiting in their illustrious careers. Let's also ignore that many experts have said it could simply be related to abnormal adrenaline levels. The problem is that "heart" is too often confused with confidence. Bernard Hopkins can enter a boxing fight with all the confidence in the world, stick to his masterful gameplan and execute it to perfection, all the while knowing he is the best fighter. That, to me, isn't heart. In fact, showing heart is the exact opposite: it's when someone knows the odds are against them, that the moment is epic and that all the pressure is on, and that in spite of the fear of failure and nervousness you feel YOU GO OUT AND FIGHT ANYWAY. Anyone can have confidence or say they are fearless, and that's admirable. But somewhere along the line, being nervous or afraid to lose was looked at as a character weakness, when it's not. If you face that moment, if you don't walk off the court early just because your team is losing, if you puke and throw that touchdown pass anyway, if you are getting your head kicked in but refuse to give up, if you fight the whole fight from beginning to end so you're left with no excuses. . . . that is what showing heart really is. I love B-Hop and he's still my favorite fighter, but to say McNabb, with his winning playoff record, has no heart because of indigestion is just wrong. Step off the soapbox, please.

Now that I got that out of my system, it's time to look back at the week that was in a segment we like to call "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly".

"The Good" - Last Wednesday was the first day in two weeks that Jay and I were able to get to Ross Commons to shoot stick. We showed up with a small crowd already playing, including one or two guys we hadn't seen in awhile. Just a half hour into the night everyone left to go see some Will Farrell movie that's coming out (gee, where do I sign up for that), so we had the table to ourselves. Staying on the table, playing at our own pace, not having to deal with retards . . . I wasn't complaining, but at the same time I was thirsty for blood. Two weeks ago, I had played so bad and was so out of it that I had to force myself let a couple guys off the hook. Just then, the clouds opened and light shone down on the table, and a voice boomed "Let there be Freshmen!" Wouldn't you know it, the same foursome of freshmen I had let out of my grasp, the same group that had huddled together near the table and watched like outclassed vultures from afar a few times earlier this year, walked up the stairs with cues in hand and asked to play us.

Jay and I gave a smirk and a nod, and we started playing teams against their top two boys. Three games in and we're playing well, and had it not been for a tough game where I had to make circus shots to keep us in it until I had an unlucky scratch on the 8-ball, we'd be sporting a goose-egg in the loss column. With my back turned to Jay sinking a winning shot in the third, I hear the magic words "So, you guys wanna put some money on the next game, maybe $5 a game?" Now I have my policy (I refuse to play for money), so I immediately shot them down. And wouldn't you know it, they started playing a little better the very next game and we realized THESE LITTLE FUCKERS JUST TRIED TO HUSTLE US!!!! The thought of it still makes me piss my pants with laughter. Despite their efforts to mask what little game they had, we crushed all four of them for the rest of the night. By the time they left, they had eked out only one win against us, and on top of displaying our skills throughout, I got my first run in weeks at the perfect time which absolutely broke their spirits.

Mounting the heads of Freshmen on my wall after they try to hustle me in pool, now that's good.

"The Bad" - Immediately following the Freshmen thumping, we drove back to the house. Of course since it was late at night I expected the parking to be at a premium. Well as we're going up and down the blocks, its obvious that there are a bunch of spots around, but people are such idiots that they are taking up more that one spot. I swear, at least 6 times we saw a space from far away, drove up optimistic, only to find that some idiot in an SUV decided he needed six feet of space on both sides of his ride. It doesn't take me long to get frustrated. Finally, I find a spot down near 46th Street.

Or maybe not. In the middle of the spot were two trashcans, an attempt by someone to "hold" the spot for when they returned. At this point I start ranting and raving in a way that would make Dennis Leary cringe. Most people who aren't familiar with this dick tactic would say to just move the roadblocks and park, forgetting that by doing so you risk finding a brick through your windshield in the morning. It's the ultimate act of urban terrorism, making you too afraid of the possible consequences to exercise your right to park. After finally parking about three blocks further than I would have like to, I made the decision to get what little revenge I could: I walked right past that spot and took one of those fucking trashcans. Fuck that guy. You don't want me to park in your spot? Fine. But at least I can make sure to send you on a Lowe's trip to spend $20 to replace your trashcan you fucking asshole.

Committing an act of burglary to seek parking revenge, that's bad.

"The Ugly" - Saturday the house decided to let loose a little, have some people over, and unwind. And what better tools could a college student use to unwind than Natty Ice, Vodka and a little 151. Everyone in the house with the exception of Jay was there, plus Fred, Polish Dave and John's friend Kirk stopped by. Between the funnel, the circle of death, and pong, there was a good amount of laughter going around.

However, there were two major problems that ended the night early without fulfilling all its potential. First, half the people who came over barely drank at all. Fred came on a mission to not relive his past embarrassment and slowly sipped on two beers the entire night, and unfortunately for entertainment purposes, he achieved success. The lamers sat in the living room most of the night and just watched TV. The other problem was that everyone else who drank sprinted too fast out of the gate and collapsed before the finish line. Here's a tip to all you kids out there: pace yourselves.

One major positive though was that I remembered to bring my camera downstairs and captured some of the car wreck that ensued. Either way, it was a fun night. Who says you have to drink to have a good time?Now that was ugly.

And The Nominees Are . . .

So about two months ago, me and my roommates were downstairs, basking in the warm glow of our big screen TV. "Walk the Line" was the movie of choice that night, one that I think very highly of, and I mentioned how it's probably one of the few "love" story movies I actually like because of the acting, story and great music. Fellow movie-enthusiast and housemate Phil agreed, and the conversation eventually landed on a topic that I've contemplated many times over the years: what movies would grace our individual Top Ten All-time Movie List?

Ah, a superb discussion for the ages. Fortunately for Phil and I, we both possess the capacity to take a topic way to far (after all, I am the same individual who took an entire day and listened to countless viewpoints in creating a "Ten Hottest Women" list at the tail end of freshmen year) and go overboard with attention to detail, so I set a deadline for the beginning of November and the ultimate search began.

I'm going to beat some people to the "how you could have _______ on your list and not _______?" and the "you must be autistic" statements with my own little disclaimer. This list is MY list, with movies that I absolutely love and would take the time out of my day to watch. It's also a list that I purposely tried to keep varied in order to reflect most of my movie interests, which is why the list is not overly heavy with one genre. For example, while I'm a fan of the first two Godfathers and also of "Goodfellas", stacking a small list with so many gangster movies would just be overkill. For that reason, some movies that might be on par with others on the list did not make the final cut simply because they were not the best representation, for me, of that type of movie.

So with all the legalities out of the way, I give you my Top Ten Movies of All-Time list, in no particular order.

Patton - Though not his only appearance on my list, George C. Scott probably had his best performance ever as the real life dynamo General Patton in this classic 1970 World War II movie. The action is better than that of most current movies for the simple fact that all battle scenes have real life action, making for some of the most spectacular war scenes in cinema. The idea of the complete warrior, the beauty of battle, the honor of man, all themes prominent on my list, are perfectly shown in this film. Great acting, great themes, great action . . . I can't ask for anything more from a movie.

Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and 2 - A Tarantino flick just had to make its way onto my list, and between "Pulp" and "Kill" I have to choose the latter (and yes, as far as I'm concerned, you count both the volumes as one movie). The theme of the warrior is again present, but this movie is more than just a superb action flick with some of the best swordplay fights I've seen. The attention to detail by Q and the ever present homages to great directors of the past (my boy Sergio Leone most notably; watch a Leone movie before this one and revel at the similarities) make this one kick ass movie. The revealing story of Pai Mei is always a crowd favorite, but the self-induced guilty torture of Budd is probably one of the better, yet lesser appreciated, aspects of this film.

The Hustler - Don't be mistaken, a storyline driven by billiards is only part of the reason this movie makes my list. As I've referenced before, "The Hustler" flawlessly shows what it means to have a passion for something, and does so better than any film I've ever seen. Fast Eddie loves the game so much that it practically kills him, and the lessons he learns through absolute failure about the strength of character translate well to real life. It also helps to have the likes of Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott (his second appearance on my list) , all of whom give Oscar worthy performances. Tremendous acting and supreme character development is all you need to know.

Jaws - It's hard for me to even try and sell you on this movie since just about everyone has probably seen it a thousand times. Overexposure has probably hurt its value to the public, but the truth remains that this movie took our primordial fear of water and manipulated the shit out of it for about 3/4ths of the movie before we even see the damn shark, a fact that has always impressed me. Steven Spielberg really executed this movie perfectly, as did the three primary actors. It's hard to believe that this movie has some of my favorite dialogue in spite of the little known fact that most of the acting was done ad-lib.

Seven Samurai - Yes it's in black and white, yes it's three and a half hours long, yes it's in Japanese, and yes it's more than fifty years old (easily the oldest movie on this list). Frankly, this is a movie that probably no one but myself appreciates, but that's fine with me. The influence of this film and its director Akira Kurosawa, not just on every anime series in the universe, but also on American films, is so wide spread and obvious that it's disturbing. Introducing a primary character through a heroic act not related to the plot, assembling a team of heroes for a specific task, the merging of humor with intense and dramatic action, the budding love between the youngest hero and a local girl . . . these weren't exactly themes common back in the 1950's but I'll be damned if you don't see it in almost everything nowadays.

A Bronx Tale - If I told you that my favorite gangster movie had Robert De Niro, you probably wouldn't be surprised . . . that is until I tell you that he actually doesn't play the gangster. This film is about life lessons learned and how they can be very similar even if from two opposing perspectives. Chazz Palminteri perfectly plays the roll of the "villain" who takes under his wing a young man whose father, De Niro, is a hard working "sucker" who doesn't want his son to grow up like criminals who accept him. Even though the blue collar Dad and the fear-inspiring community Boss don't see eye to eye, both truly have the best interests of "little C" at heart. Probably a more wholesome gangster story than some fans of the genre would like, yet I find this movie to be the best of the lot. Cursing and excessive violence are absent here (despite a late appearance by Joe Pesci), but this movie makes up for it with a great story and very good acting.

Silence of the Lambs - Look, the storyline of this movie, the plot twists and suspense, are all fantastic in their own right. Don't get me wrong. But Anthony Hopkins' absolutely brilliant performance as the cunning and cold psychopath Hannibal Lecter is the main reason this movie makes my list. The term "holy shit" seems to fit well here. Best acting performance of anyone on this list, seriously.

Se7en - For the suspense junky, this movie is definitely one that fucks with your head. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, the ambitious young cop and the rusty dog about to retire, chase down a serial killer using the seven deadly sins as an MO. Turns out that the killer is also one of my favorite actors of all time, Kevin Spacey. Hmm . . . Spacey, Freeman, Pitt; this movie has one hell of a lineup. For a first timer, this movie will grab you by the balls and throw you into one of the most incredibly horrific and intense stories ever. Watching it a second time allows you to appreciate the movie itself even more.

Once Upon a Time in the West - I'm an Eastwood fan who was brought up on the Western, a genre that I think gets thrown under the cultural bus more than it deserves. Sergio Leone is one of the best directors ever (he heavily influenced Tarantino and was influenced himself by Akira Kurosawa, so you can see the family tree of directing on my list), so while I initially thought that "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" was a Clint Eastwood shoe-in as my Western movie, further contemplation led me to pick this one. Another Leone movie to feature the trinity of protagonists, I actually think the acting, plot and cinematography of this movie are better than my Clint Eastwood standard. One of the more valuable aspects of this movie is the great Henry Fonda, normally typecast as the Hollywood good guy, finally showing his true acting chops and playing a despicable and cruel villain, and doing it well.

The Shawshank Redemption - This is a great movie about life. This is a great movie with great actors playing great characters. This is a great movie that keeps you wondering how the heroes could possibly escape this hell on earth until the very end. This is a great movie about how hope can save a man and keep him sane in the face of impossibility. This is a great movie. Period.

Temporarily Out of Service

Awhile back I made the decision to replace my once-a-month updates with more frequent writings; not just what I'm up to, but other shit that I might want to just rant about. You know, like in the good 'ol days of this blog.

"Yea, gotta write more often . . . definitely gonna do it."

Then our internet died. Yup, it happened, what can I say. Came home from work about three weeks ago to find that the entire house was web-less and, what's more, that they wouldn't be able to fix our problem for two fucking weeks. Trust me when I say I can do without the internet, it's really not a big deal for me since I spend most of my time watching sports or taking care of business elsewhere, so I wasn't as devastated as most of my housemates. I figured I'd just get out of the house a little more, maybe try to organize a football game or something.

Then I got sick.

*sigh* Thinking back on it, I can't say it was unexpected. The weather is getting colder, the city is once again flooded with college students from all over, and I'm waking up much earlier every day to go to work. Practically hits me every damn year.

So with my original game plan pushed back a month, I need to take care of current events.

Let's start with an unfortunate oversight from my previous entry. I mentioned how I was coaching our first soccer game of the year by myself and that I would "explain later" why, then I plain forgot. Well, the missing explanation is that I have a new baby sister. "Sister Sarah", as I like to call her, finally arrived on September sixth. Frankly, it's a little nutty having a new sister, especially when you consider that I'm older now than my dad was when he had me. It is pretty cool though as she hasn't gotten on my nerves yet, plus she's a cute kid, so I'm optimistic her approval rating will remain high.

Shortly after Sarah arrived, another little bundle I had been waiting for came: my first paycheck. I was so far in debt and had already maxed out my credit card, so the word "desperation" couldn't do my situation justice. It was also nice to finally reap the benefits of my shitty job. . . . yea, it's official at this point, I don't like my new job. It really isn't even the work itself I don't like as much as it's the people I work with. Not only does my boss give little insight into what my work actually accomplishes, but he assumes I already know how to do everything. My coworkers are no picnics either: one likes to talk about her kid or her cancer recovery/colonoscopy work, and the other is my age yet he can't bother inviting me to lunch with his work buddies. Did I mention that none of them like football, or sports for that matter?Everything else has been on a loop. Soccer games followed by football on Sundays, practice on Mondays, history class Tuesday night, another practice on Fridays before going out and enjoying what little weekend I have. Don't misunderstand me, I love coaching soccer and watching my brothers develop into little soccer studs, and watching football is no chore either, but the fact is that it's all fairly repetitive, week to week.

There is one other thing......

