Picture Show

Just some pictures from the recent huge Nor'easter from Fishers Island and the cutest video EVER.

These shots are from Silver Eel Pond, where the ferry arrives. The water usually isn't this high.





----

Now this is quite simply the cutest video I've ever seen (aside from any Payton stars in.)

Jackie Robinson Day

I'm not going to write a long-winded write-up on Jackie Robinson. I most certainly can't do justice to him or his accomplishments. I will simply try & share some personal thoughts.

As a history buff and a sports fan, I'm fascinated with Jackie. His courageousness helped change not only the face of sports, but of America. He started the civil rights movement, which unfortunately had to be started. This is nothing new. Everyone should know this.

I don't think a big enough deal could be made with regards to Jackie's accomplishments. I thought MLB did a fantastic job this year, but would like to see a celebration every year.

A quick nugget to touch on his nobility. His plaque at the Hall of Fame makes no mention of his breaking the color barrier. This is his doing. He wanted people to know that he earned his way to the Hall of Fame based on his baseball skills, not his social achievements.

I'm also a big fan of his widow, Rachel. She lives right down the road in Salem, CT, and I would go to great lengths to be able to meet her someday.

In the meantime, I'll re-read his autobiography and wear his jersey proudly. Thanks Jackie.

**Here's a great feature on Jackie from the Philly Inquirer.

Taking Out the Trash

- That title is my lame attempt at trying to be creative. This will be my standard post title when I have no general theme and just want to post a bunch of nonsense. Even if you hate it, at least I didn't rip off Mike DiMauro, right Mike? :)

- I attended a wake tonight for an old acquaintance. He died unexpectedly the other night. It was obviously horrible and the weather while waiting to enter the funeral home was almost scripted. A cold drizzle fell into a sharp wind. Thankfully I was near the front of the line when the doors opened. The same can't be said for the hundreds of people who lined the street. Let's hope that's the last wake I'll have to attend for a long time. RIP Mike...

- I'm amazed at how quickly this whole Imus thing escalated. It went from an afterthought last week to a firestorm today. At least the story is a little more relevant than the Anna Nicole mess, which I paid zero attention to. I find it quite funny how MSNBC & CBS Radio make it seem like they made a moral decision when it boils down to cash, plain and simple. They were happy to release statements and then suspend him until the advertisers started pulling out. CBS should've at least waited for the radiothon to end before pulling the plug. Who knows, maybe this will help raise more money.

- I could listen to Penelope Cruz talk all day.

- I'm watching "The Andrea Doria" right now. "GEORGE: Oh, right! (Shakes her hand) Right! Hey, hey.. I love the floors in here. It's like a gymnasium in here! Try and guard me! (Dribbles an imaginary ball)." I love me some Seinfeld reruns.

- There's waaaaay too much Easter candy lying around here.

- This site will be down a reader next week. Have fun at Disney World Eric!

- Some things to look forward to here in the coming days:
Some thoughts on Jackie Robinson Day
Maybe a few more Top 20 Lists
Current TV show patterns

- Remember, you can always keep tabs on me by following my Twitter page.

Virtual NBA... Fantastic?

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to take over a team in an NBA 2K7 online league. I had requested to be in the league when it started, but all the teams were taken. Once the season started, some owners left, thus creating the opening. I said sure, picked the Atlanta Hawks and was told to make up the games the previous owner missed as soon as possible.

(Just some quick background info. There was a fantasy-style draft before the season, so the rosters don't reflect their real-world counterparts. The games are played online with the Xbox 360, with results and statistics recorded on the league's fabulous website, located here. Each team plays three games per week, with each game representing "one week" in the season. My team had played three game and the rest of the league was pushing 20.)

I played two games right away and was destroyed both times. It was at that moment I began to wonder if I had made a sound decision. I was home sick last Wednesday and played four more games, all losses. I told the guy who invited me that this really wasn't fun and I know I'm not helpful to the league, being a pushover and all. He asked me to wait until I played him, since he's not that good either, and then see how I feel.

Before I had a chance to play him, I managed to win a game. It was a great game, one where I was losing early, fought back, took the lead, lost the lead in the fourth quarter, but held on and survived a last-second, potential game-tying 3-pointer to win 107-104. I felt a little better. Then I played last night and was destroyed again.

It's not the losing that bothers me the most. Sure, it really stinks to waste 45 minutes being embarrased, but it's everything else that comes with this league.

All the league members are now on my Xbox Live friends list. Before joining the league, I had maybe 20 friends, mostly all people I know personally. Now I have close to or over 50 and I don't know any of them.

Whenever I turn the machine on, I'm innundated with messages from these guys either looking to get our game in or to pester me about a trade. It's non-stop. Being in this league is more stressful than my job. The league feels like a job. (There is an option to "hide" and appear as if I'm offline, but I enjoy being connected to Xbox Live and seeing if other friends are on, etc.)

I hate to quit something I've committed to, but this is much more involved than I expected. Work is only going to become busier and busier the closer we get to summer and that means less time to play these games. I also want to play other games, not just NBA 2K7. I have lots of games that I want to play but I can't since I'm always being asked to get the league games in.

Any thoughts from my readers before I send off a message to the commish? Even though I'm 99% sure what I'm going to do, I'd like to hear some other thoughts.

Happy Easter!

I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Easter!

I honestly plan on updating the site more often, especially since Eric said he will start checking. I have some post ideas & changes in mind, so hopefully I will get to them soon.

Guitar Hero II is amazing. I stink at it, but I enjoy the heck out of it. Whoever thought playing a Cheap Trick song on a fake guitar would be so enjoyable???

The Mets lost their first game of the year yesterday. I was hoping for a longer streak to start the year, but that's okay.

If you're looking for me today, I will be planted on the couch, enjoying the Masters in HD, which is one of the showcases for HD. Everything looks amazing in HD, but the Masters is extra-stunning.

One Shining Moment

Happy March 29!! 77-74 Day.

Zzzzzzz

If anyone is still paying attention, I apologize for the lack of posts. Quite frankly, there hasn't been much to talk about.

The past weekend with Payton was great. We saw Beauty & the Beast at the Garde & attended the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Mystic. The weekend went by much too fast.

Work has been crazy busy, so that leaves me no time to update.

This weekend brings about my annual fantasy baseball drafts. I'm proud to report that my teams won both leagues last year, something that would never be possible without Mr. Upson's help. Thanks Boss! (I also can't believe that this will be my 10th Tulip League draft. Wow.)

Back to school tomorrow night. Last week was Spring Break & it was fantastic. Oh well. A necessary evil.

For the past week, I've been attempting to download the HD version of The Departed from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Because it's in HD, the file is massive & I don't leave the 360 on long enough to download it all in one shot. I'm getting there though!

