- Well, since I used my credit card on this Friday (and actually I've used my credit card a lot lately), I need to go back to Thursday the 6th, where I went to the stripper party I talked about in my last blog post. Lappers from ******y and *****a, and a bed dance/fuck from *****e*. No cover because I helped her move. Total: $160.
- After this stripper party I went to the library because I had to print out the ticket to Saturday's NCAA volleyball tournament match. As of press time, I do not know whether Minnesota beat Oregon on Friday or if they got upset. And if the Gophers got upset, I'll be very upset. I also printed out an Arby's coupon, so I spent: 20 cents.
- On Monday the 3rd I got cranked by ****y. Oh, yeah, I should talk about her after teasing her before ... so this ****y, turns out, is not the ****y I met at a party before. The one I "know" is Latina; this one is black. I didn't tuck in my dick, regardless. But for a girl I had just met, I am absolutely impressed by what she did to me (handjob, blowjob) and what she allowed me to do to her (fuck her without a condom). The clandestine meeting lost out to my unfamiliarity and, I should admit, disappointment that I got someone who was, frankly, plain-looking. But if I need another go, I could see her in a pinch. Price: $150.
- I went to My Favorite Stripclub (Non-Cover Division). I planned on going even before seeing ****y; this was a, uh, palate-cleanser. Coke, tips and a dance from ***i*, who I have not been able to see at a house party in a long time: $30.
- We got back to Friday, November 30, where I went to the library to print out a ticket to that evening's first-round NCAA v-ball tourney match between South Carolina and Colorado, as well as an Arby's coupon. Two printouts equal: 20 cents.
- I then went to Maturi for that volleyball match. Hot dog, medium Coke and program: $18.50.
- I then bugged out shortly after the Gamecocks' win to go to U.S Bank Stadium downtown and the Gopher men's basketball game vs. Oklahoma St. Used cash to buy a Skol dog and a souvenir Coke, which set me back: $20.
- To Tuesday the 27th, where I went to Moler to get a shave. Dude talked a lot of game, tried to ingratiate himself, and people like that make me weary. Sure enough, he cut me. With tip: $9.
- Then I saw Instant Family, which is a sweet movie illustrating the travails of adoption. For all those stupid-ass Republicans who decry Hollywood for being a moral cesspool, this is a film about a guy using his real life to try and educate people about what should be described as a societal problem. Bought a ticket, but I got a free large popcorn and pop, so the price of just the ticket was: $5.37.
- Then went to Caffetto at night to work on my receipts for November. Small coffee, pumpkie pie and tip: $6.50.
- All the way back to Friday, November 23, aka Black Friday. Caribou's Black Friday special was a coffee for a buck. Went down to the Mall Of America to shop, and I took them up on their offer. With tip: $1.25.
- After buying myself boxers, I went to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch some college football games. With tip: $11.
- Oh, and I donated to the Salvation Army, stationed outside the MOA doors: 25 cents.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Expenses Without Receipt
Starting from Friday, December 7:
Friday, December 7, 2018
Maybe It's Time I Get The Blue Pill
I went to a party hosted by *****e*, celebrating finding new digs for herself and her son. It was a very intimate setting, just her and two other strippers (though two more were supposed to come) and, well, it was a sausage fest with ten guys, I think, in the apartment.
I like parties like that. Well, too many guys, at least nine too many. But there were a few girls, and with me having not an unlimited budget, I was able to toss some $20 dances to two of the girls and take the host to a bed, where I was finally able to cum by fucking her doggystyle.
But I wasn't hard. Never got hard after ******y rode me on a regular lap dance. *****a was there too, and she is hot as fuck, but I didn't get erect on her lapper. If I were half the age I am now, I would have been sporting wood as soon as I stepped inside. But I was flaccid no matter what those other two babes did to me.
Maybe I'm going to too many parties. Maybe I'm getting old. But this is not the first time I have, uh, underachieved. In the last three parties I have not been as hard as I should be. Hell, I don't think I've been showing my fuck stick in full for some time now.
Is it time for Viagra? Heard today that I can now get it over-the-counter.
Shoot, let's see those automated ads get filled with erectile dysfunction pills.
I like parties like that. Well, too many guys, at least nine too many. But there were a few girls, and with me having not an unlimited budget, I was able to toss some $20 dances to two of the girls and take the host to a bed, where I was finally able to cum by fucking her doggystyle.
