FFL News - Wyld Stallyns Draft Results!

The Genscape FFL league held its live auction today. It was tons of fun. Linahan and I are co-coaching this team and had done our homework before heading in. Here are your 2011-2012 FFL Wyld Stallyns...

Starters:
QB - Aaron Rodgers (GB)
RB - Steven Jackson (STL)
RB - Ryan Grant (GB)
RB/WR - Marion Barber (Chi)
WR - Vincent Jackson (SD)
WR - Plaxico Burress (NYJ)
TE - Jermichael Finley (GB)
DST - Packers DST (GB)
K - Matt Bryant (ATL)

Bench:
RB - Willis McGahee (Den)
RB - Stevan Ridley (NE)
WR - Jeremy Maclin (Phi)
WR - Antonio Brown (Pit)
WR - James Jones (GB)
TE - Visanthe Shiancoe (Min)
DST - Cowboys DST (Dal)

100% | 174.79 lbs. (175.4 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 66.57% (243 of 365) | 102/55 lbs.

Router, Missing Kelsey, and Positive Vibes

First thing is first. Went to Best Buy. Bought a new router. Interwebs are flowing once again.

Jooj told me about some drama that went down last night at a certain room on the 9th floor of White. It appears that the other 'elsey, the one that isn't my daughter (who has been causing quite a ruckus with her constant, late-late-night, drunken home return trips), came home and got into it with one of the suitemates. Punches were thrown. Police were called. Sh!t went down.

So I txt Kels today...

Me: "Sounds like Drama Central Station down there on the 9th floor of White XD"
Kels: "I feel like I'm on Jersey Shore, dude"
Me: "Yep. That sounds about right. It'll settle a little but still stay a little silly"
Kels: "Haha I'm so neutral in this nonsense. I'm not even Switzerland. I'm like Sweden"
Me: "Did you notice how many T's & L's were in that sentence?"
Kels: "Haha I miss you, man. Pointing stuff like that"
Me: "I miss you to laugh at those things. The rest of the fam just rolls their eyes at me these days"
Kels: "Haha aw. You'll see me soon, brosef."

I miss my little grrrl!

Lastly, a friend of mine will be going through a bit of a tough patch. I just wanted to send out a quick shout that I'm thinking about you and I've got your back. I'm also shipping out as many positive vibes as I can muster your way! I feel young, but I'm old by some standards. I've hit rock bottom. I know what "tough" feels like. Things will settle. Trust me, they always do. So keep your chin up, kiddo.

100% | 174.79 lbs. (175.6 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 66.3% (242 of 365) | 102/55 lbs.

Battle: Los Angeles, Dying Routers, and the Balloon Still Flies

My mom gave me balloons for my birfday waaaaaay back on June 28th. There were several latex balloons accompanying a gigantic, mylar Darth Vader balloon. She told me to take them into work and "show them off" to my friends. I did that and tied the bundle to the back of my chair.

Well, here we are two months and a day after that and Darth Vader still flies proudly, looming over me everyday as I sit in my chair. Amazing! If you ever need to find a good balloon in L'ville you should definitely ask Mama Brinley where to go. FOR SURE!

Speaking of Mama Brinley, we came home last night after sharing a great meal over there with the fam. I went through my normal after-work routine and got settled in. The Internet on my computers, as is becoming more and more the case, is acting wonky. So I do the normal troubleshooting routine. My poor laptop can't maintain a connection. It drops and adds every 30 seconds. My gaming machine can't stay connected reliably either. And the machine that is hardwired to the Interwebs has slow, intermittent connectivity. Ruh roh, Raggy! I think my router is dying/dead :(

Unable to play and limited in my surfing (pffft, I need at least 3 computers to surf and do my thing, don't you know?) I decide to watch a movie that Mike lent me - Battle: Los Angeles. I put it into the Alienware and slap on some headphones.

Battle: Los Angeles. It's an intense movie. It's not great, not bad. I liken it to a mash-up of Black Hawk Down meets Cloverfield. The gunfights were up close and personal. The camera was shaky. The aliens were a seemingly unstoppable threat. The movie left me breathless. I was literally worn out after watching it. I would recommend it to most guys I know. For the ladies? Hmm, perhaps. There was just enough character development there to make you shed a tear or two for the soldiers that went down.

100% | 174.78 lbs. (175.2 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 66.03% (241 of 365) | 102/55 lbs.

FFL News - L'ville Gunners Draft Results!

My first of three leagues held their draft tonight. It is Eddie's league and the one where the draft is the most fun. It is an auction-style draft and is filled with excitement, especially towards the beginning. But enough talk! Here are your 2011-2012 FFL L'ville Gunners...