The Dreamcrusher is back! Once a week, team Discovery channel has been saddling up and heading over to Ross Commons to shoot stick. That's right, the pit of nameless Freshmen victims who think they can play pool is once again being replenished. My abilities came back to 100% almost immediately and we've been getting a good 3-5 hours of playing time in each week. Honestly, it's like I'm slipping back into an old drug that I went cold turkey on months ago and it feels good. If you have a deep passion for something like I have for billiards, then you will appreciate the following quote from "The Hustler", a movie that easily finds itself on my top 10 list of movies (don't worry, that will be explained next time):

"I coulda beat that guy, coulda beat him cold, he never woulda known. But I just had to show em, just had to show those creeps and those punks what the game is like when it's great, when it's REALLY great. You know, like anything can be great, anything can be great, I don't care... BRICKLAYING can be great, if a guy knows. IF he knows what he's doing and why and if he can make it come off.

When I'm goin', I mean, when I'm REALLY goin' I feel like a ... like a jockey must feel. He's sittin' on his horse; he's got all that speed and power underneath him... he's comin' into the stretch , the pressures on him and he KNOWS... just feels... when to let it go and how much, cuz he's got everything workin' for him: timing, touch. It's a great feeling, boy, it's a real great feeling when you're right and you KNOW you're right. It's like all of a sudden I got oil in my arm, the pool cue's a part of me. You know, it's uh - pool cue, it's go nerves in it. It's a piece of wood and it's got nerves in it. Feel the roll of those balls, you don't have to look, you just KNOW. You make shots that nobody's ever made before. I can play that game the way... NOBODY'S ever played it before."

If you can understand that, then Sarah Packard is right: you're not a loser, you're a winner, cuz some men never get to feel that way about anything.

One Minute Man

If you are or ever were a college student, you know that a lengthy stint of classes will systematically break you down, mentally and physically. For weeks, months even, I had been looking ahead to the month of September to save me, rejuvenate me and herald the beginning of a profitable and enjoyable work experience.

So did the month live up to it's expectations? I can't help but feel that I'm almost satisfied, and that it could have lasted much longer.

With Drexel not being well known for its bountiful breaks, it was no surprise that I only had a week of time off between the end of classes and the beginning of work. Granted, I'll give you that I had the opportunity to wait an extra week to start, but considering how far behind I am financially, taking extra time off was something I literally couldn't afford to do. Entering the break, I was under the assumption that most people in the house would be around, but quickly discovered the contrary would be the case for most of the "vacation". While a lot of time was spent sleeping late, eating out and doing nothing, I have at least one accomplishment to hang my hat on: the construction of the greatest "built-from-scratch-for-less-than-$300" poker table mankind has ever seen.
Excuse me for a moment while I bask in the soft, warm glow of its legitness. It took me and Phil two days of non stop work, multiple trips to Home Depot (you wouldn't believe how impossible it is to find a set of folding table legs), and a spending spree at Jo-Ann Fabrics that would make Richard Simmons blush, but it was worth it. From cutting the wood out of crazy heavy particle board to padding and upholstering the felt and rails, everything was done by hand and by our hands no less. Once everyone in the house has a little bit of cash, a cash game or tournament will definitely happen so keep your ears open for an invitation.

The only responsibilities I had over my break involved my soccer team. Unfortunately, not only did I net zero revenue from our blockbuster Ticketmaster deal, but the season started off pretty poorly. You may remember me saying last time how I thought our additional preseason work would help us get off to a good start and that some of the new kids to the team were looking better than I thought. Well, I thought wrong. It's not even that our team is bad as much as it is that we're not living up to our potential. I was riding solo in the coaches chair for our first game (I'll explain why later) and we were missing some kids, but we were tied 1-1 at the half and were playing pretty decent. Our demise came in the second half when the other team scored first and everyone seemed to hang their heads and submit. We were unable to practice the following week and didn't have much more success the following game. The kids played much better and finished out the game in a more respectable manner, but we still lost 1-0. It didn't help the following week when kids were goofing off at practice and I "informed" them of my "disappointment".

I'm hoping that we'll be able to look back on this past weekend as our turning point. We switched around a couple of players and we had a full roster to work with. The kids played great (especially one of the new kids who we moved up to forward) and we wound up winning the game easily, scoring seven goals in the process. Hopefully the confidence of a good win will carry over and we can keep playing at a high level because I can honestly say that we would have won our first two games if we had played in a similar fashion.

This win also had probably one of my top big brother/coach moments ever. I always say how good my brothers are at soccer (really, at any sport they play), even though both have very different styles. Before and after our practice on Friday, I was working with Mikey alone because Bobby had a fall-ball game. Basically, I was helping him find his range on shooting the ball because he has a very strong kick for his age, and I wanted him to not only get comfortable with taking shots from further out than everyone else on the team, but also to understand in what situations it works best in. Fast forward to early in the game Sunday, the game is scoreless and Mike is moving with the ball like a man on a mission. He gets about thirty yards out, sees that the defenders have closed the space and cut off any passing lanes, and just rips one to the opposite corner and over the goalies head. He spun around, with a big smile on his face, looked right at me and gave me a thumbs up from across the field as his buddies were jumping around him. Not only was it awesome to see him succeed using the lesson I taught him, but it was even cooler because he looked at me and knew that it was what we had spent time working on.

Ok, enough of the sports talk. Don't worry, I'm NOT going to talk about how good the Eagles look, or that they are in first in the division. I'm NOT going to bitch about the 4th quarter collapse and subsequent loss to the Giants, despite dominating them for three quarters. I'm NOT going to point out that all the other NFC East teams look soft. And I'm definitely NOT going to take the time to share my thoughts about them making the playoffs this year. Nope, definitely NOT going to do that.
Obviously, all this time off culminates with the start of coop. I really don't have a whole lot to say yet, since I've only been working for a little more than a week. The people seem nice, and the work is very interesting but involved. The playful atmosphere from last year isn't here at this place, but maybe that could turn out to be a good thing. Currently, I feel a little overwhelmed, but that's only because they seem confident in getting me right to work and getting me involved in what they do. Maybe I'll have a better idea of what to expect once I get my first paycheck in two weeks.

If only the time between now and then could finish as fast as September did.

Last Chance

Admittedly, the driving force behind me writing this entry is that it's my last chance to do so before the start of a new month, and the idea of limiting myself to once a month just seemed wrong. But before we get started, an announcement must be made: brace yourself emotionally. . . . because the beard of justice is gone.

I'll give you a minute to recover from the shock.

While not having to shave every day was a pleasant change of pace, the fact is that I felt like more effort was needed to keep the beard well kept and clean. Constant trimming above the lip was starting to get on my nerves, and it also absorbed sweat and food like a muther fucker. While I felt like the beard demanded more respect from my fellow alpha males, I wasn't getting the feeling that it was impressing the ladies at all either, and thus the end of the great experiment.

It only seems right that the lumberjack bows out in step with the summer term of classes. Today was, for all intents and purposes, my last day toiling at Drexel until further notice and I'm quite happy about it. Sure I still have a few finals to take next week, but hey, that's next week. Live in the now! And the now says that the unimpressive-sounding "pre-junior" year is over. I would celebrate properly, but alas, I'm poor. No seriously, I have less than twenty dollars to my name. It seems that all my efforts last year to save money were not totally in vain, since I was able to pay tuition, rent and living expenses up until this point, but the well of happiness has finally run out and I am now forced to suffer until I get my first paycheck at my next job. They say that misery loves company, which in this case is my roommates here at the ol' Larchwood estate, but like a new issue of "Maxim" it can only redirect my attention from my pathetic life for so long. Needless to say, I can't way to get to work and start making some money.