In the meantime, check out my Twitter page. Eventually, maybe by the time you read this, I'll have a funky little button on the right that will show updates.

Hope life is treating my three readers well!

Sweeeet!

Although UConn is not participating in the tourney this year, there is still joy to be found. Thank you Virginia Commonwealth!

There's Always Next Year

I'm very much aware that the title of this entry is a rallying cry for many sports organizations (hi Cubbies!). This year, it's also one for UConn, one that us fans have used many times in the past. However, this year is different. For the first time since Jim Calhoun's first season at UConn, the Huskies will not be attending a post-season tournament. So, to help lift my spirits, here's a rundown of my Top 20 UConn games in my lifetime. As with all of my Top 20 lists, this is solely based on my feelings, not general consensus. Also, my lifetime basically extends back to the beginning of the Big East. I don't remember much of the Yankee Conference Huskies, so no comments regarding any omissions there.

HONORABLE MENTION:
March 19, 1993 vs. Jackson State (watching Lindsey Hunter drop 39 in a UConn NIT loss)

#20
December 6, 1986
Purdue 88, UConn 70 (HCC, attn. 9,155)
UConn falls at home to the #4 team in the country. This makes the list because I was able to move down & sit directly behind the visitors bench, yelling like mad at Gene Keady & constantly calling Boilermaker Doug Lee, "Ugg Lee".

#19
February 20, 1988
Syracuse 73, UConn 71 (HCC)
I'm at this game with my Dad, on his birthday, as we watch Jeff King throw a horrible inbounds pass in the final seconds of a close game, which leads to the game-winning points. UConn falls to the #12 in the country and we are devestated.

#18
March 24, 2002
Maryland 90, UConn 82 (Elite Eight at Syracuse)
This makes the list because I was there & was hoping to watch UConn make the Final Four. Unfortunately, the fell to the eventual national champs, but I did get to watch Caron Butler go down swinging. In his final game as a Husky, he dropped 32 points, 26 in the second half, almost single-handidly carrying UConn to victory.

#17
March 24, 1990
Duke 79, UConn 78 (Elite Eight)
March 24 seems to be a bad day. He Who Shall Not Be Named hits a shot at the buzzer to end The Dream Season. Memories of Tate George with a game-sealing steal falling out of bounds continues to haunt me. I'll share this picture of HWSNBN to make us feel better.

#16
January 26, 2002
UConn 100, Arizona 98 (OT, @ Arizona)
No more losses on this list. This is unreal game from Emeka Okafor/Ben Gordon's freshman year. Mek should've had a triple-double, but the official scorer robbed him of at least two blocks. (He finished with 9)



#15
November 28, 1987
UConn 102, Maryland-Eastern Shore 63 (Field House)
My first game at the Field House. Other than that, not too memorable. Even though UConn score 102 points, they made only two three-pointers, both by Greg Economou, not Phil Gamble.

#14
February 28, 1987
UConn 56, Seton Hall 54(HCC, attn. 8,130)
Once again, the lack of fans allows me to sit directly behind the home bench. I sit one row behind suspended stars Cliff Robinson & Phil Gamble, who both sign my program. UConn wins it's 9th & final game of the season. This was the last season UConn failed to make the postseason until this year.

#13
March 9, 1996
UConn 75, Georgetown 74 (BE Championship Game, MSG)
Ray Allen hits a running jumper to give UConn the lead. The Allen Iverson-led Hoyas miss two easy shots at the buzzer, leading to another UConn BE Tourney championship & a #1 seed in the NCAA tourney. That ended ugly two weeks later against Mississippi State.

#12
March 24, 2006
UConn 98, Washington 92 (OT) (Sweet 16 in Washington, DC)
This one's for you Brian! UConn trailed by six with 1:55 to go in regulation and Rashad Anderson hit a game-tying three-pointer with 1.8 seconds left. They never trailed in regulation, moving on to the George Mason debacle two days later. Next please.

#11
March 19, 1998
UConn 75, Washington 74 (Sweet 16 in Greensboro, NC)
Sorry Brian. Another miraculous finish, this time with Rip Hamilton hitting the game-winner after what seemed like 10 missed shots prior to that. My Dad was there to witness this beauty. Again, this set the stage for another Elite Eight loss to the hometown Tar Heels two days later.

#10
January 20, 1990
UConn 70, Georgetown 65 (HCC)
This was a snowy Saturday night. Dad was there, but I was stuck in Torrington watching the game on a 5" inch black & white TV. I liked what I saw, as UConn jumped out to a big early lead, preventing the #2 Alonzo Mourning-led Hoyas from ascending to the #1 spot the following week.

#9
January 15, 1990
UConn 70, Syracuse 59 (HCC)
Five days before the aforementioned Georgetown game, UConn squared off against the Orangemen on ESPN. Syracuse was ranked #5, which made this win one of the program's biggest wins ever at the time. We had great seats for this one, compared to our regular seats, so this was special.

#8
March 13, 2004
UConn 61, Pittsburgh 58 (BE Championship Game, MSG)
One of the most amazing games I've ever been to. UConn trailed most of the game, but for some reason, I sensed they were going to win. Pitt shot the ball extremely well early on & UConn struggled. I was hoping the Law of Averages would take over & they did. Unreal atmosphere in the Garden that night.



#7
March 30, 1988
UConn 72, Ohio State 67 (NIT Championship, MSG)
I listened to this one on the radio, laying in bed, while Dad was there. An unbelievable moment, UConn going all the way to win a title. I'm aware it was the NIT, but this is UConn we're talking about. They won 9 games the year before and had never sniffed the post-season since I started watching. Unreal.



#6
March 20, 1999
UConn 67, Gonzaga 62 (Elite Eight in Phoenix)
Finally, UConn is over the hump. They made it interesting, but they finally proved they can make it to a Final Four. I was proud to be watching on TV with my Dad.

#5
March 25, 1988
UConn 72, Virgina-Commonwealth 61 (NIT Elite Eight, Field House)
I remember this game like it was yesterday. It was a Friday night & Dad picked me up for school. This was only my second game at the Field House & it was for a ticket back to MSG for the NIT Final Four. It was ridiculously hot in that building, but also incredibly loud. According to many reports, it was the loudest home game ever, no matter the venue. Dust was falling from the rafters it was so loud. I would love to get a copy of this game. I was glad to be one of the 4,801 in attendence.

#4
March 22, 1990
UConn 71, Clemson 70 (Sweet Sixteen, Meadowlands)
The Shot. Scott Burrell to Tate George with one second remaining. I'm afraid to say I didn't see the play happen live. I was too busy crying into a pillow. A game that UConn was in control of the entire time had slipped away in the closing minutes & they were going to lose. I couldn't bear to watch. I heard it, but I didn't see it. (Dad, you don't get off easy here either. You took Trapper out for a walk & missed it too.) This game made the Duke loss two days later that much more painful.