Starters:
QB - Michael Vick (Phi)
RB - Rashard Mendenhall (Pit)
RB - BenJarvus Green-Ellis "Law Firm" (NE)
RB/WR - Knowshon Moreno (Den)
WR - Steve Johnson (Buf)
WR - Deion Branch (NE)
TE - Antonio Gates (SD)
DP - Jared Allen (Min)
DP - Charles Woodson (GB)
DST - Steelers DST
K - Stephen Gostkowski (NE)

Bench:
QB - Mark Sanchez (NYJ)
QB - Donovan McNabb (Min)
RB - LaGarrette Blount (TB)
RB - DeAngelo Williams (Car)
WR - Davone Bess (Mia)
WR - James Jones (GB)
TE - Brandon Pettigrew (Det)
DST - Raiders DST

Lots of running backs. I know. I got a little carried away. I know. My hope is that they'll make good trade-bait down the road.

100% | 174.78 lbs. (173.6 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 65.75% (240 of 365) | 102/55 lbs.

Irene - Destroyer of Worlds! (UPDATED)

So Irene, a massive Category 3 hurricane, is tearing up the entire eastern seaboard. It's made landfall at the Carolina's and is going to just rip right up the coast. One million are already without power. A few have died. Rain and flooding are wreaking havoc. The scary thing is that they are saying this thing could hit Category 4. And if this sustains once it hits New York... well, that's some scary stuff!

UPDATE: Irene weakened to Tropical Storm status before hitting New York. And at this point (Monday morning at 1AM) it is no longer even that. All toll, over 4 million are without power, 20 are dead across 7 states, over 8000 fights have been cancelled, and things will be wrecked for weeks.

100% | 174.79 lbs. (176.4 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 65.48% (239 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

One Week Down

It's over. Getting up at 6:20am, getting Will to school by 7:30am, getting to work at 7:45am, leaving work at 5:45am (yes, 10 hour day), picking Will up at 6pm from football practice, and being home at 6:20pm - 12 hours each day... is over... for this week.

I feel run down. My face is breaking out. I'm cranky. I'm tired.

Maybe I'll get more used to this as the school year goes on. I hope so. I don't think I can keep this up.

100% | 174.78 lbs. (175.2 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 65.21% (238 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

GOOOOOO TIGERS!!!

The St. X Freshman Football squad played their first game against the Ballard Bruins last night. They crushed the shaky Bruins in the scorching heat with a final score of 27-0. They looked good. Sure, they made some mistakes and they got off to a bad start. But overall they looked sharp and polished.

Poor Will didn't get any playtime. But on a squad of 100 kids I don't really expect him to. Still, I'd like to see him in. And I really enjoyed watching the team play. I look forward to the rest of the season :)

100% | 174.78 lbs. (175.2 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 64.93% (237 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Pearls of Wisdom

At my first job out of college I worked with a team of amazing, dynamic characters: Michael, Bernie, and Rufus. During my 4 years there I developed quite a bond with the members of my team. Rufus, in particular, was a good buddy of mine. We played off each other's quirks quite well. During our time together Michael had compiled a list of Rufusisms - a list he referred to as Rufus' Pearls of Wisdom*.

I mention this because I believe three worthy candidates were written today that could have easily lived among the neighboring tidbits of wisdom on the list (sans the profanity as Rufus shot it straight and narrow). I share them below...

"once fucked, one cannot be unfucked" - Eric Brinley

"son, you can't unshit your pants" - Grandpa Debes

"In life, there is no Control+Z" - Brandon Debes

The common theme among them is that in life you've got one shot. One chance. One life. One quarter. Don't fuck it up. If you do, you press on. Period. Because after that you're dead. Game over.

This all reminds me of one little gem my dad would tell me when times got tough...

"Son, life just dealt you a shit sammich. Now you've gotta choke it down." - Papa Brinley

* I wish there was a definitive list of Rufus' Pearls of Wisdom somewhere in the Interwebs. They would, at best, be mildly amusing to the commoner. To me they would bring back of flood memories of humor and good times. I emailed Michael to see if he had a copy and he says that he doesn't (but was JUST thinking about them and has possibly renewed his search).

100% | 174.78 lbs. (176.0 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 64.66% (236 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Unsubscribe

I ignore personal email for the most part. Long ago (in a galaxy far, far away) I had the personal account of eric@brinley.com. I was younger and so wired into the Interwebs that I actually considered changing my middle name to the @ symbol. But didn't. End of story.

Eventually I gave that email address to the wrong site or some bot crawled and plucked it off my site. Before long I was inundated with spam. So I ignored that address and moved on.

The same thing hasn't necessarily happened to my Gmail account per se. I've just signed up for too much bologna (ah, if only that statement were true... nom nom nom) and my Inbox has been overflowing with unread, unwanted emails. NO MORE!

I saw my Inbox reach 1,234 emails yesterday. I looked at that number and figured it was a sign (probably just coincidence actually) and so I went on a wholesale slash and burn cleanup of the Inbox. I am proud to say that it is down to 144 emails. Now the fun begins.

I must stay diligent and unsubscribe from the junk as it comes in. Woot Daily Digest? Unsubscribed. Snapfish Spectacular Savings? Unsubscribed. Bring it on Walgreens, Entertainment Earth, Big Bad Toy Store, Things From Another World, Best Buy, Preston Art Center, Kentucky Artist Association... you're all gonna burn*!

