September 16, 2011
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The Daily News1 It's Frideeeeeeeee!
2 So this one's gomeby pretty short. A lotta this you've already seen.
3 I notice that everything summer seems to have finally disappeared from the shelves.
4 Looked to me this year as though they prolonged it beyond measure STILL saw lawn furniture and sunscreen on bargain tables. Times must be tough, even for the conglomz.
5 I looked out in my yard and it still looks pretty, but a lot of the summer flowers have gotten dry in areas, and many others seem disinterested in staying strong.
6 I'm not sure if it's because I have less time, or if it's the weather, but it all looks ready for "winterizing". In mid-summer, everything looks so pretty and lush. Fountains stream in different corners of the yard, birds bathe in anything remotely resembling water, and butterflies alight gently on the dew-dropped zinnias.
7 And Midsummer is capitalized.
8 Yesterday morning I walked outside to get the paper. For the first time in around eight months I caught a true winter chill. It drilled me, turning me into a blue skeleton for a zap. Once I ran back inside, I cartooned back to my purty self.
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10 AnywayZ it seemed the definitive day yesterday. A few leaves scattered on the lawn, so it didn't really have an October feel quite yet, but everything outside told me that we're finally settling in, that the mugginess and unreality of the dog days are vanishing at a rapid rate.
11 In many ways, it is nice. Things seem to be turning back to normal.
12 Last year I had the pennant race to keep me occupied during all of this. This year I watched the Giants turn stupid. Suddenly they win five games. I'm not a quitter as anyone knows, but to me, it's too little, too late.
13 That team became scandalous around a month ago. So I'll say it's nice to see them winning, but the picture of Bill Neukom in this morning's Merc News spoke volumes.
14 They really were pretty broken in half physically, but they bought WAY into a self-fulfilling prophecy that they were in a funk, or a slump, or whatevs.
15 Anyone who has ever followed the game knows that a slump that lasts an entire season isn't a slump. At some point, they bought into their own agony. There's a back story to this entire season, and I'm not so sure I ever really want to know.
16 But it didn't cost them too much. Just some incredible pitching talent that most certainly won't stay with a team that refuses to hit or work hard for all their amazing efforts.
17 And the price of a small sofa at Ikea, since they won't be needing new thongs.
18 Anyway, if they turn it around I'll still support them. I have supported them since the day I was born. I worked in their organization for a bajillion years. I just didn't appreciate watching some guys sitting around making excuses while the truly talented carried the load.
19 I see that in school a lot. We do grouping, and some groups get guys who make every excuse in the book not to step up and get the work done while others perform, and work hard to carry these guys.
20 But our pitchers should all win MVP's, because they are some of the best I've ever seen, and they didn't deserve the laziness and excuses put out by the Huffs, the Cabrera's, the Ross's, etc. Not that I'm pointing any fingers.
21 Welp, they've now won five straight, which will feel good when they have their feet up on their Ikea sofas enjoying October baseball with beer and brats.
22 At least the weather is starting to behave. I can focus much more accurately on classes, and on moving past Back-to-School Night, which takes place next Wednesday. After that, ghost time, an annual ritual that now possesses me.
23 Yesterday's cold spill worked. It felt like a bucket of ice water sifted through me. I shook it off like the family dog, and now I'm ready to play.
24 So yeah, today's DN gomeby pretty short.
25 I have a lots of stuff to do, so I'm gonna tack a few more words and then bow out gracefully.
26 The weather is going to do one more upside-down, rightside-up before next week, so prepare for it.
27 Just don't believe the heat.
28 Dead bats don't suddenly emerge from dead caves.
29 Yesterday's cold drenching told me that in the darkness of the early morning.
30 But it's nice to know that life is moving on, and rapidly.
31 So I'm outta here.
32 You guys have an awesome weekend and we'll see you Monday.
33 Peace.
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