I've been so busy with work and taking care of Mother and my sister being in town that I have yet to follow up with my clinic about the blood tests I took and the referral for physical therapy.  I've been meaning to do it, but I've been sidetracked by, well, everything.  And now I just remembered that I need to write down on the family calendar when I can't come home for dinner.  Gosh, things continue to get away from me.

Yes, this is a short and pithy blog post.  But it's all I have time for.  Sorry.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

#0: Vikings (Last Week: -6).  Nope, I sure as shit did not see this coming.  I thought they would march into Detroit and walk out pissing and shitting down their legs after the Lions beat their asses.  It would have been their third defeat in a row, accelerating talk that this should be a rebuilding year and the main goal for the rest of the season is to see if J. J. McCarthy is The One.

I keep forgetting that the NFL is The Best League In The World because you don't know what the fuck is going to happen week to week.  Playing ten Days after their worst Loss in quite some time, where no player wearing purple seemed prepared to be on the same field as The Los Angeles Chargers, they confidently went into Ford Field and eked out a close but well-earned 27-24 Win.  It ranks up there with that historic comeback Victory over The Bastard Baltimore Colts as The Best Win in The Kevin O'Connell Era.

It looks like it matters very much when you get your best players back from injury.  Especially Andrew Van Ginkel, the Linebacker who helped control the Detroit run game and sacked Lions Quarterback Jared Goff five times.  Meanwhile, the Vikings run game looked stout and even mighty at times, a testament to how the Offensive (as well as the Defensive) Line actually dictated the tenor of the Game.  It looked like Minnesota was pushing Detroit around on both sides of the ball, something I didn't think could happen even if the Vikes were at 100%.  And still, the Lions had a chance to win it at the end.  But McCarthy, who had an up-and-down performance, came through in the clutch, firing a Pass to Jalen Nailor that gave Minnesota a First Down under two Minutes that allowed them to crouch in Victory Formation until time ran out.

Yes, Minnesota is 4-4 and, technically, in last place in the NFC North Division.  But given they just beat a Super Bowl contender at their house, and suddenly hopes springs anew.  For sure that's why they get the top spot this screening Week, and why they get to rise above negative numbers.  But now they have to parlay this upswing in hope at home vs. The Bastard Cleveland Browns, who, like the Vikings, had high expectations but have underachieved in the face of injury so far this season.  Both clubs want to get onto better playoff footing, but only one team will actually do it.  We will see who on Sunday.

#-1: Gopher women's basketball (NEW SEASON!!).  Year 3 of The Dawn Plitzuweit Era began with a 91-47 immolation of North Dakota at Williams Arena last/Tuesday night.  While her Gophers won the WBIT last season, I was hoping the upward trajectory would be a bit higher by now.  Still, there is an expectation that the U. will finally get into the NCAA Tournament.  We shall see.  In the meantime, they continue the four-Game homestand that begins their season with tilts versus Manhattan on Friday and, and this is nothing to sneeze at, Marquette on Tuesday.

#-2: Gopher men's basketball (NEW SEASON!!).  This is Year 1 of The Niko Medved Era.  Ben Johnson was a nice guy who has maroon and gold in his DNA, but I can see why Mark Coyle decided to end his tenure as Head Coach after four Years.  Coyle brought in who any Athletic Director would bring in to jumpstart a program: A hotshot Coach from a lower school who should flashes of brilliance, hopefully within the NCAA Tournament.  Oh, and it helps that Medved is from Roseville.

And the Gophs started out well, crushing Gardner-Webb at The Barn Monday, 87-60.  We'll see how this works, but I always rely on my edict -- give a Head Coach in their first Year a mulligan.  Oh, by the way, I ranked the male b-ballers below the female ones because of lower margin of victory.

They host Alcorn St. early Saturday afternoon.

#-3: Gopher football (Last Week: -5).  Michigan St. may be The Worst Team In The Big Ten (although two once-proud programs, Wisconsin and Penn St., might give the Spartans a run for their money), and yet the Golden Gophers only beat them in OT Saturday, 23-20.  This is the kind of struggle-against-a-bad-opponent result too indicative of The P. J. Fleck Era when they should be beating such clubs as a matter of course.  But hey, this isn't the Minnesota of the Bronco Nagurski years.  What is Coyle going to do, fire Fleck when LSU, Penn St., Florida and UCLA are looking for Head Coaches, too?  All you can do is shrug and accept the Wins no matter how hard they come.

Oh, winning isn't coming for the U.'s next Game.  They are at Oregon on the 14th.

#-4: Timberwolves (Last Week: -4).  The good news is is that they shook off that inexplicable loss to The Bastard Minneapolis Lakers last Wednesday (via a miracle by Austin Reaves) with Wins at Charlotte and Brooklyn.  But those two squads suck.  Without considering the opponent, the T-Wolves appear to be blending in solidly on Offense, particularly Julius Randle, but so far, the intensity on Defense that was there the last two Years has yet to show up.  Maybe it will -- and definitely it should -- show up on this busy screening Week.  The Wolves visit Karl-Anthony Towns and The New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden tonight/Wednesday night, then they travel home to host The Bastard New Orleans Jazz in their first NBA Cup Game, then travel again to face The Bastard Rochester Royals Sunday night and Utah (again) Monday night.

#-5: Wild (Last Week: -8).  Still not liking the vibes.  They began the screening Week losing emphatically at home to Pittsburgh Thursday, 4-1.  It was so bad that certain players refused to speak to The Media, which is a sign of an immature, unprofessional team, if I may say.  But they wrapped what would have been a horrid long homestand with a pair of Wins.  Saturday's 5-2 victory was nice.  Last/Tuesday's 3-2 Win over Nashville had to go into Overtime because Steven Stamkos scored for the Predators with .3 Seconds left, and then the Wild were awarded the Win on a Goal by Marcus Johansson even though the Preds' net was dislodged.

They're still near the bottom of the West, though.  And now they have to go on the road to start a busy Week: The Bastard Hartford Whalers tomorrow/Thursday night, at The New York Islanders Friday, then home to face The Bastard Atlanta Flames (Sunday) and San Jose (Tuesday).

#-6: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -1).  The good news is that they went to Madison and beat top-ranked Wisconsin on Halloween, 5-1.  The bad news is that they lost to the Badgers the next night by a score of 7-2.  Did Wisconsin just allow Minnesota to win on Friday, or is this a sign the Gophers can finally hang with one of the true powers of women's hockey?  I really don't know.  But through half of the eight regular season Games that only matter, they're 2-2.  Could be better, could be worse.

The squad has the weekend off before hosting Bemidji St.  While the Saturday afternoon contest will be at Ridder Arena, the one Friday afternoon will be at Mariucci Arena.

#-7: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: -3).  At home this Week they swept Illinois Wednesday, but lost to my alma mater in five Sets Saturday.  Don't know what to make of that, but one volleyball maven on a chatboard I lurk from time to time says the Gophs are a 4-Seed and thus get to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.  Unfortunately, the ol' resume is going to get a couple blotches because this might be The Worst Regular Season Week In Program History: They are at 11th-ranked Wisconsin tonight/Wednesday night, then host top-ranked Nebraska Saturday afternoon.

#-8: United FC (Last Week: -2).  Yeah, this is what I was afraid of.  Our oppressors, The Seattle Sounders, tied up their First Round series with the Loons (very) late Monday night with what I consider to be a fairly solid 4-2 Win in Seattle.  It was the kind of victory over MNUFC that is typical of their outings at Lumen: They made it 3-0 right near the end of the First Half.  I am heartened, just a bit, that United FC stormed back with two Goals in First Half Injury Time; Nectarios Triantis got the Loons on the board in the 45th+1, then old reliable Robin Lod drew another one back in the 4th+5.  They just couldn't score the equalizer, and Obed Vargas scored his second to shut the door.

So the series is tied going into Saturday afternoon's rubber match back at Allianz.  It kicks off at 3, which is kind of a pain in the ass because my sister is doing something until 1:30 and I think the whole area will be buzzing for Game 3.  Minnesota might not be a main draw in MLS, but Seattle is, and yet both Hell Is Real and Miami-Nashville will play later in the evening.  Regardless, as much as I hope they break free of their chains and advance to the Quarterfinals, I have a bad feeling that I and all Loons fans will leave the stadium disappointed, again.

#-9: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -7).  I forgot that this program lost so many veterans during the offseason.  Maybe their rank threw me off, or I thought that the young talent wearing the "M" sweater will be able to get quickly.  I was wrong, decisively so, after these lambs to the slaughter went to Madison (maybe along with the U. female icers) and got swept by scores of 5-2 (Thursday) and 4-0 (Saturday).  I don't remember the last time this team lost four Games in a row.  Anyway, they must be unranked now (when's the last time that happened?), and they host Notre Dame for Games Friday and Saturday.  It might be a long Year ahead for these guys.

Addendum To: Why Doesn't My Sister Just Fuckin' Have My Car, Huh?!

Yesterday/Monday morning I woke up early, or tried to wake up early, to see if I moved all my stuff from my car to the minivan, which I planned to take to work because, again, it looked as though I would have to use the van from today/Tuesday through Friday, so what the hell, why don't I just use the van all week?

As I was leaving, I see My Father putting his shoes on.  Where's he going?  A doctor's appointment, I would learn later.  He didn't tell me this anytime it would have been useful to me; guess I know from whom I get my propensity to keep secrets.  Anyway, it looked as though he planned on using the minivan.  Mother was up at the time and tried to ask him if he should use the car instead, which led to him just bolting out the door, which led to her telling me to tell him if I wanted to use the van instead, which led to me kind of yelling at her that that's exactly what I was fucking doing.