* and by burn I mean get unsubscribed by me

100% | 174.77 lbs. (176.2 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 64.38% (235 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

"I cherish my small victories and ignore my larger issues."

This mantra is getting me through the 8+ hours at work these days. I have blinders on. I see what is exactly in front of me and am doing my best to be oblivious to the bigger picture. Now that doesn't hold true to my coding, mind you. I have to keep the big picture in mind lest I become that which I have replaced. And there is no room for that on this sleek machine we call Oil.

100% | 174.76 lbs. (176.0 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 64.11% (234 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Running in Tom Sawyer

Jooj has needed a running partner for as long as we've been together. I used to run cross country but absolutely abhor running now. But, being the good husband and knowing that I am more than capable of running, I have volunteered to run with her. I bought some new outfits and new shoes and guess what? I'm a runner now.

We've been running around the neighborhood pretty regularly the last two weeks. I haven't measured any of the distances we've run but it feels like 2 or 3 miles most days. There are plenty of routes to take (thanks for kick-ass sidewalks and semi-sylvan scenery, Plasticville) so we are lucky that walking out our front door is all we need to do to get a good little run in us.

However, for a change of pace, we decided this morning to try out Tom Sawyer park. I vaguely remembered the track as being a pounded, compact gravel. Jooj was hoping it was paved (it wasn't). We Google-mapped it and found the Fitness Loop marked pretty clearly. So we hopped in the car and drove over.

The loop was easy to find. We started running counter-clockwise. The park was nice as we jogged, weaving through a turn or two on the track. Then we hit an unmarked four-way intersection. I chose to take us sharply right. The track narrowed. And soon there were no other walkers or joggers in sight. We kept running though. We came upon a small parking lot. We ran through it. Then the track turned into an actual trail - a dirt pathway going through the woods. We reluctantly kept running. After a short while we came out back onto the crushed gravel track. But then we came out next to a long building. The track turned into a road. We turned back onto the track after we saw it. But then it stopped. And we were running in a field. We hit the track again. After getting our bearings we finished the loop we originally started.

I'm not sure how far we run or even how much we ran on actual track. I highly doubt that the way we took is an orthodox method of running at Tom Sawyer. We maybe should hook up with someone who is familiar with the park before trying that again.

100% | 174.76 lbs. (177.2 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 63.84% (233 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Saturday afternoon (Using Six Syllables)

At Darkstar Friday night.
Met Micah, Hill, Brandon.
Woke up, not hungover.
Hit the bank, got some cash.
Found out license expired.
Barber gave short haircut.
Went back home, picked up Jooj.
Goodwill first for drop off.
Went inside but no buys.
Shaheen's next to exchange.
Short-sleeved swapped for long-sleeved.
Panera, pressed Cuban.
Good but not worth eight bucks.
Drove out to Middletown.
Spent too much at Target.
Stopped at Goodwill out there.
Picked up some shirts for me.
Drove to Sam's for some stuff.
Walked out under budget.
Mowed front, edged the sidewalk.
(Those five words took three hours)
Showered, tired, and sun-burnt.
Lucky Charms for dinner.
Played games 'til twelve-thirty.
Went to bed and slept hard.

100% | 174.75 lbs. (177.8 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 63.56% (232 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

The Oxford Comma

I am a champion of the proper use of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I admit that I am guilty of the unorthodox use of apostrophes when I bust out a double contraction. I purposefully and improperly misspell certain words, like "grrrls" and "birfday". But I am consistent. And consistency, even when using improper Engrish, rules the day.

I am a proponent of the Oxford comma (also known as the serial comma), which is the comma that immediately precedes an or, and, or nor in a list of three or more. For an example, check out that last sentence - or the next one. Today I went to work, out to eat, to the bar, and then back home.

I find that its use is on the decline. It is no longer used in journalism. And I rarely see it in other forms of print any longer.

It saddens me but it really shouldn't. Engrish has gone through so many changes. And has changes still yet to be made. In fact, our dialect changes with small nuances every year. In 50 years it will be so different than it is today. In 500 years I doubt a person from my era could even keep up with a conversation of the new dialect, just as someone from 500 years ago would have trouble understanding us today.

Somewhere along the way the Oxford comma will die. If the trend holds steady it will be inevitable. So goes it I suppose.

100% | 174.73 lbs. (177.0 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 63.29% (231 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Ordinary Day

Today was a day unlike my more recent days - it was ordinary. Sometimes I believe ordinary days are just so boring. But given recent events an ordinary day was actually quite pleasent. No college move-ins. No crazy dreams. No fights. No world-ending storms. No birfdays. No vacations.

Just a normal day. Work was fine. Went for a run with Jooj when I got home. Dinner was good. Didn't go to soccer (team captain is checking to see if I can even play after my suspension). Stayed home with Jooj and watched some TV. Played some City of Heroes. Going to bed at a decent time. It's been refreshing. Now tomorrow, who knows what could go wrong?

