Kinda Fucked Up Now

I woke up after I threw up a little in my mouth.  Ever have that happen to you?  Not fun.

That happened around 5:11.  And that happened after I woke up around 4:30, which happened after I shut off the lights to see if I would fall asleep around 12:30.  And I did that even though I juiced half a lime (25 mL -- yeah, waiting for the lime to warm up to room temperature seems to help a lot!) at 8 p.m.  That means I had till about 6 a.m. to use it all before it went bad.  I failed to do so; I am drinking a Suffering Bastard right now, which I made around 5:30, but I have 10 mL I still have to use.  And even though it's "spoiled," I will still use it, right after I finish my first cocktail at around 6:30.  Can't waste bad lime juice.

And yes, I am day drinking.  Well, looks like dawn drinking.  I admit that this is kind of fucked up -- drinking in the morning, sleeping at odd hours, waking up after intermittent sleep and, of course, throwing up in my mouth.  At least I'm not working or anything, right?

I should do something productive, like clean up or something, now.

Late going to Caffetto, and while I wanted to reconcile my monthly expense list, goddammit, I forgot my day planner at home.  Guess that makes up time for me to attend Porchfest, which just started, and so I'm kind of bummed I wasn't at a house when a bad actually started the day (Porchfest kicked off at 1, which is about four minutes after I typed this).

Going to a house party.  Don't know when I want to get there.  A part of me wants to get there at 2, but unlike Porchfest, there's no good reason for me to get there right at the start because strippers don't usually start working when the party begins.  Also, the one woman whom I wanted to be there, ****e, just texted me that she wouldn't be there.  I am going just to please the host, ******e, so I make sure I get her texts for parties in the future.  But will I get a dance?  Unless I run into someone I remember or take a chance on a woman, I don't think so.

Could move up my yardwork to after the party, but it rained just now.  Heavily at some points.  Was it supposed to rain?  Didn't catch the news last night.  The rain discourages me from mowing or trying to reconfigure the sprinkler heads till tomorrow.

My day so far.

And My Weekend Is Busy, Too

Admittedly, I am filling it up with stuff I want to do in order to push out things I think I should do.  I thought this would be the weekend I would finally figure out the right arc for some of the sprinkler heads I've been working on.  Also, even though it's been really dry, maybe I should mow the yellow lawn.  And I should get around to my clothes and dishes ... and, oh yeah, my stuff.

But then I remembered that there is a house party on Saturday.  The cover's expensive as hell, and there's only one chick I care to see there, but ******e has invited me for a while and I haven't been there yet this calendar year, so it's time I go.  But there's also Porchfest, where bands play in front of houses in the Wedge neighborhood.  And then MNUFC is playing -- it's on the road, but I figure I would go to a watch party sponsored by the club at least once this season, and I'm doing so at a restaurant I haven't ever been to but have wanted to go to for some time, so that's extra enticement.  Then, tomorrow/Sunday afternoon, the Gopher women's soccer team is hosting Georgia.  Normally the U. hosts smaller colleges from the region, so having a brand-name school from the SEC (let alone a ranked one -- Gophers will have their hands full) come to Robbie Stadium to play is a special event to go to, and so I will be going.

By the way, one of my stripper girlfriends, *****a, needed help moving things Sunday afternoon.  I thought I could reach her through Messenger, but apparently I can only contact her now through Instagram, of which I don't have a personal account.  I would love to help, but since there apparently is no way to reach her, I can't help her.  Shucky darn!

So with all of that, I figure I could fix the sprinklers either Sunday morning or, if I'm not awake in time, after I come back.  I thought I should exercise in the evening, but I'm still not sure they're open, so maybe that sprinkler-fixing and, possibly, mowing will serve as my workout.  Or maybe I won't do those things ... which means I'll be spending this weekend having fun and not doing things I need to do.  Shucky darn!

I don't know if she likes me, but I know that she kind of pissed me off yesterday.  She asked me if she could help with work.  It was relatively easy back where we were, but there was a lot of data entry, so much so that I was going to help key.  I told her that there what was left was one basic thing that could be done but is usually done the next morning.  To which she replied, "That is low priority," as if I didn't know that, even though she knows darn well I do.  I'm just telling her how it was with me because, you know, she asked.

And then she left seemingly in a huff.  I am going to be confident enough to say that she was leaving me without much consideration.  Which usually happens, but I take note after her condescension.  Dammit -- her attitude just bugged the hell out of me yesterday.  What's up with her?

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

Just want to note that typically (this changed this Year; the Loons didn't play for two Months due to the World Cup, so we've had several screening Weeks where there were only two teams I had to talk about) this marks the end of the fallow/easy season of The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey.  Gopher soccer starts their season tonight/Thursday night, and we'll just be adding teams from here on till, oh, the spring.  More work for me on this the rest of the Year.  Oh, well.

#-1: Lynx (Last Week: -1).  Started off their extremely busy Week by snapping their winning streak at ten with an inexplicable collapse in The Fourth Quarter at home Thursday to Los Angeles, losing 89-82.  Cheryl Reeve ripped her team a new asshole, and they responded Saturday afternoon finally putting away The Bastard Utah Starzz, 98-87, Saturday afternoon, then beating The Bastard Detroit Shock by 13 the next afternoon and, finally, holding off the Fire in Portland last/Wednesday night, 85-81 after leading by as much as 29 Points.  The Defense continues to crawl back from the mediocrity they fell into in the middle of the season.  Now, the big shortcoming is bench scoring; Minnesota may have the best starting 5 in all the WNBA, but scoring from substitutes is increasingly looking like a rumor.

And yet their Net Rating remains the best in the league, and of course they have the best record in the W, too.  That will be put the test as they continue a four-Game road trip this Week versus, respectively, the third- (Las Vegas on Saturday) and second-best (Golden State on Wednesday) clubs in the league.

#-2: Twins (Last Week: -2).  The Twinks traded for three Bullpen arms just before The Trade Deadline, and yet they continue to struggle to put Games away, as evidenced by back-to-back 4-3 defeats at The Bastard Seattle Pilots Saturday and Sunday.  And yet, after going through a 4-3 Week, they remain, stupidly, a 1/2-Game behind The Bastard Washington Senators v.2.0. for ALWC3 -- and they still remain below .500, too.

They continue their almost-maximum homestand with a weekend three-Game set vs. The Philadelphia Phillies.  They play Saturday and Sunday at Target Field.  But they start their series tonight/Thursday night in Dyersville, Ia., as the Twins "host" The Field Of Dreams Game at 6:30.  That's got to be something.  By the way, a ticket Tuesday night was being sold for over $800.  The Bastard Boston Braves then come in for a trio beginning Monday.

#-3: United FC (Last Week: -3).  First off, I have to say that the malaise infecting the senior team was on hand Saturday evening when I went to see MNUFC2 close by.  They took the lead on The San Jose Earthquakes 2 off a Penalty Kick, but that PK was initially missed; a teammate had to swoop in to pounce on the rebound.  The Twoons allowed San Jose 2 to equalize when on of the United FC 2's players made a backpass just as the Goalkeeper ran up to his teammate; an opposing player got to the ball before the backtracking Goalkeeper did.  Finally, right after the final whistle, MNUFC2 cracked under pressure and could convert only 1-of-4 Penalty Kicks, losing 3-1 after 4 1/2 Rounds.  Not a display of professional soccer there.

After hearing they lost to Tigres on Friday and knowing I had to go to Tuesday's meaningless Leagues Cup finale against Atlante because no one wanted my ticket, I was prepared to see an even more woeful performance than I saw the previous Tuesday against Juarez.  And the attendance sucked.  The combination of two Months off due to the World Cup (which is understandable but still disappointing), the almost-immediate post-WC dive into a contrived intercontinental tournament that many people are still lukewarm over, and, of course, United FC's piss-poor play is damaging fan relations in a way I haven't seen since they bought into top-flight soccer in 2017.  And so this is the time when the Loons decide to win, their first Win of any Match that counts since April 18.  Thank Buddha for Joaquin Pereyra; without his Brace, they wouldn't have been able to pull off the spirit-lifting victory.

Back to league action; they visit Real Salt Lake Saturday night, then host Atlanta Wednesday.

I know it's been hotter, and I know it's been more humid.  But I swear, when I tried going to sleep in my car at work yesterday/Tuesday afternoon, I never felt more sweltering in my life.  I knew as soon as I closed my eyes that the sweat would form all over my body and that I would be drowning in it before long.  I didn't get a second of shut-eye.  So glad I conked off at around 9 Monday (I think) and woke up around 5:30 Tuesday morning.  And since I have the early shift today/Wednesday, I think my body is still good enough for only four hours of sleep ... but I still should publish this quick and go to bed!

Great, Now I Have To Go To The Soccer Game

So there's one more Leagues Cup Match being played tonight.  Minnesota United FC wasn't going to be one of the four MLS clubs (out of 16 participating in this tournament) to reach the Knockout Round after losing in regulation last Tuesday to FC Juarez, but just in case, their Shootout Loss to Tigres eliminated them for good.

I knew MNUFC wasn't advancing after last Tuesday's Loss, so I didn't think there was any good reason to watch what was now a glorified exhibition, so I sold my ticket for Friday's Game.  That got swept up quickly; Tigres isn't part of the "Big Four" Liga MX squads that are considered the most popular, but maybe they are popular anyway.  I had also put up today's/Tuesday's ticket up for sale.  But probably because the opponent is a franchise, Atlante, that technically bought its way up to the Mexican first flight (it's a long story), the ticket hasn't been sold.  Thing is, when I saw it wasn't selling on SeatGeek for $20, I tried selling it for less, but it wouldn't let me.  Guess SeatGeek has some things they won't do.