Along with starting work (at Johnson Mathey in W. Deptford if I forgot to mention), our soccer season at Audubon will also be getting under way. As far as I can tell, we've used our preseason much more effectively than we did last year, and it feels like the kids are more game ready than I expected. Some key pieces from our success last year aren't there, including our leading goal scorer, but most of our best players are still on the roster and a few of the new kids to the team are actually looking very good. Last year, our team lost one game and tied twice, and while my brothers have been nothing but pessimistic about our chances, I'm starting to think we can match our previous success. Tickets for the games are available at Ticketmaster, so make sure you pick some up before they run out.

The start of soccer season also marks the start of something else: FOOTBALL! Like a dope who drinks the sand because he's so thirsty for water, I've been following every preseason game possible. The Eagles have looked really good so far: McNabb looks better than I've ever seen him, the team has run the ball pretty effectively, and the defense is looking like the hard-hitting, child-eating Eagles defenses of yore. On top of the hype, I was recently reminded of yet another life lesson that I've come away with over the years; always trust the Eagles front office. When everyone thought the Eagles were idiots for not taking big contracts for free agent receivers, the Eagles took everyone by surprise and got a great receiver in donate' stalwartly for next to nothing. For a backup LB and a forth round draft pick, the Eagles added a 4 year veteran receiver who had over 700 yds. and 7 touchdowns on a bad team and who runs a 4.2 forty yard dash. Fist pumps were aplenty when I was told the news.

Speaking of football, I'll close with something that almost no one will care about, except a select few. Two weeks ago, we had our fantasy football draft for our ten team league. We start 1 QB, 1 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, a D/ST and K, with RB usually getting the most points. I had the second pick in our draft, which also meant I didn't have my second pick till the end of the second round. In case you are one of the few people in this world cursed with caring about fantasy sports, here in my team, with the starters at the top. Note the trade bait and depth on my bench, in a ten person league no less. Enjoy.

Shaun Alexander
Eli Manning
Steve Smith
Rod Smith
Jeremy Shockey
Chicago D/ST
Jeff Wilkins

Steven Jackson
Ronnie Brown
Eagles D/ST
Daunte Culpepper
Joe Horn
Kellen Winslow Jr.
Correy Dillon
Chester Taylor
Rodey White

The Pick and Role

I must admit, even I thought I was a little pathetic after my last post. Not in a "awe, what a shame" way, but in a "Jesus Christ, what a whinny bitch" sort of way. But hell, what would I have to write about if I spared others my rants of personal injustices. Whatever, solve the problem, find an outlet and move on.

One thing that has always had the power to pick my spirits up is sports. Watching, playing, anticipating their arrival; it doesn't matter, I love the thrill of competition. Friends have occasionally pointed out my sometimes over-the-top, obsessive nature when it comes to winning, and with a smirk on my face I admit to it. I've always been a firm believer that a competitive spirit is a healthy, sometimes necessary thing, and sports have always been an obvious outlet for that quality which I possess.
Two months ago, the stars aligned and I was in a wonderful dream world where the NHL wasn't confusing and basketball was entertaining again, where soccer had moved from the sideshow to the main stage, and where everything was in that riveting state we call "the playoffs". Hardly a day went by where there wasn't some form of a moving ball seen in HDTV, and in a way I got spoiled. When winners were crowned and the confetti finally settled, I had nothing left to steal my focus away, which may have contributed to my state of frustration.....

Ok that's a stretch, and a thin one at that, but I can't write off the negative effect a sports-less world can have on me. Now I'm finally getting a little of it back. Much to my delight, our soccer season finally started last Thursday. Coaching a sport you love is like a drug, after one hit you're hooked, and I'm finally starting to get my fix. Most of the kids on our 1-loss team are returning this year, plus a few who are moving up from playing in just the rec league. There are 5 weeks between now and the first game of the season, and unlike last year, my dad and I are going to make sure we don't waste our pre-season practices like we did last year. Yesterday, I completed my F-licensing course (which included a lovely five hour practice at 8 in the morning on a Saturday) which means I won't have to dive behind a bush this year when a referee comes looking for coaching passes. Plus, I'm pretty sure I can pick up mad chicks by busting out the license, which is a useful little perk.

Eagles football finally got underway as well with the Hall of Fame game against the Raiders tonight. Never in my life have I ever drooled so much in anticipation of a fucking pre-season football game, but when you find yourself in the sports desert of the summer, you run to whatever oasis you can find. In case you missed it, the Eagles starters were in for about three drives. Here is a quick overview for your convenience:
1. Defense forces a three-and-out with consecutive negative yard tackles
2. McNabb goes 3-3, my boy Reggie makes a grab, and Westbrook is straight up nasty and scores a touchdown (could the run game be making a comeback Andy?)
3. The other 4 defensive linemen introduce Aaron Brooks to the dirt of Canton, Ohio
If I said this made me happy, that would be an understatement. Ok, to use my matra of the past against me, "it's only preseason you twatt", but watching the starters execute flawlessly against fellow NFL starters is encouraging given the situation.

**Speaking of football, our house is doing a fantasy league this year and I'm sadly excited about it. It's been a few years since I've done one, but considering my boredom the last few weeks and my passion for competition, I plan on having a lot of fun with it. How much time have I put into it you may ask? Two words: Excel spreadsheets. My need for a woman is becoming clearer by the minute**

There has been another surprising development that I'd now like to share with you: the NBA is going to be good again. The idea started to dawn on me a few months ago when the playoffs were in full swing and it became clear to me that the old ways of the NBA were coming to an end. That's right, write it down because I'm telling you now, the league is coming back into it's glory. Players like Iverson and McGrady, once lauded stars of a selfish-player style of play that alienated fans and managed only bronze medals are no longer the top of the food chain. Players like Lebron, Dwyane, Elton and Chris Paul are the future of the NBA. And judging by the enthusiasm they've shown for having the opportunity to restore USA basketball to its rightful place in the world, the future of basketball is looking damn good.
Compete to live/live to compete.

Monkey Steals the Peach

This one is for the "squirt".

Over the last twenty one years, I've been able to come up with certain absolute truths. I know the strengths and flaws of my personality, I know that cake and women are both very good things, I know I'm not that good looking, and I know what my priorities are. A final truth that I've discovered, which to this day has never been disproved, is that my life is karmicly balanced; that is to say that I'm not cursed nor blessed, but lie somewhere smack in the middle. As sure as the sun will rise, I know that any fortune I find will be somehow "balanced" later by at least a swift kick to the balls.

Damn it's surprising how often I forget that.

When I last gave an update, things were going pretty well. Sure there were some "personnel" problems with our trip to VA, but that aside, I was having a pretty good time. For a time, the happy train continued on its merry way. Only a week into the summer term, we had a juicy little independence-inspired four day weekend (which for me was a five day since I don't have any classes on Fridays). My sister and I capitalized the only way we know how: heading up north for a lakeside vacation with the family. We don't see our Dad's family that much since they live in New Hampshire, so it was good to see them all and get away from the steadily advancing heat in our area. Swimming, lobster, giant cones of ice cream. . . . All that good stuff.

