Day 208

I was real busy earlier today getting work done and getting prepared for the big weekend in Chicago so this is being written from the airplane. Nothing new for me as the road warrior continues. Leah is along for the ride this weekend to see her friends. As beautiful as last weekend was weather-wise, this weekend should be a 180. We left on an earlier flight so we could get out as Chicago is expecting a foot of snow overnight and into tomorrow. Should make for an interesting day. I’ve got my usual vendor Friday and stopping by our corporate office beforehand. The real reason for the weekend visit is clearly sports-related. My beloved Kansas Jayhawks, fresh from their 51 point pasting of those tough Ivy-leaguers the Dartmouth Big Green, are playing Depaul on Saturday afternoon. Pretty much everyone I know who lives in Chicago and went to KU will be there. I am fully expecting to see a 50/50 crowd at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. It will be good to get together with everyone as well. We are hitting up a couple of old favorites for dinners – Hacienda and Wildfire. I’m looking very much forward to it.

I’m not joking when I tell you the guy sitting across the aisle from us has been picking his nose like a 3 year old. We watched him at the gate and it has been non-stop since. Literally for an hour the guy continues to dig for gold. I have never seen anything like it. Get a Kleenex or a clue dude, for real.

I played a wicked game of doubles tennis last night with my cousin Jan against Uncle Kenny and my mom. I forgot how much fun doubles is. I am loving playing tennis again. Playing with Uncle Kenny is pure hilarity. My man has game, no doubt. He is a beast at the net and rarely makes mistakes. Watching him hit across the way was like watching my dad. They hit the same way. He came out with the headband and I knew I was in trouble. Jan and I took the first set 6-3. The elders took the second 6-4. Then in the best out of five games, they took us down 3-2. I guess in the end, older is better.

The last two nights I have watched college basketball games on ESPN. Both games, Indiana vs. Duke and Ohio State vs. North Carolina, were being called by the famous Dick Vitale. Dickie V is no for his joyful exuberance and love for the college game. While I admire his passion greatly, the guy has officially jumped the shark. He has become an unbearable screamer and a guy who thinks he is bigger than the game. Everyone who comes in contact with him loves him and says what a nice man he is, and I’m sure that is true. But listening to him now has become a chore. How many more times do I need to hear that the alternate possession rule needs to be changed? How many times can one man stroke the Duke program? His catch-phrases aren’t fresh, his act is so tired, and its time for him to hang them up. I knew it was bad when I heard the same exact schtick back to back nights about how OSU coach Thad Matta is getting an early Christmas present when all-world Freshman Greg Oden returns from injury. I can honestly say I went to the mute button in the second half.

What does it say about this country when I read today that despite the called-for Boycott of the Seinfeld DVD’s by Jesse Jackson (who is a phony and a buffoon, but that is besides the point), sales of the DVD’s are way up?

What did we all do before the internet anyways? How much less work is being done in this country do you think? Everyone I know, while working hard, seems to find time to be emailing with friends all day long. I am the biggest culprit. Do I get things done? Absolutely. But a day doesn’t go by (unless I am in meetings) that I am not discussing why Indiana guard Rodrick Wilmont doesn’t play more with Mark P, or why Torry Holt is slumping on my fantasy football team with Sean, or receiving forwards of Britney Spears coming out of a car in Hollywood bottomless from ten different people. Its even worse now with my Blackberry. Everything I need when I am not in front of my computer is now right in my hand. I have truly become a Blackberry addict, just like my guy Joe Dumars. I’ll save that story for another day.

I gotta give quick birthday shoutouts to my man Jeremy who turned 33 today and The V-Dog herself, Vera, who turned a whopping 69 yesterday. When she told me last night that she was 69 I almost dropped. I thought she was my dad’s age or a little younger. When I was guessing she said “My grandson is 23.” Jer has been my best friend since moving back to C-town. Who else would go see Borat and the People vs. John Lennon with me? We have been close since we were kids – we signed each other’s Ketubah’s when we got married – and he is one of the few people I put in the same category with me for pure love of his sports teams.

One day until we get to December; this gives us one month until the year in which my son will be born. Yikes! I’ve got to cut this short as I am beginning to get nauseous from this bumpy flight. Its been 30 minutes of constant turbulence…..catch you all on the ground…..

Song of the Day: "Don't Let me Down" by The Beatles