But I wasn't hard. Never got hard after ******y rode me on a regular lap dance. *****a was there too, and she is hot as fuck, but I didn't get erect on her lapper. If I were half the age I am now, I would have been sporting wood as soon as I stepped inside. But I was flaccid no matter what those other two babes did to me.
Maybe I'm going to too many parties. Maybe I'm getting old. But this is not the first time I have, uh, underachieved. In the last three parties I have not been as hard as I should be. Hell, I don't think I've been showing my fuck stick in full for some time now.
Is it time for Viagra? Heard today that I can now get it over-the-counter.
Shoot, let's see those automated ads get filled with erectile dysfunction pills.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
OH MY GOD, SHE SNAPPED AT ME!!!
OK, I'm now back at my old department, the one with all the rules, many of which I still don't get. And I know I'm making mistakes. But it hurts, it really does hurt, when one of the women with whom I am on this line with (not The Bitch, and again, she was acting, uh, OK yesterday and Tuesday) snapped at me for putting in the wrong date. I've made that mistake before. She has snapped at me before. But for some reason, when she snapped at me the second time yesterday/Wednesday, I felt blindsided.
And the worst part about it? I didn't make a mistake! Well, it was a mistake. OK, I'll try and back up ... when dates on these forms are wrong, we don't correct them: Instead, we have to note the incorrect date so it'll be sent back to be fixed. What I have to do is, and I'm so glad it rhymes, "key what I see." I forgot to do that today, and the first time this co-worker kind of blew up on me. But the second time? I couldn't help it. There are a myriad of rules on how old a date can be before the software system just won't let you key that, in which case we, uh, have a backup plan, but the date varies depending on the form on which the incorrect date is entered. It's complicated as hell, and that's why this still confuses me.
Well, I could not key this particular date because it was from, like, five years ago. Minutes after I get through the file in which this form was a part of -- one whose date I was not allowed to enter -- this co-worker slams, and I mean slams, that form inbetween us and says, "You've got to key the date you ..." and then she stops. Then she realizes that that date on that form is so old that maybe I couldn't enter it and I had to use another one.
My visceral, internal reaction to what she did still haunts me. I cower in fear whenever someone snaps like that. It's all from childhood. It's all when my parents, or even Grandmother, got mad at me out of the blue. I just wanted to run away in fear. Failing that -- and as an adult there's nowhere literally to run -- I try to reason with them, in a calm voice, and act as if I'm the bigger person in the room. Rarely works, but still, it's my default defense mechanism. Thank Buddha, then, that she was able to stop herself and think. And that's where I interjected, with a voice that wasn't screaming (at least I don't think so) but firm enough to convince myself I was being confident: "You know, I tried it. I tried keying what I see. It just wouldn't let me." And she calmed herself down -- talked about her asking management to change "it," whatever "it" is, but, like other things, apparently, they have not.
(sigh) What bothers me most is that she has helped me. A lot. Hell, she helped me yesterday, too. But it was the blow-up, that about-face from calmness to an eruption of terror, that I can't shake. It felt like a betrayal. Maybe my continuing mistakes was a breaking point for her. So now I can't ever see her the same way again, and I think I have to walk on eggshells when I'm around her from now on.
But hey, I have to look on the bright side: I don't think I'll be making that mistake ever again.
And the worst part about it? I didn't make a mistake! Well, it was a mistake. OK, I'll try and back up ... when dates on these forms are wrong, we don't correct them: Instead, we have to note the incorrect date so it'll be sent back to be fixed. What I have to do is, and I'm so glad it rhymes, "key what I see." I forgot to do that today, and the first time this co-worker kind of blew up on me. But the second time? I couldn't help it. There are a myriad of rules on how old a date can be before the software system just won't let you key that, in which case we, uh, have a backup plan, but the date varies depending on the form on which the incorrect date is entered. It's complicated as hell, and that's why this still confuses me.
Well, I could not key this particular date because it was from, like, five years ago. Minutes after I get through the file in which this form was a part of -- one whose date I was not allowed to enter -- this co-worker slams, and I mean slams, that form inbetween us and says, "You've got to key the date you ..." and then she stops. Then she realizes that that date on that form is so old that maybe I couldn't enter it and I had to use another one.