But for a week now, no one was buying.  I really don't want to go, but I already paid for this ticket, so if no one wants it -- shit, man, I'll go, dammit.  I have to go now!  Weird saying that, but (and I'll touch more on this in the WMNSS), things with the Loons are pretty bad now, and I don't expect them to turn it around tonight/Tuesday night, even in a de facto Friendly vs. Atlante.

Another Busy Week Ahead

There's an MNUFC soccer Match I desperately want to get out of (more on that tomorrow, if I remember), and I have reserved a ticket to see the latest Spider-Man on Thursday.  (About that: When faced with the deadline to purchase an advanced ticket for five bucks, I chose Thursday ... just because.  And either I didn't think about it at the time or I decided I couldn't do it, but I now realize that I should have reserved a seat for an IMAX showing.  They don't have an IMAX screening on Thursday.  They have one tonight/Monday night ... but it's at a time where I would have to stay pretty late at work to make it make sense for me to drive to the theater instead of home.  Wish there was an earlier time that would fit a time I think I will get out of work tonight/Monday night.)  That also opens up the chance for me to see Super Troopers 3 on Wednesday, when I get out of work early.

So that's three days where I'm doing something after work, and they come back-to-back-to-back.  At my advanced age, that's a lot.  I'm tired just thinking about it.  But as long as I can frolic free without my parents even vaguely being disapproving (let alone knowing), I'll do it!

Great that I got a good night's sleep.  And in a vacuum, I'm not against going to bed at 10:30 and waking up at 6.  But when the only thing you have to do is a party at 2, and the thing you want to do is fixing sprinkler heads and it might have rained overnight, you're not wanting to do anything, even if I have as much energy as I'll ever have.

Well, I do have to water the plants.  And wash some dishes, like I wanted to last night.  And, you know, if it rained overnight, I won't have to really fix the sprinklers, do I?

All of a sudden, whoo! I'm tired.  I'll ... think about doing something and then either do it or not do it.

A Race Against Time To Use The Limes

On a whim, I bought a plastic-wrapped tray of eight limes that the discount grocer near me wanted to ship out.  I have used two already, might juice another two tonight for cocktails, but I don't know if I'll be able to use them all before they go bad.  But hey, I bought them all for $1.50, so when it comes to value (not necessarily food waste), I couldn't pass it up.

So I am working a Game this afternoon, but because my friend and co-worker got sick, I'm stepping up to take his job.  Generally speaking, it's a position I've done before -- long, long, long ago.  I hope that the combination of being thrust into this job just yesterday/Friday and the people I'll be working for and with are chill (fingers crossed) will make this assignment a non-bad one.  But do I have a guarantee the you-know-what won't hit the fan?  Nope.

Wish me luck.

My Sprinkler Head-Fixing Issues Apparently Continue

I have become obsessed (at times) with fixing the arc of the heads of the sprinkler system Father put in years ago.  When I see the cycle, most of the heads arc so far that they wet the sidewalks, curbs and, eek, the neighbor's driveway.  And so I have looked at the instructions to see how to fix that.

In case you don't know, the system comes with a key.  I had been using the metal, hex-style end to put into one of the holes on the top of each head; I twist it one way or the other and that is supposed to shorten the left-most side of the arc.  Alas, the arc didn't change.  After carefully reading the instructions, I realized that I needed to use the other end, the plastic end that's wider and have notches on the end.

I did that ... and it's gotten worse.  Not only do the heads (and I only tried to fix two of them; there are several others I still need to get to) still water pavement, they arc even further, jutting out onto the street and well into my neighbor's driveway.  I'm scared as hell one of the sprinklers will hit my neighbor as they're walking to the car, or they'll see their car drenched in water and that'll piss them off.  Worse off, the right-most side of the arc is different, too.  You can't use that key to fix the right side.  Instead, you have to literally take out the sprinkler head and re-orient it so that its right-most extent lines up with the edge of the grass you want to water.  I was able to twist off one of them, and I thought I had put it in correctly, but now that's watering my walkway.  I think it's hitting the side of the house, too.

Add that those sprinkler heads are a bitch to take out of the ground -- you have to dig around the head, and sometimes twisting and pulling them is difficult, and by the way, I was unable to find the ones I tried to fix without turning on the cycle so that the heads pop out from the dirt and grass that seemingly was buried above them, and that's a pain in the ass -- and after a bit more failed tinkering (I did all of this on Wednesday because I came home from work early), I quit.  Maybe I'll try again Sunday.  But even though the grass is yellow and crusty, I dare not turn on the sprinklers now, now that I've made a slightly bad situation a lot worse.  I just need to fix these damn things.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

#-1: Lynx (Last Week: -1).  They've run their winning streak to ten in a row, matching the Lynx squad from ten Years ago in reaching that mark.  And hey, they kicked ass for once, trouncing the Tempo in Toronto Thursday by 32 Points.  They followed that up with a Sunday afternoon national TV Game vs. Caitlin Clark MAGA bitch Sophie Cunningham and The Indiana Fever, The Team With The Most Toxic Fanbase In North American Sports.  I was home and could've watched it, but didn't because I thought they were going to lose because evil wins in this world.  Thank Buddha I'm wrong, even though the Lynx (once again) blew a double-digit lead in The Fourth Quarter before righting the ship and beating the Fever, 108-100.

The chemistry between Olivia Miles and Napheesa Collier is still developing.  Also, and sorry to sound like a broken record, but the Lynx were the #1 Seed last Year and not only did they not win, they didn't even make it to The WNBA Finals.  I'm still keeping them in negative numbers until they reach better milestones ... such as The Longest Streak In Lynx History, which they could reach tonight when they host Los Angeles.  They'll finish a four-Game homestand with a weekend back-to-back versus two pretty solid outfits -- The Bastard Utah Starzz Saturday afternoon (I'll be working this one), The Bastard Detroit Shock Sunday afternoon.

#-2: Twins (Last Week: -2).  They were busy adding Bullpen arms, three of them to be exact, at the Trade Deadline.  I'm sorry, but I don't care.  I still have PTSD from the unnecessary and cruel fire sale at last season's Trade Deadline, so I'm not over it.  This organization will have to take Years and Years of asset-hoarding in order for us to forget that shit.

As for the team in the present day ... well, they went 2-4 this screening Week, winning their two Games before losing their four Games.  And despite all of that, the Twinks are only one Game behind Cleveland and The Bastard Washington Senators v.2.0 for ALWC3.  That's how bad The American League is this season.  So no, I don't blame the Twinks for trying to compete.  They're just not going to win

They try and avoid the sweep at the Royals tonight/Thursday night.  They then travel to Milwaukee and face The Bastard Seattle Pilots for a trio over the weekend.  They then come home to host The Bastard St. Louis Browns for a three-Game series starting on Monday.

#-3: United FC (Last Week: -3).  I saw this on Facebook yesterday/Wednesday: The Loons have not won at home since defeating Portland 2-0 back on April 18.  Sure, there was that two-Month-long Olympic break, and they have drawn four times to two Losses.  But still, not being able to sing "Wonderwall" since around Tax Day really sucks.

I felt kind of good that MNUFC tied San Diego on Saturday, but they gave up a foul in the box that resulted in SDFC scoring from the spot.  What was really demoralizing, though, was the 2-1 defeat at Allianz Field to FC Juarez to start Leagues Cup play on Tuesday.  That's when it really dawned on me: The big problem with this XI is that they can't score worth shit.  Time after time on Tuesday they weren't able to string together the right pass in the Final Third.  And because they lost their first of only three Group Games, and because only the top four of the 18 Major League Soccer participating in this tournament advance to the Knockout Round, I think Minnesota United FC have already been eliminated.  I was able to pawn off my ticket Friday vs. Tigres (I should expound on this more, but if this were just a straight-up Friendly, I would have enthusiastically gone to watch the Match), and I'm in the process of almost giving away my ticket for Tuesday's Game against Atlante, but I can't set my asking price at SeatGeek lower than they say it can be.  Anyway, I don't think it'll be my issue anymore if I'm able to sell both tickets.

Hey, Does Anyone Want A Soccer Ticket?

So last/Tuesday night, at Allianz Field, MNUFC lost its first Leagues Cup Match to FC Juarez.  This is the first of three Group Stage Games.  The Leagues Cup is weird in that you play only three Matches, and all of them are against Liga MX, but you are in a "division" with all the other Major League Soccer clubs also playing in the Leagues Cup.  There are 16 in total, and only four from these 16 American franchises advance to the Knockout Round.

That means that with this Loss, there's almost no chance the Loons are reaching the Knockouts.  So honestly, I don't feel like going to the other two Matches.  Why?  What for?  I could be, you know, going through my stuff instead of seeing what is now a glorified exhibition.  So hey, does anyone want a soccer ticket?

Busy Week Ahead

So tonight/Tuesday night and Friday night there are MNUFC Matches.  I have my screening at work Thursday morning, which means I will work out and then fast Wednesday evening.  Saturday I work the Lynx Game and Sunday there's that big party I need to go to.  Plus I'm still waiting for my parents to tell me when they're coming home, so I have started to at least figure out how to haul away all my stuff back to the storage unit if I need to pick things up quickly.

But this leaves no time to just relax at home, and probably little time to do chores, such as washing dishes, washing clothes, and going through the aforementioned stuff.  So glad they're not coming home this week ... as far as I know.

Hottest Babe In The Hooters Calendar: July 2026

A pretty simple month: Only two of the dozen can I recommend.  I'm not quite ready to say this is a disappointing month, though, and I don't know why.  There are just ... two of them that catch my eye.

In second place is The Main Girl, Gracie, out of Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fla.  Sporting a light blue two-piece bikini, she is shot seemingly on the ocean, what with the way the Sun glints off the back of her long, straight hair.  She may be posed at a quarter-turn, but she's got a nice body, and her (light brown?  Hazel?) eyes are quite striking.

