Oh -- Another Busy Weekend

I am working this weekend, both today/Saturday and tomorrow/Sunday.  Gopher football today/Saturday, Vikings tomorrow/Sunday.  If I really think about it, I'll be tired and intimidated.  So I don't.

This is not the first time.  In fact, it's not the first time this season.  It's the third time I'm doing a Golden Gopher-Viking weekend, actually, which makes me wonder why and how both football teams have home games scheduled on the same weekend at least three times this season.  I mean, isn't there any communication between the NFL and the Big Ten to not do that?

I've noticed another thing.  For the first two weekends, the same network was broadcasting both games.  I did not get the feeling that the crew for each game was ever in contact with the other.  On the one hand it makes sense since they're such a big network.  On the other hand they are in the same department, so they have had to at least bumped into each other at their home base.  Wouldn't they be at least curious enough of the co-workers who happen to be working in the same metro area to talk, or maybe even to hang out?  By the way, it was one network doing both games on the first weekend and a different network doing both games on the second weekend, but on this weekend, they're split -- I'm doing one game for each network.  I hope I don't wear the other company's clothing when I work.

Anxiety (Somewhat) Allayed

Yeah, so I was going to blog post about my anxieties over our Game-watching event tomorrow/Saturday night.  It's on at the same time as this other Game whose alumni regularly takes over the bar we go to.  Moreover, this Saturday most of the people who attend my event are actually going across the border to watch the Game in person.  Finally, I probably will not make it to the Game because I decided to pick up a gig at the Gopher football Game.  It starts about four hours before the Game-watching event, but considering how traffic leaving the parking ramp was ridiculous, there's a good chance I won't make it.

Well, considering that my main worry was whether the event should be somewhere else, I'm not as freaked out.  I went to our bar earlier this week and the manager said that the crowds for this other alumni group are not as big now as they have been in years past.  Don't know why -- this program doesn't seem to have fair-weather fans, but they're not having a great season and they have a new Head Coach.  Regardless, this manager said that if someone comes early enough, they can find a table and a TV.

OK.  I told everyone who might come that's the plan.  Most of the regulars and I won't be there, but anyone who wants to watch in public now knows what can be done.  Not many people are going to show up; that's the bottom line.  But hopefully we'll get through this.  My problem now is next week -- everybody will be in town to watch, but our Games will be on at the same time, again.  Le sigh.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

#-1: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: -1).  This club is at least racking up the Wins.  They extended their winning streak to four in a row after beating Michigan (in four Sets) and Maryland (a sweep) at Maturi.  This gets them firmly in the NCAA field; whether they will cause a ruckus once they get in, well, that's something we can ruminate on another day.

They will get a pair of very stern tests this Week.  They go to 12th-ranked Purdue tomorrow/Friday night, then host 21st-ranked Washington Sunday afternoon.

#-2: United FC (Last Week: -4).  Since May 9, the Loons had won only twice spanning all competitions.  Meanwhile, since that same time span, St. Louis was undefeated in their past 21 Games in all competitions.  So of course MNUFC won at home for the first time since May 2, duh!

Look, I anticipated a dreadful showing from the home side, a probable final nail in the coffin for a team that, at least on paper, was begging to be put out of its misery.  And United FC obliged, allowing City to score in the 4th and 10th Minutes, and by the way, both Goals were pretty fuckin' soft.  After that second Goal (scored by former Loon Sang-bin Jeong), I started concentrating on my phone and wondering if I should skedaddle early.  Glad I didn't, because MNUFC mounted a comeback I haven't seen from any local team since ... well, the Vikings over the Packers in Week 1.  Still, it was impressive -- AZ Jackson (thank goodness they brought him back -- now do Christian Ramirez) in the 49th to give the XI some life, Kelvin Yeboah (he's quietly having a great Year) in the 68th to tie it, and then Marcus Caldeira (elevated from the reserve club over the summer, he's rapidly become a mainstay and an important piece of this squad from here on out) with a beautiful individual effort (with the help of a cross-field bomb from Joaquin Pereyra) in the 86th to win it.

The odds are still stacked against them; with only four Matches left in the regular season, the Loons remain five Points behind ninth place and the last playoff berth.  But in a very forgiving format, where half of the MLS teams qualify, they're not out of it.  But it's incumbent upon them to beat the Dynamo in Houston Saturday night.

#-3: Timberwolves (NEW SEASON!!).  Smashed the Heat in Miami by 17 last/Wednesday night to start the season off with a Win.  Could've used without the bullshit no-call when Lamelo Ball took, like, six steps to get behind the arc for a Three-Pointer that went in.  Ball spearheads the new look this franchise has.  The hope is he can take play-handling duties off of Anthony Edwards so Ant has more time maneuvering and scoring from the off-Guard position.  The thinking of this team is to outscore opponents.  But they'll have to defend anyway, and they traded their 4 & 5 guys, Julius Randle and Naz Reid, in order to get Melo.  How can they overcome their lack of (or no) depth in the frontcourt?  And who's to say that Ball can shake off the injury bug that has become a feature of his career?  Great start to the season, but who knows if, when and how those Achilles heels (I don't mean the actual injury, I just use that term as a stand-in for "problems") will haunt this T-Wolves team?