Funky dreams? All hell breaks loose at work? Lizard drops a clutch of 20 eggs? Dog gets sprayed by a skunk? Car accident? Save a life? Reach enlightenment?

One just never knows...

100% | 174.72 lbs. (175.4 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 63.01% (230 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Suspended a Whole Session

The following email was sent to Mockingbird Valley Soccer Club late last night:

---

Christian:

My name is Eric Brinley and I play keeper for Galacticos on Tuesdays in Group B. I was involved in an altercation tonight during the final match between Galacticos and Monstars and was suspended from league play for the subsequent session. I am not writing to contest the suspension but would like to be refunded the league fee I had already paid for the upcoming session.

The incident took place in the final minutes of the final game. It had been a physical game that had earlier included two other instances of players confronting one another after aggressive fouls. My defender was taken down hard by a member of the other team - or so it seemed to me. The referee saw it differently and my player admitted to me later that he had actually committed the foul. That was the first mistake of many I would make in the ensuing moments. In an attempt to resume play quickly I placed the ball and attempted a long pass downfield. The pass struck the same member of the other team and ricocheted back towards me. He took offense and started charging toward me. I scooped up the ball and threw it at his face. He closed the distance between us and took me by the neck. At that point I swung at him. Players converged on us. During the fracas someone put their arm around my neck from behind, like a choke hold. I did not bother to find out who that person was before throwing them to the ground. It turned out to be one of the two referees. We were broken up and I walked away from the fray without any need for restraint. I did not need to "cool off" as I immediately regretted then as I regret now the entire incident.

I don't have an explanation or an excuse for my actions. Many players can attest that I am normally a very cool and level-headed player - the first to break up a scuffle or help a downed player, from either team. I apologized to the other team and especially to the member with whom I shared the altercation. I also wanted to be certain that the referee, whether he accepted or not, heard my apology. I believe he took it at first as me pleading my case to overturn his decision. I insisted that I was not and only wanted him to understand that I wanted to apologize for my actions toward him. He referees quite frequently and he knows me by sight as I know him.

Afterwards I attempted to arrange a refund. I was told that they could not authorize a refund and that I needed to contact you. Again, I am not contesting the suspension but would appreciate a refund as I am unable to play. I can stop by MVSC any day after work if you need my credit card number. Thank you.

Eric Brinley

---

Jooj called on my way home and got on my case about being so late. She told me that I can't play 10pm or 11pm games anymore. Well, no problem obliging you on Tuesdays now! Three of the last four games on Thursdays are 10pm games. I guess I'm done for the Thursday session too. And I may as well consider retiring from soccer again. The kids play early. The adults play late. Whatevs :|

100% | 174.72 lbs. (174.8 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 62.74% (229 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Intense Dreams != Good Sleep

Three crazy dreams. One night. Sleep was rough. Stomach is sour because of it.

Dream #1 (The Intense Dream) - I was laying on my crappy old futon in my crappy old apartment in the waning days of my 8 years there. It was a time when I knew that the end of one lifestyle was long overdue and the next was on the cusp of beginning. In front of me, also laying, was a grrrl I hadn't met yet in my life. I was dressed in running gear and she was dressed in workout clothes. I don't know exactly what we were doing, watching TV I guess, but there was some electricity between us. The tension was thick and it eventually gave way to caressing and touching - nothing R-rated but definitely very emotionally intense. Suddenly, I jumped up and we started arguing. I awoke with a startle.

Dream #2 (The Absurd Dream) - For whatever reason I was driving around in my mom's mini-van. In the back was (of all people) my ex-wife, a few other grrrls, Corey Haim, and Corey Feldman. I had somehow agreed to do a photo shoot of the ladies in the van (including the ex). The Coreys were my assistants and they were younger versions of themselves, from about the same era as Lost Boys. The photo shoot was supposed to be in the woods but my ex and I were arguing (imagine that) over location and such. The whole time I was thinking about Jooj and how pissed she was going to be that I had even agreed to do this in the first place. Uninspired, frustrated, and looking for any reason to escape this scenario I decided that we all needed to go to breakfast. My ex decided that we should shoot in the greasy spoon diner we ended up at. I was sick of the situation and just wanted out of it. I got the bill for breakfast and was somehow convinced to pay for everyone. I woke with disgust.

(After rereading this paragraph, I tried putting " - please don't ask me why" at the end of every sentence [except the last one] and it really gets across the feeling I had about this dream. Try it on for size - it's fun!)

Dream #3 (The Death Dream) - The dream began with Jooj and me in a larger city - not quite New York but something with tall buildings. A crowd had gathered and was looking skyward. Precariously hanging from the highest window was a man shouting and carrying on. That man, it turns out, was my good friend Scott. The moment I realized it I was frozen in place. He was spouting on about this and that - not really audible speech from my distance. His wife Celia was behind him rooting him on. He tossed out some plaque that tumbled through the air before slamming into the ground dangerously close to me. But I was frozen. I dared not moved. He then took a large trophy-type award from Celia's hands and tossed it as well. It smashed into pieces from that height. Then, either purposefully or accidentally during his rage, he fell from his position. His body plummeted to the ground quickly - so quickly. I was still frozen but managed to close my eyes before impact. Jooj collected me and we walked away from the scene. Somehow we were then walking through a college dorm. I sneered at the students as if they were somehow responsible for Scott's death. We walked outside and there was snow and ice on the ground. We started walking through a parking lot. I slipped on ice but caught myself before I fell. Angrily I threw my keys. Some hippy kid picked them up and I waved at him. Then I saw our mutual friend Sam and I just started crying, burying my face in his puffy black jacket. I woke.