I stopped Father in time to look into the van.  It was clean; I didn't remember, but apparently on Saturday night, I did take time after I came back from the Game I was watching to put all my stuff back into my car.  (Remember, all that stuff about planning on using the minivan all week wasn't a thought in my head until Sunday, when my sister said that she was taking the car tomorrow/Wednesday to meet her friend for dinner.)  Meanwhile, My Father got into the minivan and peeled off to the doctor's like he just robbed a bank; I don't remember the last time he took off for anywhere that fast.

So, I used my car yesterday/Monday.  And it turns out I will be using it tomorrow/Wednesday, as well.  My sister told me that the dinner her friend wants to set up changed from tomorrow/Wednesday to today/Tuesday.  Also, Father has another doctor's appointment then.  So that means that after I come back from work tonight/Tuesday night I'll have to move all my stuff from the minivan into my car (I have already put all the stuff I'll need for work today/Tuesday in the minivan).  And then after work tomorrow/Wednesday, I'll have to move all my stuff from my car into the minivan, which I will use to get to work Thursday and Friday.

Man, life will be so much simpler once everybody leaves.

Why Doesn't My Sister Just Fuckin' Have My Car, Huh?!

So my sister has been using my car.  It's small and short and thus manageable, unlike the unwieldy and old minivan my parents use.  That van is a warhorse, but it's hard to account for the size, and when I pull out of parking spaces, I'm always fearful that I'll hit something because it's so big.

Well, my sis has been using my car a lot, leaving me to use the minivan, mainly to go to and from work.  She now uses my car to ferry Mother around for physical therapy.  But before she has been using it for frivolous things, like seeing childhood friends and going shopping.  And it looks as though she is getting a little bolder when it comes to requesting it.  Last week she needed it Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and I figured on Wednesday night that if she needed to use the car to take Mother to PT on Friday, I might as well use the minivan on Thursday as well as Friday.  I transfer the stuff I think I need to take to work with me -- sunglasses, sunvisors, maybe the tire pressure gauge -- into the minivan.  It doesn't make sense to me to use my car for just one day because I would have to shlep all that from the minivan back into my car, and then do the reverse so my sister and Mother could use it on Friday.

It's gotten more ridiculous this week.  Mother has physical therapy Tuesday and Thursday.  Sister said on Saturday that she wanted to use my car on Friday to see my brother and niece.  Finally, last/Sunday night she told me that her friend wants to see her for dinner, an early dinner, on Wednesday.  Well, shit.  If I need to take the minivan from Tuesday to Friday, I might as well fucking take the minivan today/Monday too, right?  So, for this week, it feels as if I own the minivan and my sister owns what used to be my car.  I should probably transfer the title to her since she's using it so goddamn much.

Fuckin' Christ, I think I transferred all my stuff from the van into the car, too.  I'll have to wake up early to dump all that shit back into the van.  Fuck me.  Oh yeah: I am annoyed, and my sister knows it, and she likes that I'm annoyed.  Pffft.

So Mother was rushed to the ER yesterday.  She was complaining about being quite dizzy.  When the EMTs came, she said she had very low blood pressure.

She got stabilized at the hospital close to us.  I had work, but she looked like she was stabilized, plus, thank Buddha, my sister was there with her.

Mother got out four, five hours later.  Side effect from her medication, not enough water, constipation ... it looks as though it was a combination of all those things.  She seems fine now, but that reason seems a bit too vague for me, and I'm scared that she will have a relapse again -- especially today, since sister is out with family and took my car (again).

I hope Mother is getting better, because I can't tell.

My Sister Knows Too Much

So my sister Thursday night busted me for not putting aside the bathmat.  My Mother is using the upstairs bathroom because for now she's confined to one floor and she should where the food is.  But she's still using a walker, which means that any loose object on the floor can trip her up.

My sister had warned me to put the mat away once I was done in there, but I forgot after I took my shower.  She told/admonished me through my bedroom door, and she specifically told me that she was just going to leave the mat there for me to put away.  I guess I can't complain about her move too much, but in the context of siblings calling siblings out, I'm still quite peeved.

---

Just to blow off some steam, I tried to look at porn Thursday night, too.  But the damn pop-up ad started off with a woman moaning in ecstasy as the guy stuck himself inside her, and I was listening to Halloween music on YouTube when that fucking happened.  And my sister's bedroom adjoins mine; we share a wall, and both our beds push up against that wall.

Did she hear?  I assume she has, even though she may be asleep.  I turned the sound down on my computer as soon as that porn star screamed, but it may have been too late.  My sister's smart and observant; she hears everything.

I love her, but I'm getting to the point where I wonder when is she leaving.

Turns Out I'm Doing Nothing For Halloween

I always go out on Halloween.  I don't go out for Halloween, mind you; I find something to do to avoid the trick-or-treaters.  I've done it so long it's become routine to just stay out after work.

I was making plans to go out tonight/Friday night/Halloween when I asked my sister if she wanted to do anything.  She decided she wouldn't go because she feels she needs to take care of Mother, who is still recuperating from surgery.  And you know, that totally makes sense.  We two can't just go out and do something on a Friday night three days after our mom went under the knife.  So I then thought I would just do something by myself, like get a massage or go to a movie.  But then I realized Mother still was hurt, so maybe I should come back home after work -- you know, just because.  And so I will.

Won't enjoy it.  Beyond not having a Friday night to myself, I am scared that trick-or-treaters will still ring the doorbell at my house.  I assume that my parents make sure no one comes knocking by turning off all the lights and staying in their bedroom.  But My Mother can't do that.  She is supposed to walk around the house to build up strength in her new knee.  That obviously means the lights in the house have to be on, and I'm scared some dumb or overeager kids will see that as a sign we have candy.  I would rather not be around for that awkwardness, but alas, I will be around in case that happens, unfortunately.

Disappointing Son Didn't Do What He Said He Would Do!

So Mother had surgery Tuesday.  Sister went with her.  They had to stay at a hotel overnight and be seen by a nurse who was also at the hotel tending to Mother and another patient.  Never heard that before. Anyway, that meant that Tuesday night offered up a situation I dread: Being alone with Father.

Dinner was fine because it was quiet.  He brought up stocks.  His portfolio is doing blockbuster.  Me ... I work and am tired all the time, so I'm not doing as well.  He asked me what companies I have.  I don't remember.

What I hoped he wouldn't bring up he brought up after dinner.  Of course he said, "Hey, every night you take a shower, right?"  And while trying to hide my frustration that he would belittle me with this same bullshit again, I go, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure."  "You brush your teeth too, right?" he replied, and I can't fucking believe he asked me if I brush my teeth every night.  I don't, but that's none of his goddamn business.

Just there and then, while I was also yeah-yeah-ing as to whether I brush my teeth, I resolved to leave the house.  Since I worked early I came home early, and that gave me the opportunity to exercise.  I then thought I wouldn't because I didn't want to leave My Fucking Father at home.  He's healthy, and as you can see he's as goddamn insufferable as ever.  But My Fucking Parents have pretty much been attached at the hip.  My Fucking Mother has taken girls' trips in the past, but Tuesday was the first time they've been away from each other longer than a trip to the grocery store.  I hate this fucker, but I would be sick to my stomach if I worked out only to come back and see him dead on the floor in front of his computer.  And yet, after he used the opportunity of being alone together to infantilize and lecture me once again about proper fucking hygiene, I decided that fear didn't fucking matter to me.

"I think I'm going to work out later," I said.

"OK," he said.

---

And then I didn't.  The downside to attempting to work out after I started out my day so early is that I might want to catch up on sleep instead.  That was a possibility; I allowed myself a chance to rest once I got done eating at 5.  And I woke up at around 7:30, way too late to go out and work out.

I was curious about whether My Fucking Father could tell.  So I just moseyed out to the top of the stairs and looked at the front door.  It was all locked.  I told My Fucking Father I was going out later.  He may have forgotten.  Or, he could tell I was asleep and knew I wouldn't be going out after all.  And knowing how his negative, derisive mind works, he knew I wasn't going to do what I said I would do.

I have to admit that pisses me off, and I am as angry at myself as I am at him.  He has seen me fail to come through on things I said I would do all my life.  This is a small thing, and again, maybe he just locked the door out of habit and totally forgot about what I said after dinner.  But this one galls me, and I think it's because I lashed out after he insulted me over stupid habits he shouldn't be concerning himself with.  It was I who wanted to, in a really vague sense, "prove him wrong" (even though exercising has nothing to do with getting back at him for asking if I shower and brush my teeth, I know) and then I absolutely did not do it.

I have known for a long, long time that My Fucking Father had dreams for me when I was born.  That's the problem when you ascribe to your progeny your dreams for them; they don't come through for you because they're not their fucking dreams, they're yours.  So yeah, I have a feeling My Fucking Father was disappointed in me just because I didn't exercise like I said I would.  But I am just as disappointed in him as a father, and probably moreso.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

Before I begin, I have to acknowledge that, even though by record it's probably not true, this past Week feels like The Worst Week In Minnesota Sports History.  The teams in the survey below went a combined 5-12 between Wednesday the 22nd and yesterday.  God knows the Twin Cities most likely has seen shittier screening Weeks, it just doesn't feel like it:

#-1: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -3).  And as it has felt many times in WMNSSs past, leave it up to the Gopher women's ice hockey team to redeem the sports community again.  They went up to Duluth and swept the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs by scores of 4-0 and 3-2.  Remember that that isn't as impressive of a feat as the "4" and "5" next to the Bulldogs logo and name might connote.  The Gophers are ranked third.  And overall, the U. might be the third-best program in women's hockey ... but they are light years behind the two best in the sport, Wisconsin and Ohio St.  The gap between those two and Minnesota probably is bigger than the one between the Gophs and Minnesota-Duluth.

Lord knows we need to bank the Wins when we can get them.  But there are only eight important Games for this club, and two of them arrive this weekend -- they travel to Madison and play top-ranked Wisconsin Halloween and All Saints' Day.