#3
April 5, 2004
UConn 82, Georgia Tech 73 (National Championship, San Antonio)
This isn't #2 only because it was almost anti-climactic. Don't get me wrong, it was still amazing, but after the game before and the fact they were always in control, knocks it down a peg.



#2
April 3, 2004
UConn 79, Duke 78 (Final Four, San Antonio)
Whew. This was a barn-burner. Like the BE Championship game against Pittsburgh, UConn trailed late. However, some timely three's & clutch free throws gave them the victory. This was sweet given the opponent and the sense that UConn was the class of the country & deserved to win. A great game.



#1
March 29, 1999
UConn 77, Duke 74 (National Championship, St. Petersburg)
I don't have to look any of that information up. I can remember what I had for dinner that night. (Chicken & rice, one of the only things I can cook.) This was something that I thought I would never see. To do it against the hated Dukies, when the national media had already crowned them National Champions, was simply amazing. A night I'll never forget.

You're It!

I suppose it was prophetic that the same day Payton told me she played Freeze Tag & conjured up some old memories, that Mike tagged me.

Here is the definition of being tagged, blog style:
"Turns out there is a game of Blog-Tag going around the blogosphere in which bloggers are sharing five things about themselves that relatively few people know, and then tagging five other bloggers to be "it.""
(Source: The Jeff Pulver Blog)

Mike said six weird things, but since he didn't play by the rules & only tagged me, I'm referring to the rules I've found. Here are the five things about me you may or may not know.

1. I'm extremely goal oriented. I'm much more efficient at work if I'm given a deadline, a benchmark to shoot for. I suppose this is why I'm addicted to earning those achievements.

2. There is a stuffed animal that resides on my bed, which I may or may not cuddle with occasionally.

3. To go along with one of Mike's items, my iPod is also quite diverse. 2300+ songs, from artists ranging from Ace of Base, Backstreet Boys, Metallica, N.W.A., Doobie Brothers, Gordon Lightfoot, Olivia Newton John, Frank Stallone, White Lion to Tevin Campbell. Some interesting notes. 1st on the list is 2 Live Crew, last is ZZ Top. Most played song is "Higher" by The Game. Three different songs titled "Right Now" (Van Halen, Al B. Sure & SR-71), only one titled "Love Rears Its Ugly Head" (Living Colour).

4. I don't untie my shoes before putting them on. Slip on, slip off.

5. I'm a total homebody. I can't see myself living anywhere but Connecticut. More specifically, I don't like being away from SE Connecticut. I think I could do Baltimore, but I think I'm meant to stay in the Nutmeg State.

Now, I need to tag five more people. We'll start with PJ, since he asked about it and obviously Brian. Now it gets tricky, since I don't have many friends that blog. So let's see who we can get. Brian Stucki, founder of the wonderful site, Life In The Office, come on down! Let's stick with The Office theme and shoot for the moon. Kevin Malone, Toby, Angela Martin, Craig, and last, but not least, Jenna. (I'm aware that's more than five, but I figured I'd up my chances of actually having one of them respond by inviting more.)

------
Here are two more Fishers Island pics courtesy of Patty. A little chilly over there the past couple of days!




-----
Since I'm not working today, there may be another post this afternoon. Maybe.

Driving

So I was on my way to work this morning, driving in the monsoon down Route 2. As usual, I had to deal with my fair share of idiots on the highway. The difference today was that I could identify one of the morons causing the issues.

All members of the Connecticut legislature have special license plates, identifying their position. Hee hee hee.

I was unfortunate enough to be traveling behind the Chief Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Eric D. Coleman and his Chrysler Sebring.

Apparently, you don't need to know the rules of the road to represent the citizens of Bloomfield, Hartford & Windsor. This guy thought that the far left lane was the travel lane, ignoring the right lane, also known as the travel lane. Sure, he would jump over there occasionally, but he would jump right back in the passing lane, clogging up traffic. What made it worse was that the visibility was very limited due to the heavy rain.

On page 49 of the Connecticut DMV Driver Handbook, it clearly states, "Don't block the passing lane. Stay out of the far left lane and yield to the right for any vehicle that wants to pass." Seems fairly simple, but I guess graduating from Columbia precludes you from knowing this.

This wasn't his only faux pas. As he approached the Route 11 exit/split, he was still traveling in the passing lane. In order to make the exit, he cut across three lanes to make the exit just in time. Of course, there weren't any State Troopers sitting there today like they usually do, even though I'm sure they would've let a State Senator off with a warning.

Hopefully Senator Williams can learn the rules of the road soon before inflicting some serious injuries on an innocent driver.

-----

Yes Mike, I'm aware you tagged me. Look for my list of six weird things about me coming soon, along with my list of five others to tag.

A Requiem for SOCOM

Christmas, 2003. I received a copy of SOCOM 2 for the PS2. The commercials sold me, as I thought the game looked pretty cool. I played the single player game a few times, but wasn't thrilled with it. I also received the network adapter that year and had read good things about SOCOM 2 online, but I didn't know anyone else who played.

For the next seven months, the game sat in its case while I played Madden, GTA Vice City & NCAA Football. Then it happened.

I was contacted by a couple of buddies from my Foxwoods days, Aaron & Eric. In conversation, they asked if I played SOCOM. I told them I had the game, but didn't play it. They told me they were in a clan with other old pals from Foxwoods & invited me to join them.

From the very first night I played, I was hooked. It became an obsession. I was playing a virtual game of hide & seek with friends, twice a week, sometimes more. Thursdays & Sundays were SOCOM Nights. Nothing else. Even Red Sox fans gave up on the Sox during the ALCS in 2004 to play SOCOM. (I'm pretty sure some managed to watch a World Series game or two.)

The Geeks with Gunz clan was a machine. We played constantly and always seemed to have at least six, usually eight, players on a given night. New recruits were added. We tried to have a tournament. We bombarded each others emails with roll call for the coming night & recaps of the previous night's skirmishes. We even spent $100 on the useless hard drive that allowed us to play three new maps. Anything to expand the SOCOM universe.

Eventually, some players left us, including Aaron. He moved onto World of Warcraft, where he still lives today. The core of the group held strong under Zman's leadership, keeping up with the sequel, SOCOM 3, which arrived in the fall of 2005. However, the end was near.

In the spring of 2006, Sony promised new maps. They arrived in July. Then, SOCOM 3.1 was announced, titled Combined Assault. As the number of regulars dwindled to around four or five per night, the writing was on the wall. Combined Assault wasn't good enough to justify paying the money for and many GwG members were gaming on next-gen systems. There were a few stragglers, but with Zman finally purchasing an Xbox 360 this past Friday, the final nail was pounded into the SOCOM coffin.