I'm not sure what was going through my head last night. Anxiety I suppose. Maybe I'm worried about Jooj's father and his procedure today. Maybe I'm worried about the kids starting school. I'm certain I'm not portending things to come. In any case, I think I may drop my friend Scott a quick email and see how he's doing.

100% | 174.72 lbs. (178.2 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 62.47% (228 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your... (UPDATED)

Engines. And by "engines" I actually mean classes.

Due to the first day of school being called off for JCPS (hasn't happened in 30 years according to the news) Jooj is starting her first day tomorrow. Kels is starting her first day of classes as a college student tomorrow. And Will is starting with a half-day tomorrow as a new student in high school.

New job. Freshman college student. Freshman high school student. The word of 2011 in the Brinley household is CHANGE.

Fortunately (for work at least), I am not planning on changing anything about my job anytime in the foreseeable future. Of course, with the trials that we've gone through and the personnel that we chew through (and the fact that I'm still standing tall among the people that have come and gone both before me and during my tenure) I am nearly expecting some sort of compensation for my effort in ensuring that things run as smoothly as can be run with the skeleton crew we have running this Super Oil Tanker (and I do mean SUPER as in DUPER... we hit our goal for the year last week - w00t). I won't be a douche bag and get all "I'm entertaining other offers" if something significant doesn't happen. I would like to think that my boss and the people above him understand the, dare I say, vital role I play in our group's success.

Look at me... I'm sounding like a pompous ass. Don't mean too - I promise.

UPDATE: Holy carp! Jooj has another day off tomorrow?!? Well, scratch what I said up above about you, Jooj.

100% | 174.71 lbs. (177.2 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 62.19% (227 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Stormageddon

So apparently, while we were down in Murray, Stormageddon 2011 hit L'ville. We came home last night to widespread power outages, downed tree limbs, and a big mess. Our neighbor's Bradford Pear tree had split and the limbs were moved out of the road already. Sticks and stems and leaves were all over the yard. Lawn furniture was tumped over and moved. The big table umbrella was in the pond (and ruined).

But at least we had power and cable and Internet connection. It appeared that much of our neighborhood did not.

Found out today that 200K are still without power - including Will's dad. Will is going to stay with us one more night (yay!). In fact, this storm caused such a mess that the first day of school has been cancelled for JCPS. CRAZINESS!

100% | 174.70 lbs. (176.0 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 61.92% (226 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Move-in Day

Today is move-in day for Kels. Personally, the day started off great for me with a continental breakfast consisting of a Southwest omelette, ham, sausage, a banana, and a toasted bagel with cream cheese. What could possibly go wrong now? (SPOILER: Nothing really!)

We ran over to White College a little early and people were already moving in. Kels rolled up with her dad shortly thereafter. She had that "Huh?/Meh." look on her face. But actually that quickly turned into excitement.

We packed all of her stuff in a shopping cart (a SHOPPING CART of all things... Ha!). Her dad took the elevator. I took the stairs. Ninth floor. Whew!

Her roommate was already up there with her mom, her grandma, and her step-dad. They were all very nice. Her roommate, Chelsea, had a bit of fear in her eye - and stress. I looked over at Kels and she was just rollin' with it, man! I love that grrrl.

Unpack. Hook up. Plug up. Construct. Install. Downstairs. Wal-mart. Culver's. Upstairs. Hook up. Channel scan. Downstairs. Bookstore. Line-waiting. Line-waiting (again... and MUTANT TOES... AHHHHHHH). Upstairs. Farewells. Downstairs.

Saying goodbyes was easier than I thought. I had already reminded Kels of the outstanding rule #1 (Good grades) that withstood all of high school. I gave her rule #2 (No needle drugs, crack, or meth) and then offered guideline #3 (Protection, protection, protection!). Then I got a great hug... the likes of which I have not received in a long time. I'm gonna miss that grrrl... but she's going to be just fine.

Us, on the other hand, could have used some help. We were fine coming out of Murray but then totally missed the Western Kentucky Parkway. We were nearly to Tennessee on I-24 before we realized it. Wrong way, dummies!