My visceral, internal reaction to what she did still haunts me. I cower in fear whenever someone snaps like that. It's all from childhood. It's all when my parents, or even Grandmother, got mad at me out of the blue. I just wanted to run away in fear. Failing that -- and as an adult there's nowhere literally to run -- I try to reason with them, in a calm voice, and act as if I'm the bigger person in the room. Rarely works, but still, it's my default defense mechanism. Thank Buddha, then, that she was able to stop herself and think. And that's where I interjected, with a voice that wasn't screaming (at least I don't think so) but firm enough to convince myself I was being confident: "You know, I tried it. I tried keying what I see. It just wouldn't let me." And she calmed herself down -- talked about her asking management to change "it," whatever "it" is, but, like other things, apparently, they have not.
(sigh) What bothers me most is that she has helped me. A lot. Hell, she helped me yesterday, too. But it was the blow-up, that about-face from calmness to an eruption of terror, that I can't shake. It felt like a betrayal. Maybe my continuing mistakes was a breaking point for her. So now I can't ever see her the same way again, and I think I have to walk on eggshells when I'm around her from now on.
But hey, I have to look on the bright side: I don't think I'll be making that mistake ever again.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Yeah, Uh, No, I'm Not Going To Get To Work On Time
I've been slipping later and later getting to work. I used to get there one, two minutes early when I punch in. But lately -- eh, one minute late has become two, and yesterday (Tuesday) morning it was three. It was five minutes once, but that was when the snow made everyone in the Twin Cities panic and slow down.
I can blame the weather. But really, it's these damn hours that have broken me. Good God, I'm waking up at 5:30 in the morning -- 5:30!!! And trying to impress my higher-ups has devolved into, "Holy shit, I'm up at 5:30 in the morning. What am I, a farmer?" That tired unbelievability has broken me, and now I'm just glad I get there before my ten-minute grace period bites me.
Seriously, these early shifts are killing me. I don't know how long I can deal with this.
I can blame the weather. But really, it's these damn hours that have broken me. Good God, I'm waking up at 5:30 in the morning -- 5:30!!! And trying to impress my higher-ups has devolved into, "Holy shit, I'm up at 5:30 in the morning. What am I, a farmer?" That tired unbelievability has broken me, and now I'm just glad I get there before my ten-minute grace period bites me.
Seriously, these early shifts are killing me. I don't know how long I can deal with this.
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Hottest Babe In The Hooters Calendar: November
Don't know if I've said this before, but now it's true: November has been the hardest most difficult month to pick a Best Babe. But pick I must.
The main babe, Amberly Hall of Beach Place, Fla., is in more-than-side profile. But that means we get to see her ass, half of its cheeks peeking out of the turquoise two-piece. It is the riskiest bikini I've seen a Hooters girl wear yet. Moreover, Amberly appears to be sticking it out, like, "Bam! Here's my ass! Eat it, bitches!" And eat it I did.
But my focus over the month has focused on other girls. First there was Sarah of Toronto Airport. She has wild and long blonde hair, she has on a wild patterned bikini, she has a come-hither look and she's tugging her bottom justsoslightly with her left thumb. For the first two weeks I was getting so erect from Sarah.
However, my eyes had to stray to some of the others. I went to Megan from Bradenton, Fla., who has an orange two-piece on. She for some reason is gripping the straps of her top, but she has a super-snarky look on her face that turns me on. And then there's Jamie-Lee, of Sydney, Australia. She has a Hooters bikini on, and I like it even though she's leaning sideways against a column and has her arms folded in front of her. There was also Tiara of Pembroke Pines, Fla., who appears to be rising out of the pool in her red two-piece totally dry. And then there's Bethany of Lone Tree, Colo. The white background behind her blends into her white top, making me think she's starting to take it off!
But ... goddammit, I'm going back to Amberly and DAT ASS! I swear she's sticking out her booty to all to see and gawk and wank over and eat out of. And I don't care that, in the Hooters promotional video of this year's Hooters Pageant she was a part of, she inexplicably somehow moved to some city in Tennessee. Or Georgia. Whatever, it wasn't Florida anymore. But who cares, she's a hot carpetbagger with a dumper that can't be denied, so congratulations, Amberly, you are The Hottest Hooters Babe Of November 2018.
And as soon as I have the energy to jerk off to your ass, I will flip the calendar to this month.
The main babe, Amberly Hall of Beach Place, Fla., is in more-than-side profile. But that means we get to see her ass, half of its cheeks peeking out of the turquoise two-piece. It is the riskiest bikini I've seen a Hooters girl wear yet. Moreover, Amberly appears to be sticking it out, like, "Bam! Here's my ass! Eat it, bitches!" And eat it I did.
