I Suck

This is the general concensus on me this week. Apparently one is supposed to be able to grill in the dark on a relatively new grill, and everything be perfect. I am also supposed to clean up stuff regardless of if I got it out. Whatever happened to the cook doesn't clean rule? Yeah, and I guess I am terrible becuase I bitch about insurance companies who are trying to mail statements to an address that is two years, and three locations old. Sorry I wasn't in the best mood after a 14 hour day when I read the general stupiditiy placed in front of me. And to try and hold off a solid five minutes before talking any form of shit doesn't cut it. Don't fake being nice or giving me a chance to unwind...if you are going to bitch, type it up and place it on a note on the door so I know what I am walking in to, though it is expected these days. Beforwarned though, go ahead and get prepared for the not so gracious response you are about to receive. If I choose to eat dinner in my room and watch a different program than what has been commandeered to the living room...let it go instead of making smart ass remarks that you may think I can't hear just because I don't respond. You probably don't want my small talk anyway. I've been nice and rather accomodating and it's pretty much up. Some shit is going tochange and if people don't like it, there isn't much they are going to be able to do unless they hole up in their own rooms orlearn to cope. When people have shitty weeks and lots of stress, give them some space and let some shit slide. It's not because they think they are any better and don't have to do things, it's because, quite frankely, the piddly shit you have been dwelling on at the gym or while you have been sitting on your ass the last 3 hours is so far down the priority list that it might be seen next week. If what ever your little issue may be, is so important, then handle it so you don't have to cope. Otherwise let it go and hope the favor will be returned when positions are reversed. Constant harping will do nothing but bite you in the ass later.

Quality Music

The new Coldplay song "Fix You" is awesome. I will have to give "props" to Skippy for pointing this song out to me earlier this summer after the album had been released. I'm glad to hear it on the radio as the slackasses I live with haven't burned me a copy of the CD yet.

One of my Favorites

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. Its been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But, baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and could be again.

Total Frustration

The past two weeks have brought us back to a place that many Tiger fans would have been happy to see a month ago. Coming out of one of the more grueling opening month schedules in D-1 with a 2-2 record. That is fine, but my frustration lies in how we got there. Open the year with a heart stopping performance in the final seconds to overcome a 4th quarter deficit in front of a raucous crowd at home. Good job Tigers 1-0.
Next, we go on the road to a typically well coached MD team, and without the aid of the crowd, pull out another 4th quarter comeback and show the folks at ESPN, hey, we don’t have to be at home to win a close one, especially being on TV. 2-0, we have a little momentum now.
Week 3, “The U” comes to Death Valley for the first time and experiences a rumble and shake that I haven’t heard even at past USuCk and FSU games in the Valley. A heartbreaking loss but with all the same heroics as the previous games including a 4th quarter comeback. Some streaks, such as OT wins, are just meant to be broken. 2-1 (and not a shabby 1) still looking good. Tweak out a few errors and we may really have something.
Week 4, what the hell happened to us? This is one of the poorest all around efforts I have seen in a while. Granted, expecting to come out of the stretch at 3-1, which many people started doing after A&M, was a little over zealous but hey, think positive. My problem begins with the coaching staff this week though. It’s like we jumped in a Delorian and went back to Tommy West football a-la 1997. What happened to our offense? Running between the tackles with 9 men in the box? I don’t care how good Merriweather and Davis have looked, it ain’t gonna work folks. Running 3 yard routes on 3rd and 6…..um, I think I know why we didn’t convert ANY of them. It just looked like the coaches were the ones still asleep this game. Oh, and we threw one pass longer than 15-20 yards. Too bad WE COMPLETED IT AGAINST SINGLE COVERAGE THAT WAS THERE ALL DAY! We won’t talk about clock management just before the half, when 25 yards puts us in J. Dean range and we do nothing to go at it. The coaches can say all they want about missed assignments and the like. It happens, but don’t go pushing the blame on them because you didn’t have enough intestinal fortitude to challenge them to make a decent play. I can’t say enough about the defensive play. The coaching here was lacking as well, the players did there job for the most part. Why do we have coverage playing 12 yards off the line on 3rd and 4 for the other team. Do we like giving them the first down? I was somewhat unimpressed by our tackling as well. You aren’t going to arm tackle D-1 running backs, especially when everyone is soaking wet in 90 degree heat and a little on the slippery side. To give up only 10 points, all early to boot, though is quite an achievement. Too bad they spent well over 10 minutes longer in the field than the opposition’s D. And my final frustration…the crowd. Have you not noticed the D thrives on your noise? You could have conducted Sunday morning service in their half the game. I saw more empty lower deck seats than I care to admit as well. It was hot, yes. We gave a lot last week, yes. Do you lay down and be quiet just because the coaches are dropping the ball? NO! Get fired up, and be the teams motivation when those in charge aren’t getting it done.
Here’s hoping we go to Winston, put it on the Deamon Deacons like a top notch football team should and that a few fans (I know there are plenty of alums in NC, SC, and VA all within three hours) make the trip get behind our guys. We can get this thing rolling again and run through the rest of the conference schedule and see where it puts us. We may come out on the other end quite surprised.