Along the Western Kentucky Parkway we hit patches of rain. Sometimes we would hit a patch of rain while the sun was beaming down on us. As we hit Muhlenberg county and were rolling up onto Central City we saw the most brilliant double rainbow shooting out of the ground and into the sky. We figured that was Granny letting us know that everything with Kelsey was going to be okay :)

100% | 174.69 lbs. (???.? lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 61.64% (225 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Sitting in Murray, KY (again)

I started to type out the title for today's blog entry "Sitting in M..." when the browser finished it for me - "Sitting in Murray, KY". Obviously I have typed this before and it turns out back when I was Sitting in Murray, KY. Funny how the brain works :)

So I'm back in the Holiday Inn Express. I signed up for the Priority Club. I guess that makes me official now. I'm part of the club. I'm now waiting for a HUGE City of Heroes to download over Holiday Inn's wifi. I hate playing CoH on my laptop but lugging my Alienware down here is totally out of the question. And it's Double XP Weekend, and that only happens about twice a year. I have my headset on. Waiting. Waiting. 108.31 MB of 177.97 MB. That's big. Still waiting.

Kels comes down with her dad and step-mom tomorrow. We're moving in at 10AM, with or without them. I spoke with Kels' roommate's mom tonight and they are heading over first thing. We'll head over about the same time... after the complimentary continental breakfast of course!

I'm so excited for Kels! GO RACERS!

100% | 174.69 lbs. (175.8 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 61.37% (224 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Where is Walking Man?

There are some "regulars" in my neighborhood, if you will. There is Walking Man. There is Sitting Tommy (or is it Tony - I can't remember). There is Plastic Grrrl (and her new companion). There is Running Hippy. There is Killer Terrier. There is Lazy Boxer. There is Walking Weirdo (he's a new addition - FREAK!). I'm starting to notice a new "regular" too... Grands With Stroller (obviously someone's son/daughter is getting free babysitting and that baby is getting walked regularly, let me tell you!).

One of the mainstays was always Walking Man. He is an old man, always in khakis and white sneakers. Sometimes he has a jacket and sometimes he has hat. He loves to smoke while he walks. And boy-o-boy can that man walk. He's a machine! A machine, I tells ya!

But where has Walking Man been all summer? Is he staying in from the heat? Did he move to another neighborhood? Is he walking in the next life?

I don't know. But I kind of miss him :(

100% | 174.69 lbs. (177.6 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 61.01% (223 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Head Straight

PHEW! Have to get my head on straight today. Started the day off in a funk. Work is tough when you're in a funk. And that held true today.

It was hard to concentrate. Discussions at work didn't really help. I was so distracted. Lunch helped out a little - a good break in the day and a good meal at the regular Wednesday spot, J. Gumbos.

But then after lunch I was *really* thrown off. I just couldn't get my mind focused. I kept thinking of silly things. The mystery of Guanglei Zhang. Blind squirrels finding nuts. Mental defenses (reminds me the Tower of Iron Will and Ego Whip powers from AD&D, 1st Edition days). Brazil. JEEBUS!!! Viva la Mexico!

SNAP OUT OF IT, BRINLEY!!!

100% | 174.67 lbs. (176.8 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 60.82% (222 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Kick me while I'm down

I've been nailed to the wall at work. Sh!t is breaking and I'm working too hard. Today wasn't as bad as yesterday. More is coming tomorrow. It's stressing me out. I come home and get nailed to the wall. Ugh! Got myself in trouble with Google. Then I didn't get enough chicken. The dude said it would be enough chicken! I started feeling kind of sick - throat scratchy and felt a little weird. Went to my 11PM soccer game. Lost. To the worst team in the league. At this point the day is a wash. Back door was locked. Front door was locked. Keys and phone inside. Use the keypad to open the loud-ass garage door. Jooj yelled and told me no more 11PM games. I've been kicked to the couch.

It's 1AM. I'm wide awake. And I just want today to be over.

100% | 174.66 lbs. (177.6 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 60.55% (221 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

HAPPY 18TH BIRFDAY, KELS!!!

HAPPY 18TH BIRFDAY, KELS!!!

I'm so happy for her. OMG, my little grrrl is all grown up. She can vote. She can enlist. She can buy cigarettes. She can get a tattoo. She can get a piercing. She can go to porno flicks. She can cuss. The possibilities are limitless!

On second thought, besides the voting thing, I'm not so sure I'm happy for her... more like scared to death for her! Hahaha! I'd probably worry more but she has a good head on her shoulders.

Today is her day so I won't spoil it. But I will say this: cat puke, dog puke, dog poop, and the worst Monday at work since January. LAME! Also dropping my curling weight by 10 pounds. I think I'm hurting my arm with that much weight.

Yay Kelsey!

100% | 174.65 lbs. (179.8 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 60.27% (220 of 365) | 112/45 lbs.

Random Sunday

Wow, it stormed really hard last night. Went running with Jooj. We're runners now if you hadn't heard. Showered. Weighed heavy. Is it because of the new scale? Went to Sam's (again). Ate big ass chicken sausages for lunch. Went to the pool and immediately fell asleep. Singed a bit. Not burned. Showered. Screwed around with the wireless network. I really am growing to hate that. Screwed around with Will's XBox and convinced it to play nice with the wireless network that I hate screwing around with. Went and *finally* found the PERFECT birfday gift for Leigh Anne (3 months away). Picked up Will. Exchanged his shoes (rather, waited in the car while Jooj exchanged them). Played some City of Heroes. Was inducted into Red Team. Yay me! Watched the Falling Skies finale with Will. It ended with a bang. Sang Happy Birfday to Kels before heading to bed.