Since Dean (PudClot) is the only idiot former member to buy a PS3, Geeks with Gunz is starting anew, this time on the Xbox 360. There are currently five former members actively involved with Rainbow Six: Vegas, a game that’s just as much fun as SOCOM was in it’s heyday, only better.

The beauty and joy of next-gen and HD gaming can’t take away from the hours of enjoyment that SOCOM delivered the past few years. Friendships were made as were the memories. Here are some words & images to ponder as we say goodbye…

A little bit of everything:


A little Crossroads:


A little Frostfire:


A history of Desert Glory:


A little SOCOM 3:


Final Roll Call:

KernelPanic
ZMan
CaptainNapalm
CaptainMorgan
Spankinator
StormSurge
PudClot
B52Buff
Spellbound
Rhavage
CaneCorso12
SJHustle
Softball
Phatback
Shootuintheye
SnakeEyes23

NBA All Star Weekend

Trust me, I won't be wasting my time watching any of the NBA All Star Game tonight. I don't need to subject myself to a few hours of no-defense running & gunning. I may flip over to catch a glimpse of the Huskies in the game (Caron Butler, Rip Hamilton & Ray Allen), but that's about it.

All Star Saturday Night used to have relevance with me. It's ironic that the greatest moments of the event were back in the mid-80's when we only saw highlights at halftime of the All Star Game. Once the NBA decided to air the entire event, it seemed to lose steam. I would've loved to have watched Jordan rob Dominique & Bird dominate the 3 Point Shootout.

As bad as the dunk contest is now, I'm still fascinated by it. Last night's highlight (for me) wasn't Gerald Green imitating Dee Brown (it was cool). It was Dwight Howard slapping a sticker of himself way up high on the backboard. In case you missed it:









Speaking of Caron Butler, here's a great article on his story. Go Caron!
"The Man Who Came Out From the Hole"

Fool Me Once, Shame on Me. Fool Me 277 Times...

I've had it. No more. Never again.

Too many times have I been hoodwinked by these morons who get paid to guess the weather. That's right, guess. Not "predict". Not "forecast". More like "take a wild guess at what's going to happen."

Sure, they'll try & tell you that they have fancy shmancy degrees, consult with dozens of computers, study charts and other data, then formulate a "forecast" as to what's going to happen. But lets be honest. They have no freaking clue.

They can nail the easy stuff. Any idiot can look at a satellite picture to see how the jet stream is working and figure out what's headed our way in terms of temperature and some precipitation. Any moron can look at pressure gradients and figure out how windy it's going to be. That stuff my cats can do.

I want someone to be able to say for certain that "XYZ state will receive XXX inches of snow during the following time-frame." We all know that's never going to happen.

I don't want to hear, "Well, warm air aloft worked it's way into the storm much earlier than anticipated, creating the sleet." Blah, blah, blah. You get paid to figure that stuff out in advance, not to tell us after the fact.

I've been a weather nut my whole life. I love all sorts of weather, especially extreme weather. Give me a thunderstorm, a hurricane, a nor'easter, a heat wave, a cold snap, a drought, anything Mother Nature can throw. I love it all. But today starts a change.

From here on out, I vow to never watch a local news "forecast" again. That's right, no more Brad Field, Garett Argianis, Bob Maxon, John Carroll & Bruce DePrest. Yes, that includes Scot Haney, my buddy. (NOTE, Geoff Fox has been on my you-know-what-list since 7th grade, so he's already had a lifetime ban, but that's a story for another day.) Dr. Mel too, although I wish him health & happiness.

I'll carry this to all weather "forecasts" as well, although I suppose I'd make an exception for Stephanie Abrams & Alexandra Steele, but that's about it.

Too many times I get teased & excited about an upcoming weather event that fails to live up to expectations and hype created by these talking suits. It's not going to happen again.

Anything I need to know about the weather I can find out as soon as I step outside or look out a window. "Wow, it's cold today." "Hmm, looks like rain." What more do I need??

Ballad Salad

Yes, I ripped off the name from the program on XM 41 Da Boneyard, but I thought it was appropriate. (Update: sadly, this channel as I loved it died during the merger. Sigh...)

If you know me, you'll know that my favorite genre of music is classic hair metal. What better way to honor Valentine's Day (a made-up holiday that I'm not fond of) by listing my Top 20 Hair Metal Ballads of all-time.

Granted, these aren't the greatest "love" songs, nor do they even have to be about love. They are generally slow & I purposely left off "power ballads", when possible.

I also tried to shy away from the more popular songs, although some may have slipped in. Again, these are simply my favorites, not what critics or other fans think are the best.

Please forgive me if I've omitted any obvious ones. This idea came to me driving home tonight, so I simply whipped through my iPod to find the songs.

**Special treat!! I was going to copy & paste selected lyrics for each song, but due to time constraints, that may have to come later.

In the meantime, I've found a way for you to listen to them! Click here for the playlist over at finetune.com. (NOTE, this playlist includes some honorable mention songs as well.)



HONORABLE MENTION
Just Take My Heart, To Be With You, Carrie, Don't Know What You've Got 'Til It's Gone, Damn Good, Alone Again, Slippin' Away, Cryin' (Vixen, not Aerosmith. Yuck!) Love of A Lifetime, When the Children Cry, If You Needed Somebody, Angel Song, It Ain't Easy, November Rain, Estranged, Deep Cuts the Knife, Tear Down the Walls, Love Bites, All I Want is Everything, Home Sweet Home, Every Rose Has It's Thorn, Silent Lucidity, I Remember You, Fly To The Angels, Love Song, Heaven, Now You're Gone, Miles Away

#20
"I'll Never Let You Go", Steelheart

#19
"Wind of Change", Scorpions

#18
"Nothing Else Matters", Metallica

#17
"Call to the Heart", Giuffria

#16
"Bed of Roses", Bon Jovi

#15
"Will the Sun Rise?", Dokken

#14
"Givin' Yourself Away", Ratt

#13
"In a Darkened Room", Skid Row

#12
"Broken Hearts", Living Colour

#11
"Heartbreak Station", Cinderella

#10
"More Than Words", Extreme

#9
"The Ballad of Jayne", LA Guns

#8
"What You Give", Tesla

#7
"Walk Away", Dokken

#6
"Is This Love", Whitesnake

#5
"High Enough", Damn Yankees

#4
"I Saw Red", Warrant

#3
"Headed for a Heartbreak", Winger

#2
"Promise Her the Moon", Mr. Big

#1
"Hysteria", Def Leppard

Fingers Crossed

I'm trying to temper my enthusiasm, but it sounds like we could be receiving our first real snowstorm of the year Wednesday. I'm sure it will fizzle out or turn to rain, but I'm still hoping.
----
As tough as it is to struggle through a difficult season for UConn, the sting is lessened by watching Duke lose too. :)
----
Not much else to say, I just wanted to throw something up here so my three readers don't think I've forgotten about the blog. I have my follow-up doctor's appointment tomorrow, my first test tomorrow night and that's about it. I was quite happy to see Payton today. One day is too long not to get a hug from her, let alone five.