#-2: United FC (Last Week: -7).  At least when it came to ESPN.com, which has a cadre of reporters and pundits that I have overlooked, I saw that all six of them predicted The Seattle Sounders to spring the 5-Seed-over-4-Seed upset over our Loons.  Well ... shit, it could still happen, but it won't from a sweep, because MNUFC beat Seattle and remains undefeated against them this season!  OK, it was a scoreless Draw after 90 Minutes.  But while the Sounders had their chances, I've got to say that Minnesota's Defense was very good and even spectacular at times.  (There was one scramble where Seattle would've taken the lead if not for Nicolas Romero standing right where he needed to be to knock the ball away from point-blank range.)  Dayne St. Clair, probably (?) The MLS Goalkeeper Of The Year, did his part, but after the Match went straight to Penalty Kicks, it was more of a matter of two Sounders hitting woodwork and a third trying a panelka that didn't fool a kneeling St. Clair at all.  When the final Seattle PK hit the post, St. Clair responded by kissing it.

Sure, the Loons could drop the next two.  But for our purposes here, they eked out a victory not even I was confident they would earn.  And now they have the upper hand and can eliminate their longtime oppressors in Game 2, which will be played in Seattle and is scheduled for Monday at close to 10 p.m.  Note that if this goes to a third and final Match, that will be next weekend.  This series might stretch 11 Days.  That is ridiculous for a series in any sport, let alone soccer.  And that scheduled doesn't make sense when you see the other First Round MLS series.  NYCFC upset Charlotte last/Tuesday night; they play Game 2 Saturday.  Those two clubs started their series after MNUFC and Seattle started theirs but will play their second Game before those two??  I need to wait a Week to see my team play, but supporters of The Crown and The Pigeons will get to see two Matches only five Days apart??

#-3: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: -5).  The term "reverse sweep" has caught fire in the volleyball community.  That describes a five-Set Match where the winner drops the first two Sets and then wins the final three.  I don't hate it as much as "walk-off" (and I don't know why I hate the term "walk-off" so much), but the term "reverse" isn't precisely what is happening here.

At any rate, the Gopher volleyballers failed to prevent a reverse sweep in West Lafayette at the hands of then-eleventh-ranked Purdue Sunday afternoon.  Two days prior they beat then-#23 Indiana in Bloomington in three Sets, so maybe this is an accurate gauge of how good (or not) this still-injury-ravaged team is going to be.  Nevertheless, I haven't seen Minnesota lose to the Boilermakers much.

Home this Week to play Illinois tonight and my alma mater late Saturday night.

#-4: Timberwolves (New Season!!).  I do not believe that teams are built for sustained success.  I don't believe that a team that falls short one season "will have their shot next season."  Injuries and instances of bad luck can and will happen.  A season is its own thing, unaffected by what came before, and I mean that knowing teams have a nucleus.

What the Timberwolves have done is manage to reach, and lose, in the Western Conference Finals two Years in a row.  That's it.  Yes, they have the same people, but if you're a Minnesota sports fan, you know in your heart of hearts that this team easily could backslide and miss the playoffs.  That makes the failure to capitalize in either of the past two Years much more bitter pills to swallow because, even though we're in the first Week of NBA action, the Wolves are 2-2 in yet another loaded Western Conference and will be without Anthony Edwards for about two Weeks.  They play about eight Games over the next two Weeks; lose them all (and that's conceivable) and they might have dug themselves a hole they will never get out of.  And yet this pro team is the one closest to given us the championship we so thirst for.  Fuckin' great.

They finish a homestand tonight against The Team That Was Stolen From Us v.1.0, then play at Charlotte, then travel to New York City for Games versus Brooklyn and New York.

#-5: Gopher football (Last Week: -1).  They weren't getting the pig back this season, dammit.  And I think several people could see the ass-kicking coming.  But a 41-3 emasculation to sworn rival Iowa Saturday is still breathtakingly bad.  This is P. J. Fleck's ninth Year rowing the boat in Dinkytown.  No, it's far-fetched to believe Minnesota can be like Ohio St. or Michigan (even though Indiana's doing a damn good job of acting like it especially this season).  But you would think they have become respectable enough to put up a fight against the Hawkeyes, a program with whom you fight over Floyd of Rosedale.  This is a rivalry Game.  You are supposed to care more about this contest than pretty much all others.  And you don't even pick up a goddamn First Down until the Second Quarter when Iowa is already up 31-0???  How is this allowed to happen in a Head Coach's ninth season with a football team?

Well, at least we're not completely insane like Penn St.  A Loss like this and Fleck would be out on his ass.  And hey, they host Michigan St. Saturday afternoon.  Their Coach, Jonathan Smith, might really be out of a job at the end of this season.

#-6: Vikings (Last Week: -6).  Maybe the reason sports feels so shitty right now is that football sets the tone, and the two local football teams completely shit the bed just two Days apart.  But the entirety of the Vikes getting curb-stomped by The Los Angeles Chargers is quite mind-boggling.  They had their chances against Philadelphia, but the Offense came up short deep in Eagles territory too often, and that's why they lost.  They were completely fucking unprepared on four Days' time in Los Angeles.  (I should add here that I was at First Avenue watching Purity Ring.  I thought about not going to the concert and watching the Game instead; I made the right choice.)  The Offensive Line, patchwork as it already is, completely went to shit.  The Defense was carved up so bad that Vikings fans might sue Brian Flores.

And maybe above all that is the situation regarding Carson Wentz.  He shoulders a lot of the blame for the Loss to the Eagles.  But he was just downright ... nothing against the Chargers.  He was deposited on his ass several times, and he couldn't throw worth shit.  And it turns out that he couldn't throw worth shit because his shoulder and pectoral muscles are fucked up; he will have surgery that will end his season.  So why was he not pulled for Max Brosmer until the Two-Minute Warning?  It is shocking to see Wentz go from whipping boy to sympathetic figure over the course of two Games, but it happened ... and the reason for that narrative is now the fanbase's new whipping boy, Head Coach Kevin O'Connell, who, even though Wentz was almost trampled to death, kept putting him out there, even though his O-Line wasn't going to protect him.

They have had ten Days to prepare for their trip to Detroit on Sunday.  That most likely will be a defeat, a heavy and embarrassing one, one that you don't want a rookie Quarterback to experience without some playing time under his belt.  The Vikings sure as shit won't have that.  It looks like J. J. McCarthy, whose ankle might have been good enough to play vs. Philadelphia will be fed to the, uh, Lions.  All told, this season is about to spiral out of control.  And the reputations of O'Connell and Flores may be stained permanently after this.

#-7: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -2).  The men's Minnesota-Duluth hockey team did the opposite of what the women's Minnesota-Duluth hockey team did: They went down to Minnesota and swept the Gophers on the road over the weekend.  And how: 3-0 Friday, 4-1 Saturday.  Ah, so this is a rebuilding Year, isn't it?  I still get pissed over a tweet by the admin for team's Twitter after they choked and lost to Minnesota-Duluth in the 2023 NCAA Tournament Final.  It said, "We'll be back."  The fuck you are.  They're not making the tournament they way they just fucked the pooch this past weekend.  More like Shame On Ice, amirite?

Like the women's Minnesota hockey team, the U. travel to Wisconsin to play the Badgers this weekend.

#-8: Wild (Last Week: -4).  Kirill Kaprizov's record signing has evaporated off of the news faster than Trump's latest plan to make money off the government.  In its place is the sickening realization that the Mild are pretty much a shit team.  They went 0-4 for this Week.  They have begun a six-Game homestand by losing to The Bastard Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes, an ass San Jose squad, and The Bastard Atlanta Thrashers.  The Mild picked up loser Points Sunday and last/Tuesday night, but "loser" is an apt term to call a team that can barely roll out two lines and can't score five-on-five.

I don't know if I should derisively refer to them as the Mild anymore.  They should be the Mid.  Because they've been mid since they were born here in 2000.  So I state my case, once again, that the reason Minnesota pro hockey has been so forgettable here is because none of us here have the balls to fight for the history, logo and colors of The Minnesota North Stars.  Bring all of that back and maybe we'll have the swinging dicks to finally be better than mid.

This Week they finish the homestand playing Pittsburgh, Vancouver, and Nashville.

#-Infinity: Gopher soccer (Last Week: -8).  I have typed out a very, very long Minnesota Sports Survey.  It'll happen when everyone starts playing this time of year.  So I just want to wrap this up by stating that the U. lost 2-0 to Purdue Sunday afternoon, and with a Big Ten record of two Wins, three Draws and six Losses, the University of Minnesota soccer club has finished its season.

The Really, Really, Really Long World Series Game

I was going to talk about ****e standing me up Sunday afternoon, but it's now past 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning as I type this, and Game 3 of the World Series is now in the 18th Inning.

I have railed (maybe not here on WAF) against Penalty Kicks in soccer and the Overtime rules in college football to determine a winner after regular time.  I hate them because the formats are so unlike how the Games were played up till then.  It's gimmicky and just a way to get the thing over with.  Well, this ain't over, not by a long shot.  I have to admit that I don't think the players playing now are playing well now that the Game is approaching the length of two Games (and I hope that sentence makes sense).  But this maintains the integrity of the baseball Game, no doubt.  Hey, at least there isn't a ghost runner like there is in the regular season nowadays.  And I have to say that I want to know, for my own self, that I stayed up till the wee hours in the morning to watch arguably The Longest Postseason Baseball Game In History.  And like I complained about before, I have to wake up at 5:30 because I work early today!

This Week Has Sucked/Is Going To Suck

Asked my co-worker yesterday/Sunday about my schedule.  I'm going into the lab weekly now, seems like, goddammit, and I do that tomorrow/Tuesday.

I realized last/Sunday night while exercising that today/Monday I have the MNUFC Playoff Match, and that starts at 8.