After a painless trip back home, things stayed good enough. We had a couple of parties/gatherings here at the house, I checked on things over in the Garden state a few times, watched both my brothers pwn in their all-star games. Hell, my dad and I couldn't stop laughing when Bobby (that's right, the little one) not only won the HR derby in Audubon, but then went and smacked one out in a game. And to top it off, my boys, my team, my country, Italy won the world cup! They played a great tournament, had the best defense and goalie, and they were all from the motherland (Cannavaro = 5'9" Italian defender = Me). Sure, the final against France was their worst offensive showing, but great teams are able to win even when they are playing bad, and that's what they did.

Then, well, I guess my intro kind of showed you where this was going.

Avert your eyes if sack-smacking makes you queasy.

I had been waiting to see about my coop for this upcoming term. Last year at RohMax was awesome, and almost immediately after leaving for class, my mind mulled over the idea of not only returning, but seeking employment after college. Hell, my boss Dave said it was "all but a guarantee" that I'd be back. I learned a valuable lesson that I'd now like to share with you all: "All but a guarantee" is NOT a guarantee. Honestly, it's been a week and I'm still in shock. I really thought that as long as the company was seeking a coop that I'd be the best person to hire. I loved the company, tried my best, knew the equipment, knew the work, knew the safety rules and had made some friends, but apparently someone there felt that a different candidate would be best. I suppose that on some level it's my own fault in assuming I had the job instead of maintaining a job search just in case, in not keeping my grades up high, and in taking the word of my old boss. I still plan on trying to find out what led to the hiring of another candidate, if not for peace of mind, then for having something to improve on. I'd like to know what hurt me in the end (was I lied to for six months in people saying I was doing a good job, did I get too comfortable, was it a grades issue, etc), but in the end it doesn't matter and now I have to go through B-round of the coop search.

There's been some other aggravation too. This heat, especially in the city, in a house with no central air, has been making it clear that when it comes to temperature variations I'm still a fucking wimp. I have no desire to leave the house, especially to go jog, which is making me get antsy. My classes, especially my ethics class (where pompous arrogance applied to philosophy reigns supreme), are somewhere between mildly annoying and irritating. On top of that, when I get cramped in a house for an extended period of time, it becomes painfully clear how much not having a girlfriend sucks (or lacks sucking if you catch.... eh, never mind).

Well, I guess Peter Griffin would only have one piece of advice to answer my problems: Grow A Beard. Believe it or not, that's exactly what I've done. If you remember, I wrote in a previous entry how camping would be the motivation I needed to not shave and let it go for awhile, something I've never done in the eight years I've been shaving. Most people who have seen it have been a bit surprised, but I like the way it looks, and unless people are lying to me, so do others. I definitely enjoy not having to perform my morning ritual anymore, and it does make me look older and more lumber-jacky.

I suppose that all I can do now is wait to crest again.

Check the Signs

I know it's been awhile since I last wrote something, but to be honest, that was kind of by design since I knew that I would be pretty busy for a few weeks and figured that I might as well just wait and get all of it out of the way, at once, when I finally had some time. If you've shit yourself waiting anxiously in your computer chair for me, I apologize whole heartedly.

Last Monday, I took this picture of a speed limit sign that was posted at 70 mph, and noticed that in some ways it personifies a little about me. One, it shows that something ridiculous but subtle can still entertain the hell out of me, and perfectly taking the snapshot while going (admittedly) over 70 miles per hour shows my ability to act properly and accurately. I used to think that I was good at noticing the signs, like this one, and in many ways I still think I can pick up subtle things with people and read what actions may be taken (for example, would I have been informed about Mike's party had my sister not been there?). Something happened last week, before me and Jay went camping, that made me re-evaluate though, but I think my problem can sometimes be that I see the signs but hold out if not for sheer faith in people I know. I guess one of my characteristics that I feel makes me strong, loyalty, can sometimes backfire and make me weak. The point of what I'm saying is that I'm done ignoring the signs. . . I can read them quite clear now. . . I won't be holding out anymore. I don't feel the need to name names, sorry to leave everyone else guessing.

Now that I have the bullshit out of the way, let's get down to business, although I'm not too sure to begin. I suppose I'll tie the loose ends and just come out and say it: the USA failed, Big Time. For some people, the USA bowing out (more like flunking out) of the World Cup means you can go back to watching baseball and not caring, but I'm still going to tune in. Honestly, I've been able to watch most of the games since they started June 9th, and for the most part, they've been incredibly entertaining. Hell, even today, I saw Italy move on to the quarterfinals after Totti nailed a last minute penalty kick against Australia when the game was tied 0-0, and then a shootout that saw the Ukraine pass by the tough Swedish defense. There's been lots of great soccer being played, with a more than a few beautiful goals. Referee's aside, it's terribly enjoyable.

What may have galvanized me to the negative reaction across the nation is the fact I didn't have to labor through our countries final game because I was on top of a mountain close to a campfire. After finals finished up, Jay and I got our camping trip underway early last week, and I think it was exactly what we both needed after having our brains fried by academia.

We drove a couple of hours down to Virginia and met up with Jay's dad (the camping guru as far as I'm concerned) at Shenandoah national park. Almost immediately after we pulled up to the campsite, the guru's comment that rain might be unleashed was made a reality, and just as quickly, Jay and I both started having flashbacks of the weak of rainy hurricane-induced hell we went through two years ago on the same trip to the same mountain. This time, however, the rain only lasted a half hour, and we never felt a drop for the rest of the trip. The weather shined every day we were there, and we took full advantage, hiking each day on a different trail. Getting out in the wild isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I always like to get away from the concrete jungle once in awhile and soak in nature's beauty. Damn that sounded gay, but oh well, it's the truth. We hiked the trails, took pictures of waterfalls, breaked for some fly fishing, hung around the campfire, saw the most incredible star-filled sky and cooked up manly food every day and it was fucking awesome. With me, I may always have things on the backburner of my mind, but getting away from it all like I can when camping helps me relax.

Checking out shit like this, how could you not? We got back a few days ago, and while I didn't think I'd be doing much of anything, it turns out that wouldn't be the case. Back home in Jerseyland, Mike's parents, for some unexplainable reason, left Mike in charge of the house while they went to visit family. Mike, his house, by himself, on a weekend. . . . . . I'm sure you can already see the possibilities. Well, Ray and everyone made sure that shit went down, and Saturday I got a call saying I should swing by. It was a good time, especially since I hadn't seen those guys in a couple of weeks. The usual suspects were all there, Joe and Dana in tow, and even Darin and Jenny made an appearance (which is nuts cuz I've seen them maybe twice in the last two years). I even had the honor of being the one that buzzed Jackson's hair into a perfectly cut mohawk. And who says that sober people can't have any fun?

That time of year

I love it and I can't wait for it. For some reason, with the Miami Heat making to the NBA finals, with the Stanley Cup about to start, with the last of my classes to finish this week, and with a vacation and down time on the horizon . . . all I can think about is soccer. That funny little sport that everyone in the world loves but us still has some pull on my heartstrings.