Success, Hopefully

I survived my fourth knee surgery. This one is a lot different than my last one. I haven't even had to use any crutches. I used one last night for balance, but today I was just hobbling around. I'm able to bend my knee almost 90 degrees, but it's hard to keep working at it with the big bandage on.

When I walk, there is a horrifying clicking. I really hope that goes away because it makes me sick to my stomach.

I'm always amazed at the power of the anesthesia. I go from being wide awake, talking to the nurses, to opening my eyes, all groggy, feeling great. Pretty amazing.

I'm sure I'll be back to work on Monday, so I need to milk these next few days.
----
Here are some nice pictures of the Munnatawket & one of Fishers Island Sound, both looking north from Fishers. Thanks for sending them on Patty! Keep 'em coming!

T Minus 4 Hours

Just a few more hours to go before my surgery. I'm looking forward to getting this over & done with. It will be nice to not have to worry about the cartilage tearing all the time. Plus, the few days off will be nice. Nothing like sitting around napping, watching TV & playing some 360 to help you recover. I will miss my Payton though. :(
----
Speaking of Miss P, this is what she wrote in her journal (yes, she has a journal) Monday night, with no prompting:

In football you can not pul down there fas mask and it is a foul.

Is my little girl going to be a football announcer?? I've heard John Madden say things much more obvious than that!
----
Speaking of my Xbox 360, there's a new way to keep track of my gaming. There was always my 360's blog (which is linked on the right), but that only gave a daily recap. (It does have some interesting statistics, but is limited.) My 360 LiveEye breaks down my gaming hour by hour, game by game. Pretty scary, but pretty cool too, at least to me.
----
My first quiz in English Lit? An "A". Sweeet.
----
Before I leave for surgery, here's a passage from one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes, The Jimmy, (Top 20 coming soon!) that always pops in my head when I hear "surgery":

KRAMER: "So, you're heading home?"

JERRY: "No...Got dental appointment."

KRAMER: "Ah! what.. Tim Whatley?

JERRY: "Yeah!"

KRAMER: "Oh yeah.! I got a check up on Thursday."

JERRY: "Oh! How d'you like that?"

KRAMER: "You know.. You really shouldn't brush 24 hours before seeing the dentist."

JERRY: "I think that's eat 24 hours before surgery."

KRAMER: "Oh no, you got to eat before surgery, you need your strength."

(I haven't had anything to eat or drink since 8:30 PM last night.)

Lazy Sunday

 

Monty, enjoying the sunbeam.

Tough One

Last night’s loss was a tough one to swallow. We played the team we lost to in our first game of the year, the same game I broke my arm. That game wasn’t close, last night was.

We fell down 17-2 right off the bat. However, we battled back to tie it at 19, then took a 38-31 halftime lead. We eventually lost by 20, falling victim to their man-to-man defense & fatigue.

Personally, I was disappointed because of my limited mobility. The knee tweaked a little in the second half & I couldn’t move enough on offense to get an open look or even help others get free. I scored 15 points in the first half and only attempted one shot in the second, which I missed. Ugh.

I’m hoping that this won’t be an issue after Wednesday’s procedure. I have no idea how long the recovery time is, but I’m hoping to not miss too many games. It would be nice if we could work our way into the playoffs. (The top 4 teams advance.)
-----
In other news, I continue to lead the weigh-in contest, losing another 3.5 pounds this week. I’m now down 17 since the start of the contest and am only 5.5 pounds away from my goal. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to officially weigh-in next Friday, as I’ll be home recovering & playing some Xbox 360.
-----
After the fantastic reception I received regarding my Top 20 Atari 2600 Games, I plan on making a Top 20 list a regular feature here. I’ve already begun researching my next list and it shall be posted soon.

Cuts Like A Knife

Or should I say scope?

Next Wednesday, I'll be undergoing my fourth surgery on my left knee & third meniscus repair. This time, it's not a repair, but a removal. This should hopefully alleviate any future structural damage. I'm not sure how long the recovery will be, but I'm hoping to be back on the basketball court before our season is over.

In other news, my college career started back up tonight. I sat through an English Lit class for almost three hours, took a quiz (which I think I aced, thanks to buying the book & reading the stories needed in the hour before class) & held back laughter watching the professor lead the class.

This guy is a complete nut job. For starters, he kept calling me "Edward". I didn't correct him for fear of being docked points. He has some strict rules & isn't afraid to let people know he's in charge. No food or drink. No "cell telephones" (completely understandable), no missing classes, no forgetting your text, in your seats when the class starts. Maybe it's my age, but having to be told of these things (aside from the food) seems odd. Also, no "ad-libbing". Maybe he meant no Mad Libbing, because I can definitely see that being a distraction. The ad-libbing I don't get.

He called out a student for giggling, telling him that this is a "serious class", one for using a laptop, one for not taking notes & then freaked out on a poor AV geek who made the mistake of returning a projector to the classroom during class & not waiting for the break or the class to end. I should have many interesting stories over the course of the semester.

This Is a Test

 

Just trying this out...

Whatchu Talking 'bout Willis?

Yes, I played last night, torn meniscus & all.

I've been working out like mad the past two weeks thanks to our weight-loss competition at work. (Down 13.5 pounds & have reached 60% of my goal) Thanks to that, the knee has felt good. There's still discomfort, but I'm able to jog & run lightly with minimal pain. So I decided to give it a go last night, as we faced the other winless team in the league.

A minute or two into the game, it popped again. I sat out for a few minutes, but like a sprained ankle, it gradually felt better & I checked back in the game. I played the rest of the game with no issues.

I finished with somewhere between 17-22 points & hit the three pointer that put us up for good. Yes, that's right, we won. Final score 46-38. It sure felt nice to sink some free throws down the stretch to ice the game.

As for the future, who knows. The knee is sore today, but that's expected. I visit the doctor's on Tuesday & I'll receive the prognosis then.

My Top 20 Atari 2600 Games

For Christmas 1981, I received an Atari 2600 & a few games. Over the next few years, I accumulated many, many games & played even more games with friends. This machine has obviously had a profound effect on me, as I've never stopped playing video games ever since.

This isn't a list of the best games of all-time, the most critically acclaimed or the most popular by fans. This is MY list, the ones I enjoyed playing the most & the ones I look back on most fondly.

This was difficult to narrow down this list to 40 or so before narrowing it down to 20. I may have even left off a game or two by accident.