But my focus over the month has focused on other girls. First there was Sarah of Toronto Airport. She has wild and long blonde hair, she has on a wild patterned bikini, she has a come-hither look and she's tugging her bottom justsoslightly with her left thumb. For the first two weeks I was getting so erect from Sarah.
However, my eyes had to stray to some of the others. I went to Megan from Bradenton, Fla., who has an orange two-piece on. She for some reason is gripping the straps of her top, but she has a super-snarky look on her face that turns me on. And then there's Jamie-Lee, of Sydney, Australia. She has a Hooters bikini on, and I like it even though she's leaning sideways against a column and has her arms folded in front of her. There was also Tiara of Pembroke Pines, Fla., who appears to be rising out of the pool in her red two-piece totally dry. And then there's Bethany of Lone Tree, Colo. The white background behind her blends into her white top, making me think she's starting to take it off!
But ... goddammit, I'm going back to Amberly and DAT ASS! I swear she's sticking out her booty to all to see and gawk and wank over and eat out of. And I don't care that, in the Hooters promotional video of this year's Hooters Pageant she was a part of, she inexplicably somehow moved to some city in Tennessee. Or Georgia. Whatever, it wasn't Florida anymore. But who cares, she's a hot carpetbagger with a dumper that can't be denied, so congratulations, Amberly, you are The Hottest Hooters Babe Of November 2018.
And as soon as I have the energy to jerk off to your ass, I will flip the calendar to this month.
Monday, December 3, 2018
So Yes, This Is Risky Sexual Behavior
I was planning on going to a stripper party in N. Minneapolis because ***e* invited me. Thought we were going to have a wanktastic time. But after a half-hour of looking at the dilapidated front window all taped out, then going the dirty upstairs to a locked door (with a broken heater right next to it), ***e* texted and said the party was off.
So I go home, dejected. But then out of the blue the host, whose name looks familiar, texts me. She says she got home and is ready to do a private -- a lot for $150. Now, her place is a dump, I'm going to a shady area of Minneapolis, and honestly, I don't know if this is the person who I had seen before. I could be totally whipping it out on a total stranger. And yet, because I'm a perv, I'm going to be doing this early this evening.
All my dreams of being a professional? Yeah, right now, I am so glad I gave those up because I'm about to get my dick sucked by a hot girl who needs money.
Wish me luck. And if I die, you know where I was.
So I go home, dejected. But then out of the blue the host, whose name looks familiar, texts me. She says she got home and is ready to do a private -- a lot for $150. Now, her place is a dump, I'm going to a shady area of Minneapolis, and honestly, I don't know if this is the person who I had seen before. I could be totally whipping it out on a total stranger. And yet, because I'm a perv, I'm going to be doing this early this evening.
All my dreams of being a professional? Yeah, right now, I am so glad I gave those up because I'm about to get my dick sucked by a hot girl who needs money.
Wish me luck. And if I die, you know where I was.
The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey
#-1: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: -7). Well, they did what they were supposed to do and blew through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Of the three games being played at Maturi, I only saw the first one, between South Carolina and Colorado. It went the distance, with the Gamecocks finally besting the Buffaloes. But it was a weird journey to get to five Sets. The first Set was spine-tingling, with a referee overturn, a Point being re-done because of, well, God knows why, two Buffalo Set Points and nine Gamecock Set Points before South Carolina finally won. But the middle three Sets were blowouts (two for Colorado, the third Set for Carolina). Regardless, watching that match, I didn't think Minnesota would have a problem with either team. And after trouncing the Bryant Bulldogs in three, they dismissed the Gamecocks just as quickly.
But since this is expected, I cannot give them more than a -1. They are currently playing up to expectations. If they make it to the Final Four -- well, that's what they should be doing too, but I could bump them up to a 0.
They now host the Regionals. First up is a tricky opponent: Overall 15-seed Oregon, one of only three clubs to have beaten the Golden Gophers. Will that play into the U.'s mental state? If they win that game, they face either defending champs (and overall #7) Nebraska or (overall #10) Kentucky, who ran the table in SEC conference play.