Fore

The JD count quietly broke four last night with a junior also on the shelf. We still have a good two weeks before the three month mark hits, and this is a slow time in the aprt as we spend the weekdays recovering from weekends out of town. If this pace can be held through October (several road trips planned), watch for an explosion when the weather cools and the traveling decreases.

Just in case

DEEEEEEEEZ NUTS! DEEZ NUTS! DEEZ NUTS! Thought y'all may have been missing your recent dosage. That is all.

Hoarse and Sunburnt

These are the two most evident repercussions I have to show after this weekend. What was going to be a simple day trip for what was expected to be a great game became a full blown party and weekend to remember. After a couple beers and a phone call by Poot to find out what is tailgating food assignment was, we made a not-to-hard decision to pack up and take off. Free lodging was available and for a game like this, we were crazy not to take up the offer. Clemson arrival time of 9:30 in the downtown parking garage…what a great addition to the town. TTT wasn’t quite what I was expecting but I still ran into a few people I knew. The usual crowd had a various reasons for not being there…it is starting to get obvious we are getting old. Hard partying the night before a game is becoming less and less of a priority, even for me, as this wasn’t even planned. Hada good time, got some sleep and was in the back of Agent Orange’s cousins ride by 10AM. Tailgating officially started around 11 as we had to get the coordination down with the location holder. Grabbed a beer at the Esso before hand. I like the changes though I didn’t realize that had been done for so long. 3:30 rolls around and I was part of the 80+ ready to rock and roll. GREAT GAME. Too bad the Tigers didn’t come out on top. I’ll take the game though. Anytime you perform like that, have your facilities and crowd displayed for the entire nation and put up the fight we did against a widely recognized national power, you can’t complain. It should also keep us from getting the big head for the next two weeks as the schedule doesn’t exactly weaken too much. Post game was a cluster. TTT was dead. Bummed a ride to Esso with Poot, stayed there and ran into a fair amount of folks I knew. Good times though I didn’t get to see my new favorite bartender in Clemson. Oh well. Yesterday was all recovery and the voice is still in and out this morning. I am also on a steady diet of Advil, water, and aloe lotion. It was fun but damn I hurt. Forth football season as a grad. Getting old sucks.

Diplomas

I am officially rewarding two degrees today. They are each a B.S. in Hortoneese (trust me, it is a fine science, not an art). Mr. Bradley T. Rochford (Asshead or Agent Orange) and Mr. Michael E. Oberg (Poot) are receiving these diplomas in recognition of their outstanding skills in interpretation and translation. One day, I hope they take these honors and begin the education of others at a higher level. Once the Wha Center for Appalachian-American Speech is open, they will receive their directors positions if they so choose to accept the challenge of educating others. Congratulations Gentlemen.

Also, apologies go out to Agent Orange as he earned his degree years ago but it wouldn't be right to allow him to graduate early or on time, or through any respectable medium outside a blog or hot dog stand.

Disaster Relief

To all those people who feel that it is their duty to speak out against the govenment and the efforts that have been made to aid those in need, do me one favor. Before landblasting the current administrations, please do the following: First, disclose the amount of funds, relief aids, etc, that you have donated or peronsally raised for the efforts. Second, think about what good your comments are really making? Are they getting anything done? Probably not, well at least nothing more than creating another headache, and question to take time to answer, when the folks in charge already have plenty to do. Third, remember that most of the dingbats were given a weeks notice to get out. If you were so concerned about them, why didn't you go pull them out BEFOREHAND? Forth, if the government is so poorly run, why don't you run for office and try to fix it. Oh that's right. You have, and those with more than half a brain voted to make sure you didn't get in. Now go back to these churches you are supposedly reverends at, assuming you can find them, and do something good....like gather donations of food, water, and clothing instead of TV cameras and liberal reporters.