Before I get to the Top 20, here's some that just missed the cut:

HONORABLE MENTION
Air Sea Battle, Atlantis, Berzerk, Bowling, Cosmic Ark, Defender, Demons to Diamonds, Donkey Kong, Dragonfire, Enduro, Frogger, Kaboom!, Megamania, Ms. Pac Man, Phoenix, Pole Position, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Venture

#20
VANGUARD

I remember my grandmother buying me this game at Caldor in Vernon, CT. (I think I also nabbed a couple Star Wars figures that day, but that's a story for another day.)

#19
STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Obviously, a Star Wars game holds extra-special memories. This was a unique game in that it allowed you to try & take out the nasty AT-ATs. Very cool.

#18
SPACE SHUTTLE

This has to be one of the most in-depth 2600 game ever created. There was an overlay for the console that took advantage of every switch on the machine. It was a little too complicated for my young brain (X & Y axis?), however it was cool to watch the Shuttle take off.

#17
FIRE FIGHTER

Aside from Pac Man, this was probably the game I anticipated the most. I had a poster of the box art hanging in my room & played the heck out of it. It was fairly easy, so the challenge wasn't really there. Still a fun game though.

#16
GRAND PRIX

There will be a lot of Activision games on this list. They produced a ton of great games over the years. They also offered a patch for those who could achieve a certain high score & mail a picture of the screen in to prove it. (The father of the highly addictive Xbox 360 achievements??) This was a game I never had much luck in sniffing the patch, but it was still a blast to play.

#15
HAUNTED HOUSE

A game that really captured the spookiness of being in a haunted house. This is the father of the Castlevania games that exploded on the NES a few years later.

#14
KEYSTONE KAPERS

Man, did I waste away many a Saturday morning playing this baby. A simple cops & robbers game that forced you to run the floors of a department store, trying to reach safety on the roof.

#13
VIDEO OLYMPICS

This was basically Pong, with many different variations, but it was still Pong. My Dad & I had many classic battles on this game.

#12
ICE HOCKEY

Speaking of battles with Dad, this was another game we played a lot. It was as simple as the picture shows. 2 on 2 hockey, with some checking, simple passing & shooting. This was the game I could've earned a patch, but we couldn't get the picture without the flash screwing it up. :(

#11
E.T.

Probably the most maligned game of the era, one that definitely contributed to the Great Video Game Crash. It was obviously rushed out to capitalize on the success of the movie & the gameplay reflected that. I'm not sure if anyone was able to finish this game, but did I ever try.

#10
CIRCUS ATARI

One of the first games I had & along with Video Olympics, one of the two games that used the paddle controllers I played the most. I don't think I'll ever forget the sound of those balloons popping.

#9
SEAQUEST

No, not the TV show. Just another great Activision game. This is the game I can still rack up a ridiculously high score. (Still no patch.)

#8
CHOPPER COMMAND

This game was very similar to Defender, but better, in my opinion. This, along with Pitfall, spurred me to pen a book in 5th grade titled, "How to Win at Video Games". This chapter was called "Chop Chopper Command". (I still have the book somewhere.)

#7
COMBAT

Who doesn't love Combat?? Everyone had one, as it was packed in with the majority of the 2600's sold. This was a great party game & the replay value was, and is, fantastic.

#6
SPACE INVADERS

Another classic. There weren't many arcades around during this time for me (Norwichtown Mall, downtown Mystic), so I can't really speak to the closeness of this port to the arcade game. This version is the only one I know & I love it.

#5
ASTEROIDS

I have played the arcade version of Asteroids & to me, this version is far superior. It's probably the color asteroids that do it. I always loved the sound that was made when earning an extra life. I always thought it was the sound of the fry machines beeping at McDonald's.

#4
PAC MAN

I remember receiving this game for my 9th birthday in 1982 (along with a boombox & "Freezeframe" by the J. Giels Band) & thinking that this looked nothing like the game that everyone raves about. Still, I had a blast playing it over the years.

#3
YARS REVENGE

These next three games could really be a toss-up. All are equally great in my mind. I remember being transfixed by this game, loving the comic book that came with it to give the game a true backstory. I wasn't particularly good at it, but enjoy playing it to this day.

#2
RIVER RAID

I probably logged the most hours played on this game. I loved the premise & it always presented a good challenge, but never too hard to make me stop playing. Still, no patch.

#1
PITFALL

No surprise here. This is probably #1 on most people's list. This is an all-time classic & has spurned many variations on many different consoles over the years. The chapter in my book dedicated to Pitfall was cleverly named "Pound Pitfall". Still, no patch.

Finally Friday

- Even though it was a short week, it seemed like it took forever for today to arrive. I'm looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend of playing some Rainbow 6: Vegas tonight, sleeping in tomorrow, attending the Indiana/UConn game, maybe catching "Letters from Iwo Jima" (it's finally playing around here) & enjoying Sunday with Payton.

(BTW, I'm completely hooked on Rainbow 6: Vegas. It is an awesome game, even without the breathtaking vistas of Las Vegas. It makes my previous addiction, SOCOM on the PS2, look like an Atari 2600 game.)

- Speaking of the 2600, look for my Top 20 Atari 2600 games list sometime later today or tomorrow.

- The other night, I followed the instructions found here to convert a DVD to an iPod video. My first choice? "Anchorman" of course! It didn't take that long & it doesn't take up much space on the iPod. I'm excited about this new option I have for the iPod.

- It FINALLY snowed yesterday/this morning. Not enough to get too excited about, but it's still snow.

- Even though I can't play basketball, I need to keep exercising. I'm in a weight-loss competition at work & last year, I didn't do so hot. In fact, I gained weight. However, I wasn't exercising because I was still recovering from my last knee surgery. This year, thanks to playing hoop twice a week, I dropped six pounds the first week & two more this past week. I can't get that good basketball workout in, but I've been swimming. I managed 15 laps last night. I'm also eating like a rabbit, which isn't fun. Hopefully I can represent a little better this year.

- Another great episode of The Office last night, but that's expected. I also watched my first episode of My Name is Earl. It was okay. It's not must-watch like The Office, but there were a couple of funny lines. It's not even close to being in the same league as The Office.

- As much as I hate Peyton Manning, I'll be rooting for the Colts this weekend & think they will pull it off. I'll also be pulling for the Saints, but I think the Bears will prevail in that matchup.

Coming Soon...

To a knee near you, another round of surgery.

I suppose it was bound to happen sooner rather than later. Tonight during my Tuesday pick-up basketball, I tore the cartilage in my left knee for the third time. It happened just by turning the wrong way.

I suppose I'll have my fourth surgery on that knee sometime soon. This time, I'll probably end up having the cartilage removed instead of repaired.

It's very disappointing because I've been playing for a few weeks now & am just starting to get in shape. About 10 minutes before it tore, I was thinking to myself how much better I was running the floor & looking forward to Thursday night.

