Books & Music

Not too much going on today.  I’ve been keeping up with blogs since the weekend.  I even read an actual (digital) book for about half the day on Monday.  Didn’t quite get the chance today, but I did get through all my blogs.  I’m almost done with the book so I was hoping to finish it.  I’m at 84%, which you never know how close that is because sometimes there’s other pages at the end that take up space.  It’s actually a book of short stories (4 stories) and I’m not overly huge on short stories.  But I wanted to read the 1st story (book to the left) because it was a prequel of a series that I’ve been keeping up with.  That’s another reason I want to finish this book, because I want to read the new book in the series.  It’s the 10th book (book to the right) of the series and it is my favorite series ever.  The author has already said that she will stop the series after book 13 which sucks, but it is a great series if you like supernatural.  The actual genre of the series is Urban Fantasy.  So if you like witch’s, demon’s, werewolves and vampires and all that supernatural stuff.  Then go pick up the first book and start from there.  They really are a great read and the more you read, the better the books get.  So go check out “The Hollows” series by Kim Harrison.  I’ll probably do a book review of them when I finish.  I just need to either keep up with reading blogs or just set time to read books.  But I really need to start reading more.  I’ve got all kinds of books on my Kindle just waiting for me to start again.

Insane in the Membrane

I’m not proud to admit what song I had stuck in my head today.  Please don’t judge me by this.

Yeah, don’t know where it came from.  At least I was walking around work putting my hands to my face and saying “Vogue”.
Although in the last hour or so, I’ve had this song in my head.

I’m not sure where that came from.  But it’s certainly better than Madonna.

I need to get off here. We’re about to have supper and I still have to call all the parents on little league and let them know info about Opening Day on Saturday as well as when our first game is because they just finished schedules today.

Be sure to check out Flashback Friday this Friday.  It’s a post that I’ve been promising Red that I would get out.  It’s all typed out and ready to go.

People NEED to change

I remember back in the day when someone did something mean or stupid and you were amazed at their stupidity.  They were far and few between.  But it seems that now-a-days, your amazed when someone is good or does something nice.  I like to think that I’m pretty nice to strangers.  I hold doors for people, I smile and nod when eye contact is made, I’ve gone out of my way to help someone.  When I hit that guy on the bike, I stood in the road next to him so cars would see me and not run him over so he wouldn’t have to move.  I kept asking if he was ok.  I wouldn’t be surprised to hear a news story that is similar only the guy gets out of the car and beats the crap out of the biker.  That’s the world we live in.  I can’t stand to watch the news anymore.  Children killing adults over meaningless arguments.  Young kids going on killing sprees in schools.  And don’t even get me started on the molesting that adults are doing to kids.  I can’t watch the news.  There are so many things wrong with this world that we are amazed when something is right.  Or at least I am.  Maybe it’s just me, maybe I’m just too negative.

Maybe this is a product of me becoming anti-social.  Yes, I admit it, I’m antisocial.  Which is funny because as most of you know, bloggers like to be heard.  I check my stats for affirmation that somebody is listening.  I don’t put much faith into the numbers per say, and I’m still going to blog what I want to blog.  For me, this is a log of my life that I may be able to look back onto a few years later.  So I post what I want to post.  Besides wanting to be heard.  But in real life, I don’t really care how many friends I have.  Which really shows at work.  I like where I work in the factory, because I work alone.  I come in, do my job, leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone.  I put on headphones in the breakroom sometimes because people just annoy me.  Whether it be loud talking to someone right next to you, or someone playing music out loud on their phones, or people holding a concert to those around them.  People are rude.  And I don’t want to be around them.

Maybe this could change if the news only played positive stories, probably not.  I know one thing, we could go back to one half hour news broadcast.  Because there isn’t that much good in the world anymore. 

Maybe I’m negative. 

Maybe I’m antisocial. 

Maybe I’m the problem.

All I know is people need to stop being dicks.  People need to start thinking of those around them.  People need to get their heads out of their asses and turn this world around.  Because even thought I am antisocial and don’t like people, I still respect those around me.  Which is more than I can say for most.