(Aside: I was assuming I could go to these games this Friday and Saturday after work. But the Regional Semifinal between the Cornhuskers and the Wildcats starts at 1; the Gophers-Ducks matchup is tentatively scheduled for 3:30. This story lists the times for all the games this weekend, and I have never seen the game times for tournament volleyball matches at this stage so spread out. To be more specific, I have never seen Sweet Sixteen games played in the early afternoon -- and in my estimation there will be three of them. That might help for TV, but these games will only be shown on ESPNU or the online arm, ESPN3, so ... really? And then the Regional Final will be at 5 Saturday. I'm done with work at 4:30. I don't know if I'm going to make it for the start of that game. Shit, there's a slight chance I won't make that game at all.)
#-2: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -5). It's not a stretch to say that what Lindsay Whalen is doing her first year coaching is a miracle. I can't really say that it's been a daunting schedule; for example, they blitzed Air Force in the Fourth Quarter yesterday/Sunday on the Gophers' way to a 67-50 rout. And only one game in this 7-0 start has been on the road. But I have to give this team a lot of dap for Thursday's win over Syracuse in a contest between two Top 20 teams as part of the B1G/ACC Challenge.
The Fourth Quarter alone was worth the price of admission. Minnesota was up 55-48 a minute into the quarter. But Syracuse ripped off a 13-0 run to lead 61-55 with 3 1/2 Minutes to play. The Gophers then responded with a 12-0 run of their own, capped by Kenisha Bell's spin-move lay-up and-one, to assert a 67-61 lead, a lead they would not relinquish. Again, the 20th-ranked Gophers were at home, so a win over the 12th-ranked Orange wasn't out of the question. But the gumption it took to fight back is a great trait for this team to have.
Wednesday afternoon (?) they host Incarnate Word. The team then has its second road test Sunday afternoon versus Boston College.
#-3: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -2). Women's college hockey remains lopsided. The club went to New Haven, Conn., and blitzed Yale by a combined 10-2 over a two-game series. This steamrolling should continue this weekend at Ridder, when the U. hosts Robert Morris for a pair. Hmmm, Robert Morris ... that isn't a team that comes around here often. Should I go?
#-4: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -6). The grapplers participated in the Cliff Keen Invitational, and I said I wouldn't put these guys on this week's survey unless something big happened. Well, something big happened! Congratulations to Gable Stevenson for winning the tournament's Heavyweight Division! Sure, the U. as a whole only finished sixth. But fuck, when's the last time an individual wrestler at the U. won a title, even in an in-season tournament like this?
They have a road dual in, all of places, Fresno St. Saturday night.
#-5: Timberwolves (Last Week: -8). Beat the shell that is the Cavaliers in Cleveland Monday, then played possibly their best game of the season at Target Center Wednesday in shellacking San Antonio by 39, before missing too many shots in a 118-109 loss at home Saturday to Boston. Nevertheless, the Wolves are 7-3 since shipping away Jimmy Butler, and by all accounts, there is a lightness of being that's been felt all throughout the team, as if removing a bully makes everyone feel better. And players are beginning to define their roles better. Karl-Anthony Towns has started to be more vocal, like he's ready and willing to be the #1 option on this ballclub. And Robert Covington and Dario Saric have filled in their roles as 3-and-Ds so well that it's making the other members of the squad step up their games. The West remains highly competitive, but I don't feel so upset that the organization didn't take Houston's offer of four first-round draft picks anymore.
This week, like last week, has a Monday (home versus Houston)/Wednesday (home against Charlotte)/Saturday (at Portland) pattern.
#-6: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -1). Saw the games at what is being billed as the U. S. Bank Stadium Classic, which is total bullshit, because 1) this tournament cannot be called a "classic" if this is the first year it's being played and 2) they damn well know they're not going to hold basketball games at this place unless they have to and they only are playing these games now so facilities and the hosting committee can look at what they need to fix for the Final Four, which is being held at the place in April. Fuck, the court they used isn't even theirs; facilities borrowed it from the Sanford Center, which is in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Thoughts about watching basketball games in there, from the Upper Level:
They host a chic darkhorse team in the league, Nebraska, on Wednesday. They then revert to non-con tomato cans for the rest of the year with a game versus Arkansas St. Saturday. These games begin a five-game homestand to the end of 2018.
#-7: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -9). Two games, exact same result. Tied up at 2 at the end of regulation. No score in single Overtime. Then Ohio St. wins it in Double Overtime. Technically these Goofers get a point. But this probably is the series where their chances of reaching the NCAA Tournament goes kaput -- especially considering that both defeats (and they are defeats) came at home. Oh, well, Bob Motzko's in his first year.