100% | 174.62 lbs. (178.0 lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 60.00% (219 of 365) | 112/55 lbs.

Back to school shopping!

Woke up this morning. Fed dogs, cats, lizards, and fish. Went running with Jooj. Cut down limbs on the Magnolia. Patched the corner of the gutter. Filled the fish pond with new water. Loaded the car with stuff bound for Soos' house. All this before 11AM? After that it was time to rock and roll.

Went to Target. Went to Kohls. Ate at Tumbleweed. Went to Shoe Carnival. Went to Sam's. Went to Preston Art Center in New Albany. Jooj and I burned through some cash today, to say the least!

Who was the big winner of the Back to School shopping spree? Me. Easily. New running clothes from Target. Zipper tie for a costume for the comic from Kohls. We ate at Tumbleweed (always a win). Picked up two new pairs of shoes at Shoe Carnival. Sam's has the diet green tea that Jooj and I love. And I *racked* up at Preston's (going out of business means big savings for Mr. Brinley). Who's going back to school? Not me, but I still came out ahead.

Among the booty we hauled in today was a new bathroom scale. Looks like I'll have numbers to replace those three question marks down in the footer.

I've also removed the progress on my comic from the footer. It is clear to me that I will not be able to complete it by the end of the year. I am working on it and will continue to do so. But I don't need that "0% (0 of 128)" staring at me everyday. What a drag, right?

Lastly, I overhauled the budget I had already setup for 2012. I know it's a ways away but I just wanted to know where we stand a year from now. It's looking like 2012 might be a somewhat boring year filled with debt repayment. We'll manage to have some fun and get some projects done, to be sure. And if we stick to the budget we'll be in great shape going into 2013 :)

100% | 174.605 lbs. (??? lbs.) | 16% (8 of 50) | 59.73% (218 of 365) | 112/55 lbs.

Tallywhacker

On the way back from Isle of Palms we somehow got on the subject of the word tallywhacker. As a kid, my Granny used to use the term to refer to a penis (why my Granny was referring to penises is something I will not speculate over, thank you very much). And from what I've read (yes, I've done a little research on the subject on these here interwebs) it is mainly a slang term formerly used in the southern United States. Granny grew up a country grrrl in rural Kentucky so that about makes sense.

But what are the origins of the word? Online, what little debate there is, there doesn't appear to be a clear-cut answer.

Most people cannot agree that "tally" is a derivative from Latin meaning either twig or tail (oddly enough, I've heard "tail" used as slang to refer to the female equivalent). I can almost see how a penis could be crudely compared to a tail. So I buy that. But if that is the case, why put "whacker" after that. Of the many things I many can do with a penis, whacking it ranks pretty low on my list. In fact, it ranks just above "cut off", which is honestly in last place. And I also don't see myself using my appendage to go around whacking things either. That's a bad idea. Nothing good can come of it!

So I dug around a little further and found that "whacker" might be short for "whack", which might be a bad verbal translation of "wag". I point this out because I read where certain archaic dialects of Engrish use the word "tallywag" to refer to the penis.

A wagging tail? Yeah, I totally buy that. A stretch? Certainly.

Or perhaps "tallywag" is just some made up word that doesn't really mean anything. Perhaps "tallywag" has just been mistranslated to "tallywhacker" and there is no word origins to examine because it's a nonsensical word.

Either way, Granny would be horrified that I've spent this post talking about my tallywhacker :)

100% | 174.605 lbs. (??? lbs.) | 0% (0 of 128) | 16% (8 of 50) | 59.45% (217 of 365) | 112/55 lbs.

This and That - Thursday Edition

Mom is home! Her 3+ week tour of England, Ireland, and Scotland ended when she touched down in Dulles earlier this afternoon. Dad, Melisssss, and the lil' kids met her at the airport. She is very happy to be home. I'll get more stories from her and see pictures when I see her soon. I do know that she saw "Wicked" at The Apollo in London last night. Sounds like fun!

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 500 points today - pretty much everything it has gained in 2011. Massive. Is the global economy grinding to a halt? Is it time to panic? Does this mark the beginning of the end? Yes. Kidding, it doesn't (I am nodding my head that it does). No, no, no. I'm kidding, it really doesn't (I am still nodding and my eyes are very wide, indicating that I am, in fact, not joking). Hahaha! I'm really just kidding (pssst, no I'm not!).

The scale is broken. Jooj thought that banging it on the floor would be the best way to fix it. It turns out that actually is not.

The gate on the driveway has been fixed. Raatz came out today and "adjusted" it. Over the course of the summer the one side has been dragging on the ground - due to ground swelling or wood warping. I've been feeling like Magnus Magnusson from the Strongman competition when it comes to lifting that gate open. RAWR!