Weekly Catch-Up

Weekly Catch-Up

I blog mainly about new movies to me.  Also review other products here and there but it’s mostly movies.

Only watched 1 movie this week to review but it was a good one.  Watched the end of Meet Joe Black and all of Legends of the Fall on AMC today but I only review movies I haven’t seen.  I take that back, I watched a movie yesterday that I need to review.  But it wasn’t anything spectacular, contrary to what everyone is saying.

• the Help – a 5 star movie review.

Stats

• Total page views = 199 (up 29 from last week)
• Total posts = 21 (up 1 from last week)
• Total followers = 1 (same as last week)

Here I blog all about My Sports Obsession, mostly baseball cards and the White Sox.

This blog is on autopilot as of late.  I haven’t purchased much new so I’m mainly posting some stuff I picked up awhile ago.

• Player Collection Spotlight – Tom Seaver – I highlight a card from my Tom Seaver collection.
• 1973 Topps – Nettles, McMullen, Paul, Cleveland – I highlight 4 more cards from my quest to complete the 1973 Topps set.
• 1981 Topps – Pattin, Tyson, Garner, Burleson – I highlight 4 more cards from my quest to complete the 1981 Topps set.
• Cheap Ebay Pickup – I highlight a new card to my Luis Aparicio collection.
• Philip Humber’s Perfecto – A brief congrats to Philip Humber on throwing his perfect game.

Stats

• Total page views = 15,186 (Up 418 from last week)
• Total posts = 348 (Up 5 from last week)
• Total followers = 74 (Same as last week)

Random sports photos.  There are only some stats for this blog as it is a Tumblr account, not a blogger account.

• 7 University of Michigan posts.
• 19 White Sox posts.
• 9 other MLB posts.
• 1 Indianapolis Colts post.

Stats

• Totals posts = 365 (Up 36 from last week)
• Total followers = 8 (Up 1 from last week)

This is just a blog of my random thoughts. This will be a collection of everything from my thoughts, to funny things I find on the net (including tweets and FB status) to whatever else I decide to post. From being a parent, to being a husband, to everyday life with a MS patient.

• Weekly Catch-Up – Do I really need to explain this post?
• Leaning Flag Pole of Perkins – It was a tad windy around here.
• Therapy, Dumbassery and Twitter – Some random stuff about little league, my wife is beginning to blog more and debating on how much to use Twitter.
• Chiropractor – My wife’s positive appointments with her new Chiropractor.
• Parents are Stupid – A little bitching about parents at little league, also a plug in WTF Did They Just Say? and a quick post in Insane in the Membrane. 
• Alzheimer’s -  I talk about what’s going on on Grey’s Anatomy and how it relates to myself.

Stats

• Total page views = 2114 (Up 254 from last week)
• Total posts = 127 (Up 6 from last week)
• Total followers = 5 (same as last week)

I only guest post on this blog about my Michigan cards.  And as stated up above, I haven’t been buying cards lately so I haven’t posted here recently.  Although Dennis still posts on here so there are posts to read, just none by me.

Stats 

• Total posts by me = 9

That’s it for the week.  As you can tell, I don’t Facebook a lot as far as posting stuff.  I posted maybe 2 or 3 other things, vids or pics, but that’s it.  While I’m on it multiple times a day, I don’t post much myself.

Alzheimer’s

I’m having trouble watching “Grey’s Anatomy”.  The whole storyline with Richard and Adele is killing me.  Adele has Alzheimer’s on the show.  They have put her in a home because she is that bad off.  Richard caught her in bed at the home with another Alzheimer patient.  Obviously, she doesn’t remember Richard.  But the whole episode, when they were together, she kept asking where this new guy was.  It was heartbreaking.

I just watched my grandfather on my dad’s side go through it.  More or less, since I wasn’t around for much of it.  I wasn’t that close, long story for another post.  The point is, it runs in my family.  So there is a possibility that I may get it.  I’ve already told my wife if I ever start getting that bad, just run.  Tell my family to run.  When I die and get my memory back, I’ll understand.  I can’t imagine putting my family through that.