The Wolves start out the Year busy -- this Week they visit Orlando, host Toronto in their home opener, travel to Cleveland and host The Bastard Philadelphia Warriors.

#-4: Wild (Last Week: -3).  Held off St. Louis and Columbus at the GCA, then came storming back from 3-1 to force a draw but, sadly, lose the Game in Overtime in Edmonton.  But at least they're tied with The Bastard Winnipeg Jets for first in the Central.

The Wild are busy with their annual trek out to the Pacific Northwest and The Prairie Provinces of Canada.  This screening Week will have the final four Games of the Wild's five-Game road trip, with tilts at Calgary, Seattle, Vancouver and said Utah Mammoth.

#-5: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -2).  I keep saying that only the Games versus Ohio St. and Wisconsin count for this program.  That's still true, so I want to give dap that they managed to split against the then-top-ranked team in the nation, the Buckeyes.  Moreover, they dominated Ohio St. in Friday's opener, whipping them 6-2.  They lost 6-5 the next night; the Gophers came back from a three-Goal deficit with three of their own, then took a 5-4 lead early in the Third Period, only to cough up back-to-back Goals 42 Seconds apart.  With that being said, I looked at last Year's schedule, and sure enough, the U. beat both the Buckeyes and the Badgers last season.  They just didn't win in the NCAA Tournament, when it really matters.  OK, so I may have moved the goal posts for this club.  I'm sorry to concentrate this program's success on whether or not they can beat the two real blue-chip programs in women's college hockey when I wasn't cognizant that the U. has beaten both teams on a not-uncommon basis.  Maybe I should say that they need to flip regular season victories over the Buckeyes and Badgers to tournament Wins.

Anyway, they host freshly-minted top-flight program Lindenwood (I believe they're based in St. Louis) for a pair this/Thursday evening and tomorrow/Friday afternoon.

#-6: Gopher men's hockey (Re-Entry!).  I have to keep telling myself to give Bret Larson a mulligan this Year.  Otherwise I'd gouge my own eyes out seeing they got emasculated Friday in Duluth by then-ninth-ranked Minnesota-Duluth, 7-1.  The U., by the way, I think was ranked 20th.  They won an extra Point Saturday after the Gophs came back from a Bulldogs 2-0 lead to tie it up and send it to a Shootout that they won, but I shouldn't expect anything from this squad this Year.

Ah, rivalries of yore: The Minnesota Golden Gophers host third-ranked North Dakota tonight/Thursday night and tomorrow/Friday night.

#-7: Gopher soccer (Last Week: -6).  Oof.  A 1-0 Loss at Wisconsin Sunday afternoon extends their losing streak, and scoring drought, to three Matches, and it looks as though bracketologists have pushed the U. off the bubble.  Time's running out to right the ship; this Week they finish out the home portion of the schedule, playing 12th-ranked Washington tonight/Thursday night and Oregon Sunday afternoon.

Damn, I almost forgot about doing a blog post today.  Erg ... I want to save this for a lengthier post when I can pour more thought into it.  But I will say that I just remembered to e-mail the only two people who might go out and watch my alma mater's football Game at our regular bar.  Otherwise, it's kind of a shitshow that is still giving me anxiety for Saturday.

But I am going to a jazz club now.  Hopefully I'll be able to forget my troubles.

Addendum To: Gas Follies

Oh yeah, so I made it to the gas station before work.  Car got there, no problem, no stalling or anything.  I gas up ... and it stopped at 8.4 gallons.  My tank (supposedly) holds 10.6.  You're telling me that I lose all 20 bars and that low gas indicator light goes on when I have 2.2 gallons of gasoline left in my tank??  I could've gone to work, came from work to home, gotten dinner (which I did last/Monday night), then gone to the gas station, and I probably would've been fine.  My fears were unfounded because apparently, my car dashboard is a lie.

Dammit, I knew I freaked myself out.  And because there was so much traffic backed up where I wanted to go, and I didn't want to wait in traffic, I took the side streets and thus was late for work.  And now I figure that I probably didn't have to be late because I probably didn't have to stop for gas in the morning.  So stupid.

Addendum To: Missing: My Hawaiian Shirt

Update: Found it!  It was hidden underneath the pile of clothes next to me in my bedroom.  Knew I would find it!

So now I hope I've woken up early enough to get gasoline, buy lottery tickets, and get to work on time.  Wish me luck!

Gas Follies

You know, I was going to blog post this morning after blog posting at 1 this morning, but then I thought it was too early and I could do it in the evening, and not we're well into the evening.  But I want to put in a second blog post because I was in the house all day, so why wouldn't I blog post twice?  But I want to have eight hours between blog posts, so if I do this now, I won't be able to blog post again till the middle of the night, and I don't want to stay up to do my daily blog post for tomorrow.