At Michigan for two this weekend.
#-8: Whitecaps (Re-Entry!). Last year I was abjectly against -- and pissed off at -- The Las Vegas Golden Knights for being gifted a superteam in its first year and, with that superteam, being one stage short of winning The Stanley Cup. (They're not that good this year, thank Buddha, but if they win the Cup this year ... fine. Hey, they've had a year together!) Well, wouldn't that standard apply to the Minnesota Whitecaps? The National Women's Hockey League didn't rig the expansion team and salary cap rules to give the 'Caps a massive leg up; instead, the team just asked Minnesotans and Golden Gophers to sign for the home team, and many of them did. That's why they got off to their undefeated start. So ... yes, this would also be wrong for the Whitecaps to win The Isobel Cup this year, and the only reason I'm not bent out of shape over that is because they're the home team. Totally plead guilty to that.
This weekend, however, may bring those Isobel Cup dreams to an end. At TRIA, the Boston Pride gave the Whitecaps their first loss ever Saturday, 5-1, and then they gave them their second loss ever Sunday, 7-2. Oof. The 'Caps remain in first place, but the Pride are now just a 1/2-Game behind. And to get their asses kicked at home by a combined 12-3 score? Double oof! I was thinking about going to this weekend's games, but (and kudos to both the Whitecaps and Whitecaps fans) they sold out. I think missing those disasters was good for psyche. I probably would be scarred for life if I witnessed that in person.
By the way, if I need to insult this team, I have decided to call them the Whitecraps, or 'Craps.
Visit Buffalo the last weekend of the year.
#-9: Wild (Last Week: -3). Well, for a team that's flying high, they've been on a tailspin. A totally winless screening week -- defeats to Arizona, Columbus and Toronto -- have slipped them from second in the Central Division to a very familiar spot: The last playoff spot in the Western Conference (one Point ahead of Las Vegas, by the way!). As bad as this is, this is where I and a lot of other fans thought they would be. And frankly, this level of success, and losing streaks like this, causes Head Coaches to be fired by General Managers they didn't hire. And it might not get any better this screening week, as they do the Prairie Province Three-Step -- Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, all on the road. If the losing streak gets doubled from three to six, Bruce Boudreau may be done this time next week.
#-10: Vikings (Last Week: -4). OK, a lot of people thought the ViQueens would lost to New England yesterday/Sunday, 24-10. But I still insist that if you think the Vikes are a Super Bowl contender (and I know that there are still a lot of delusional people who believe that), they can march into Foxborough and win there.
I caught a part of the game inbetween clearing my deck of snow and sleeping. In a reversal of the team's fortunes, I was very impressed by what the Defense was doing ... at least through the First Half. But then Tom Brady led the Pats on that drive in the Third Quarter and, yeah, I didn't like where this was headed, so I went to bed. You could pin this on the Offense too, but the bottom line is these guys needed a perfect gameplan to win, and they didn't, so everyone's to blame.
Optics is everything. There are a lot of people refusing to push the panic button today after the loss. Have they seen that the Vikings have slipped from a Wild Card playoff spot to being one of the teams "In The Hunt?" If they have, they would be freaking the fuck out -- and they should.
One other thing. Without that horrible loss at home to Buffalo, and that wayward tie in Week 2 in Lambeau, these guys would have been 8-3 -- and tied with Chicago. I'm not saying that they would be vying with the Bears for the division; I truly think that the Bears are a better squad. All I'm saying is that such a record would give the Vikes the cushion they need to weather this tough stretch of games. Slipping from 8-3 to 8-5 after defeats to New England and, next Monday night, Seattle means Minnesota would remain in a playoff spot. Going from 6-4-1 to 6-6-1 means they are fighting for their lives. Big difference. The end of the season may have been decided very early. And beyond all that, what was hyped up as a Super Bowl contender will, at best, limp into the playoffs as a Wild Card team, and this year, they're not getting past The Bastard Cleveland By Way Of Los Angeles By Way Of St. Louis or New Orleans (let alone Chicago) this year.
But since this is expected, I cannot give them more than a -1. They are currently playing up to expectations. If they make it to the Final Four -- well, that's what they should be doing too, but I could bump them up to a 0.
They now host the Regionals. First up is a tricky opponent: Overall 15-seed Oregon, one of only three clubs to have beaten the Golden Gophers. Will that play into the U.'s mental state? If they win that game, they face either defending champs (and overall #7) Nebraska or (overall #10) Kentucky, who ran the table in SEC conference play.