That means that I am getting home late from a soccer Match being played late, very late, on a school night, and then I have to wake up early for work the next day.

It's out of my control when I have to report early to work in the lab; it just happens it's the morning after a late soccer Match.  The soccer Match usually isn't played on a Monday night, let alone at fuckin' 8 at night, but it is, and it just so happens to be the night before I have to report early in the next morning.  This constellation of bad timing didn't have to happen.  It took a lot of bad breaks for this shitty situation to occur.  And yet it has.

I fucking hate everything right now.  I'm worried for Mother's surgery, my sister accused me of not flushing the toilet when I did, I didn't get to fuck my sex worker (I think I'll save that for another blog post), I'm scared I'm overworking my car, and most of all, pretty much every single Minnesota sports team got fucking embarrassed, from the Vikings Thursday through the Gopher football team on Saturday and the Gopher men's hockey team this weekend.  And Losses by the Wild (yeah, the Timberwolves won last/Sunday night, but they lost to The Bastard Minneapolis Lakers over the weekend), and I have been in a foul goddamn mood since Thursday and I will be at least until I get to rest tomorrow/Tuesday night.

Till then, everything fucking sucks.

Looks Like My Fucking Sister Doesn't Trust Me Now

So my sister used the bathroom after I washed up my sweaty bits and, in a fit of petulant passive-aggressiveness, she texted me, "Flush the toilet!"

OK, go beyond the fact that she didn't say this to my face even though I was in my bedroom and my bedroom is three steps from the bathroom we use.  (I've been texting her about stuff even though I could just as easily walk over to her bedroom, which is about 20 steps away.)  I did flush the toilet while I was in there.  I used it once, I washed myself, I dried myself, and then I left.  But it's obvious that after I got busted for not flushing the toilet just one goddamn time, she is going to suspect that I would do it again.  So, if she saw something in the toilet bowl she deems amiss, she is going to accuse me of not flushing the toilet.  And being accused of something I didn't do really pisses me off.

And pulling back on this shitty situation, it's clear she no longer trusts me.  If she is going to keep up being suspicious of me ... well, that's a third person in this house who thinks that way.  It is very hard to have peace in a home where no one believes you.  I can confide in her about family things I would never bring up with anyone else.  Now, after this bullshit she pulled on me?  Maybe I'm ready to see her leave the house and go back to where she lives.  Don't fuckin' accuse me of something I didn't do. ...

Maybe I Should've Switched Dates

I wanted to see ****e tomorrow/Sunday because I didn't have lunch yesterday/Friday and I wanted to have lunch at home with my family today/Saturday so I could skip lunch with them again tomorrow/Sunday.  But last/Friday night my sister and I decided to watch the leaves fall, like I said in my previous blog post.

The trip wasn't great.  It rained nearly our whole time there, which I think we shortened because of the rain.  At least we didn't leave after, like ten minutes, more like an hour, which was totally fine.  The leaves weren't falling.  Most of them hadn't even turned.  I think it would've been better to watch the leaves next weekend, when they probably would have turned and the weather possibly would have been better.  Still, this excursion was enough.

But I can't help but think that if I flipped dates, if I saw ****e today/Saturday and if we went to watch the leaves tomorrow/Sunday, when I think it wouldn't have rained and it possibly could've been sunny, things would have been perfect.  Would have been even better if I stayed home today, like I originally wanted to.  I would have one day this weekend where I'm woken up by an alarm, and the weather was so rainy/gloomy that it would have been the perfect day to just stay in bed.  Alas.

The Car's Gonna Have A Massive Workout This Weekend

I was going to give it a break today/Saturday, but instead my sister and I are going to watch what is left of the leaves on the trees.  Then tomorrow/Sunday I want to fuck ****e at her place.  That's two long drives on a car that is getting worked over ever since my sister came home.  Add that my sister will be using my car thrice over next week, an important one for Mother, and I realize that I have not used my car a whole lot this year, and maybe for past years.  I have been just driving to and from work most days because I've been working like a dog.  But ever since my sis came home, my car's been everywhere -- too much, I'm afraid.  But until my folks get on out of here, my car will be racking up the miles.

It's still working, for now.  But the trauma from dealing with my old car makes me scared that this new one is breaking down because we're overworking it.

Addendum To: General (Car-Centered) Anxiety

I checked my coolant overflow tank Tuesday and I think it's below the "MAX" line.  Maybe; the tank is in a place that's surrounded by other parts, so it's hard to take a level look at the line, so I'm eyeballing it from above.  That's why I kind of think that it's been at that level, whatever that level is, for some time.  Well, I know that it was well above "MAX" once, and now it may or may not be below it, but it may have been around "MAX" for some time.  Does that make sense?

I still worry because not only will my sister put my car through its paces all around town as she's shuttling Mother to surgery and rehab for the next few weeks, I/we will be driving it places, too.  We're meeting our brother and niece tonight/Friday night for dinner and some escape room frivolity.  Then on Sunday I decided to go down and visit ****e for some sexytime (and to calm her down; the way she describes it, a donation through her phone turned into an identity theft attempt, and she had to wipe her phone, thus deleting all her contacts).  I could use this break right before Mother goes under the knife.  I just hope the car can withstand the punishment it's been getting, and not just with the coolant.

I worked early yesterday/Wednesday, which meant I thought I had the time to exercise in the evening.  But actually, I had the time to take a dirt nap.  Like, I think I went to take a nap at around 5:30, and I woke up a bit before 9:30.  Guess I needed sleep more than I needed a workout.  But that's cool.  I think I can exercise Sunday.  Hope I can go to bed now.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

#-1: Gopher football (Last Week: -2).  A lot of exceptions I'm making to main criteria for usually ranking my WMNSS, admittedly.  That main criteria is record during the Week, but I am taking a close look at my secondary criteria, playoff prospects/how far along in the season is the team, very much into account.

With that being said, I am glad that I have a clear-cut team for the top spot this screening Week.  It is a football team, so it's just one Game per Week, but the U. gridironers did something you would expect a decent team to be able to do, which is beat a ranked team (25th-ranked Nebraska in this case) at home.  And they handled the Cornhuskers in front of a big crowd and a national Friday night audience, by the tune of 24-6.  The statistic that stands out to me is that the Gopher Defense, which really hasn't stood out beside Koi Perich, got a school record nine Sacks on Nebraska Quarterback and creep doing a Jennifer Jason Leigh in Single White Female stalker thing on Patrick Mahomes, Dylan Raiola.  They do not reach 0, however, because the fans stormed the field.  I know you're starved for success, but for God's sake, you only beat the 25th-ranked team in the country, plus the school has had success.  Sure, that success was when their grandfathers were getting drunk and trying to fuck women on campus, but still, that means the University of Minnesota does not get to storm the field after these good but not-historic Wins.  Let's have some self-respect.  Besides, they have to go to Iowa Saturday afternoon.  I don't have high hopes of this club in Iowa City.

#-2: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -4).  A lot of teams this Week went 1-1, and in this case, I am giving the Gopher male icers the nod above the others for managing to gain a split against eight-ranked (and hated rival with whom they no longer play on a regular basis, to everyone's disappointment) North Dakota in Grand Forks over the weekend.  They got their doors blown off Friday, 5-2, but they bounced back to bounce the Fighting Hawks the next evening, 5-1.

This weekend comes another hated rival with whom they no longer play on a regular basis.  Minnesota-Duluth comes to town for Games Friday and Saturday.

#-3: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -1).  By contrast to the male icers, the female icers, while also going 1-1, played Ohio St. at Ridder.  I would say the results (a 4-1 Loss Saturday afternoon followed by a 6-3 doubling up Sunday afternoon) are similar to the Gopher men's hockey squad, but this split occurred at home, where a home sweep feels a tad more possible.  Also, even though I am happy the U. demonstrated they can beat the high-powered Buckeye program once, I have a nagging feeling Ohio St. let them win Sunday afternoon.  Again, like I have said for a decade now, there really is no true evaluating this club and program until they face either these Buckeyes or Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament.  And even though Minnesota-Duluth is ranked either fourth or fifth, the Golden Gophers, who are ranked third, should beat them this weekend, even if both Games are in Duluth.

#-4: Wild (Last Week: -5).  Can't lie -- this squad is coming out of the gate stumblin'.  Got routed in Washington Friday, 5-1, then lost in Overtime in Philadelphia, 2-1.  They rebounded to be The New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden Monday night, 3-1.  But the Defense, beyond Zeev Buium and in particular Brock Faber, have been pedestrian at best.  And on Offense, Kirill Kaprizov's and Matt Boldy's inevitable cooldowns have continued to expose their anemic 5-on-5 O.  (Their Power Play, meanwhile, has remained great, which has caused a mirror image of the Wild's historic identity, where they've been good Even Strength but has sucked with the man advantage.)

Thank goodness the season still is young.  And after playing at The Bastard Colorado Rockies tonight/Wednesday night, they have a six-Game homestand.  Half of those come this Week: The Bastard Winnipeg Jets-cum-Arizona Coyotes Saturday, San Jose Sunday, Bastard Atlanta Thrashers Tuesday.

#-5: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: -6).  A four-Set Loss at Oregon Friday, followed by a four-Set Win at Washington Saturday.  (I wonder how the volleyball team likes going two time zones west to play Matches in cities over 200 miles apart on back-to-back nights.  College football alignment, baby!)  Both schools are unranked, so the U. losing to an unranked Ducks club, and in four Sets, should be a killer on the resume.  But ESPN.com bracketologist Charlie Creme, who is now going to prognosticate for women's college volleyball (and I like that, good for him), said that before these two Games, Minnesota was a 3-Seed.  A 3-Seed??  They might lose in the First Round of the tournament!  (Granted, Creme wrote this before last Week's Games.)