And in first place is Brittany, from Albuquerque, N. M.  Long, curly black hair (that's something you don't see often in the calendar), she is wearing a white, Hooters-branded two-piece.  The hat's a nice touch.  That she's posing straight at the camera is even better.  Best of all are her big, fake titties.  Nummy!!!

So congratulations to Brittany and to Gracie!  Have I masturbated to them yet?  Maybe not ... nah, I think I already did, at a time when I was desperate to.

So I'm eating spaghetti (seconds, but I think I'm in a phase where I don't like leftovers).  The only things I've accomplished are making spaghetti, fixing the sprinkler head (maybe I'll blog post about that), and doing this blog post.

I'm eating at a dinner table filled with my stuff -- letters, receipts, etc.  There's a bunch of my shit in the basement.  I have clothes I've organized into piles but haven't put away.  And even though they haven't given me a date (yet), Mother said they'd return in August, and it's August.

Maybe, just maybe, I should do something about my stuff.  Or, maybe I won't.

Back to eating my spaghetti, and to scrolling.  Hey, the Lynx won!

Giving My Sister The Silent Treatment Back

She texted me back just now.  Just remembered that this is around the time she pays me back for their cellphone lines.  If she hadn't texted me out of the blue, I don't know when, or if, I would have remembered she needed to pay me.

It was obvious she wanted to start a conversation with me, as if her flipping out on me over my name showing on a piece of mail she got in Hawai'i didn't happen.  She shut me down, I shut her down.  So after telling her to shut up and wait so I can check to see if I got her money, I dutifully answered her dumb, empty questions with one-word answers: "sure," "no," "fine."  She actually has the fucking balls to act as if nothing happened, like she didn't fucking put me down when all I wanted to do was help.  Goddamn her.  See if she likes the fucking silent treatment, shit. ...

May Justice Come To Assholes

Not just those who do bad, but assholes who insult in order to gain and keep power.  And I'm not talking about "karma," but "justice" -- not God's judgement, but consequences meted out by us, the people.

That's what I've been thinking about the past decade, minus four.

Where Did Vintage Erotica Forum Go?

I could really use the porn compendium site right now since I'm going to be seeing ****e this afternoon.  But it's been down due to "technical difficulties" for the past two weeks or so.  I've seen at least one porn site put up an age screen before you can get on to their homepage, which makes me think that a law is being enacted starting, well, today, August 1.  (In theory I understand this new rule.  Governments need to protect minors.  I don't trust this government, however, especially because its installed Republican President is a goddamn pedophile.  But I digress.)  And I'm guessing VEF has issues verifying its users are of age beyond merely putting up an age screen.

Too bad.  It's become my porn go-to.  Hope it's back, in its original state, and soon.

I was afraid The Third Department was going to be hell since one of my co-workers was taking the rest of the week off, and it was.  Goddamn, I didn't leave last/Thursday night until 7:15 -- that's a 10:45 day.  I'm glad I got to the pizza place (in a gas station very close by me) before they closed.  But it might be just as bad today/Friday because there are a half-dozen tests coming in.  There were only supposed to be two yesterday/Thursday but that became six, goddammit.

Since I got home much later than I was hoping, all the things I thought I wanted to do I just didn't do -- not just because I got home so late, but also because I was so tired.  At least I have enough energy to blog post this complaint.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

#-1: Lynx (Last Week: -1).  Only one Game this screening Week as the WNBA came back from All-Star Weekend, and Minnesota beat visiting Toronto Tuesday, 100-93.  I have to admit I was wrong about Olivia Miles.  Not only did I underestimate how the team can basically set and forget the Point Guard position for at least the next five seasons, I didn't know she would be such a fucking showstopper.  Just take a look at this:

Olivia Miles goes between the legs on a drop pass to Kayla McBride for 3

[image or embed]

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero.bsky.social) July 28, 2026 at 7:41 PM

I'm still scared that Awa Fam will be better than her in two or three seasons, but right now, I'm buying the ticket and enjoying the ride.

Lynx have won eight in a row and still lead the W.  But look at the margins of victory: 6, 5, 4, 9, 8, 3, 10 and 7.  If you're a dominant team, you stomp the hell out of your opponents.  Is anyone bothered that the Lynx aren't doing that?  They held a 14-Point lead three Minutes into the Fourth Quarter and the Tempo still managed to cut it to three with eighty Seconds left.  And while Minnesota is currently best in Net Rating, the Lynx currently lag behind Golden State in Defensive Rating and trail Indiana and Las Vegas in Offensive Rating.  I'm a pessimist; I seek out reasons Minnesota teams fail because they invariably do.

They finish a home-and-home with Toronto by playing in Canada tonight/Thursday night.  They then host The Indiana Fever, the team with the most toxic fanbase and social media army of any North American sports team, Sunday afternoon to start a four-Game homestand.

#-2: Twins (Last Week: -2).  Went 4-2 over the past Week, and now the speculation, such as it is, is whether the Twins might be buyers this season.  We'll believe it when we see it, but, and this might be me being too slow on the uptake, The American League is pathetic this Year.  There are two runaway very good teams in the AL, Tampa and the Yankees (and neither of them are above .600).  The third-best squad is the White Sox.  The Twinks are only three Games behind them, and only a half-Game behind Houston for American League Wild Card 2.  They could not make a move and be in the thick of things, so even trading for an anonymous Bullpen arm could improve their chances disproportionately.

By the way, last/Tuesday night they were shut out by Kansas City, who are in last in The American League Central Division, at home, 4-0.  The winning Pitcher?  Randy Dobnak, former Twins Pitcher who infamously was an Uber driver before finally getting a toehold in the majors.  Happy he's back, but losing to Dobnak doesn't make the Twinks look good, no offense to him.

After finishing up with the Royals this/Thursday afternoon, they travel to Seattle to play a three-Game series vs. the Mariners this weekend, then visit Kansas City for a trio starting Tuesday.

#-3: United FC (Last Week: -3).  Technically they didn't lose Saturday night at home versus Vancouver.  But I watched that 0-0 Tie in-person, and I swear there was a big loser: The sport of soccer.  It was a dreary, listless affair.  If there were scoring chances, I scantly remember them.  They tabulate xG at the Match, and I swear the Loons finished with .07 xG while the Whitecaps finished with .06 xG, an indication of how moribund the Game was.  And now I look at ESPN and they say MNUFC led (or trailed, considering they didn't score what they were expected to score) in xG, 1.1-.44 (while meanwhile, the club's website has Vancouver with .6 xG -- man, Expected Goals is an unreliable fucking statistic, and it doesn't help if people can't agree what the goddamn number is, come on!).  The only other thing that sticks out is Referee Lorenzo Hernandez, three Yellow Cards issued notwithstanding, largely swallowed his whistle and allowed both teams to play and/or scratch and claw.

United FC remains in the ninth and final playoff spot in the West.  They host San Diego FC Saturday night before Major League Soccer, barely back from their World Cup-induced two-Month break, plunge into Leagues Cup play, hosting FC Juarez of Liga MX.

Ruined Showers; Times Before And At The Very Start Of Supergirl

So I still don't know when they're coming back.  That's good in the sense that I still have the house to myself and I still have the opportunity to go through my things (even though I probably won't).  The bad news is is that I was hoping they would come home to at least a semi-clean house, but that won't happen till they, well, come home.  In the meantime it's still hotter than hell outside so I have taken a shower in both the upstairs (Monday) and downstairs (last/Tuesday night) bathrooms, thus "ruining" their cleanliness.  They might be coming home to bathrooms as dirty as they were before ****e* came to clean it on Sunday.  And sure, she last came over in February, so everything needed a cleaning, but still.

---

So I also sated my OCD/principles and watched Supergirl again last/Tuesday night, and this time I was able to get to the theater in time to see it from the start.  I timed the beginning of the movie to the point of the movie where I came in last week -- four minutes.  I missed the first four minutes of the movie.  If only I had gotten my ass out off the toilet just four minutes earlier, I wouldn't've needed to subject myself to this again.  However, one thing is irking me.  I timed the preview time, i.e. the listed showtime to the time when Supergirl actually started.  Backdating four minutes, the preview time of the film last week was 20 or 25 minutes.  When I went last/Tuesday night, 25 minutes had passed from the listed showtime and, I swear, they were still in previews.  So does the preview time change from week to week?  I though preview times shortened the longer a movie runs in theaters because fewer and fewer people pay for tickets to see it and therefore it doesn't make sense to show trailers of upcoming films for fewer and fewer eyeballs.  You mean to tell me that if I were running as late as I was last week to watch Supergirl this week, I would've made it to the start??  (Oh, by the way, last week I also watched Toy Story 5, and even though I was running 20-5 minutes late again, I got to my seat just as that film was about to begin.  To avoid getting bored by trailers, I will keep skirting preview times.)  

On the bright side, it wasn't a chore to see it a second time.  Knowing the general outline of what was going to happen next helped me understand the plot of the movie better.  Sure, it's not as if Supergirl is a deep film, but you know how confusing mass-market movies are these days.  And it wasn't the worst thing in the world to see.  I give it a, oh, B-/C+.

RIP, Smarter Than Staci

This happened about a month ago, and I feel bad I haven't blog posted about it till now.  It keeps slipping my mind, but I haven't given this enough respect, because it truly was an important part of my workday.

So when I started working back there, and I began to stay till 4:30, one of my former co-workers turned me on to KS95's "Smarter Than Staci," a long-time trivia segment of Staci & Hutch, which was the afternoon drivetime show on that radio station.  My ex-co-worker and a few of the others also working in the back always dropped what they were doing to play.  It consisted of two rounds of five questions usually read by Hutch.  The first round was played by a caller; the second usually by Staci or, if she wasn't available, another KS95 personality.  In the segment before, the answer to the first question is given.  Up until the end, the caller was able to ask for a replacement question if they didn't know the answer to one of the questions; Staci and/or the KS95 personality playing in the second round didn't get those privileges.  And even with those twin advantages, a lot of the times Staci won/the caller lost.