(Aside: I was assuming I could go to these games this Friday and Saturday after work. But the Regional Semifinal between the Cornhuskers and the Wildcats starts at 1; the Gophers-Ducks matchup is tentatively scheduled for 3:30. This story lists the times for all the games this weekend, and I have never seen the game times for tournament volleyball matches at this stage so spread out. To be more specific, I have never seen Sweet Sixteen games played in the early afternoon -- and in my estimation there will be three of them. That might help for TV, but these games will only be shown on ESPNU or the online arm, ESPN3, so ... really? And then the Regional Final will be at 5 Saturday. I'm done with work at 4:30. I don't know if I'm going to make it for the start of that game. Shit, there's a slight chance I won't make that game at all.)
#-2: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -5). It's not a stretch to say that what Lindsay Whalen is doing her first year coaching is a miracle. I can't really say that it's been a daunting schedule; for example, they blitzed Air Force in the Fourth Quarter yesterday/Sunday on the Gophers' way to a 67-50 rout. And only one game in this 7-0 start has been on the road. But I have to give this team a lot of dap for Thursday's win over Syracuse in a contest between two Top 20 teams as part of the B1G/ACC Challenge.
The Fourth Quarter alone was worth the price of admission. Minnesota was up 55-48 a minute into the quarter. But Syracuse ripped off a 13-0 run to lead 61-55 with 3 1/2 Minutes to play. The Gophers then responded with a 12-0 run of their own, capped by Kenisha Bell's spin-move lay-up and-one, to assert a 67-61 lead, a lead they would not relinquish. Again, the 20th-ranked Gophers were at home, so a win over the 12th-ranked Orange wasn't out of the question. But the gumption it took to fight back is a great trait for this team to have.
Wednesday afternoon (?) they host Incarnate Word. The team then has its second road test Sunday afternoon versus Boston College.
#-3: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -2). Women's college hockey remains lopsided. The club went to New Haven, Conn., and blitzed Yale by a combined 10-2 over a two-game series. This steamrolling should continue this weekend at Ridder, when the U. hosts Robert Morris for a pair. Hmmm, Robert Morris ... that isn't a team that comes around here often. Should I go?
#-4: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -6). The grapplers participated in the Cliff Keen Invitational, and I said I wouldn't put these guys on this week's survey unless something big happened. Well, something big happened! Congratulations to Gable Stevenson for winning the tournament's Heavyweight Division! Sure, the U. as a whole only finished sixth. But fuck, when's the last time an individual wrestler at the U. won a title, even in an in-season tournament like this?
They have a road dual in, all of places, Fresno St. Saturday night.
#-5: Timberwolves (Last Week: -8). Beat the shell that is the Cavaliers in Cleveland Monday, then played possibly their best game of the season at Target Center Wednesday in shellacking San Antonio by 39, before missing too many shots in a 118-109 loss at home Saturday to Boston. Nevertheless, the Wolves are 7-3 since shipping away Jimmy Butler, and by all accounts, there is a lightness of being that's been felt all throughout the team, as if removing a bully makes everyone feel better. And players are beginning to define their roles better. Karl-Anthony Towns has started to be more vocal, like he's ready and willing to be the #1 option on this ballclub. And Robert Covington and Dario Saric have filled in their roles as 3-and-Ds so well that it's making the other members of the squad step up their games. The West remains highly competitive, but I don't feel so upset that the organization didn't take Houston's offer of four first-round draft picks anymore.
This week, like last week, has a Monday (home versus Houston)/Wednesday (home against Charlotte)/Saturday (at Portland) pattern.
#-6: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -1). Saw the games at what is being billed as the U. S. Bank Stadium Classic, which is total bullshit, because 1) this tournament cannot be called a "classic" if this is the first year it's being played and 2) they damn well know they're not going to hold basketball games at this place unless they have to and they only are playing these games now so facilities and the hosting committee can look at what they need to fix for the Final Four, which is being held at the place in April. Fuck, the court they used isn't even theirs; facilities borrowed it from the Sanford Center, which is in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Thoughts about watching basketball games in there, from the Upper Level:
- I heard that the orientation of this court will not be the same for the Final Four. This court was situated on one end of the Vikings playing field (you can see the far, unused end exposed past the bleachers set up on the turf); the court in April, I believe, will be situated right in the middle of the stadium. Why? If you are trying to replicate what's going to happen for the Final Four, wouldn't you want to replicate the entire floor plan?