Run for the hills, loved ones.  Run for the hills.

Parents are stupid

As you know, they asked me to run one of the baseball teams at little league.  Well, the whole story is that they had 5 teams of 13-14 kids per team.  So they created a 6th team and begged me to coach.  This way, each team has 10-11 kids and every kid gets more playing time.  My team is even sponsored by the little league park, so they are paying for it just to give the kids more playing time.

I talked to the lady that helps run the park with her husband.  She said that more than a few of the parents have been bitching because their kids got moved after practicing with another team.  OK, this is an instructional league.  Which means no score is kept, you play against other teams but the rules are pretty laid back.  You can even stop the game to talk to a player and explain what he did wrong or what a better way to do it would be.  INSTRUCTIONAL.  Which means it doesn’t matter what team your on, we are all there to teach the kids.  You’ll find coaches helping the players on the other teams.  INSTRUCTIONAL.  We are here to help your kids learn the game and to get better.  Not coddle the damn parents because all your other favorite moms are on the other teams.  It’s freaking ridiculous.  It doesn’t matter if your kid had to switch teams, we don’t even keep score.  It’s INSTRUCTIONAL.  And do you know what the big problem is, the lady mentioned above called the parents, father usually answers, says yeah, no problem.  I understand, more playing time for my son, great.  Then she’ll receive a call a little bit later from the mother, bitching up a storm how her kid doesn’t want to switch.  These kids are 7-8 years old.  They don’t care what team they are on, YOU’RE the one that doesn’t want to switch.  Because you like to hang out with the other mothers on the other team.

I had one mother who I was having a conversation with, she was pleasant and curious.  She asked me if I’ve ever taught baseball.  I told her I hadn’t, because I haven’t.  Other than my kids.  I’ve been an assistant coach on my daughters team every year she’s played, which she is going on her 5th year.  I know and love this game.  I played through school and played softball for 10+ years.  I can probably teach every position, throwing and hitting.  But technically, I’ve never “taught” baseball.  She apparently called the lady and told her that I said I know nothing about the game and wanted to switch teams.

I’m really hoping a parent says something to me.  I will not hold back.  And neither will my wife, who will be sitting up there beside them while I’m coaching.  Or my mom, as far as that goes.  Parents are stupid and need to remember why their kids are playing.  And it’s not for the parents.  IT’S FOR YOUR FUCKING KIDS!!!!!

WTF Did They Just Say?

This is a special edition of WTF Did They Just Say? because I’m plugging a TV show.  If you get a chance, watch “Impractical Jokers” on TruTV.  It is hilarious.  These 4 guys who have been friends for years have to do challenges and complete them.  Each guy goes through the challenge but here’s the catch.  He’s wearing an earbud and can hear the other 3 and the challenge is, you have to do whatever they tell you, or you lose.  Here’s a clip.

Here’s another clip, if you can find this whole episode, it is hilarious.  The guy that wins steals from a lady’s plate, then she tells her husband and he comes over to him at the buffet.  Takes food from the buffet then when the guy goes to take off his plate, he smacks his hand.  The husband goes and sits down and the guy stalks him to his table and goes after his plate.  Here’s the beginning of that prank.

They do multiple challenges in a half an hour episode, then whoever loses the most challenges, has to do a dare that the other 3 decide.  Such as this.

My wife and I laugh so hard watching these.  My eyes usually hurt from wiping the tears off from laughing.  If you have a chance, you have to catch an episode of this.  I have Comcast cable and they have it On Demand, I don’t know about anybody else but if you have On Demand, look for it.  Otherwise, I believe it’s on Thursday nights on TruTV.

I stuck this on WTF Did They Just Say? because the reactions from the everyday people on here is hilarious.  Usually they are just stunned and have a look on their face that says “WTF Did They Just Say?”