Not to toot my own horn, but I got enough of the trivia questions right that I cultivated a reputation for being, um, smart.  (Booksmart, yes, but when the question was about, like, reality show TV, I was completely useless.)  Whenever we got a question right, we would bump fists.  A good day was when we got all the questions right; I called it "running the table."  (Well, I guess everyone who knows the phrase would call it "running the table.")  And when we did not do well -- honestly, I was the one answering most of the questions, right or wrong -- the others picked me up and encouraged me.

It was a fun way to end the day, or, if I was working late, a late afternoon break that was fun.  I always looked forward to it and, frankly, to see if I could flex my intellectual superiority.  And it was a chance to at least talk for a bit with my co-workers, something I don't always do, especially when I'm busy.  "Smarter Than Staci" became a focal point, that thing you always do at work.

Unfortunately, Staci & Hutch was cancelled, and Staci and Hutch were fired from KS95, a month ago.  (I think the radio station has developed a reputation for just outright cutting personalities from their airwaves without warning -- that's not good for KS95.)  I don't know what replaced it -- honestly, I didn't listen to the afternoon drive show beyond trivia -- but I doubt whoever replaced them was going to continue doing trivia at 4:30.  And so, once we learned that that brief respite in the day was done and gone, I haven't listened to the radio we all used to listen to the questions since.  And with that, a little rosy piece of my workday went away.

Oh, well.  At least I don't feel compelled to drop everything and listen to the radio now.  I don't even feel compelled to stick around past 4:30 if I get my work done by then.  Nah, that's just coping; I still feel sad about "Smarter Than Staci" not being a thing anymore.

Addendum To: Where The Fuck Is She?

So I texted ****e* around 2.  She texted around 2:15 she'll be there in half an hour.  She suggested I leave with the door unlocked so she can just go in and start cleaning.  I thought about that, especially when she said she was taking at shit at a quarter to 3, but I decided to wait because she lives about 40 minutes away.

But then it's 3:30, and I haven't seen her and I haven't heard from her.  I asked for an ETA.  She says she's 27 minutes away.  So at 3:45 I really did say fuck this, shut the door but kept it unlocked, and just fuckin' left for Clear Lake.  ****e* said she would've gotten there earlier if she had known I was going down to Iowa, but I thought I made that clear when she initially postponed on Thursday.

Whatever.  I checked in with her at a gas station at 4:15.  I said my piece about the mix-up and that was that.  ****e* said she got there at 4.  Going to the The Day The Music Died Memorial took a lot longer than I thought, three hours as opposed to two.  And I don't like gravel roads, and I hated the humidity while I walked from the parking lot to the gravesite.  But I got there, a shrine embedded right in the middle of a cornfield.  Wish I could've stayed longer, but it was hot and it was getting late.

The nearest gas station to the memorial had 88 gas for $2.78-9/gal., 12-3 cents cheaper than I can get it here.  Still had to gas up before dropping off the rental (and by the way, I wanted to pre-pay so I could send the car back as close to the full line without going over, so I could save myself some money.  But six bucks brought me up short, goddammit, so I had to put my credit card to make sure it did go past the full line).  Anyway, after eating at Taco Bell and freaking out because one of the water leak pucks went off, I finally got home to see ****e* cleaning away.  (I think a hose in the boiler room overflowed because she was using hot water to wash out the kitchen sink.  Is that normal?)  And, per usual, she left everything spotless.  There were marks in the upstairs toilet I couldn't rub out, but she did.  Finally, she let me touch and even bite into her new tits.  She stopped me when I dropped my pants to start touching myself to her, though.  Oh, well.  Can't win them all.  And she's one hell of a cleaning lady, so I will once again tolerate her aloofness and tardiness next time.

Where The Fuck Is She?

OK, this is kind of pissing me off.  ****e* was supposed to tell me when she'll get here as soon as she wakes up, but she told me "early afternoon."  Well, it's past noon now.  I texted her, and I haven't heard back.  I have a rental car I need to use the fuck out of, and right now I am going to Clear Lake in the middle of the hot afternoon, plus there is an Extreme Heat Warning, both here and there.  I have half a mind to just say fuck her and leave.  I can't believe I'm being treated like this!  Well, actually, I can -- they're strippers.  But still, this is annoying as fuck.

Right Idea, Wrong Time

I should get a rental car and just go on roadtrips one weekend a year.  This has been fun.  Went up north on Friday, out east yesterday/Saturday and, hopefully, down through Iowa today/Sunday.  Now, I wish I had the foresight to not pick a weekend where gas prices are above four bucks a gallon because I will need to fill up the car I have a second time before bringing it in.  But yes, I can blame Trump for that.

Changing Plans (Stripper, Stillwater)

So right around this time I was supposed to see *****y at her cottage for a wank session.  Then, I would switch out of my porno pants and spend a couple hours around Stillwater close by.  Then, I would go home and nap before the Loons Match.

But nooooooooo, my stripper girlfriend changed plans again.  Instead of 1, which is when she wanted me to come over, she now wants me to come over a bit past 5, which is when her son goes to work.  Well, shit, why in the hell didn't you just say 5?  Your son doesn't know when he's working until the day before?  And of course this fucks up all my plans.  If I want to still hang out in Stillwater -- and I guess I do -- I now have to do it before getting jerked off by *****y, and then I can't come home because I might as well just hang out on that side of the Twin Cities and go down to St. Paul.  Weird to be doing something out in public after getting an HJ.  Oh, well.

Hanging all over this is the weather.  It's supposed to get hot starting today, but it's been cloudy all day.  That and, you know, meeting *****y when she first wanted me to cum over would lead me to going out and walking outdoors around Stillwater for an hour or two.  But not only will I not do that now, I might not do that at all because the Sun is supposed to come out later this afternoon.  I might be spending my time in Stillwater indoors, which may or may not be fun.

Random passive-aggressive lash-out: Sweat to fucking God, if that immature incel reacts to anything I say that he even remotely thinks questions his so-called superiority on the rules of football, I will say something.  Probably won't scream or completely insult him.  But I am too old for this shit, and I do not know if I can keep being stepped on by some twenty-something prick who believes he's got a ticket to move up in the industry he's wanted to work in since seeing SportsCenter for the first time without coming back on him.  Just saying that I cannot be complicit in my debasement for much longer.  Jesus, what a fucking goddamn asshole he was/is. ...

Is She Coming?

So ****e* became unreliable again.  She was supposed to cum yesterday/Thursday to work on the house, but she said she just got up, then she was moving slow, then her ex dropped off her kids, and then she said she was just not feeling good.

Whatever.  She now said that she's coming Sunday.  She said she no longer works weekends, but frankly, she needs to make this up to me.  After all, she promised she'd be here yesterday/Thursday.  But I have plans to make a run to Clear Lake, Iowa and see the The Day The Music Died Memorial.  It'll take 2 1/2 hours to get there, and it'll be hot as hell Sunday.  On top of that, she said she'll be here at noon.  It would be best for me to go down there as soon as I wake up to attempt to avoid the heat, but now I have to wait and answer any questions she might have and leave in the afternoon.  And what do I do if she's late?

And yet, because of this fuck-up, I am even more determined to go down there and see it.  Doesn't matter that I won't be back up here until it's 8 or so.  That's what I wanted to do Sunday, and I'll fucking do it even though ****e* basically fucked up my plans.  Shit, it might be good at this point that she doesn't cum.  Dammit, so fucking unreliable. ...

The Time Where I Almost Fucking Lost It Watching The World Cup

So I made the mistake of going to downtown to catch the last Matches of Group G almost a month ago.  I heard downtown was dead because it was dangerous (which of course is bullshit), plus there were no Twins or Lynx Games whose crowds I would have to worry about, so I thought I would have a good time digesting both Matches in relative peace.

I found a table where I would be able to see two TVs, each showing one of the Games.  One was farther from my vantage point than the other, but that was fine, or so I thought.  Shortly after I sat down, this group of three people sat at the table next to me.  That was OK, even though they got a little loud.  One guy ordered a round of shots and another guy was wondering if he could eat, and then I got a bit concerned.

Then, this fucking group grew like metastatic cancer.  A fourth dude came, then another group of some number, then another, then another.  They started blocking my view of the TV further from my eyesight, which was Egypt-Iran, the better of the two Matches going on simultaneously.  (That finished 1-all; in the other Game, Belgium routed New Zealand, 5-1.)  They of course started getting really loud, which only worsened when this same motherfucker who bought the first round of shots decided he was a bigshot and ordered a couple more rounds with even more shots.

As bad as that was, I really started to boil inside when they invaded my personal space which, in this specific environment, was my table.  The group got so big that a couple of them began standing inbetween my table and theirs, and their clothes and, for all I know, their body fat pushed up against and hovered over the side of my table.  I was already upset that I couldn't hear or see the World Cup Games I was there to see, so that shit really put me on red.

Then, some guy who probably was not part of their group (I'll get to why I say that in a bit) put his glass of water on my table.  The other end of this short table I was sitting at, but this was My.  Fucking.  Table.  And this asshole just walked away without it.  This was my red line.  This was the point where I lost it, or I had to do something while knowing I couldn't yell or punch someone.  I saw him talking to his group around the other side of the pillar against which my table was at.  I just grabbed the glass of water, went up to this dude, and said, "Hey, this is your water," then sat back down.  And he probably thought I was crazy and/or an asshole, but he, I guess, was puzzled enough to find another place to put the glass of water and then forget about it.  But at least that goddamn cup wasn't at my table.