If this is it for my basketball career (gulp), at least I played halfway decent in my three games. I averaged just under 20 points, scored 21 of our 32 points in my last game & hit seven three-pointers in the game before that. (I looked up the official stats last week, just for curiosity's sake.)

This stinks...

Miles Away

It was appropriate that I was listening to some Winger on my iPod yesterday afternoon at work. Too many of my three point attempts were way off the mark.

Last week, I couldn't miss from three. Last night, I still managed to hit three or four, but missed at least six or seven, including one that would've given us the lead with less than 20 seconds to go.

We played much better and having two subs helped a lot. We were down nine points with two minutes to go and we fought back to make it 34-32 with 40 seconds left and we had the ball. I missed a contested three, we got the offensive rebound, I then missed a wide open three from my favorite spot on the floor. However, that turned out to be a nice pass, as it landed in the hands of a teammate, who missed the layup. After fouling & forcing the other team to shoot 1 & 1's, we couldn't secure possession in time to get off a game-tying shot, falling 35-32.

Next week we play a team we should definitely beat, so hopefully we'll get a win. I'm feeling much better physically, but still have work to do. I'm probably at around 60% in shape (up from around 40% the previous weeks) and as a result, I was much more active on both ends of the floor. I had at least 20 points last night, but still could've played better & I blame myself for the loss. Oh well. Next week is almost here.

I Don't Like Getting Old

So I played some basketball last night. Not the league I play in on Thursday, just some pick-up ball. It was quite humbling.

After last Thursday's game, I was feeling pretty good, at least until last night. Now I look back and those 20 points all came on outside shots, not hustle plays or having to create my own shot. If I played against a team that played better defense, I would be lucky to score at all.

Last night, I was exposed for the slow 33-year old I am. I was abused all night long by someone younger (not that much) & taller (not that much). I couldn't keep up, I couldn't rebound, I could barely contest his shots.

I played much better defense in our last game, but by that point I had already singlehandedly lost the last two games for my team. I was missing easy shots & getting killed on D. Tomorrow should be interesting. I'm not feeling too good about things right now.
-----
More bad news yesterday. The host of my evening drive-time radio show, Erik Kuselias, is leaving the show to host a NASCAR show on ESPN2. I wish him all the luck in the world, but this is not good news for me.

I Should Be Home!

Right now, it's pouring out. It rained hard all last night, all morning & it isn't supposed to let up until early afternoon. The date is January 8. There should be enough cold air here in Connecticut right now for this to be a major snowstorm. Not this year. Not when it was 72 degrees on Saturday, the highest temperature ever recorded in January in CT. Ridiculous.
-----
I'm pretty excited about the upcoming release of Battlestations: Midway for my 360. The story line for the game looks like it will cross over nicely with the book I'm currently reading, "Ship of Ghosts", the story of the USS Houston.
-----
I miss Foxtrot. It's a Sunday-only comic now, which stinks. It was the only comic I read on a daily basis, along with my favorite, Get Fuzzy. I need to grab some books to enjoy this now.
-----
I suppose I should start taking down the tree & other Christmas decorations this week.
-----
UConn got spanked again this weekend. They're definitely showing their age as they face tough competition, especially on the road. Thanks to their easy early schedule, they'll probably make the NCAA tourney, even though they may be better suited for the NIT. The last two times UConn missed the NCAA's, those teams that played in the NIT ended up doing well years later.
-----
Even though UConn lost, it was till a positive weekend, what with Duke falling to Virginia Tech, at home! Add that with the Dallas Cowboys losing, along with Notre Dame getting spanked and it was a great week!
-----
Speaking of the Huskies, enjoy this photo gallery.
-----
In a blatant rip-off of my buddy Brian's blog, look for some video walls soon. I need to come up with some topics first. Other things to look for here soon are details on why I'm in love with my Xbox 360 and the once promised addition of more links.
-----
If you need one reason to watch "Knights of Prosperity", look no further than Sofía Vergara. Give her a Google image search.

Oh and 3

Another game for Old School Reloaded and another loss. However, this time there was some improvement.

Again, we were short-handed. We were only able to have five players and when the majority of us are out of shape, the second half becomes a struggle.

We hung in there for the first half, trailing only by four at the half. The second half was ugly, as we didn't score until five minutes or so passed. We ended up losing by 20 points or so.

I played okay, considering I wasn't at 100% (close, but not yet)and still really out of shape. I had 15 points in the first half & ended up with 20 for the game (six three-pointers). I'll be able to contribute much more once I'm able to run around more on offense & actually get down the floor on a fast break.

I'm looking forward to next week!

2007!

Wow, I can't believe it's 2007 already. I also can't believe my vacation is over already. Ten days never went by so quickly. There's never enough time to do all the nothing I planned on.

I really enjoy taking the week after Christmas off. It helps make the holiday season last a little longer. It also brings me back to those joyous days as a child during school vacation.

The last time I took that week off, I was laid off a few days later. Let's hope that doesn't happen this time.

-----

Has anyone tried the White Hot Chocolate at Dunkin Donuts? Oh my, it is wonderful!

-----

I will be making my comeback tonight. I haven't played any basketball and I've hardly run since breaking my arm on November 30. As long as I don't hit the deck, I should be fine. Hopefully I'll be productive and able to help out the squad.

-----

It sure was nice to see Notre Dame get spanked last night in the Nokia, err Allstate Sugar Bowl. How great is it that Notre Dame now holds the record for most consecutive bowl losses?? Even UConn has won a bowl game more recently than the Irish! Beautiful!!

-----

Good riddance Nick Saban. Thanks for pushing the Dolphins a little further into the depths of mediocrity. As for this weekend, I can't believe I'll actually be rooting for the Jets to beat the Pats. It's only a one-time event, trust me.

-----

UConn faces another big test this weekend, taking on LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday. They played very well Tuesday against South Florida, but they'll need that and more to pull of the win on the road. Hopefully Jeff steps up again.

-----

Finally, a new episode of The Office tonight! It's been awhile.

-----

Here's a Happy New Year gift for my two readers. I know Brian prefers the University of Washington cheerleaders, but the USC girls are the best.

I LOVE HD

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day, spent relaxing with your family & friends, and of course, you all get what you want.

Unfortunately for me, Payton has come down with strep throat & most likely won't be able to spend Christmas with me. Fortunately, we both are on vacation all week, so we'll get together soon.

Now go watch A Christmas Story!

Happy Festivus!

Watch the Festivus episode!

Payton's sleepover was a resounding success. We had a blast & she slept great. I can't wait to do it again.

I honestly have no idea what I'm getting for Christmas & I like it. I honestly don't need or want anything, but of course it's always nice to receive. I'm just going to enjoy watching Payton open her gifts & then relaxing.

Abomination

SoI attended Old School Reloaded's game last night, even though I couldn't play. I left more motivated than ever before.