Insane in the Membrane

I had a song stuck in my head this morning.  A nice, slow song.  I whistled and sang it for hours.  But the bad part was, I sang it to Adam.  He looked at me and said “I’m glad I don’t know that song”.

Damn kids these days, don’t know good music.  I offered to load it up on my Spotify but he didn’t want to hear it.

Click the following banner to donate to the National MS Society and support our cause. To view our personal involvement, click MS Sucks!

Chiropractor

Before our disability hearing yesterday, Cheri and I went to her evaluation with her new chiropractor.  She really liked the place.  Very organized with everything.  I liked it because everything was very modern.  Everything is brought up on flatscreens, they email you info and give you links to youtube video’s about info on things you need to know.  Like I said, very modern.  Anyways, we left impressed with everything.  She went back this morning for a consult on what they found with the x-rays and evaluation the day before.  All that went normal as well.  Still very impressed with the organization of the whole office and staff.  Then they gave us a quick tour of the office and left us in the room where they actually do the chiropractic care.  Cheri was pumped because it had been so long since she had her back worked on.  He came in and worked on her, here’s a brief description in her words.  When she got up she started to twist and turn her body like she was amazed at how well she could move.  She started to cry and gave him a big hug.  I teared up a bit (told her I yawned, but I think she figured it out).  I was so happy that she was so happy.  Cheri’s not a crier or a hugger so that should tell you how happy she was, now it’s a waiting game to see how long it lasts.  She still has pain, but that was one of the areas that hasn’t had relief in years.

I hope this works out because seeing Cheri so happy, even if it was brief, was a great thing.  She has quite a few more appointments so hopefully he can do more.  I certainly don’t think she will ever be pain free, but at this point, any pain relief is cause for excitement.  He says that he can help relieve some of the pain because he believes her spine is pinching some of her nerves which makes it hard for her body to send signals to her brain, which is essentially what her lesions in her brain do.  So if he can prevent the other blockage of the nerves, it can only help.  It certainly isn’t a cure, but the fight with MS is all about management and not cure.  There is no cure.  You try to manage the pain.  You try to manage the disease from progressing.  You try to manage your life around the disease.  You try to manage the ongoing education about the disease.  It’s all about management of the disease.

So it seems to be a step in the right direction.

Click the following banner to donate to the National MS Society and support our cause. To view our personal involvement, click MS Sucks!

Therapy, Dumbassary & Twitter

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.  I’m behind on my blog reading again.  I did really well last weekend and got caught up.  I even went to work on Monday, read what you all posted on Sunday and Monday morning, and spent the rest of the day reading, yes, actually reading a book (e-book, same thing).  Which was my goal, get caught up so I could read books on my Kindle Fire again.  It worked for a day, I suck.  It’s just been to freaking busy around here.
As I mentioned previously, they talked me into coaching Trevor’s team.  So on top of assistant coaching Samantha’s team, girl scouts and boy scouts.  My week and weekends are suddenly filled up.  I miss my fun online time.  I feel like when I get online now, I have too much stuff to do and can’t just screw around.  After working, then taking care of kids activities, I’m not in the mood to blog by the time I get home.  Which would be the lack of blog posts as of late.  I’m not quitting or going away.  I’m just giving you a heads up if I go a few days without posting.

On the other side, my wife has been blogging a little bit more.  I think it would be good for her, theraputic of sorts.  She has had the blog “Sometimes I Remember, Sometimes I Don’t” which she usually talks about dealing with her Multiple Sclerosis and other medical issues.  But I’ve been telling her to start a blog to bitch about people.  She already does it all the time, why not put it in a blog.  And let’s face it, there’s a few bloggers who are famous in our blogging circles for doing just that.  That one is named “Dumbassary”.  Since I know you all miss me, feel free to go check hers out.  Show her a little love so she sticks with the blogging.  We all know we check our stats and get excited when you get a few hits.  Show her some love to make up for the day she had today.