As for these fuckers to the left of me, which seriously grew to about 20 or even two dozen people, it didn't get any better.  They got even louder and rowdier, and they even started pushing up against my table.  But hey, at least they got into the Eqypt-Iran Match like I was.  The only thing I can think as to why they seemed to be so OK with getting sorta close to me, and this is a complete guess, is that, and I was able to hear this with little difficulty because they were talking so fucking loud, they were in town for a conference of Asian journalists.  They were all Asian, as, of course, am I and, even though I didn't have that good of a look at him, the shit who left his water at my table.  They may have thought we were all a part of this conference in downtown Minneapolis.  I find it kind of funny since I have a degree in journalism.  I am out of the industry, way out.  And while looking at these drunk and dumb fucks ruin my night, it crossed my mind how many of these young, over-confident shits will wash out of the industry like I did.  From those who are able to carve out a career, I wonder how many of them will become "insiders" whose egos will be so big they'll become insufferable pricks who fall in love with the smell of their own shit.  Then again, they're Asian.  They might not be allowed to get that big.

Thinking/Wishing all of these journalists-to-be will fail was the only socially-acceptable way I could get back at these assholes that ruined my World Cup viewing.  Good luck in journalism.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

#-1: Lynx (Last Week: -1).  So the big (and obvious) news is Napheesa Collier is back!  And she decided to come back yesterday/Wednesday afternoon, in Seattle, for the Storm's annual camp Game.  Kind of delicious that Queen Phee came back to crush the hopes of a bunch of girls rooting for the other team, no?  She did, scoring 24 Points and grabbing ten Rebounds in only 22 Minutes, helping the Lynx complete a 3-0 Week and extending their winning streak to seven.  And they have The Best Record In The WNBA by 2 1/2 Games over, of all squads, Golden State.  (By the way, The Western Conference has the best four records in the W -- Minnesota, Golden State, Las Vegas, and Dallas.  The Eastern Conference then has the next-best four records -- Indiana, Atlanta, New York and Washington.  And the Mystics lead ninth-place Portland by 3 1/2 Games.  The clubs in the eight playoff sports are separately.)

My only issue is that the Lynx beat the Storm only by ten.  They swept their short two-Game series in Seattle, also beating the Storm Monday, but only by three.  Yesterday/Wednesday was the only double-digit victory the Lynx have had in this current winning streak.  Sure, many people think the Lynx is dominant, but if so, why can't they blow away teams by 35, like Indiana did last/Wednesday night over The Bastard Orland Miracle?

The All-Star Break has come.  Olivia Miles, Courtney Williams and Natasha Howard are participating in The All-Star Game.  Then, on Tuesday, play resumes as Minnesota hosts Toronto.

#-2: Twins (Last Week: -2).  Not a great return from their All-Star Break.  It began Friday beating the Cubs at Wrigley, 5-2, and they defeating the Guardians in Cleveland yesterday/Wednesday, 10-6, but they lost the four Matches inbetween.  And since The Trade Deadline is coming in less than two weeks, every Loss is giving the Pohlads a great excuse to conduct yet another fire sale.  Why can't this fucking team just move to Nashville or something?

They finish up their series versus Cleveland this/Thursday afternoon.  They host the (Sacramento) Athletics for a trio this weekend.  Then, Kansas City comes to town of a three-Game set starting on Tuesday.

#-3: United FC (Re-Entry!).  Forgot that with the World Cup now over, Major League Soccer is back from their one-Day-short-of-two-Months World Cup Break.  And they resumed play by losing at Sporting Kansas City, the worst team in the Western Conference, 2-1 last/Wednesday night.  They currently sit ninth in the West, and I'm scared that the long, long break will mean they will nosedive the rest of the Year.

At home vs. Vancouver Saturday.

I Have To See Supergirl Again Because I Took A Shit For Too Long

I have this -- I think I've spoken about this before -- OCD thing whereby if I don't see a movie from the beginning, I will, most likely, pay another ticket to see it again so I can be sure to see it from the beginning.  Now, that is kind of a problem if I don't drop everything and make a concerted effort to get to the theater in time to make sure I see that film from the beginning.  But until last/Tuesday night, the last movie whose start I missed was Equalizer 3.

Well, I missed the start of Supergirl.  And what I really hate about myself is that I planned on getting there in plenty of time, and everything that I needed to happen so I could get there in plenty of time happened.  I was given a shift where, if I had a normal shift, I would get out at 3:30.  I never have a normal shift at work, but I only had to stay a little longer, till 3:45.  The listed showtime is 3:50, and they have so many trailers that I knew I had plenty of time to get there.  And I didn't want to get there so early that I would start looking at my watch to see how long after the listed showtime will the damn thing actually start.  I've grown to hate trailers, so, after I punched out at work, I went to the bathroom.  Nature called.

And that's where I fucked myself.  By the time I got done relieving myself, I looked at my watch and saw that it was, oh, around 4:05.  The theater is close to work, but it still took me about ten minutes.  And even though I was able to get a ticket, the guy giving me my ticket said I missed the first 5-10 minutes.

Goddammit!  I lollygagged.  I didn't look at my watch.  Seeing how much time I thought I had when I clocked out made me overestimate how much time I really had.  I was doomscrolling as I was pooping, proving once again that looking at your phone promotes brain rot.  And, sorry to get too graphic, I did have to go.  I picked up a limited time honey brown butter bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, a sausage burrito, and a coffee from McDonald's on the way to work, and that lubricated my excretory system.  It was the second time I had to void waste during my workday, and so when you need to do #2, you can't just say you're done if there's more you need to force out of your body.  Maybe I shouldn't've eaten any breakfast at all.  That would mean I wouldn't need to doo-doo, and I could've just gone to the theater instead.  But nope, I had this great plan laid out before me, and I just tossed it to the side.

And what really makes me hate myself?  Sorry, I don't think Supergirl's that good.  Now, please don't get this twisted.  There are a lot of Republicans and incels who hate this movie for culture war/rage bait reasons, which are not legitimate reasons.  I thought the movie was kind of rote and, um, boring.  But my OCD compels me to buy another ticket so I can see this mediocre flick again in its entirety.

I plan on seeing Toy Story 5 after work today/Wednesday.  I was hoping the showtimes for that movie and Supergirl would line up in such a way so that I could get to the theater super early, buy my ticket to Toy Story 5, and sneak in to see the start of Supergirl, then go see Toy Story 5 from the start.  But unless I get there in the afternoon, that can't happen.  Welp, that means I need to see Supergirl again either Tuesday or next Wednesday.  That's when the price of tickets are the cheapest at the theater I go to.  I may have OCD, but I also know a bargain when I see one.  And hell, I might change my mind and not see this C+ movie from the beginning anyway.  But I could've just avoided all this mess if I would've  taken advantage of the time I had and shit quicker.  So disappointed in myself.

Is Mother Dying? Is She Lying About It?

The damndest thing, I got two voicemails yesterday/Monday that were left for Mother.  It's from the same phone number -- a cancer center, where they were talking about schedule surgery.  Surgery??  Cancer?!?!

OK, I try to avoid talking to Mother as often as I can; hell, there's an insurance bill that came yesterday/Monday that I haven't told her about yet.  I am keeping that a secret because I was hoping that me just texting her that I received these two VMs would be enough for her to take it from there.  But no, she calls me.  She asks me to text her the voicemails, which I had no idea you could do, but I did.  She said she would listen to the VMs and then get back to me.

And she did get call me back ... and supposedly after listening to the voicemails, Mother said not to worry about it, they dialed the wrong phone number.  On the one hand, phew!  On the other hand, I call shenanigans.  How much time do you need to determine a VM -- left for me, by the way, and not her -- that is scheduling surgery is BS?  Wouldn't having surgery be something foremost in your head, so that if you get information that the place you're having said surgery is looking for you, you would immediately go, "Oh!  What's their number??  I need to get in touch with them ... and oh, by the way, I have cancer!"

Well, Mother didn't do that.  So ... is she lying?  Does she really have ... cancer?

Maybe I Like Zynga Poker Again

I've been relegated, like, four times over the past five-to-six weeks.  It was getting to the point where it is unfair, and I thought about just deleting my account after Zynga Poker gets pushed out (or claims they will get pushed out) in the fall.

Well, I got on a holy roll just now and was promoted automatically not once, not twice, but thrice.  I was at Pro I, fell all the way down to Elite II, and now I am at, I think, Elite V, almost where I was.  It's as if Zynga Poker took pity on me and wanted me to stick around, so they just allowed me to win.

Downside is I spent 45 minutes to an entire hour doing this.  Talk about a timesuck.  That's how they get you.  Don't mind it, but that's how they get you.

Sleeping Like Normal People Might Be A Thing I Do Now

I could have stayed up to watch the Matt Damon/Noah Kahan rerun of Saturday Night Live, but the cold open was him acting as Brett Kavanaugh having a beer with Colin Jost's Pete Hegseth and Aziz Ansari's Kash Patel, and ... well, I know they aim for parody, but I just did not want to see them, so I didn't see it.

So, after doomscrolling, I shut my eyes.  That was around 11:30.  And I woke up around 7.  I was fully energized and also a tad upset I didn't get to the things I wanted to do last night.  But I had time to do them this morning -- watering the plants, watering the lawn, going out for groceries (in particular a banana; I had time to eat cereal for breakfast!), doing the dishes and, now, doing the laundry.

And I'm pooped.  But I still have time to blog post for the day, then go out to get some pop and maybe some ginger beer and/or ale), then go home and nap before The World Cup Final.  Maybe sleeping like normal people is not only a thing I do now, but something I like to do.

How Did Draining The Water Heater Go?

Well, I haven't burned the house down and I have hot water, so I don't think I've fucked up severely!

But the problem is I don't know if I did it right.  See, as I drained the water, I didn't see any dirty water.  I was initially putting this supposedly bad water in buckets to note how dirty it was, but the first few bucketfuls were completely clear.  That's when I decided to take out a garden hose from the shed, attach it to the short leader hose I also found in the shed, connect them (with a bit of difficulty; I sprayed some water all over the floor, dammit), and laid the other end in the floor drain in the laundry room.