Years prior, visiting the Indiana schools would be a respite, quasi practice for the Gophers.  But Indiana is currently ranked 23rd and Purdue eleventh.  This weekend could be a real, real bad one for the team.  That is part of the reason why I rank them this low.

#-6: Vikings (Re-Entry!).  This was a winnable Game.  But beyond the Defense regularly getting torn apart for explosive plays (counterpoint: The Vikes were making explosive plays on Philadelphia, too), one statistics stands out in their 28-22 Loss to the Eagles: They made six Red Zone trips and got into the promised land once while making five Field Goals.  Make that 5-of-6 and that means 16 more Points and, presumably, a ten-Point margin of victory.  I think a lot of this is on Carson Wentz.  There were times where you just scratch your head and wonder what he was thinking.  Most egregious, I think, is a play where he had CJ Ham open on the flat.  Wentz was scrambling toward him.  He throws it to Ham, Vikings get a First Down deeper into Eagles territory.  Instead, Wentz holds onto the ball, he's about to get sacked, and he throws it to no one and draws an Intentional Grounding Penalty.  That led to one of the five FGs Will Reichard, who was the true start of Sunday's Loss for the vikes, made.  I wonder if anyone has called him Carson Wince.

Still, Kevin O'Connell is sticking with him as Minnesota has to go over the breach and play the Thursday Game at The Los Angeles Chargers.  The Chargers seemed to have their act together, but they're scuffling now, just like the Vikes.  This seems like an eliminator, and thus a must-Win for the Vikings.

#-7: United FC (Re-Entry!).  Turns out their chances of winning the West were a mirage.  But facing a very beatable Los Angeles Galaxy wondering just how they followed up their championship season with a next-to-last finish in the Western Conference, the Looooooons lost, 2-1.  A Win and they would've finished third, in front of LAFC.  Instead, they finish fourth and (cue screaming, 'tis the season) face longtime oppressors The Seattle Sounders in the First Round of The MLS Cup Playoffs.

There are a few things going for this club as they go into this fraught best-of-three series.  It looks as though Dayne St. Clair will be named Goalkeeper Of The Year and feature in the MLS Best XI.  Stalwart Defender Michael Boxall has enjoyed a renaissance of a season and might get into the Best XI as well.  And MNUFC finally was able to get a Point (it was a Win actually) in Seattle for the first time in their history back on June 1, so the spell was finally broken.  But can they win twice?  We'll see ... and then wait a long time, because if this series goes the distance, we won't know the victor until November 7.  Game 1 is Monday at Allianz Field, and that is super inconvenient because 1) I might need to be there for Mother and 2) early forecasts call for a steady rain Monday evening.  Oh, and the Match is scheduled for 8 p.m.  I either come home from work and make a second trip to the St. Paul side of the area Monday night, or I stay out after work for a few hours.  Both bad choices.

#-8: Gopher soccer (Last Week: -3).  Lost 3-2 in Washington, who won the Big Ten regular season title, Thursday night, then played Oregon to a scoreless Draw in Eugene Sunday afternoon.  Unfortunately, that was enough to kill off any chance for these Goofers to play in the conference tournament, and that most likely ends their chances of playing in the NCAA Tournament as well.

Host Purdue for the final Match of their season Sunday afternoon.

General (Car-Centered) Anxiety

I don't know, man ... right now, I'm not looking forward to this week.  Don't have any specifics ... although, come to think of it, my sister during work yesterday/Monday has asked for my car on a handful of days, starting this week, and I wasn't able to open up the car hood and check the coolant tank to see if there has been even more of a drop than I saw on Sunday because it was raining.  I should try and take a look today/Tuesday, but the forecast calls for rain this afternoon as well.

I want to go to a concert on Thursday.  Also, barring a change in plans, Mother has surgery next week.  That's a lot of miles for a car that I am afraid might have some sort of leak in the cooling system and thus may overheat.  It's driving fine besides that, and like I said in my last blog post, maybe there's nothing wrong and I'm just finding reasons to scare myself.  But heck yeah, I am kind of scared.

Now Is This Car Gonna Overheat?

It's kind of critical that my car is in as tip-top shape as possible because of Mother's surgery.  I have gotten quasi-obsessed with making sure the correct air pressure is in the tires, there is enough oil (that's a headache in and of itself), and that the coolant is fine.

And the coolant is now scaring the hell out of me.  Some time ago (and I swear I wrote about this in WAF, I just don't know when, and I can't find it), I thought there wasn't enough coolant.  I tried topping it off, only to overfill it.  I think I blog posted about panicking over doing that, but the only thing I could do about it was to let it sit and maybe there would be a point where it would start evaporating or something.

Well, that point seems to be here.  I had checked the level once in a while, and I noticed a couple weeks ago that the level of the coolant in the overflow tank wasn't clearly over the "MAX" line but hovering just above it.  And yesterday/Sunday, after working the Vikings Game, I checked the level again, and it's about at "MAX."  Yes, I should now be OK that the overflow tank isn't overfilled.  But, obviously it's losing coolant.  I asked the Internet if it's normal for coolant to just disappear at this rate and, well, it's telling me that I should get it checked because it could be a head gasket.  OK, I might be actually do something if I start losing coolant at a faster rate than it is, only because I don't have the time, money or energy to immediately bring it in right now, especially if what is happening is normal.

Still, this is bringing up bad memories of the old car, when, after a certain point, if it wasn't one thing it was another.  This is the Internet (and AI-generated answers, which should be taken with a silo of salt, and that is something I should write about some other time), however, and I sometimes wonder if I'm just looking to find things to scare myself with.  Nevertheless, I need to check the coolant tank a bit more frequently, and that in itself introduces a level of anxiety that kind of hampers my daily life.

The Hummus Didn't Do Anything Wrong

So I'll be honest with you.  I thought I would be working the Gophers Game on Thursday, but I wasn't.  But by the time I realized that I wasn't working for the production Thursday, I had already set up a wank sesh with ******e.  I decided to go ahead with it.  It was good.  An HJ is always good.

While I was getting dressed, ******e and I made small talk. I told her I was going to hang out in her neighborhood for a bit and get something to eat, such as the hummus place a few blocks away.

"Hummus?" ******e said.  "Hey, I've got some hummus.  Let me give you some!"

"Oh, you have hummus ... ?"  And I wondered if she heard me when I said that I was going to hang out in the area for a bit.  But she gave me this unopened dish of hummus, and I wondered whether she heard me.  Because hummus, I heard, has to be refrigerated.  I was going to throw this dish in my car.  And I intended to go to a coffeehouse and work on my receipts until I was done, which was going to be more than two hours, which I heard is the maximum time period when food that has to be refrigerated can be left out at room temperature.

I hate wasting food, especially when it's given to me for free.  But I planned on working on some things, and that would take time.  And I didn't want to get through my tasks quickly in order to get back in my car, drive home and throw that dish of hummus in the fridge under two hours.  So I just did my thing -- I went to the coffeehouse (well, I went next door to Bebe Zito to get a honey chicken tenders basket) and worked on my receipts, and it took me more than two hours to do it.  And I checked the Internet just in case I was wrong about the time, or if somehow hummus doesn't need to be refrigerated.  Nope, it had to be refrigerated, and since it was in my car for at least two hours by the time I got done, bad bacteria was growing all through the dish like nobody's business.

There was only one thing to do.  On my way home, I went to a gas station close to my house and threw it away.  Again, I hate wasting food, but if the USDA (at least the one before this god-awful Republican administration) is right, it's not safe to eat after two hours.  I just wished ******e understood that the hummus she gave me would spoil and maybe she shouldn't have given it to me.  Or, maybe I should have said something.

My Fucking Mother Fucking Smothers

During lunch today, out of the blue, just now, for no goddamn reason, My Fucking Mother decided to be overbearing again.  She noticed ... no, decided that the pajama bottoms I'm wearing -- ones that I've had for years, ones that I think My Fucking Parents gave me -- were too big, and she wanted to hem them.  Like, right away.  All my fucking life she has said to me, "Hey, give me this, give me that, I want to do this, I want to do that," even though I have not asked them to do any goddamn thing.  All I wanted was to retreat back into my room after lunch, but now she wants my pj's.

Fine, she can have them.  I change, go back out to the dining room, and throw the now-bad pajama bottoms on My Fucking Mother's dining room chair.  To which my sister, who saw me throw it, go, "That's not nice!"  And like many times before, I wished I knew the perfect thing to say at the time, because I would have and should have said, "How long have you been a part of this family?"  I didn't say that, of course.  I don't remember what I told my sister, but it was something dumb and forgettable.  Bottom line: I don't mind throwing my pajamas, because My Fucking Mother is fucking smothering me again.

Wowee.  I was feeling sluggish all day at work yesterday/Thursday, even though (or maybe because) I took a two-hour nap Wednesday evening (and I woke up just before the start of The Amazing Race, thank goodness).  Maybe my body was telling me something I should have heard.

I was, um, having some fun after work, so I didn't come home till about 8:30 last/Thursday night.  I promptly changed clothes, watched some Law & Order: Organized Crime, napped, woke up to hear the radio post-Game of Bengals-Steelers, got up to turn off the radio, crept back under my sheets ... then woke up to my alarm just now at 10 this morning.  It's possible, maybe probable, that I slept for 11, maybe 11 1/2 hours last night.  I guess my body really, really needed a lot of uninterrupted sleep.  And if not for my alarm, I think I could have slept even more.  I'm still feeling sort of groggy, to be honest.

Well, time to work the Game.  It's going to be a long one; shouldn't come back until 2 in the morning.  Groggy though I may be, this was the perfect day to get a lot of sleep.