The explanation for this is two-fold. The most obvious to anyone is that the legendary world cup is about to start. The biggest sports tournament the planet has ever seen kicks off (no pun intended) on the ninth of June, and runs for a month over in Germany and pits the top soccer playing countries against each other. Every four years, the hearts of countrymen swell with pride as the cheer on their team on the greatest field of competition the world has ever seen. What is sad to me is that most people here in America are pretty indifferent to the tournament and really couldn't give a shit.
The summer before my senior year of high school I got into watching the tournament, and rooted for our boys to do somewhat well. For a good portion of the last 100 years, USA has been the joke team to play, an easy win on a teams path, but that year was the year it all changed. Not only did the US make it out of its bracket, our team made an incredible showing and was only stopped at the end by the German team of juggernauts. This year we are actually fifth the FIFA standings going into the tournament, with a lot of depth at every position and one of the strongest goalies in the entire cup. Personally, I can't fucking wait.

The other reason that soccer has been weighing heavily on my mind is because the Audubon traveling season will be starting soon. Obviously I don't play anymore, but my brothers do, and as you may or may not remember I was assistant coach last year. It was my first experience coaching at any level, and my first time back to the game of soccer since the end of my senior season in '03. Essentially, I was in charge of re-vamping the team structure, giving us a solid strategy to win, and preparing the kids with different skill drills and instruction of the game. I'd like to think that I was somewhat responsible for our 1 loss season, and our final four appearance in the Thanksgiving tournament. For as long as I could remember, I had always tried to teach my brothers the ins and outs of the game and give them as big an advantage as possible, but last year was my first time passing the knowledge to other kids.

So as you can probably tell, even just catching the faintest scent of a new season is making my mouth water. Registration for the team is already over, and while it currently looks like our team may have a smaller roster, some of the . . . how should I put this . . . "dead weight" that we had on the team didn't bother to sign up. Personally, I'd rather have a solid and well balanced team with only two or three subs over a team with 4-5 mediocre subs. I think the kids finished out the year much stronger than they started it, and us coaches got a good feel for what we need to do to give us the best chance to win and learn about the game. I'm actually much more excited about south Jersey kid soccer than I am about the World Cup. For a few weeks now my brain has been working overtime on pre-season practices, team strategy and direction, roster strength, etc (I think a 3-4-2-1 may find it's way into the works).

Viva el futbol puntas!

Meeting at the Tavern

If it seems like I'm a bit distracted in this entry, I apologize ahead of time, but I'm listening to the new Chili Peppers CD.

Anyway, this week came and went pretty fast. Nothing much happened till Thursday when we finally got a chance to go out to New Deck Tavern and meet up with Jeremy. After meeting 'big red' on campus, we headed on over to chill out and have a good time. They had $2 drafts after nine, which was good for Jeremy and Jay, and then the best part was the half price food, which was good for everyone. We were a little bummed at first since it seemed as though other people had plans and we would only be running three strong, but then we got surprised by the late appearance of Darren and Brian Bobb and things got real good. The food was awesome and the atmosphere was choice, and it was a few hours passed before we finally headed over to AXP to see Darren's underage brother Bubba. I'm actually not certain what his real name is, but the kid definitely looks like a Bubba, and Jay demanded we go say hey to the kid and see what was good (it should be noted that Jay was drinking glass for glass with Jeremy, who can hold his Guinness, so Jay was in another state of mind by this time). By the time we finished up and hobbled back home, it was pretty late at night, but it was definitely something we'll be looking forward to doing again.

We have a nice extended weekend for Memorial Day, and Jay's girlfriend Maria came out this way for the holiday. We went out to Reading to pick her up last night, and then today we all did the standard Philadelphia excursion: take the subway to Sonny's for cheesesteaks, then walk to and explore South Street, turn back north to City Hall and Love park, then a quick trolley ride back to home base.

Now all that's left is to look ahead to the future. Seriously, the last few days have been overshadowed by my anticipation of many things:
1. BBQ at my dads on Sunday, then BBQ at my house with my mom on Monday
2. the term coming to an end in a few weeks
3. camping trip to Virginia for a few days of my "summer break"
4. using trip to Virginia as an excuse to try growing a beard and seeing how I like it
5. heading up to New Hampshire with the family for a few days of lake fun
6. discussing coming back to my old job with my boss Dave
7. seeing how long my now-depleted bank account can last me

Ok, so some of those things are probably too far away for me to be worrying about, but I can't help it so what can I say.

P.S. To all the Jersey boys: have fun down in OBX, enjoy the time off, be safe and don't do anything too stupid.

Takin' Care of Business

You may remember my trip to a Phillies game a few weeks ago . . . you know, the one where we had luxury box seats and almost got a guy fired from his co-op? Yeah that one. An interesting thing that I failed to mention was that I got a phonecall from my Uncle Eugene; interesting because he said him and some NY cop buddies were driving down to Philly to see one of the games of the Mets series and he was wondering if I wanted to go and show them around. I laughed at the irony alone.

Well anyway, they came down last week, just in time for our area to finally get some rain. I took our wonderful public transportation system (no sarcasm, you can't beat free interchange between three different trains for $2) and met up with them at Chicky's and Pete's. They were all a bunch of good guys, real friendly and just looking to have a good time. In the end, the Phillies won after just 4.5 innings of play because the game got rained out. I felt kinda bad for them, but they definitely had a real good time. They are used to Shea stadium, which is a shit hole and where the closest place to get a drink before or after a game is the airport. Coming to a somewhat new stadium with plenty of bars and food places near the stadium was enough to make them cream their jeans. And while their team did lose the game, it was pretty close even at the end with some fantastic plays by both teams . . . hell, the Aaron Rowand catch was probably the best anyone's seen all year.

I knew that the weekend was going to be pretty bleak, with everyone going home for Mother's Day weekend and all, so I figured I'd go check out my brothers' baseball game on Saturday, something I hadn't done in awhile. My sister got back from school for the summer about 10 minutes before the game started, so most of the family was in attendance. Both of them were hitting pretty well, and Mikey was pitching for the first half of the game, which turned out to be unfortunate because when the other team wasn't hitting it to the gaps, our defense kept making errors. Then came the real surprise . . . Bobby pitching!?!? No one could believe it, my dad included. I knew he had practiced doing it before, but this was the first time he pitched in a game. He actually did very well, allowing no runs for most of three innings and only one or two at the end of the game, which really didn't matter since they were losing by a lot anyway. On top of that, Mikey was catching (since the kid can do everything), so we had the "Tegan battery" going on.

While the game was going on, I called Colavita and told him to get his bony ass over since he lives across the street from the fields. After the game was over, we headed back over to his place where I hung out with the "other" family. Not much happened there: grandma and aunt over, telling stories, busting on Mike, dropping icecream in the street, pork sandwiches . . . the usual. Mike and those guys are done with school for the summer, but apparently nothing has been happening (he said he had hung out with people once in the week). Surprising to both of us, Ray gave us a call saying that he was going over to Joe's to "chill". It sounded pretty bland, but hey, it was something to do and an excuse to go hang out, so we headed over.

Turned out to be a decent decision. Flacco was over there when we pulled up, so the five of us were hanging out and shooting the shit. Then Minardi, the worst alcoholic I know, showed up and made things a little more interesting. Then Jackson showed up, minus a Tara, and the good times rolled. It was pretty good since I hadn't seen any of those guys in more than a month, Jackson even longer than that, and I'm never one to shy away from catching up with old friends.
Not too much else going on since then. Kent actually came out yesterday to grill it up with us here on Larchwood. Rachel is done for the summer too, so it was a good excuse to light the grill and entertain (I cook a mean porkchop). All the CS kids here have a lot of homework to finish up, but hopefully we get a football game to happen tomorrow. That's right kids, the knee is healed and I'm itching to get out and play.