We went to our disability meeting.  Basically, we sat there and discussed all the things wrong with my wife and all the things she can’t do anymore.  I felt bad for her, she said it didn’t bother her.  But I still felt like we were picking on her.  And I had to just sit there and couldn’t stand up for her.  But if it helped then I guess it doesn’t matter.  Now we wait up to 30 days to hear whether she was approved, or turned down for the 3rd time.  This is our first time with a lawyer and he complimented her on how organized she was so that’s a plus.  We think it went well.  If she gets turned down I’ll be sure to let you know, pretty sure I’ll be posting how pissed I am at the people who take advantage of the system so that those who truly need it, can’t get it.  But hopefully you’ll never have to read it.

I’ve been debating on getting on Twitter (or maybe a fan page on Facebook) more to communicate with my peeps, but to be honest, I only have 1 person who comments regularly (A soon to be fellow sucker, I mean Hoosier).  so I don’t even know how many people out there read on a regular basis.  Right now, I use twitter to advertise my blog posts and that’s pretty much it.  I’ll send a personal tweet once in a great while, if I’m in the mood to, but it’s rare.  Let me know in the comments, or send me a tweet if you’d be interested in that form of communication
Have to go back to work tomorrow, blah!  I’ll talk at you when I talk at you again.

Click the following banner to donate to the National MS Society and support our cause. To view our personal involvement, click MS Sucks!

Leaning Flag Poll of Perkins

Took the day off, not to relax, but to stress a little bit more.  We dropped the kids off at school and went to Steak and Shake for breakfast.  Now I don’t know how wide spread this wind issue is, but it has been very breezy here.  So breezy that this happened just down the road from the restaurant.

I assume sometime last night this happened.  It was already roped off underneath where it will fall and a cop was parked there for most of breakfast.  I know we’ve been under a wind advisory since last night that’s supposed to go till tonight.

We are heading out today for the real reason for the vacation day today.  We have to drive and hour and a half to go to court trying to get my wife on disability.  With all her issues, there is no way she can work.  So essentially, if we get denied, we get to live in government housing for the rest of our lives.  We barely get by now so there is no way we could ever afford a house without her having some kind of income.  I’ll more about it later.

I just wanted to touch bases and let you all know that I’m still around.  Just been very busy and haven’t had much time to blog.

My wife posted a new blog post about some of what I mentioned above and her MS.  Check it out here.

 

Click the following banner to donate to the National MS Society and support our cause.  To view our story, click MS Sucks!

Weekly Catch-up

Weekly Catch-Up

I am actually all caught up on my reviews of movies.  I only review movies I hadn’t seen before.  I do watch more movies then what I post here.  Not a whole lot more, because there are only a few movies that I could watch over and over again.  Maybe I should review them too, but they’d all get 5 stars from me since they are my favorites.

• Real Steel – a 4 star movie review.
• Mama Mia! – a 1 star movie review.  (My wife made me watch it)
• Drive – a 2 star movie review.
• the Muppets – a 3 star movie review.

Stats

• Total page views = 170 (up 46 from last week)
• Total posts = 20 (up 4 from last week)
• Total followers = 1 (same as last week)

 

I’ve slacked a bit on this blog.  I haven’t really had the money to buy any new cards so I haven’t had much to say.  I still read and comments on everybody’s blogs and I have some things to post, just haven’t gotten them up and posted yet.

• Cheap Ebay Pickup – I highlight some a couple of lots of 1966 Topps cards for my White Sox Collection.
• MS Sucks! – This is a duplicate post of the same title from this blog.
• Cheap Ebay Pickup – I highlight a 2012 Tom Seaver card for my White Sox Collection.
• Purchase & More from Ted – I highlight the free cards “Crinkly Wrappers” sent me with the purchased lot I bought from him.

Stats

• Total page views = 14,768 (Up 714 from last week)
• Total posts = 343 (Up 4 from last week)
• Total followers = 74 (Same as last week)

Random sports photos.  There are only some stats for this blog as it is a Tumblr account, not a blogger account.  I’ve spent some time on this blog towards the end of the week so it’s set for a few weeks.  Apparently I linked the title wrong last week.  It is corrected this week.