Expenses Without Receipts

Starting from Wednesday, October 15:

• Well, we have to go back to Monday, October 13, when I finally made it out to *****e's party.  Partly it's because I have been told to cut down on the OT.  Partly it was because *****e has been so damn persistent.  But mostly it's because **y was going to work the party.  I don't want to spill all the details here, but let's just say that I got what I wanted in way less than an hour.  And even though I really can't spend the money I spent (for cover and a "bed fee" as well as the service rendered), I have to say it was well spent: $235.
• We go back to Saturday, October 11, where I got my car washed.  When was the last time I got the car washed?  Anyway, I got it washed on my way to watching my alma mater defeat Michigan.  I was afraid that there would be a huge line, but there was no car at all when I pulled in.  Maybe the last hour on a weekend fall day is a slow one for car washes.  I was impressed by the customer service by these guys this day.  I was bringing a box of free stuff for the game-watching event, and one asked if I wanted to put the box back in after they finished vacuuming the interior.  No thanks, I brought it in with me as the car was going through the exterior wash, but I appreciate it.  Then, after they were all done, the guy opened the back door for me to put the box in.  I paid cash for the whole thing, so including tip, this was: $31.46.
• While watching the game I had a Pepsi, an Angry Orchard, chicken wings and a giant pretzel.  I guess I didn't get any of these things during their happy hour, but I was surprised by how much I spent.  With tip: $56.
• And to heck with it ... even though I know for a fact that my sister gave me this money the day before (Friday, October 10), I'm including it on October 11 because I was using cash all day.  I am not sure why she gave me money.  Was it for the late dinner we had after our successful run out of the escape room?  An Infusion of: $10.
• ETA on Friday, October 17 at 11:09 a.m. that I totally forgot that I went to see Bride of Frankenstein Monday, September 29.  It was a surprise sold-out show, but thankfully, I got in through the waitlist.  I can see why it was a classic, but the part that stands out to me?  Only 75 minutes long.  I hate that I don't remember jotting down how much I spent.  I know I used cash for the ticket, popcorn, pop and tips to the concessions and the organist.  I think it was a total of: $31.
• Let's go back to Saturday, September 27, where I just needed to be on my own and decided to go to the Black Hart because I haven't seen an MNUFC Match there in quite some time.  (The bar, by the way, is running a game-watching contest where they give up prizes halfway and at the end of the regular season.  The more times you watch a Game there, the more chances you can win.)  They run a special on Fulton Lonely Blonde, so I got a glass of that on this night.  With tip: $7.
• To Tuesday the 23rd ... needed to use my Hooters coupon for the month of September, so I went down there ... only to be told that they have no offer like that on their menu.  So why in the hell do I have a coupon for it?  I don't think the Hooters corporation really knows what's going on in all of their departments.  Anyway, I sat and ate anyway, so plus tip I spent: $28.
• On Tuesday the 16th I went to ******e's new place in the afternoon, where she wanked me: $120.
• And I also forgot I saw another classic movie at my local arthouse theater Monday the 15th: The Great Dictator.  It was billed according to the theater as "possibly the most important comedy of all time."  That billing isn't wrong; it stands up and sticks to our current mess, almost in haunting echoes.  I think I charged money for the popcorn and pop, so this EWR is for the ticket and the tips to concessions and the organist.  I spent in cash I think: $17.
• Back to Tuesday, September 9 -- had to visit my downtown Game-watching bar to let management know we're coming in that Saturday.  Ate and drank there.  With tip: $16.
• Friday the 5th: Went to a house party where I got double-teamed by *****y and *****a.  I have been serviced by both before -- I have even gone all the way with *****a once -- but not together.  And to be honest, I think I was hustled into spending way more money than I wanted to.  First of all, *****y just asked *****a to be part of our bed dance.  Then, even though I got all naked, they didn't do anything with my pee-pee.  We were spending too much time at the bed and I got the feeling they were just going to stop.  Finally, I think I agreed to the price I think I needed to meet for them to both wank me: $150 apiece.  I didn't even have that much cash on me; I needed to Venmo *****a the rest of the $150 I owed her.  But they finally put hands to penis, and I'm glad that two women I have seen for years did a tandem HJ on me.  But I was reminded yet again that sometimes, *****y wants to extract more money from me when I don't want to.  Other strippers don't do that, and even though they're not as gorgeous as *****y is, I don't have to deal with that bullshit.  Total: $250.
• The Powerball jackpot cleared a billion (at least), and I needed to get Powerball tickets for the family: $10.
• And Father paid me back for the Powerball tickets I got for him in previous days; I know he did not pay me back on September 5, I'm just putting it here.  An Infusion of: $10.
• Finally, back on Tuesday, September 2, I saw the reboot of The Naked Gun.  I remember laughing my ass off to the original (movie at least; I know the old The Naked Gun was based on a short-lived TV show), and I think my younger self would love the new one, even though it's still difficult to picture Oskar Schindler as a slapstick comedian.  It was a neat diversion, though, filled with zingers and one-liners that comedies just don't do these days.  The local theater has half-off tickets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (at least for now), and I took advantage of that: $4.32.

Good through October 15.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

#-1: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -1).  A team in a sport that appears to be in stasis tends to just be at their level.  In other words, the U. has settled into a Tier 1-ish position, where they are annihilating squads that are ranked just to fill out a poll -- in this case, sweeping a home-and-home from then-tenth-ranked St. Cloud St. by a combined 9-4 -- but routinely get spanked by the true blue bloods.  Going 4-0 against ranked clubs isn't chopped liver.  However, until evolution finally shifts, the only Games that truly matter are the ones against Wisconsin and Ohio St.  And the first of these four series comes this weekend, when the Buckeyes come to town for showdowns Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

#-2: Gopher football (Last Week: -6).  I've been thinking about how the worst team in the Big Ten this Year is after Penn St. fired James Franklin.  You can make a case that is the Nittany Lions.  It also could be Wisconsin, who, if they get their asses kicked at home Saturday by Ohio St., could fire Luke Fickell Sunday.  It could be Michigan St., who might fire Jonathan Smith.  (It might not be UCLA, who had the bottom all to themselves until two Weeks ago and are now The Team You Don't Want To Face right now.)  Or it could be Purdue, who were the absolute pitts the past two seasons.  They have won twice this Year and gave the Gophs a game, but the U. was game enough to put the Boilermakers away, 27-20.  Thank God they did that; it was Homecoming.  And hey, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers was there to perform with The University of Minnesota Marching Band at Halftime!

I saw him and RHCP play at U. S. Bank Stadium.  After they were done, Chad Smith stepped up to the mic and tell/remind everyone he was born here.  Really?!  Also, both of his parents are Gopher alumni!  And he just set up a scholarship at the U.!!  Cool!!!

Now comes an intriguing Friday night Game at home vs. Nebraska, who might actually be back now.  Is that BS?  Can the Gophers win in what will be an electric atmosphere for a nationally-televised Match over free TV?  I will be there to work it, and I think I can't wait.

#-3: Gopher soccer (Last Week: -7).  The results have been middling enough where they probably won't make it into the NCAA Tournament yet again this season.  But they had a pretty good screening Week considering, going undefeated at home hosting the Los Angeles schools.  On Thursday they took it to my alma mater and won, 2-1, on a Goal in the 83rd Minute by Caroline Birdsell.  (Aside: My alma mater was ranked in the pre-season, but now it looks like they too will miss the tourney.  What the hell happened?)  Then on Sunday afternoon, they held then-ninth-ranked UCLA to a scoreless Draw as Goalkeeper Sarah Martin saved a dozen shots.  For her heroics over the Week, she was named B1G Goalkeeper Of The Week.

The end of October is approaching, meaning the end of the season is approaching as well.  They travel to the Pacific Northwest to battle Washington tomorrow/Thursday night and Oregon Sunday afternoon.

#-4: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -4).  A legendary program that, I finally noticed, has not made a ton of noise during the off-season that has turned the sport into the Wild West, what with allowing players from Canadian juniors to play college hockey in the States.   That might be reflected in their disappointing early weekend at Mariucci, where they lost to ranked Boston College Thursday night by a score of 3-1 and took the Shootout Point after skating to a 2-all Tie Friday evening.  This is a young group who saw all their veterans and stars leave after last season's failure of a run, so no one is expecting them to be a contender.  Still, it's a bummer to believe that The Pride On Ice will be humbled a lot this season.  It could come at the hands of hated rival (and eighth-ranked) North Dakota, with whom they will pick up the rivalry by playing at Grand Forks Friday and Saturday night.

#-5: Wild (NEW SEASON!!).  Wow: This is the first time this season I'm talking about the Mild, and they've already played four Games.  And typifying the mediocre nature of this entire fuckin' franchise, they sit at 2-2.  Their season-opening Win, 5-0 at St. Louis, was a great start.  But their other victory was home to Los Angeles via Shootout, and their two defeats were massive ones -- 7-4 over Columbus at the X Grand Casino Arena, then 5-2 in Dallas versus The Team That Was Stolen From Us.  As a reminder, I amplify results against The Bastard North Stars because, well, they should still be here in Minnesota.  Since they lost to them, and lost badly, I rank them behind a U. men's icers team that, if you look at it cynically, won only half a Game.  Two bright spots: Kirill Kaprizov, The Richest Man In The NHL, has four Goals, and Matt Boldy has scored once in each Game so far.  They certainly aren't the problem.  But you once again get the feeling that this season will end with yet another goddamn First Round exit.

Yesterday's/Tuesday's Loss starting a five-Game road trip that now swings east.  They play Washington and Philadelphia on back-to-back nights (namely Friday and Saturday), then visit The New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Monday night.

#-6: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: -5).  I hear that this club has been racked by injuries.  Still, this group has a shaky 4-2 conference mark which was made much worse by a humiliating home sweep by unranked UCLA Wednesday when the Goofers were ranked 14th.  I was watching parts of the Game while exercising and I couldn't believe that this team, this program, is being pushed around at home.  They somewhat made up for it by sweeping Ohio St. at Maturi Sunday afternoon, but that made the Loss to the Bruins even more inexplicable.