I think I waited half an hour before it appeared as though the water from the hose slowed to a trickle.  I also checked where the garden hose connected to the leader hose, which I put in a bucket to collect the water coming out of the poor connection.  That seemed to also slow to a trickle, and that Internet tells me that means the water heater is completely empty.  So, I began flushing it by opening up the water valve for between five and 20 seconds and then shutting it off.  That start and stop is supposed to rustle up any sediment that settled in the bottom of the tank of the water heater so it could be sucked out of the drain plug.

At first, the water was dirty -- well, not brown like I was afraid it would be, but not as clear as the water that was taken out of the heater.  So I dumped the first bucket in the front yard while I took out a second bucket in which to continue to drain the tank.  Once in a while I would open and shut the water valve.  And the water continued to be dirty.  What it didn't appear to do, I'm afraid, is get better.  I kept dumping out bucket after bucket for, I believe, 45 minutes.  And while I could trick myself into thinking it was getting clearer, it was not getting clear.

I didn't know what to do.  I Googled and the damn AI said that this flushing method should take no more than 15 minutes.  Then why in the hell was I still getting brown-ish water after flushing for damn near 45 minutes?  Could it be the buckets I'm using making it look not clear?  They buckets aren't clear.  They're white; maybe that's the issue?

I stopped at a quarter to 11, about 2 1/2 hours after I started this ordeal.  Not because I was done, but because I indeed did not know what to do.  I closed the drain plug and opened up the water valve all the way.  After dumping the last bucket and wrapping up the garden hose I used, I saw that all the faucets I left open while doing this gravity drain was gushing out water and not air.  I didn't think that took a long time, however, so I kind of wonder whether I emptied the whole tank after all.

Oh, well.  It's all over.  Maybe I don't have to do this maintenance every year like I thought I needed to.  Me spilling water everywhere, because of the bad connection of the hoses and because of spilling hoses and the filled buckets on the floor, is something I don't want to revisit.  But I have just extended the life of the water heater -- maybe?

Water-Centered Plans Ruined By Sleep

Before draining (or attempting to drain) my water heater, I wanted to do three things last night: Shower, wash dishes, and wash clothes.  But I fell asleep around 10:30 and woke up around 4:30, and since I really want to do this this morning/right now, I can't do any of those three things.  Not showering sucks the most; I got sweaty again due to the hot weather yesterday/Friday, and I fell asleep on my sheets without wearing a shirt, so I know that the sheet has absorbed all my sweat, but I don't want to wash it, so I'm just going to continue to sleep on it until I just can't take it anymore, which could be up to two months.

Well, I'm sticking to my plan of draining this thing this morning, so I'm going to do it now.  Like I already said, wish me luck.

I think I have read up on the Internet enough that, tomorrow, I will attempt to drain my water heater.  It is an attempt to get the dirty water out of it and to extend its lifespan.  And hopefully I won't fuck it up.

Wish me luck, and if you're so inclined, pray for me.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

#-1: Lynx (Last Week: -2).  I understand that they ran the table this screening Week.  I know they've won four in a row.  And I see that they remain tops in the league.  I also see that in Monday's Win over Phoenix, Kayla McBride and Olivia Miles combined to score 70 Points.  But as herculean an effort that was, they still beat a team that currently sits at 6-18 only by four Points.  They toughed out a five-Point victory over New York Saturday afternoon and, in their annual camp Game, they beat Los Angeles by nine.  These are only single-digit Wins, and frankly, I would be a lot happier thinking the club's a juggernaut if they were blowing other squads away by 15-20 Points.  (Winning all those Games at home helps a lot; can't help but think that if the Lynx played on the road, they easily could have gone 0-3.)  But that hasn't happened, at least not lately, and that scares me.  Napheesa Collier can't come back fast enough, because I fear that other teams in the W are catching up with the Lynx.

They complete a four-Game homestand hosting Bridget Carlton and The Portland Fire (again) Saturday night.  They then play two Games in Seattle, Monday night and Wednesday afternoon in the Storm's annual camp Game.

#-2: Twins (Last Week: -1).  A 2-2 Week.  But they have won their last five series, including, in this screening Week, Cleveland and Anaheim, both at home.  They also are, technically, tied with Seattle for the final American League Wild Card spot.  And they've done while still being a Game below .500.  It speaks to 1) how ass the AL is and 2) how easy it is to be lulled back into supporting a poverty franchise that has continually slapped the state in the face with its steadfast commitment to parsimony and its refusal to take meaningful steps (i.e., spend money) to field a championship team.  Look -- they sold the farm last Year and they can still make the playoffs this Year!  These guys know what they're doing!

They start the second half of their season on the road -- at the Cubs for three beginning tomorrow/Friday, then in Cleveland for four starting Monday.

Yardwork (Water)

Went to bed around 3, woke up just about at 8 exact.  This is my second and final day off, and I was hoping I would sleep in, but alas, I did set aside some time over these past couple days to work around the house, so if my body says I need to be up at a time like everyone else, well, so be it.

---

I wanted to take another crack at adjusting the sprinkler heads so that they wouldn't shoot so much water onto the pavement.  I thought all I needed to do was to take this key, shove it into the hole in each sprinkler, and crank it counter-clockwise.  But I tried that before and it didn't work, and I don't think it worked this morning.  I think the instructions said I had to use my off-palm to crank the top of the sprinkler head all the way to the right, and I can't do that.  It's hard to do when they're all moving.  So maybe there's nothing I can do.

---

That's important because the sprinklers alongside the boundary with one of my neighbors sprayed that neighbor's driveway and, because they were parked there, the cars, too.  I was hoping the water wouldn't spray the cars, but it did.  Then, as luck would have it, someone came out to drive away from their home.  They must have seen the front door all went from the sprinklers.  So maybe, even though there's nothing I can do, I have to do something to not piss off my neighbor.  Maybe not run the sprinklers at all?

---

Last time I ran them, on Sunday, I saw a huge pool behind one of the sprinkler heads in the backyard.  That's one of the things I wanted to investigate in my two days off.  So when I ran the cycle through, I found the culprit: One of the other sprinkler heads is loose or leaking or something, because water is just gushing out of it from every which way.  So now that needs to be fixed.  But how?

---

OK, not a blurb about yardwork, but it is about water.  I am now committed to trying to maintain the water heater.  And I am going to do it this weekend.  We have garden hoses to attach to the water heater, but they are all, like, 25 or 50 feet.  I am more comfortable using a short one so I can dump the water into a bucket and then take it outside.  (I'm worried about leaks in the hoses, plus I need to see how dirty the water in the heater is.)  This morning I saw in the shed that we have a three-foot hose, but that only has two female ends, so I can only flush the water heater.  I want one to attach to the, what, temperature and pressure (or T&P) switch so I can see if that works, and so I need a hose with a male end.  I went to The Home Depot to buy one, and there was one that was six feet long, but attached to that is an adapter.  So I just realized: Why do I need to buy a hose when I can just buy an adapter and attach that to the small hose we already have.  So now I need to find a place that has that adapter.  So maybe I won't maintain the water heater this weekend after all.

Now I Get To Worry About My Struts

So I got of the mechanic just fine.  Like I hoped, I just needed an oil change and a tire rotation.  But, and there oftentimes is a but, the guy said that the struts could be replaced.  He said they're fine, for now, no cracks or leaking or anything, but he stressed that they are beyond the recommended miles/life schedule.

It is the summer, and it's probably easier for all of us if major or long repairs are done then as opposed to the winter.  (Maybe it's not a good thing that I've passively decided to bring my car in in the heart of the summer and the winter.)  But changing struts is a half-a-day job, and then they have to take it to another shop (?) to do the alignment.  It's possible I wouldn't have my car till the next day.  I had the World Cup to go to (didn't think France would get completely shut down by Spain like they did), and even though, at the end, it is kind of frivolous, I had set aside work yesterday/Tuesday for, like, the past six weeks in order to watch.  Also, this job is not only going to be time-consuming, in which case I would probably have to use the minivan to get to downtown, but it would also cost me about a grand, and I was not prepared to spend that much money.  So I decided not to.  But the next time I bring my car in, which will likely be January, I guess I'll have it done.

So now I have to worry about my car bouncing around when I brake hard.  And braking hard might be inevitable on slippery roads on a winter day.  Hopefully the struts stay intact for another half-year.

Overwhelmed ... And It's My Day Off!

I have so many chores I need to do -- washing the dishes, talking to people about organizing events, cleaning up the house -- that, even though I have today and tomorrow off, I feel even more busy than I would on a normal workday.  I only have time to do the things I need to do ... such as take my car to the shop, which I need to do right now.

I realized all these things as I woke up this morning.  And I did so without the help of the alarm.  That's because, once again, I went to bed early and woke up at a normal time.  I spent last night going through my stuff at my locker, then showering because it is so hot.  I don't want to do things now, and I can only partly blame the weather.  The rest?  Well, I don't know, but I don't know if I'm going to do any of the above things I need to do today, either, because I'm watching the World Cup and then planning on exercising (something I haven't done in weeks) later today.

So overwhelmed.

I Then I Will Have The Opportunity To Cut Back On My Drinking

I wish I had tracked this closer: I believe Thursday was the first day I didn't drink in ... ope, shit, I don't know, maybe Monday, June 22, but it might have been a date later than that.  Anyway, I drank alcohol a lot ever since the World Cup began, and maybe my liver is taking a beating. But with only four Matches remaining (and one of them's the Third Place Match, and I don't give a flying fuck about that anachronism), the reasons to go out and enjoy a beer while watching soccer on a TV become fewer and farther between.  That should help with my drinking.  Then again, I just bought a few bottles of alcohol.  I will have more time to stay home and, well, make cocktails for myself, like I did yesterday/Sunday.