It was another disaster, with the other team winning by over 60 points & posting over 100. If that wasn't bad enough, their players were the biggest bunch of classless morons I've ever seen.

I hit the treadmill last night at 10 PM. I will continue to make sure I'm in unreal shape once I return. I can't wait to play these clowns again.

Anticipation

Five days until Christmas, two days until my vacation starts. Once I leave work early on Friday, I don't return until 10 days later. I CANNOT wait.

To top it off, Payton sleeps over for the first time on Friday as well. During the 10 day vacation, she will be sleeping over several nights, with the next one coming Christmas night.

She is even more excited than I am. She started packing a few nights ago & is just as excited for sleeping over as she is for Christmas.

I never seem to run out of things to look forward to. Every time something I'm looking forward to comes & goes, there's always something there to replace it.

I realize that this vacation will be over in a flash, but I plan on savoring every wonderful second.

------

Another event that I'm looking forward to besides Christmas & Payton is my doctor's appointment on 12/26. If I'm not at least 90% cleared by then, I'll be stunned. The arm feels fantastic & has improved every day. There's a game tomorrow & if all goes well with the doc, it should be the only game I miss. Now I just need to get myself in shape.

Random Ramblings

Over the past few weeks, I've had numerous thoughts & ideas I thought would be perfect to post here. Hopefully I can remember most of them.

• My arm is rapidly improving. I hardly ever wear the brace anymore & I have most of my range of motion back. I still feel some pain, but every day it gets a little better. Even better news is that our games have been canceled the past two weeks due to events at the school. Assuming there's a game next week & I'm given the go-ahead at my next appointment on 12/26, I will only miss one game. Sweeeet.
  
  
• The tree is up, but not decorated yet. At least the lights are on. Hopefully, my faithful readers all have real trees.
  
  
• The Office is an hour long tomorrow night. It's the Christmas Party episode, so it should be outstanding as always.
  
  
• I really, really like that Vanessa Hudgens song, "Come Back to Me".
  
  
• My fantasy football season was a draw. In the league that matters the most to me, my league, I finished a disappointing 6-8. I would've done a lot better if I didn't trade Ladainian Tomlinson after four games because I had no quarterbacks. Little did I realize that Tony Romo would be the starter a few weeks later (he was on my bench waiting) & that LT would score weekly what he had done for me all season the rest of the way. The team I traded him to never lost again. I made the playoffs in another league & in a league where I share ownership of a team, we're in the playoffs as well. Hopefully it will all balance out financially.
  
  
• For years, my buddy John & I have had an idea that we thought was genius. Taco shells that are flavored by Doritos. You could have original Nacho Cheese, Cool Ranch or any other of their eight flavors they've unleashed on the public. Well today, while looking for taco shells, Old El Paso has introduced two new products; nacho & salsa flavored shells. I tried the nacho ones & they are HORRIBLE. Don't bother.
  
  
• I'm watching the NFL's Greatest Games on The Deuce right now. 1995 AFC Championship Game between the Colts & Steelers. I forgot how close the Colts were to winning that game. What a finish.
  
  
• I should be adding a couple new links soon. Keep your eyes open.
  

12/12/06

Happy December 12th! Happy Our Lady of Guadalupe Day!

For those that don't know me, twelve is my favorite number. Check out the aforementioned link for more info on the power of twelve.

**Expect a much longer post in the next day or two.

Try This At Home

I went to the specialist today. My fracture is very subtle, which is good. I'm no longer wearing a splint & sling. I have a removable brace. I need to wear the brace most of the time to prevent me from banging my elbow & making it worse. I also need to remove it as much as possible & start some range of motion exercises. Apparently, the elbow is a nasty place to have scar tissue build up, so this is important. This also means I can finally take showers again.

I touched on how difficult some routine tasks can be with using only one hand. I'm now going to list some examples. I'm asking you, my faithful two readers, to try attempting these tasks using only your right hand.

• Brushing your teeth
• Putting deodorant on your right armpit
• Putting in your contact lenses
• Putting on your belt
• Buttoning your shirt
• Buttoning your pants
• Putting on your socks
• Tying your shoes
• Shutting your car door
• Putting on your seatbelt
• Starting your car

Good luck!

------

In an unrelated story, I had my volunteer orientation tonight at the Connecticut Humane Society in Waterford. It was heartbreaking to see the amount of cats & dogs up for adoption, but I know it will be a very rewarding experience for me. I can't wait to get in there & help bring some happiness to these animals until they find loving homes. I will be sure to share any & all heartwarming stories.

Radial Head

I picked up my x-rays yesterday. There's no visible break, so it's only something a trained eye can pick up. Apparently I have a radial head fracture.(More info here & here.) I'll find out tomorrow morning how long I'll be out of commission.

My arm is feeling a lot better & I'm able to move my hand more & more. It's amazing how many things you do in the course of a day that utilizes both hands. I don't take that fact for granted anymore.

After Further Review

I just received a call from the ER & the radiologists spent some time looking at my x-rays today. It turns out I have fracture in my radius bone, near my elbow. I'll most likely be in sling for 4-6 weeks & maybe a cast. I'll find out on Tuesday when I go to the orthopedist. Damn.

Grrrrreat

Not too much good news to report from Oldschool Reloaded's first game last night.

First & foremost, we got spanked. The game was tied 6-6, but that was as close as we'd get. I think the final was 75-28 or something like that. A much bigger, faster team with a full bench. We had six players & four of us are not in shape at all.

I did okay considering my poor conditioning. I think I scored 13 or 15 points, but that's not important. I shot better than Tuesday, but I was way off the mark on some shots.

My knee held up great. No issues there. However, I did spend all of Thursday night at the emergency room thanks to an arm injury.

Early in the game, I attempted to take a charge. No call made, but when I landed, I landed on my left elbow. It hurt a little, but not bad at all. As the game progressed, it became more & more painful to move my hand, raise my arm, etc.

After the game, I drove home & Mary took me to the ER. It was ridiculously busy & once I finally went in for ten painful x-rays around 10:30, I was hurting.

The x-rays didn't show a break, but there is something seriously wrong with it. I couldn't make a fist, spread my fingers out or squeeze my fingers. I'm in a cast, taking Percoset & am home from work.

I have an appointment with an orthopedist on Tuesday, so we'll see what happens. It does feel a little better today. Hopefully it's nothing more than a strained muscle or ligament.

Wednesday night, at the UConn/Sacred Heart game, I joked with my buddy Gerald that I should get one of those compression sleeves for my arm like Jerome Dyson wears. (Dyson is a player! The nation will take notice of him soon. His defense is amazing, his smoothness reminds me of Ray Allen & he plays far beyond his freshman status.)

Hopefully I'll be back on the court in a week or two.