While there's not even anyone thinking this team is a contender, they remain safely in the NCAAs, according to advanced metrics.  Still, there are fish to fry -- in the PNW, as they visit Oregon Friday and Washington Saturday.

Hottest Babe In The Hooters Calendar: September 2025

For this month, I don't know if a whole month of absorbing it while ensconced on a wall would change my evaluation that this is a below average month.  I think I can point out four of the baker's dozen that festoons Sep. '25.

In fourth place is a dual entry, the twins Holly and Amber out of Kissimmee, Fla.  I must've seen these twins in previous calendars.  Here, the women with light brown hair that impressively cascades down to their waists are wearing white wifebeater tops that have the Hooters logo and are cut off just below the tits, and thin purple bottoms.  They're beautiful, don't get me wrong, but the idea of twins posing in a swimsuit calendar gets them on the board.

In third place is Nikki, hailing from Mesa, Ariz.  Long, dark black hair, she is wearing a re-dish and yellow (think Starburst) one-piece bikini.  She has pale skin and is smiling only faintly, but she is beautiful, and she stands out for not being your typical-looking Hooters waitress.  She can actually pass as punk or goth, to be honest.  And even though she is posing with her side facing us, she does give us a little side boob.

In second place is Amber, of Melbourne, Fla.  Wavy blonde hair that reaches her breasts, she is sporting a deep blue two-piece bikini with an "X" on the top of the fabric covering both tits.  She's quarter-turned towards/away from the camera, but she has a tremendous body and a gorgeous face.  Just flat-out sexy.

Finally, in first place is The Main Girl, Sophie from Madison, Wisc.  Straight-ish blonde hair that finishes just below breast level, she has a simple pink two-piece on.  She is thigh deep in a pool, and even though she is completely dry, she is standing straight at the camera, showing off her delectable bod.  It helps that this is the biggest photograph in the month; that only amplifies her sexiness.  And I've got to say that's impressive that The Main Girl is from the corn-fed climes of Wisconsin!

So congratulations to Sophie and the rest of the best from September 2025.  Do not worry; I have already mastrubated to all of you!

I Miss My Stripper Girlfriend

I don't know if you remember *****a, but she was one of the girls from My Favorite Stripclub (Non-Cover Version) with whom I had grown into a deeper relationship ... well, as deep as one can get between a john and a sex worker.  She's whip-smart, curious, and is more aligned with me politically than most of the other stripper girlfriends I've had.  If you have following WAF in the past, she's the one who once asked me, at a house party she was working, to stay because, and I quote, "I haven't seen it yet!"  And when I finally did, thank Buddha, she touched it, and me.

I have been putty in her hands since.  It was difficult to go to her place for HJs because she had this penchant for moving from place to place.  But she stood out from all my other stripper girlfriends because she was unapologetic over what she did.  She didn't air out any of her, or my, business, but she didn't shy away from her profession.  That's why I respect her.  Dammit, I will say that I love her, too.

But it's been a long time since I've been intimate with her, and she has done several things that are very uncharacteristic of her.  First of all, she has gotten quite political.  She began five years ago with George Floyd, and I thought that was really cool because I agreed with her views.  *****a has gotten quite politically active with sex work as well.  Parallel to that, she finally found a boyfriend.  I'll be honest; I wasn't too keen on it because if she is dedicating her life to someone, I cannot believe she would continue to wank me or any other guy on the side.  But I'm happy for her, if this is what she wants.

And then she ... disappeared.  I followed her on Facebook, but she apparently took that down.  I've texted her, but she hasn't replied to anything I've sent since the spring.  And I have no other way to reach her; unlike the other strippers from My Favorite Stripclub (Non-Cover Edition), she was not close to any of the others, so I can't reach out to a mutual and ask how she's doing.

I had the feeling *****a was, shall we say, peripatetic, but I never got the feeling that she would ghost anyone.  She was restless when it came to where she lived, obviously, and her political activism made me feel like she could be passionate to the point of being impetuous, as many political fanatics become.  But she always seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, and I never thought she would just disappear as she has.

So maybe this has something to do with family.  I fear it has something bad to do with her boyfriend.  But dammit, I miss *****a.  I miss her touch.  I miss talking to her about her sex work advocacy.  I miss admiring someone who also gives me HJs, I really do.  I hope she's OK.  And if her being OK means not seeing me again ... that'll break my heart, but that's OK, too.

Oh, It's On TV.

So there was that epic, 15-Inning, winner-take-all Game 5 American League Division Series Friday night, where Seattle finally outlasted Detroit.  I got home from the escape room (successfully, I want to add) and eating late with my sister, and I was scrolling through when I saw that the Game, which began around 7, was still going on.  I think this was around 11 p.m, and there's nothing like extra innings in playoff baseball, so I hurriedly turned on my satellite radio to hear the rest of the Game.

Hell of a Game.  Great ending.  I think I caught the last three Innings (so, since the 12th?), and both teams had ample chances to break through and score, but the Pitching and Defense came through.  And I don't mind listening to sports on the radio, don't get me wrong.  But after the Game was over and I was scrolling through social media again (aside: I have strayed from my vow to get off social media ... and frankly, I don't know if I have the willpower to stay away), I saw a tweet or a skeet that Fox signed off at around 12:48 a.m.  Fox has TV rights for the American League side of the playoffs ... and that's when I remembered that Fox/Channel 9 was showing the Game.  I could have just turned on the TV instead of my satellite radio.

How did I get used to thinking a sports Game I want to keep up with won't be on broadcast television?  Actually, now that I think about it, most Games aren't on broadcast TV.  Oh, well.

OK, *Now* I Can't Get Extra Money

I keep saying that I can't get OT from work, but it feels as though my boss really means it this time.  Following up on a meeting we all had, he emailed me Friday afternoon saying that the work is light enough whereby overtime is no longer necessary, should I should leave work for the next day.  I disagree; I think there is enough work that, if I stay only eight hours, there will be so much carryover work that the next day's work will have to be pushed back, and that will create a cascading effect that will mean tests won't get done for a day or more.  The workload ain't that light.  It might not even be light, period.

But I reckon that he saw me go over eight hours last week, capped off with me staying until 6 Thursday night.  He has said that OT is off the table off and on for a few years now, but something about this email makes me think he really, really means it this time.  Fine.  I will acquiesce.  But he did say "try to leave after eight hours," and even though I read that Friday afternoon, it still took me an extra half-hour to do all the things I felt I needed to do before I left on Friday.  I will try and start hewing to eight hours beginning on Monday, which also is the start of a new pay period.  It's a clean slate that I agree to.  Maybe.

Father's Thanking Me??

So I mowed the lawn this afternoon.  It seems as though My Father mowed the front lawn but not the back lawn.  So I mowed the back lawn and, just because, I mowed the front lawn, too.

When I got done and went back inside, My Father says, "Good job!" and pats me on the shoulder.  Even though he has thanked me before, it's rare.  So to see him be this complimentary is ... strange.  And by the way, I didn't say anything to him.  It's shocking to see him thank me.  I'm still kind of spooked.

My Biggest Accomplishment In, Oh, Years

I did my first escape room (with my sister) Sunday; we failed.  My brother set up another escape room last/Friday night ... and the four of us (we three siblings and my brother's daughter, my niece) got out!  I'm not sure exactly how we got out, and I still suspect that the, uh, overseer opened doors for us (in a literal sense) even though we hadn't yet solved the puzzles because he just wanted us to get out of there.  But we made it!  Really, I don't think I've done something so successful in a decade!

Something Fun Shouldn't Be This Fucking Inconvenient

So I am doing this escape room with my brother, sister and niece tonight.  I want to look forward to it because it's, well, a fun thing to do, and I am doing something with my siblings, and I don't remember the last time I've ever done anything fun with them, let alone my niece.

Doing it tonight, however is a pain in the ass.  I work in The Fourth Position today, all by myself.  I need to get the work done because there is nobody else doing it today, and no one doing that job at all tomorrow.  For that reason, there is a chance I will be late.  I communicated my worry with my sibs.  But instead of offering a compromise, my brother just bought the goddamn tickets for tonight on his own.  I will probably have to leave stuff for one of my co-workers to do tomorrow, and that's not a good feeling to saddle someone with work to do when you had the chance to do it yourself.  I certainly wouldn't want one of them drop crap on my lap, but turnabout is fair play, and that is what I'm going to invite if I don't do all the work by myself today.

I have a Friday off coming up.  We certainly could have done the escape room then.  I can't see why we couldn't wait and do it then.  But nope, my brother said we're playing Friday.  So I have to fucking drop every goddamn thing and race to the escape room.  And I guess I shouldn't complain too much because my brother's the one buying the tickets, huh?

Moreover, my plan was to leave work early, go home, grab my sister and then go.  Going from work to home takes me in the opposite direction of the escape room, but that seemed to be the only way for all of us to play this game.  (It also necessitated me leaving work early if need be.)  This is the part that pisses me off.  While watching my alma mater's women's soccer team, I WhatsApped my sister that if I am able to get home in time, we have to immediately leave home to get to the escape room on time.  Then, she countered that she wants to go to the mall by herself.  She needs time to do that.  And, she wants to take my car.  I would then take my parents' very old van and meet her and my brother and my niece at the mall and the escape room in the evening.  Well, shit.