Assistance Please

This is a serious and urgent post. I have spent parts of each day this weekend dicking around with my computer, at least between football games when Iw as supposed to be using it for strudious purposes. It seems that in rebooting it to pick up our wireless network some files went misplaced and it wouldn't even reboot. I have tried repairing it from my origianl XP disk but nothing seems to owrk. Even last night, I told it to reformat the drive and reinstall. I don't have the equipment to pull it off apparently. Now I need you, the residents of Whatown's help. Anyone with an XP disk please hook me up. I have my old code, and even Service Pack 1 on a seperate disk, but my regular bootup doesn't seem to have what I need anymore. I gotta get this thing running or my grad school groups are going to thoroughly dislike me. Let me know what can be done. I will try and get one from the office as I do have the code as mentioned but it doesn't look so good on that horizon right now.

And the Winner Is...

Bowman....I have to give it to you Brad, the best one yet and fits my procrastination style well. Heismann just doesn't roll off the tongue so well. For your efforts you win (drum roll) well I don't know yet but plan on bringing a decent cup to drink it from this weekend.

The Roaming Gnome

Well, my traveling gnome has taken up shop on the mantle. He hasn't even received groans from architecture boy. The orange has something to do with it and we have all this random other stuff in a collage up there so he kinda blends in I guess. I plan to take him to games as once you bring a gnome ot a game, and hte Tigers win, they must return until the streak is broken. I will be wearing the same shirt as well, so be prepared. Back to the gnome though. He needs a cool name. I like the idea of searching through some old historic names realted to Clemson. Frat Club names are welcome for the lamb chop readers out there but I think the Clemson idea is better. I may call him Heismann...the inner jock coming out maybe? R.C. wouldn't be bad either as Death Valley would be reminiscent of N'awlins' without him (no offense to those in the trajedy meant). I am open for suggestions though. It's kinda like naming a dog, but having a reason other than "it sounds cool." As soon as I get a digital camera to track his journeys he will be traveling with me. (Mom, Dad, Santa Clause, are you listening?) I aim to have a Quarterly picture block in Clemson World at some point where the travels of Clemson Gnomes are featured just as IPTAY handkerchiefs are displayed in the O&W. Anyway, give me a hand, I may even award the winner, and we all know what one of my favorite incentivisors is, if anyone can beat the two listed above.

Damn It

First we lose John Denver, great musician, to a plane crash. This was several years ago as most of you know. Now the only other Denver worth a crap has left us as well. Bob Denver (Gilligan from Gilligan's Island) passed away today at 70. That sucks!

Good Stuff

I would post a long blog about this weekend but you, the readership, were all there and playing along. I styaed "on my feet" so to speak as opposed to last year so I remember pretty much everythign that went on. I hope everyone else had as good a time as I did. Somethign funny happen that I just wasn't around for (like sinking the dock with all of 4 people)? Post it so we can all laugh and laugh.

Proverbs 26:11

As a dog returns to it's vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

On a roll tonight

Three things:
An executive decision has been made that I will not be pulling a boat to Clemson at $3 a gallon. We have a dock, a cove and I will bring things for people to float on and a football. No point bringing something that will cost me an additional $50 bucks just so we can float above water in the middle of the same cove. We aren't even staying close to campus with regards to the part of the lake and I have no clue where the nearest public access landing is. That's a round at the Walker course and much less hassle!
I have now fully come to the realization that Ron White's comedy can be applied to most any situation or conversation about stupidity that occurs. Two days ago, on the way to lunch, a coworker (Clemson grad that I get my tickets from) was talking about the morons in Louisiana that stayed put during the hurricane then wanted rescued. First, and this is just my personal comment, what a great way to weed out some of the gene pool. Second, the immediate thought that came to mind was Ron's comment about the gentlemen in Key West, tying himself to the tree. Ron said and I quoted "It's not that the wind is blowing. It's what the wind is blowing." Unfortunately no one knew the joke, not even the moron warehouse manager who has seen the video a few times. A minute or two later Clemson coworker made a comment about getting smacked by a street sign. I wanted to say something about it being in your spleen, but knew it wouldn't matter.
The first two CD’s of the Wha and Poot’s greatest box set of the last 35 years has been downloaded/ripped and sorted. They will be burned tomorrow and available for your listening pleasure during the tailgate. We will be exploring the some of the best the 60’s and 70’s has to offer with disk 1 and Southern Rock with a splash of Country on disk 2. Expect to see disk 3 – 80’s music that will rock your cock off, pre-Miami. We may even be able to throw together some of your 90’s favorites or a disk of “this is good shit but which disk should it be on?”