But no drinking after work during the workweek.  That will stop.  Largely.

Expenses Without Receipts

Starting from Saturday, July 11:

• Well, we're going back to Friday, July 10, the day I went to a party.  Because of that, I stopped by an ATM to get money that morning.  I was going to dump a bottle of oil in a trash can, as well as an old Chick-Fil-A milkshake cup I had in my refrigerator that had a little bit of milkshake left but somehow froze even though it was in the fridge.then get a mocha from Caribou just a couple of suites away.  But standing ... there was some stringy White woman who asked me if I was going into Caribou.  She said she was kicked out of there for "trespassing."  Now that sounded weird, plus I had to go to work, so I just said I stopped my car to throw that bottle and milkshake cup away.  She then asked me if I could go into Caribou and buy coffee for her, and I refuse to help strangers that way, so I said no.  But that meant my cover was blown and I couldn't buy Caribou ... at least not from there, because thank Buddha there is another Caribou close by.  In fact, this Caribou is closer to work, but I always hated this one because of the shitty customer service.  This time around was OK, so maybe the bad baristas are gone.  Anyway, I hope the weird lady is gone now.  Mocha, pastry and tip equals: $11.75.
• The party after work that day was ... different.  Talked about *****y watching over me.  Again, I just wished I had performed better for ******e.  But at least she didn't charge me an arm and a leg over my pee-pee.  With cover it all came out to: $150.
• Monday the 6th ... this was the day where I went to the Black Hart after work to watch the Americans lose and be eliminated in the World Cup.  I thought I had used cash for everything I ate and drank there and just forgot, but turns out I only used cash for that busker who comes around selling her Mexican food.  Got an enchilada, but they didn't have any utensils to eat it with.  Come on, guys, do better.  Cost: $10.
• Back to Friday the 3rd, the start of a glorious long Independence Weekend.  I started it at the barber school so I could get a shave.  My hair was getting long.  Also, I was asked to do this video tribute to a guy who runs a men's basketball pool I've been a part of for almost two decades, so I needed to look good.  The shave was also good, even though I realized I needed to leave because I had things I needed and wanted to do.  Thought coming in on a weekday would allow me to get to my shave quickly, but since the 4th of July was the following day, everybody had this day off, so I had to spend a half-hour waiting.  Oh, well.  With tip: $14.
• This is The Summer Of Soccer, so I spent a lot of time, and money, reveling in it.  I went to the Black Hart after getting shaved for a Tripleheader of Round of 32 World Cup action.  I got there in time to order a Bloody Mary and a big Italian meat pizza.  I need to use cash more, and going to the barber school (I need money to at least tip), I had an excuse to use cash this time.  With tip, this meal was: $30.
• And I stayed from the early afternoon till deep in the night.  That night, that busker selling Mexican food at the Black Hart came around.  She knows my face now.  I ordered tacos, which were good, although a bit overpriced (IMHO) at: $10.
• Thursday the 2nd -- got out of work in time to see the Portugal-Croatia Round of 32 Match in its entirety, and in fact I had time to go to El Taco Riendo to watch it.  Had two rounds of food and drink: Chilaquiles and a Corona for the First Half, then esquites and a fountain Coke for the Second Half.  With tip it all came out to: $34.86.
• That night I wanted to see Switzerland-Algeria and this Mediterranean place close by me which was advertising them broadcasting the World Cup.  It was somewhat of a disaster, as I detailed here, but the food (Dubai chocolate cake) and drink (Adeni tea) was nice.  With tip: $16.
• Wednesday the 1st: More soccer.  Went to the Black Hart.  Decided on a whim that I was going to get a burrito from the Mexican food busker even though I wasn't planning on it.  Cost: $5.
• And since I used cash for her, I needed to use cash somewhere else.  Even though I charged everything at the Black Hart up till that point, I decided I needed to give a tip to stick to my OCD principle of using money at least twice if I am using it at all: $1.
• Looks like I have to go all the way back to Saturday, June 20.  I enjoyed some World Cup soccer in the afternoon at the Black Hart, where I got a dirty vodka martini.  With tip I spent: $10.
• I then went to see ******a at My Favorite Stripclub (I don't know if I need to say "Cover Version/Edition/Division" anymore).  This was the first time I saw ******a since she, uh, made all my stripper fantasies come true when she came over to rub me down, tee-hee.  It wasn't awkward, although I made a couple faint allusions over what she did to me.  Got 20 table dances from her.  With cover, tips and drinks for the both of us, the grand total came out to: $231.
• On Friday the 19th I went to Chimborazo to see my smart people group.  I hadn't seen them in a while, and I wanted to, especially since Chimborazo is both relatively close to work, from which I was planning on going to, and relatively close to home, to which I would leave Chimborazo to hopefully see the Brazil-Haiti World Cup Match in its entirety.  I was able to make it to the restaurant at our appointed time.  Work wasn't the issue; a sudden hailstorm was, but I braved through it.  The place was packed and therefore too loud for me to start any conversation with even the people at the table I was eating with.  That's not really conducive to a relaxing atmosphere (turns out that when I left, which was well after the Brazil-Haiti Match started), several other members of my party left, too), but I am glad this great Ecuadorean restaurant is doing well.  With tip I spent: $60.
• On Sunday, June 7 I went to my alumni spot to see my college baseball team choke away a lead both in this Game and their Super Regional series.  Very disappointing.  Plus tip: $35.
• Later that day I think I drove all the way to *****y's place to see her.  Gosh, I can't do that again - too far!  Anyway: $150.
• Wednesday, June 3: Quick tryst with ******e for only: $120.
• Finally, on Monday, June 1, ******a came over and made all the fantasies I had about a stripper servicing me come true.  Who says you can't have a clean dancer go dirty if you convince them?  All that and a bomb-ass massage for: $150.

Good through July 11.

This Stripper Really Loves Me

So I made it to a stripper party last/Friday night.  I wish I could say I was more relaxed, but the stripper I was with really took things in stride.  She's a really cool chick.  I hope to get with her again soon.

I was planning on going home because I was, well, spent.  But *****y, even though she wasn't technically hosting (*****a was because it was her birthday), she wouldn't let me leave until I stayed there for a while longer.  *****a had made me a strong frozen margarita a few hours before, and *****y didn't want me to just drive off.  Now, this is not the first time *****y has asked me not to leave so soon after a house party.  Also, and make of this what you wish, I felt fine driving home.  (She has continually said to other strippers working parties I've been to that I don't drink much.  I don't know when I should tell her that, uh, isn't quite the case ... which makes me think I should cut down on the drinking, but that should is a blog post for another time.)  But like the first time she asked, I was struck by this stripper, the ethos of whom I normally associate with being a free spirit, and with acting with wild abandon, being so concerned about me, let alone anyone.

*****y gave me a bottle of water and told me to stay, so I just drank water and doomscrolled.  After an hour of this (again, I was all tapped out, so I didn't have any fun with the other strippers there), I thought I was good to go.  She let me go, but she insisted on me texting her once I got home.  Now, don't tell her, I went to Chick-Fil-A first because I had an urge for a peach milkshake.  But then I got home, and I got home in one piece.  And when my cellphone picked up my house wi-fi, there waiting was a message from *****y asking me if I got home safely.

Yes, our relationship is built on sex work.  I cannot deny that when we always "hang out," money changes hands.  But that shows me that *****y loves me.  I am absolutely convinced of that.  You do not go out of your way to prevent someone from getting into an accident, and then proactively text someone whether he got home safe, if you don't love him.  Now, I know she's not in love with me; it's not like that, and I don't think it can be like that.  But our relationship, and I can't think of a better term to call it, has become different over the many, many years I have known and, well, gotten serviced by her.  This is not meaningless.  The concern for my well-being she showed me yesterday is something by which I am deeply moved.  And I guess I am still processing all that.

Ironically, I could see My Mother doing this same thing to me (not at a house party like this, of course), to which I would probably scream at her, "You're suffocating me!!!!!!!!!!"  But I don't feel that way from *****y.  Probably because *****y isn't My Mother who has confused me whenever she hasn't psychologically tortured me all my life.  Plus, I've seen *****y naked ... and I quite love seeing her naked!

Zynga Poker Ain't Fun Right Now

Just got burned by Zynga Poker.  This player, or "player," beat me with a straight when I had a three-of-a-kind, then beat me even though I had a straight because he got a flush.  I've suspected for some time that I'm not playing against real people, only bots.  This is not the first time I've lost good hands to the same "person" either, so what happened just now only confirms my suspicions.

Some time ago, I played with someone I'm convinced is real.  That's because the same raw deal that just happened to me happened to him, and he was using the chat feature to vent about losing -- "See, this guy's not real, he's cheating!"  I wanted to say I agree with him, but he left before I could talk back.  I feel for the guy.  I imagine he quit Zynga Poker not too long after.

I've also noticed that people are getting "better" in Zynga Poker.  After reaching ... I think it's called Elite Level 1 (?), I've dropped two levels in the past two weeks, and I'm in danger of getting relegated again this week.  Try as I might, I am not winning pots, and the pots I am winning don't zoom me up the leaderboard like they did before.  In the meantime, lots of other "players" are winning and making big "money."  I don't know if it has to do with Zynga Poker leaving Facebook in the fall, but I don't like how everyone else seems to be doing well all of a sudden now.

I have thought about leaving Zynga Poker once I can't play it on Facebook.  What is happening now is making me think that decision is a wise one.