Being blindsided by her decision the day before fucking sucks.  I had to spend five minutes after I got home from the soccer Match taking out all the stuff I need to drive to work (sunglasses, sun visor, tire gauge to check the minivan's tires).  Also, this is the second time this week I've had to settle on the van while she gets to drive the newer car.  I sleep for lunch, and that's very hard to do in the van because the sun streams in through the windows; it gets hot and the radiation burns my skin.  It's no problem in my car because I have window shields that are fitted for my car's windows.  I obviously don't have them for the minivan, so I will probably be tired by the time we start the escape room because I haven't had my midday nap.  But worst of all is that I have to take this minivan in afternoon rush to the Mall of America.  Truthfully, I have no reason to believe it won't make it down there and back.  But it is a very old car, and I haven't driven it that far in some time, let alone driving it during afternoon rush.  There are certain aspects of this drive that will be foreign to me, and I hate needing to "learn" like this when my sister didn't have to shop by herself, and my brother didn't have to make the escape room tonight.  In other words, I think I am going to get into a car crash, or the van's engine is going to overheat, and I will fail to make it to the escape room.  It just feels like everything is getting set up this way.

Hate this.  Hate this all.  And I'm supposed to be having fun tonight, not feeling inconvenienced!

Good news!  My Mother was told that her surgery could be moved up by nearly a whole month!  Now, am I to believe that someone just cancelled their surgery, and then the scheduler decided that My Mother, and not anyone else scheduled to have surgery, was the one to ask whether she wants her surgery done sooner?  Because, while I am glad that it now appears my parents can get out of here before the New Year, it feels as though the scheduler actually does have dates before Thanksgiving Week open; she just doesn't want to give one of those dates to My Mother unless or until she gets checked out, or is "doing the right thing," or "is on track to have a successful surgery," or something.

If that is the case, then after My Mother does her pre-op visit today/Thursday, would it then be possible she can be rescheduled even sooner -- like, oh, Monday?  Because then that would mean they would be outta here to salvage a good portion of the holiday season.  I'd have the house to myself for Christmas, my folks would be in warmer Las Vegas ... that would be a win-win!

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

#-1: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -2).  Went to Boston and tore apart then-13th-ranked Boston University over the weekend by scores of 5-0 and 5-2, proving once again how little the talent in women's college hockey has trickled down.  Also, this proves that, while these Gophers are capable of asserting dominance at will (and that's enough to give this squad the top spot in this screening Week's WMNSS), true success will only be accurately assessed when they play the two titans of the sport, Wisconsin and Ohio St.  The Buckeyes visit in two Weeks.  In the meantime, these Gophs get to beat up on St. Cloud St., with whom they will play a home-and-home this weekend.

#-2: United FC (Last Week: -5).  Giving how easy the end of their MLS schedule is, they should be getting all the Points available.  In that light, smashing rebuilding Sporting Kansas City at Allianz Field Saturday 3-0 was exactly the thing they needed to do, and the result I needed to see.  Moreover, the two players who may be playing the best out of anyone on the XI were the goalscorers: Anthony Markanich got a Brace (including a Goal from, yes, a Set Piece), and Joaquin Pereyra continued to outwork his opponents and scored in the 59th Minute.

I only put the Loons second because I failed to see the entire standings.  The top of the West remains a tight and winning bunch.  Four teams have broken away; the three besides MNUFC (San Diego, Vancouver and LAFC) all won over the weekend.  Moreover, even though United FC are only two Points behind both San Diego and the Whitecaps, Vancouver gets to play one more Match because of delays due to other competitions that club had to play earlier in the Year.  Finally, LAFC is only two Points behind the Loons, and also because of other competitions, they have two Games to make up.  I think MNUFC are a very good club, but they could finish the regular season only fourth in the West.

Those make-up Games are coming between now and the 18th, when United FC finish the regular season at The Los Angeles Galaxy.

#-3: Vikings (Last Week: -6).  Think of how badly the vibes around this team would be if, after spending ten Days playing back-to-back Games in the British Isles, they came home with a pair of Losses.  They avoided that fate by clawing back to defeat Cleveland at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Sunday morning, 21-17, to get to 3-2.  The winning score came from a pass from Carson Wentz, who was injured for a short time during the Game, to Jordan Addison, who was benched to start the contest because, apparently, he missed a walkthrough during the team's stay at a palatial estate 90 miles north of London leading up to Sunday.  Add this to his DUI conviction, and it's becoming apparent that, sadly, he is a bit of a headcase who cannot be relied upon.  I can see the Vikes moving on from Addison after his rookie contract is up and finding a new #2 for Justin Jefferson.

I think Bye Weeks should be doled up with more intention.  This will screw up the schedule making, but I want to see teams choose which Bye Week to take based on the finishing order of the previous season.  So, for example, the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles would choose their Bye Week first, then The Bastard Dallas Texans second, and so on.  Regardless, the Vikes were given this upcoming weekend off, and considering they have so many people on Injured Reserve, this break cannot happen soon enough.

#-4: Gopher men's hockey (NEW SEASON!).  I can't think of a time where the men's college hockey season has started this early.  Anyway, the Gophers began it by doubling up Michigan Tech at Mariucci Arena Friday, 6-3 ... then followed it up by losing to the Huskies Saturday, 5-3.  This is a season of change in the sport: Players from the Canadian junior leagues, who were heretofore forbidden to ever play in college hockey in the States, can now do so freely (and vice versa, and for all I know a student can hopscotch from one to the other).  That opens up another avenue in the arms race, but I don't know if the U. has taken advantage of that.  Regardless, splitting at home to a CCHA school ain't a great way to start.

But at least they're not shying away from competition.  Boston College, who is ranked either tenth or eleventh depending on which poll you look at, comes to town for showdowns tomorrow/Thursday and Friday.

#-5: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: -3).  What is going on with this program?  The Gopher volleyballers of old would not lose at an unranked Michigan club, let alone in four Sets.  What's more distressing is the way they lost that Game last Wednesday: They won the First Set, 25-18, but then got dismantled over the next three, scoring only twelve, 14 and twelve Points.  The hell?

They defeated Northwestern Sunday in Evanston, but it's Northwestern, and worse, they lost a Set to the perennially undermanned Wildcats program, and they struggled to close them out, too.  They won Set 2, 25-22, then lost Set 3, 25-17, then had to go a bit over extra time to finally close them out in the fourth, 26-24.  This is a team that is struggling to put away opponents they should be sweeping with ease.  And there is a sign that the fanbase is starting to notice as well.  I am seeing what time my alma mater plays the U. next month.  I thought volleyball tickets always sell out, but someone from my alumni group actually looked at the online ticket map and saw that there were dozens of seats available for that Match.  I would go, and not only would I root for my alma mater ... I think my alma mater will win.  That's how far the U. has fallen.

Host UCLA tonight/Wednesday night and Ohio St. Sunday.

#-6: Gopher football (Last Week: -4).  Yeah, for all my talk about how P. J. Fleck has introduced a level of success that has made the fanbase grow expectations for the program and how that's good, he is still miles away from getting the Gophers back to their ancient perch of being a national contender like they were six decades ago, and getting 14-timed at the #1 team in the nation, Ohio St. (by which I mean the final score was 42-3), is both disappointing and very, very expected.  But at least they have Homecoming coming this Saturday, and it's against a squad they should beat, Purdue.  Also, at least they aren't the ... 

#-7: Gopher soccer (Last Week: -7).  ... who continue to flounder, currently sporting a conference record of one Win, one Draw and four Losses after getting their brains beat in in the Border Battle at home versus then 24th-ranked Wisconsin, 3-0.  I see that the Badgers were ranked, but couldn't the Golden Gophers mount any fight?  Oh, well, that should mean my alma mater should win handily when they play the U. on Thursday.  Fourth-ranked UCLA then visits Sunday afternoon; while that Match ends the Goofers' three-Match homestand, it looks as though they could lose every single one, and there's the potential that each Game could be a bloody, embarrassing one.

Got Busted Not Flushing The Toilet

OK, now I really need this place all to myself.  My sister busted me for not flushing the toilet after peeing.

I was fake taking a shower, and even though I was on the toilet, I didn't pee much.  And I swear, when I looked into the bowl, it was wholly white.  There was no yellow; it didn't look like I did anything in there.  So, as is my wont when it's late at night and I don't want to wake the 'Rents downstairs, I let it mellow until I pee again after I wake up.  Yes, I am aware my sister is here.  I thought I could slip it by her.  Besides, I didn't hear any commotion from her room.  I thought she was asleep.

But goddammit, she wasn't!  As if she heard me "take a shower" but not flush the toilet, after I got done in the bathroom, she immediately goes in.  (Also, not for nothing, My Father came upstairs to tool around in the kitchen for some reason.  A lot of commotion at night, inexplicably.)  And afterward, she texted me to "remind me" to flush.  She said she saw pee in there, though I still believe she was suspicious I "showered" but didn't "use the toilet."  Hrmph.

This is the sign that this house is too crowded, but then again, if she left, I would have to help My Mother with rehab, and I ain't doin' that.  One other thing: If I am right in thinking she is minding what I do and don't do while I'm by myself, no way can I get away with masturbating.  Dammit, no peace!

Tea Does Not Go With Steak, That's Fucking Ridiculous

I have resolved to drink more tea, and possibly more tea than coffee.  My parents and sister drink it religiously, and knowing the health benefits, I should probably get into it a lot more.  But that doesn't mean I want to drink it with everything, like I was forced to last/Sunday night.

My Fucking Mother detected this bug that I picked up watching my alma mater at a bar and told my sister to give me tea.  And she did it again last/Sunday night, but this was when we were having a steak dinner.  I don't care, tea doesn't go with steak.  I drank it because I need to fucking keep the peace around the house, but it's bullshit to even think that tea goes with steak.  I had a Coke waiting for me inside the fridge, and I was going to drink that with my steak because that's a perfect marriage of food and drink.  But tea and steak ... pffft.  The taste of each ruins the other.  There's a time and place for tea and a time and place for steak.  That time and place are not together.  But that's what I friggin' had last night.

I shouldn't be so mad at this.  But I am.  So, to passive-aggressively rebel, I ate nuts about an hour ago and washed it down with that Coke I wanted to drink for dinner.  So there.