Trips in May

In my last entry I mentioned the planned Borgata trip for Friday with my housemates. How'd it go? As Jay and I would later say, it was quite the funky adventure.

Phil drove us all in his car down to AC, which was an event in itself. Why? Well, we were all still pretty sore from playing football on Thursday, and here we were making an hour long drive in possibly the smallest car in the history of the world (so small in fact that my feet were trapped under the drivers seat). Not very fun, but it got the job done. Once there, we rolled into the mythical land of Borgata. Honestly, if you want your casino experience to be a good one, go to the Borgata because it's probably the nicest casino there is.

After admiring the gals and glamour, we headed for the poker room, put our names on the list, and purchased our chips. I got sat rather quickly and then it was poker time, which did not go as well as my last visit. I lost about a third of all my chips on the very first hand when I played my top pair soft and let another player catch up and hit their straight. I bought in for the remainder of my money and just grinded for the rest of the night. My success at that could be summed up with just two words: "cold deck". I kept getting marginally good hands that demanded a call, but they just weren't hitting, and when they did they were never good. I can honestly say that I didn't lose to anything less than trips for most of the night. Bottom pair kept hitting trips, and flushes and straights kept catching on the river. It wasn't till the very end of the night, when I was down to my final $85 out of my starting $300, that my hands started to hold up and I was able to make a few plays and claw my way back to even.

When it was all said and done, I lost about $30, really not bad at all considering the abysmal cards and beats I was getting. By the time I left the table, it was almost two in the morning, and Phil, John and Jason had already left for Philadelphia. Jay and I found our way to the bus terminal and grabbed the first bus heading home. After meeting and seeing a few rare characters, we arrived in Philly around three in the morning and hailed a cab where we listened to our Nigerian driver complain about American black people, which was hilarious. I wouldn't say the trip was a success for me (although John, Phil and Jay won some money), but it was still fun as hell.

On Saturday, a few of us went to King of Prussia to eat and the Cheesecake Factory and stop over at Bestbuy, where Sundje used his cunning ninja skills to convince me to buy that digital camera I've been wanting for probably two years now. Aside from tossing around a football or baseball, not much else happened this weekend. Here's a couple of pics if you haven't seen my house or my room here in Philly yet, enjoy.

Play Ball

So I'm at class on Wednesday when I get a phone call from Jay asking if I wanted to go to the Phillies game that night. I haven't been to a game since last year, and with the Flyers eliminated from the playoffs (no I don't want to talk about it), I thought it might be fun to go. He said he friend Dimitry got the tickets, and I figured we'd be up in the nosebleeds somewhere. Oh how wrong I was.

Basically, Dimitry has a friend in his frat that works for the Phillies on his co-op, and he got us Luxury suite seats right behind home plate. The suite was awesome: there was an area with couches and an HD TV, we had our own private bathroom, and then there was the balcony where we could watch the action on the field. When our suite manager set up a free buffet with wings, dogs, beer and soda, we knew we were in for a good time.

What's even more incredible is that his buddy got us a voucher worth $500. At some point in the fourth inning, with our stomachs full, we decided to walk around and see what we could do. After getting a few little snacks, it was inevitable that someone would eventually ask the million dollar question: "can we use this on merchandise?" We asked around about what voucher money could be used on, and a couple of employees gave us the go ahead, so we made a bee line for the Phillies store on Ashburn alley. We bought about $150 worth of hats and #1 foam fingers, and at that point we were on cloud nine.

Then it got interesting. Charly (yes that's how it's spelled, his asian mom loved Charlie Sheen but couldn't spell a lick) decided he wanted a hat too, so they went back inside and tried to get one. Well they went to a different cashier, one who didn't believe what the computer was telling her about the balance on the voucher. Long story short, we went through a two inning ordeal where they took back our hats and Dimitry's friend almost got in trouble, but everything worked out fine. In all honesty, the kid was an idiot who was trying to show off his power by getting us the funny money coupon. If you give people free food at a sporting event and then give them a piece of paper that's worth $500, they are gonna try to spend it. But everything worked out, and no one got in trouble. We made our way back to our suite, slightly deflated, but still having a good time, and proceeded to watch the Phillies come back against the Braves and win. It was definitely the most fun I've ever had at a Phillies game.

Yesterday was a lot of fun too. I've been a lazy bum for the last, oh . . . 3 years, but my housemates and I went over to the park near us and played some two hand touch football. It was hot and the field was dusty, but it was hella fun. Turns out that even though I'm out of shape, my speed and quickness never went away, which was good news to me. My endurance isn't what it used to be though, so I was dead tired afterwards, but so was everyone else. Our friend Sundje is a speedy ninja who did track in HS, and his tank never seemed to run out, but it was a good battle with him all day. Jay and Phil were on my team, and we won the game by a pretty sizeable margin. We all agreed that we should try to play at least once a week, since it's a good work out and a lot of fun.

Tonight we're all going to Atlantic City to test our luck at the Borgata. Wish me luck.

The Draft

Let me paint you a picture. What if you were a fan of a football team who went from being the best to being the worst in just one season. Heartbroken, you witnessed countless players succumb to injury while an egotistical jackass ruined the team chemistry from within. Hopes of back-to-back Super Bowl appearances were crushed as you watched helplessly from home as your football heroes fell into the realm of mediocrity. After the cursed season was finally over, the coaching staff you trust signs a couple of players who look like they will fit well with the team, and your hopes start to rise again. Despite criticism about not signing the flashy or "big" names, you know that certain needs were addressed, and that all your team needs now is a good draft to translate into success. You wait anxiously to see if your beloved team will be able to get at least ONE of the two players they have targeted as top prospects.

Now imagine they get both.

Isn't it beautiful? It's almost as if you can feel the warm light of a winning season already beginning to poke its way through the dark clouds of a bad 2005 season. Like Bob Ross from "The Joy of Painting", I have to just stand back for a bit and admire the fantastic brushstrokes of head coach Andy Reid and GM Tom Heckert's draft masterpiece.

If you're confused, I apologize for getting ahead of myself. Going into Saturday's NFL draft, I knew (and prayed) that the Eagles would address one of two concerns: a pass rushing/run clogging defensive tackle, or a large and talented offensive lineman. In the first round, Brodrick Bunkley (arguably the best DT in the draft) was still available at pick #14 and the birds got him. Then early on in the second round, the Eagles traded up and got Winston Justice, a nasty OT from USC with a lot of size and upside. The Eagles wanted at least one of these two players, and by the grace of God himself they got both. So to say I'm happy is a giant understatement.

Would you believe people still say that Reid drafts poorly? The Eagles also traded up to get an absolute stud LB/DE who was easily the best division I-AA player in the country, recording over 23 sacks his senior year. They also drafted a nice OG and two talented WR whose stocks dropped for unknown reasons. Add another solid DT and LB and . . . oh God, I'm sorry, I have to go clean up.

Was I surprised by how well the draft went? In some ways I was. I've always had faith in the Eagles franchise, and I'm quick to defend the coaching staff for any player decisions they make because they've always been the right moves. But I never expected them to do so well in the draft, and I don't think they expected it either.