Got an email today that the door code at work was changing. Ruh-roh, Raggy! That normally means someone was being walked out. Sure enough, the "farewell and good luck" email came out shortly thereafter. Turned out to be someone I don't really know too well. Don't know the story.

Wet band-aids are GROSS!

So Jürgen Klinsmann is the new head coach of the United States Mens National Soccer Team. *THE* Jürgen Klinsmann?!? No kidding? I just found this out today. I guess that was announced while I was on vacay. I remember watching Klinsmann play for Tottenham, Bayern, and the German national team back in the day. He was a machine! Very, very interesting.

Work has settled down a bit. Not quite as intense. Not quite as buzzy. My head isn't spinning and it's on straight. Still magical - in its own special way. Knowing that I have that magic to walk into helps get me out of bed in the morning.

Genscape FFL is gearing up. I don't know if Mike wants to co-own a team this season or not. I told the commissioner that we did, barring his approval. Let's go <INSERT NAME OF FUTURE FFL TEAM>!!!

What am I going to do about the comic book? One of my four main characters is off to college next week. I will not be able to finish it - even if I can somehow manage to start it. I've made some good progress this year - some good character development and some great story building. I've reached out to plenty of people and have secured some of the roles I want. I did lose another character when my friend Silver moved to New Mexico. And I still want to work on it. But I can say for certain that it will be be done this year, so that resolution will not be met. Do I keep it down there at "0% (0 of 128)"? That's kind of lame. I'll need to think about this a little further.

Geezle, I meant for this to be a short post. It's almost 1AM again and I'm still typing. I've gotta get some sleep...

100% | 174.605 lbs. (??? lbs.) | 0% (0 of 128) | 16% (8 of 50) | 59.18% (216 of 365) | 112/55 lbs.

The rules have changed

And by rules I actually mean lines. The lines have changed. I don't want to sound like a cane-wavin' grandpa but I may come off that way, so bear with me.

There is an intersection by my house - Linn Station and Timberwood. It is at a point leading out of Plainview and onto a segment of road connecting to Hurstbourne Parkway (it's still Hurstbourne Lane to me). The problem with this intersection (besides the retarded traffic light) is that it goes from 3 lanes to 4 lanes. The problem with that is that the lane assignment isn't exactly clear. I've found myself getting into more near-accidents there than just about anywhere in L'ville. A while back, they marked the lanes better. Unfortunately, they marked them incorrectly.

But this morning they are marked - clearly and correctly. Now, getting dumbass drivers to adhere to the lines... that is another story.

100% | 174.605 lbs. (176 lbs.) | 0% (0 of 128) | 16% (8 of 50) | 58.9% (215 of 365) | 112/55 lbs.

It's been a surreal 36 hours

The week started with bagels. Things went weird from there. Not weird/bad. Just weird/weird. Dustin Kensrue can sure pick that guitar and play that harmonica. Breakfast for lunch. Stories told. Appetite gone. Heads buzzin'. Did you have to get your sh!t together? (I thought you did :) I really, really like purple Sweet Tarts. Why can't they all be purple? It's a comforting thing to see i2i with someone else. Comfort - great word. Emoticons rule :P Crazy thoughts cause troubled sleep. Where are we going? I already know the answer. Nowhere. Morning madness. Double trouble. Adventure time! Cupcakes are delicious, even when uneaten. Intense. Amazing. Relieving? Eh, maybe. Still going nowhere? Definitely. Cannot question. Nowhere *is* the destination. Construction workers tell it like it is. Amen, brothers! We are in trouble, Mister! We are in trouble, Sister! Leftover 'ritos are better the next day. Good company. Always (always). Imagination runs wild. Let it run, let it run, let it run. Viva? Indeed, sir. Viva la Mexico! If only...

Sheesh, it's already 1AM and I've been writing this nonsense for 90 minutes? Does this make any sense? Perhaps there is sense in the nonsense but only if you don't try to make any sense of it ;)

I need sleep. I hope for good dreams tonight - better yet, great dreams. Maybe I'll dream of you (we have unfinished business, you and I... muwahahahaha)!

GEEZLE!

100% | 174.6 lbs. (177 lbs.) | 0% (0 of 128) | 16% (8 of 50) | 58.63% (214 of 365) | 112/55 lbs.

"Good things don’t end unless they end badly."

Watching The Bachelorette with Jooj (no real surprise there) and I heard something very profound (that is the surprise). After being rejected, Ben stormed off in an attempt to simply escape with a little crumb of dignity. The Bachelorette (whatever her name was) ran after him to track Ben down and give him the you-are-such-a-sweet-guy spiel. Ben didn't want to hear it (and good for him). He told her he didn't need her to sugar-coat it. Then he said the profound, prophetic phrase:

"Good things don’t end unless they end badly."

True words, son! Think about it. That belongs on a little strip of paper and buried in a stale cookie.

100% | 174.58 lbs. (177.5 lbs.) | 0% (0 of 128) | 16% (8 of 50) | 58.36% (213 of 365) | 112/55 lbs.