I'm blog posting now.

---

So my real point of this blog post.  I have signed up for this gas station application, and as a reward for signing up, I can fill up my tank for 25 cents off for my first five fill-ups (although I have to use them all 90 days after I sign up).  Obviously I need to use this seeing as gas is more than four bucks per gallon right now.  But I want to maximize each fill-up.  This discount is good for up to 25 gallons, I think, and my tank gets only ten, so I'm already not maximizing my discount that way.  But I don't want to just fill up when I'm only half-empty.  So this has become a game whereby I bring down my gas tank as much as possible so that I make as much of my discount as I can.

That has meant that I am driving my car to the point where I have no bars on my gas meter.  I know I shouldn't freak out when I see both that and the orange low gas indicator, but I feel like if I dance with the devil one too many times, it's going to get me.  So it got that low when I was driving last/Saturday night.  (It seems I'm going through gas a lot faster than I'm used to; maybe I'll blog post about that some other time.)  I knew I didn't want to drive anywhere today/Sunday, and also that I will be seeing ******a at My Favorite Stripclub (Cover Edition) Tuesday, so I know I will need gas then, so I wanted to thread the needle and gas up after work tomorrow/Monday.  But I needed to last till then, so I went to a gas station to put in just a tad, just a sip, that would be enough for me not to get a heart attack from running out of gas as I drove to and from work tomorrow/Monday.

I thought two bucks was enough.  That's half a gallon, but that should get me at least 15 miles, which should be more than enough.  However, I also was expecting to see one bar pop up on my dashboard.  It didn't, and that freaks me the hell out.

So even though I should hold my piss, the plan is to go to the gas station in the morning, before work.  I might as well use the time to get lottery tickets for Father, too, and shoot, I'll get coffee for myself as well.  This is all assuming I will want to get out of the house with enough time so that I can do all this and not be late for work, but that might be a tall order.

Maybe I'm just freaking myself out over running out of gas.  Or, I'm going to stall out tomorrow.

Spit On My Scarf

I was going to the the MNUFC Match yesterday/Saturday afternoon.  I still love autumn, but the colder weather is stuffing up my nose, and so I am spitting up more often.  I know it's a bad-looking habit, but I still spit on the ground, and I really had to spit because my nose was all stuffed up.

I found a sewer grate (I try and aim my spit through the grates; I usually fail) and was about to spit.  I still love autumn, but I notice that it often gets windy this season.  So I spit onto the grate just as the wind picks up and picks up one end of the scarf I was wearing, and goddammit, I spit onto my scarf.  First time I've ever done that.

I tried dabbing it with tissues and towels, but I now have to clean it to get my spit out, ick.  And that means I need to figure out if I can machine-wash the scarf.  If not, I'll have to learn how to hand-wash these things.  I want to start cleaning my ballcaps, so I'm glad that I just bought a stain brush and a mesh bag for laundry in case that's the only way I should clean my scarf.  Right now, I feel an intense urge to wash that thing to get the spit out of it, but I wonder if that urge will dissipate after those items are delivered.  Regardless -- fucking itck, spit on my scarf. ...  Shit, why didn't I hold the ends of my scarf down to make sure I don't spit onto it?!

Would You Go To A Concert For Just One Song?

Have I talked about going to concerts to see an artist or band only because I want to hear that one song I like from him/her/them?  I'm doing it tonight/Saturday night for Digable Planets, whose "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" remains one of the most distinctive rap hits ever.  But like many artists/bands I'm framing in this argument, that's the only song I like.  In fact, with Digable Planets, it's the only song I know.

Yet is it worth it, under those circumstances, to pay $60 for a ticket -- just to hear that one song you love played live?  Obviously, since I bought the ticket, the answer, at least for right now, is yes.  Because I have said no to other artists because the price was too high -- Steve Lacy ("Playground," which, according to Setlist.fm, he's not playing in his shows) recently, and Cowboy Junkies (their legendary cover of "Sweet Jane," although "Common Disaster" is also a very good song of theirs) last year I think.  I can justify sixty bucks for one song, and who knows, maybe this is a way to get into their other songs, too.

So I'm going.  My college football team's first bye Week, and I am spending the evening going out instead of staying in and watching sports.  Oh, well.

Black Used Toothpaste, Ick

I was having trouble finding something quick to blog post about, and then I remembered I wanted to talk about something that happened to me last week.

Last week I brushed my teeth.  Admittedly, it had been some time since the last time I brushed my teeth up to that point.  When I spat out the toothpaste, it was, I kid you not, black.  Maybe not pitch black, but it was noticeably dark, man, so dark that I stared at spent toothpaste more than you usually would.  Then and there, I resolved to brush my teeth more.

And then I broke that promise to myself because I don't think I've brushed my teeth with any more frequency than I did before.

I brushed my teeth just now.  However, what I spat out wasn't anywhere close be being black, thank God.