• 4 University of Michigan posts.
• 16 White Sox posts.
• 7 other MLB posts.
• 0 Indianapolis Colts post.

Stats

• Totals posts = 329 (Up 27 from last week)
• Total followers = 7 (same as last week)

Do I really need to explain this blog?

• Weekly Catch-Up – Again, do I really need to explain this post?
• GREAT Grandparents – I’m really proud of this post.  Apparently my mom did too, she printed it out to show to other family members.
• Tantrums & Annoyance – Just a quick post in regards to a fellow bloggers post and I take the time to annoy you.
• Uh Oh! – Car Trouble and a special edition of Insane in the Membrane with a quick post at the end.
• MS Sucks! – A plea for your help.

Stats

• Total page views = 1860 (Up 240 from last week)
• Total posts = 121 (Up 5 from last week)
• Total followers = 5 (same as last week)

I only guest post on this blog about my Michigan cards.  And as stated up above, I haven’t been buying cards lately so I haven’t posted here recently.  Although Dennis still posts on here so there are posts to read, just none by me.

Stats 

• Total posts by me = 9

Of course, I was being sarcastic, because my wife hates to shop.  But we had to get some “nice” clothes for court tomorrow.

Yeah, this is what I did while blogging today.  2 White Sox games and a Michigan football game.  Cheri ended up taking a nap.

MS Sucks

I haven’t talked much about the wife and her medical issues.  But I feel that I need to.  For those that don’t know, she was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) a little under a year ago.  While it was nice to finally have a diagnosis for all her issues, it hasn’t been fun learning about MS.  The fact that lesions are covering my wife’s brain scares me.  The facts that what this disease could do to her, scares me.  The fact that we are going to have to start daily injections of meds scares me.  The fact that in the future, she might have to rely on me, scares me.  In other words, there are a lot of things about this disease that scare me.

But what doesn’t scare me, is the fact that my wife will keep fighting.  Even though she is in extreme pain, she takes care of things around here.  She gets my kids up and to school every morning and picks them up every day.  Even though it may put her down for the rest of the day.  She keeps fighting every day when she takes showers and it absolutely drains her body of all energy.  Just a shower does that to her.  She cooks for us almost every day.  But in order to do all this, it takes a toll on her.  She has to lie on the floor multiple times a day just to stretch her back.  She needs a back rub almost every night.  When she stands in the kitchen too long, she’ll all of the sudden need to sit down because of a sharp pain in her neck.  She has to use a wheelchair when we go to functions because she can’t handle sitting in the chairs provided.  Or she has to use a wheelchair if we need to go shopping because she can’t be on her feet too long.  And I haven’t even touched on the mental issues like memory loss, or the brain fog she suffers through, or the migraine’s.  Yes, she does a lot for us.  And yes, she suffers a lot for us. 

I have to pause typing this so she can lay on the floor.  Why does she need me, I have to curl my fingers so she can put my finger tips at a certain spot on her skull which helps relieve the pressure in her spine.

I also had to massage the base of her skull because it hurts.  She always hurts.  We need a cure for this beast.  And that’s where you all come in.  There’s a group of us “Team Laws” that are walking in the annual MS Walk here in town.  Cheri will walk.  It may cost her the rest of the day but she is bound and determined to make it.  What I need from you, donations.  I don’t care if you donate $1 or $500, we need it all.  So if you could find it in your hearts to donate to our team to help find a cure for MS, we would be eternally grateful.  All the donations are taken directly from the National MS Society website so you can be sure who gets your money.  It’s the only time of the year that I ask all of you for help.  Please help find a cure for this horrible disease.  Click Below.

I want to help.

We can also turn in donations if you would prefer to just give us a cash or check.  Checks can be made out to the National MS Society.  Thank you for taking the time to read all of this and thank you for your continued support.

If you can’t spare a few bucks, pass this post on.  Via Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Wherever.  The more that see it, the better the chances are that we can fund the search for a cure.  There are a few buttons below this post to share, please use them.