The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey

#-1: Twins (Last Week: -2).  Have to admit the Twins had a good Week.  Maybe it helped that they didn't play Thursday or Monday.  But they went into the Bronx over the weekend for three Games and won a series versus The New York Yankees since 2014.  And they've come home and taken the first two Games vs. Cleveland.  Sure, they're still in third place in the Division, but only two Games behind The Chicago White Sox.  And oh, sure, they're still a Game below .500, but the Starting Pitching has been very good, led by Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley, both of whom spun gems this screening Week.  And I heard somewhere that the Lineup is the best in the majors ... at something from some point in the season.  Bullpen's still a damn mess, but have to give flowers here; things are alright for the organization, at least right now.

After going for the sweep of the Guardians this/Thursday afternoon, they host The Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim Angels Of Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim ... for a trio this weekend, and that will take Major League Baseball to the All-Star Break ... which Ryan will attend but Byron Buxton, who was voted in, will not play (he might attend) because he is injured.

#-2: Lynx (Last Week: -1).  And shout out to Cheryl Reeve, who became the WNBA's all-time Wins leader for Head Coaches after the Lynx beat The Bastard Orlando Miracle in Uncasville last/Wednesday night.  Unfortunately, Connecticut came to Target Center on Monday and upset the Lynx, 90-89.  This may be an improving Connecticut team, but it's also one that's being taken away from Connecticut to resurrect The Houston Comets next season.  I think the dead home crowd was a big reason the Lynx won.

And this split home-and-home comes after Friday's 13-Point Loss in New York on Friday, making this a 1-2 screening Week, I think the first screening Week the Lynx have been below .500.  I'm sorry, but things aren't functioning like they should now.  Dorka Juhasz is finally back, and that should have been the point where this squad, as well as they have played overall, locks together and becomes really good.  But her return coincided with Olivia Miles taking days off due to injury.  And that doesn't solve all the Points in the paint the Lynx gave up to Connecticut Monday in their Loss.  I'm still waiting for Napheesa Collier to come back and shore up that deficiency.  But I have to be pessimistic and note that, for all the hope this club has instilled in Lynx fans, they still haven't won a goddamn title since 2017.  And there is still some regular season left to go.

They at least begin a four-Game homestand with contests against said Liberty, Phoenix and Los Angeles this Week.

Eggplant Emoji Or No Eggplant Emoji?

So I'm Facebook friends with this hot woman who is not a model (at least I don't think) but is a swimwear designer.  She takes many photos of herself in her creations.  She's got a great body, but it's not as if she's showing off her ass or anything, which in my opinion is nudity.  So while she's beautiful, it never gets to the point where I have the perverted urge to send her an eggplant emoji.

Yesterday/Tuesday her Reels pop up.  She's in her swimsuits again, only this time she has a younger woman with her.  She never says, but I suspect she's her daughter.  And she's modeling her (maybe) mom's swimsuits too.  She's fucking hot as well, and this time, she's showing off her ass.

Two hotties, one of whom showing her bare ass?  Yeah, that's enough for me to send an eggplant emoji -- actually two, one for each of them.  But then I paused.  Do I really want to do that?  I scroll through our Messenger to see if I sent her eggplant emojis before -- I haven't.  If I give her the double eggplant, will she be mad at me?  Worse yet, would she show her followers what I Messengered her?

I hope not, but I can't take that risk.  So despite my horniness, I decided not to respond.  It makes me sick to my stomach that I'm censoring myself.  But I'm getting older, though, and maybe more paranoid.

Hour And A Half, Hour And A Half, Hour And A Half

I'm trying to watch as much World Cup as I can as the Matches dwindle.  (Sure, my liver might not make it; I'll talk about that next blog post, hopefully.)  This workweek, last night's USA lost excepted, all the Games are in the afternoon.  I don't mind dropping by this one Mexican place close by work to catch the tail end of one of these Knockout Round Matches.  I have developed (well, maybe my OCD has developed) a principle whereby I try and go to a place at least twice to watch Games.  I've been to this pretty expensive restaurant only once, and since I have my places for the Semifinals and Final mapped out, this week's Matches have to be it.

Ideally, I would be able to drop in on a day where I'm scheduled to work early on a day where the Game is at late in the afternoon as possible.  That's only 3 o'clock.  Is that happening this week?  Nope, not at all.  There are Matches today/Tuesday and Thursday at 3, but I am scheduled for The Third Department.  Even if I can get out of work after eight hours (and that's probably not going to happen), I'll be done at 4:30.  Ninety Minutes of the Game would already be done, so I would have to hope that a Match reaches Extra Time for it to be worth driving to this place for a tequila and a taco or something.  Friday I am scheduled to work until 3:30, but dammit, the Game that afternoon begins at 2.  Same scenario.  Of course.

And yet I am thinking that, barring some miracle where there is no work and I can leave early today/Tuesday or Thursday, if I really, really want to sate my OCD and go to this Mexican restaurant to watch the World Cup a second time there, I would ask my boss if I can come in and leave early on Friday.  I can at most shift up my shift a half-hour, which means I would leave work an hour into that Match.  I might have, oh, less than 30 Minutes to watch a Game that might be over by the time I leave.  Also, not for nothing, I have a house party to go to that will also supply food and drink.  Don't want to stuff my face twice on Friday, but my OCD is barking at me to do this.  For soccer!

The Taste Of Throw-Up In Your Mouth, Mmmmm!

And that's what woke me up.  Again I stayed out to watch soccer and so I plopped into bed as soon as I got home.  (Didn't help that the start of England-Mexico was delayed an hour due to storms, but maybe it wouldn't've made a difference.)  And I think I would've gotten a full night's sleep if, about 3 1/2 hours into my rest, I threw up in my mouth.  I've had an acid reflux attack like that before, but this tasted different.  Maybe it was the fact it woke me up, but the bile in this one was ugh.  And because I woke up, I haven't been able to go back to sleep since.

Going backwards, yesterday/Sunday I had water, chips and salsa, a couple beers, a personal-sized pizza, a mole stout, and three tacos.  They say you shouldn't immediately lie down after you eat and drink.  I want to say it was an hour from my last sip (which was the water) to conking off, but maybe that wasn't enough.  Or, by the pizza taste in the bile, maybe it was the fact that I ate too much, again.

I am too busy right now to talk to my folks about bills, but one of those bills, which came Saturday, is for our trash.  Mother suspended service while they were away.  I do generate trash, but not enough whereby something needs to be picked up every week.  Like I've said here, if I do have trash to throw away, I just take it to a gas station.

Anyway, this trash bill, to me, makes me think that Mother has asked for it again.  Which means they're coming home, and soon.  Goddammit.

Hottest Babe In The Hooters Calendar: June 2026

A very, very good month.  This month largely ditches the tanktop-with-bikini-top disappointment (I make one prime exception) and just has women in bikinis, the way God intended.  And of the ten this month, there are seven bomb-ass women I want to point out.  That might be a record!

In seventh place is Carlie, who has long brown hair that almost reaches her waist.  She is wearing a blue two-piece (and her bikini bottoms have squiggly ties).  She's posing next to a running shower, which kind of sucks because the water and her hands cupping the water coming out of the shower obscures what appears to be a solid body.  Mostly, though, I am listing her because she works out of Fairview Heights, Ill., a place I've been to a few times.  If I ever get the courage to vacation down in the St. Louis area any time this year, I'll go down and try and get an autograph from her.

In sixth place is Kate, hailing from Albuquerque, N.M.  Black hair and a turquoise two-piece bikini.  Not digging her posing at a 45-degree angle to the camera, and her smile is, uh, not a smile.  But she is tugging on the piece of bikini between her tits, and that always turns me on.

In fifth place is Toronto's Sara.  Blonde sporting a deep blue two-piece, she's acting like she's pulling the tie in front of her bikini top.  Have to note that her figure is more alike your normal woman not your typical Hooters waitress.  And that's something to note, and to encourage.  She may have a fuller figure, but she's still a babe, and I think it's brave of her to pose for the Hooters swimsuit calendar because she had to know that it is unconventional for someone who looks like her to appear here.

In fourth place is Mikayla, out of Pelham, Ala.  Pure blonde whose wavy hair reaches below her breasts, she is wearing a black two-piece bikini.  Her whole package is great.  But what is most beguiling about her is her toothy smile.  It's kind of really sexy, you know?

In third place is Anna, from Grand Prairie, Tex.  Her blonde hair with dark roots reach all the way down to her hips.  She sports a magenta two-piece with these beads all over.  She's posing at 45 degrees, which ain't all that hot.  But she shows some dynamism by putting her right hand on her head.  Best of all, she's showing underboob; I don't I've ever seen that from a Hooters server in the calendar before.

In second place is Chyna, working out of Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fla.  This gorgeous beauty with long, straight black hair is laying down on the edge of a lake or sea or ocean.  Don't see much of her boobs, but we get to see a fine shot of her ass in her thong, and that qualifies her automatically for the top spot in this list ...

... or it would if that rule wasn't superseded by my first rule.  But it is.  In first place is Alyse of the gone but never forgotten Mall Of America Hooters, so out of provinciality/tribalism, I have to put her first.  To her aesthetic credit, she is wearing a barebelly Hooters-branded tank top and a lavender bikini bottom, and she looks cute.  Also, I have seen her in person a couple times when I bought calendars at the restaurant (although, ironically, never when she was actually working there), and trust me, the hottie with long and straight light brown hair is a spinner!

So, congratulations to Alyse and all the other hot women for June '26.  No worries -- I have already touched myself to all of you!!

Oh Yeah, This Is A Lazy Day

I got home last night from watching a World Cup Tripleheader and, after taking the minivan out to dump my trash and to deliver some mail, I promptly fell asleep around, I think, midnight or 12:30.  I woke up around 7, lolled in bed, fell back asleep around 9, then woke up just in time for Morocco-Canada.

Took a nap from around 2:45 till around 3:30.  You'd think I would have enough time to water the plants, but since I watered yesterday, I don't feel the pressure to, even though I'm staying in the whole day.

I have decided to take a "no sweat" mindset today.  Totally relaxed.  Happy Independence Day!