Like the Eagles, my hopes are flying high, and all I can do now is wait for the Eagles to once again march down the road to victory.

E - A - G - L - E - S , EAGLES!!!!

Downshift

The last few weeks have really been a whirlwind, as you can tell from my last post, but I've finally reached a bit of a lull in the action and I'm pretty thankful for it. Keeping busy is great, especially when I look back at all the time I wasted last year, and I hope that I can keep being sociable while learning and getting things accomplished. At the same time, everything has been moving a little too fast for me and I need a minute to 'catch my breath'.

Last weekend I did the whole fishing thing on the first day of trout season. Jay and all those Birdsboro boys are real pros at that shit, and my skills paled in comparison. Trout fishing is way different than what I've been used to, since you try to cast a tiny, light weight hook with a little food on it upstream of a trout (that you usually have to spot), and maneuver it so it drifts right in front of the target. Needless to say, it's a hard thing to do and I was fairly unsuccessful at it (in a "didn't catch any" sort of way). But it was fun getting outside for a day and hiking out in the wild with a bunch of good guys to hang with, so I have no complaints. In fact, I'll probably try to go again with them in the next week or so.

Aside from classes, all that's happen since the fishing excursion has involved the family. My uncle Keith, his family, and my Grandma came down for Easter. I've gone to see a few more of my brothers' baseball games (gotta support the 'boys), and actually I met Mike's girlfriend which was kind of funny. And then today I met my sister at some pasta place in the city for lunch: she had a fieldtrip for her major to Philadelphia and went to eat after they did what they needed to do. Her and her hot friend didn't get to hang around for long (the group had to head back to Lockhaven right after eating) but it was still something to kill the boredom.

So what lays ahead of me? Not much right now. School work is essentially done for a couple of days, and I don't have any major plans for this weekend like I have for the last few. I foresee some "hanging around", sprinkled with a little "sleeping in late" in my future. Maybe I'll call around to see what everyone is up to, or maybe I'll just say "fuck it."

Two Weeks

A lot has happened since my last entry. A combination of forgetfulness and business has prevented me from taking some time to get on here, but today is my "easy" day of classes. That's right, I'm back at school baby!!!!

. . . Actually, I'm not THAT excited about it but it is a big step. I'm officially half way done my college career and only have a little over two years of fake work before I graduate and attempt to make a healthy living with real work. Now that I've been taking classes for over a week I have a good idea of how this term is going to shape up, but now I'm getting ahead of myself. I really do have a lot to get to, so enough with the bull shit.

Around the time of my last entry I was already moving into my new house. New might be an overstatement, since it's pretty old, but that's not to say it doesn't kick ass. I got my own room on the third floor of a giant house in Philadelphia, right on Larchwood street. If your not familiar with the 4400 block, it's just west of the UPenn campus. To sum it up as short as I can, the house is big, the property is welcome, the neighborhood is incredible (no bums or crack houses around, it's like the fuckin' Cosby's here), and the BBQ is on full blast. Aside from becoming master of the BBQ (which I built btw) and taking on the role of handyman, I've been settling down in my new room. I'm really happy with my setup and only need some sort of couch or futton to call it quits. Jay is down the hall and we get our own bathroom. A small fridge in another room stocked with soda and I'd be willing to call it a slice of heaven. The long walk to classes is really the only downside, but considering we're paying half of what we would living on campus and that we walk through Penn's campus to get to Drexel, it's a small price to pay for what we get here.

This term should be pretty good. All my classes are Chemistry geared (that's right, I'm out of the TDEC program for engineers thank GOD), and I have a good feeling on how I'll perform. Yet again, thermodynamics is leading the way in toughness, essentially taking up two courses, but the organic chem class is pretty cake and the lab is ridiculously easy considering what I've done my last two co-ops. What I'm really saying is that I have no excuse to not do better this term/year, so I guess we'll just wait and see.

With all this going on, you'd think I haven't done anything else worth mentioning, but you'd be wrong. On the 7th we had our first Atlantic City trip and it was awesome. Me, Jay and Keyur all went to the Borgata and took a seat at the $1/$2 NL game. It was cool because me and Jay actually got sat next to each other, so I didn't feel as intimidated. Honestly, I think me and Jay were the best two players at the table. I bought in for 160 and grinded out for a few hours to get to over 360, never really making any mistakes (actually, I don't think I really lost more than three pots over a 2 hour period).

Then came the hand of all hands: I, John Tegan, got dealt Pocket AA, got it all in against a guy with KK, and LOST when he hit his trips on the flop. A pot that was over $700 went sliding to a player other than me and I was crushed. But I rebought, told myself I just had to grind it all back, and eventually did. Not only did I win a $360 pot later on against the same player when I had trip Kings and he had two pair, but I would then continue winning and eventually cash out +$250 profit on the night. It was a lot of fun, got to hang with some good people, and get out of my element for the night.

Other things have been happening too. We met up with some old buddies at Brownies last Thursday for billiards and socializing, I saw my brothers opening-season game where they won and Mike pitched two innings for 4Ks and just one hit (no ER either), and just now I returned from an inaugural trip to Dave and Busters to celebrate Mr. John Wesley Buffington III's birthday.

Lot's of good things have been happening, and there is no end in site. Should be an interesting year.

Freedom

Last Friday was my last day of work, and the official beginning of my "spring break". It's not a glamorous break, but a necessary one before classes start up again.

Now that coop is over, I can look back and definitely say that it was a great experience. The people I worked with were really nice and friendly, and the company was a good one to work for. In fact, I already talked to my boss Dave about coming back there for my next coop, and it looks like a very very good possibility. In all honesty, I could really see myself working there after I graduate.

Having said that, it is definitely nice to have a week off without having to work or go to class. Saturday I took my brothers to see where I'll be living in the city, and then we met up with my Mom to go eat a cheesesteak at Sonny's. After I took them to Jersey for baseball practice, I went out to Rowan to hang with Mike and Ray. We drove around for a bit and Mike bought some CD's. After rooting for the Flyers and watching them own the Senators, we chilled at Joe's room. We even got the good 'ol N64 up and running, at which point I regulated (granted, my opponents happened to be blazed, but who cares about the details).

Jay and his dad swung by on Sunday, and we both were able to get most or all of our furniture over into our new house. It was a pain in the ass since some of the shit was heavy and awkward, AND we had to go up two flights on a spiral staircase, but we got a lot of work out of the way which was definitely a good thing.

Last night was my Dad's birthday, and we went to Outback for dinner. feel like I'm in enemy territory there from working at Lonestar all that time, but I put myIt's funny because I still differences aside for a steak. I got the Prime Rib and it was banging, and my dad treated himself to a porterhouse, which looked really good. By the way, if someone could let me know what two pieces of meat make up a T-bone, I'd really appreciate it. I know the one part is the NY strip, but what's the other part? It was one of those stupid things I couldn't remember, which REALLY bothered me.

So what's the rest of my break looking like? Well, I'm hoping to get my carpet, computer desk and curtain rod out of the way by tomorrow, and start getting some of my other shit over there. Another NJ trip will probably happen, as long as the Rowan guys have some free time. I'm still trying to contact the elusive Dana, but we'll see if that happens. Basically, I got no plans, but any time off is good time off.