Father, Husband, Geek. One Cool Monkey.
sports
What’s On My Mind Today
Apr 21st
photo credit: Christian Steen
I’ve been ignoring my personal blog again, but there are legit reasons for it. I’ve been really, really (did I mention really) active on my hockey website. So much so that, after my day job of valiantly fixing computers for college students all over the DFW area, I still get on the computer most nights and put a few hours worth of time into it. Sometimes it’s just tweeting or updating the site from press releases the teams send out, but it’s still sucking up what free-time hours I’m willing to spend in front of computer when I’m not being paid for it. So…creativity has taken a gut-punch on that one.
But, I felt like I needed to write today before I let things trail off on OCM for too long again.
The iPad came out while I have been away, and I have to admit…I have a pretty bad case of the I Wants for it. It’s a really fantastic device. It really doesn’t do anything *that* revolutionary, but what it does do is what many other devices do already, but in a format that is easier to read and easier to share. To me, it’s the ultimate coffee table reference. You can pull up pictures to show friends. You can hit IMDB while watching a movie to find out what actor/actress is in the film you’re watching, carefully escaping your recollection. You can pull up a book and read. And millions of other things…it’s just a really well done device. The price is a bit more than I was hoping it would be…but for all that it delivers, I don’t think it’s outrageous either. I’ll be getting one eventually…just have to wait to see when that will be.
When trying to comb through my memory for things I’d like to mention in a blog post – something that used to be very easy – I’ve found myself grasping for things lately. And, I think I have put my finger on why that is: The Facebook Effect. The things I used to bring up and share on my blog, I am now able to do on Facebook. I think it’s a detriment to you as a blogger if you’re a pretty active Facebook…er. So, if I want to be more active here, perhaps I need to do less there? Other bloggers – how do you counteract The Facebook Effect?
Lastly…I’ll go with some sports. It’s been a rough start for the Red Sox season. All my friends that are Yankees fans are enjoying themselves far too much, and all the confidence I had at the beginning of the season has been shaken a bit. Granted, the Sox have been a bit banged up, and we’re still just 14 games in…but it’s still a pretty demoralizing start to things. The team is going to have to make a move with Big Papi pretty soon, because they can’t let him play the way he’s played so far this year in DH, regardless of how many great Red Sox memories are centered around him. The big guy is hitting .146 through 11 games and has 17 strikeouts in 41 plate appearances. That’s nearly half of his at-bats! It’s just depressing. We need to bench him and put Mike Lowell in that spot. I just can’t bear to watch Ortiz keep struggling.
Also, I’m feeling a creative itch. I want to start another web page. It must be because I have all of this free time on my hands! But, I just feel like I need a project for the summer. Something I can do in my free time that won’t be too much of a time suck. Any ideas? The best I’ve got right now is some sort of foodie blog….maybe a restaurant type thing in Dallas? There’s so much food here, and as I’ve told people for years – more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the world. Pretty crazy stat. But, it’s true…so much great food. I think it might make a good blog…lots of good pictures and yummy descriptions…hmmmm. Maybe I do have a project!
A Small Life Update
Aug 24th
photo credit: Robert S. Donovan
Yet another site design. I think it was needed this time, though. The latest experiment with the site, allowing visitors to contribute and have it flow in a conversational kind of manner was mostly a flop. At least for now. I think I need to share a bit more and build up a rapport with you folks before that sort of effort will be truly successful.
So, aside from that, it’s been a busy summer at Casa del Monkey. The Little Monkey’s birthday was just over a week ago, and we had a fun time throwing a party for him. He celebrated it in style, of course. I’ll try and get a couple of pictures up of that shortly. This past weekend, we attended a party at a friend’s house, and that was really nice. We have realized we don’t get out as much as we need to.
I’m slowly working my way through my “Summer Reading List”. I asked my Facebook friends to submit 1 or 2 of their favorite books to me, and built a summer reading list around the submissions I received. Well, it’s probably more aptly titled a “2009 Reading List”, because it’s going to take me at least until the end of the year to finish this, and probably into next year as well. But, it’s been enjoyable reading thus far. Currently, I’m reading Now I Can Die in Peace: How ESPN’s Sports Guy Found Salvation, with a Little Help from Nomar, Pedro, Shawshank, and the 2004 Red Sox. It’s a really great read. I’d read Bill Simmons before, in ESPN’s magazine, I think, but I hadn’t really gotten a good dose of his work. It’s really good reading, especially if you’re a sports fan from New England. Which, HEY! I am.
Aside from that, I’ve been working on the Other Website, which if you haven’t checked out, and you’re a fan of hockey, please do! I think you’ll enjoy it. We’re going to be rolling into hockey season in the next month or so, and things are really going to pick up there, I think. I’m a strange mixture of nervous and excited. Which feeling is prevailing depends on the day.
Red Sox, Patriots and Leopards…Oh My!
Oct 29th
It’s been great to be a New England sports fan lately. The Boston Red Sox clinched their 7th World Series title last night after sweeping the Colorado Rockies. And, the New England Patriots have run their record to 8-0 after shellacking the Washington Redskins 52-7 this weekend. The sports pages are ablaze with disgruntled fans and offended, PC-geared, commentators who say the Patriots are “running up the score” on their opponents. Yeah, they are. Scoring records were made to be broken. Why SHOULDN’T the Patriots try to beat the other teams as much as possible. And to the Patriot opponents who have complained about the scoring, here’s a tip: If you don’t like it – stop them. It’s that easy (or maybe it isn’t, and that’s why you’re so upset).
Okay, so that’s what’s going on in the sports world, right now. At least, in my sports world. I’m working my butt off at my new job, trying to figure out PC mysteries and do my best to keep up with the Mac work we have had. Apple released OS 10.5, nicknamed Leopard, on Friday, and I’ve been doing my best to learn all the features. I haven’t installed it on my Mac Mini, but I do have it up and running on my (work’s) MacBook Pro, and it’s been doing great on there. I like a lot of the features it offers, and it makes finding information on your computer pretty easy. I think once I have more things on this laptop, it will be a real time saver. Until then, it just kinda looks pretty.