- Looking at the faint shadows the fell on the court by the flood lights situated around the court, it looks as though I was peering at a pickup game outside. Which is very different from watching a game in Us-Bank in the daytime, when it looks (and feels) like I am in a greenhouse.
- For Saturday's Gophers-Oklahoma St. game, I got a ticket right behind a window right above the vomitorium from where you walk up the stairs to your seats. Now I know what that vertical line on the floor plan on the Ticketmaster website meant. Won't buy tickets there again. And I would change my mind if that window were a magnifying glass, which it is not.
- Both of Saturday's games featured a Summit League team against a Missouri Valley squad. Drake pounced all over North Dakota St., even though both teams were making so many three-pointers to start the Second Half that the public address announcer, who I swear is the one for Minnesota United, annoyed the crap out of me when he said, "FOR THREE!!!" for the umpteenth time. Meanwhile, Northern Iowa, the best of the four schools playing the night, died by the three and got immolated by South Dakota St. by 32. Mike Daum scored a deceptively quiet 24 Points. He has some silky moves, that dude.
- The Cowboys have no right to appropriate neon blue as one of their colors. But I have to say, I liked The Oklahoma City Thunder-inspired uniforms they wore.
They host a chic darkhorse team in the league, Nebraska, on Wednesday. They then revert to non-con tomato cans for the rest of the year with a game versus Arkansas St. Saturday. These games begin a five-game homestand to the end of 2018.
#-7: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -9). Two games, exact same result. Tied up at 2 at the end of regulation. No score in single Overtime. Then Ohio St. wins it in Double Overtime. Technically these Goofers get a point. But this probably is the series where their chances of reaching the NCAA Tournament goes kaput -- especially considering that both defeats (and they are defeats) came at home. Oh, well, Bob Motzko's in his first year.
At Michigan for two this weekend.
#-8: Whitecaps (Re-Entry!). Last year I was abjectly against -- and pissed off at -- The Las Vegas Golden Knights for being gifted a superteam in its first year and, with that superteam, being one stage short of winning The Stanley Cup. (They're not that good this year, thank Buddha, but if they win the Cup this year ... fine. Hey, they've had a year together!) Well, wouldn't that standard apply to the Minnesota Whitecaps? The National Women's Hockey League didn't rig the expansion team and salary cap rules to give the 'Caps a massive leg up; instead, the team just asked Minnesotans and Golden Gophers to sign for the home team, and many of them did. That's why they got off to their undefeated start. So ... yes, this would also be wrong for the Whitecaps to win The Isobel Cup this year, and the only reason I'm not bent out of shape over that is because they're the home team. Totally plead guilty to that.
This weekend, however, may bring those Isobel Cup dreams to an end. At TRIA, the Boston Pride gave the Whitecaps their first loss ever Saturday, 5-1, and then they gave them their second loss ever Sunday, 7-2. Oof. The 'Caps remain in first place, but the Pride are now just a 1/2-Game behind. And to get their asses kicked at home by a combined 12-3 score? Double oof! I was thinking about going to this weekend's games, but (and kudos to both the Whitecaps and Whitecaps fans) they sold out. I think missing those disasters was good for psyche. I probably would be scarred for life if I witnessed that in person.
By the way, if I need to insult this team, I have decided to call them the Whitecraps, or 'Craps.
Visit Buffalo the last weekend of the year.
#-9: Wild (Last Week: -3). Well, for a team that's flying high, they've been on a tailspin. A totally winless screening week -- defeats to Arizona, Columbus and Toronto -- have slipped them from second in the Central Division to a very familiar spot: The last playoff spot in the Western Conference (one Point ahead of Las Vegas, by the way!). As bad as this is, this is where I and a lot of other fans thought they would be. And frankly, this level of success, and losing streaks like this, causes Head Coaches to be fired by General Managers they didn't hire. And it might not get any better this screening week, as they do the Prairie Province Three-Step -- Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, all on the road. If the losing streak gets doubled from three to six, Bruce Boudreau may be done this time next week.
#-10: Vikings (Last Week: -4). OK, a lot of people thought the ViQueens would lost to New England yesterday/Sunday, 24-10. But I still insist that if you think the Vikes are a Super Bowl contender (and I know that there are still a lot of delusional people who believe that), they can march into Foxborough and win there.
I caught a part of the game inbetween clearing my deck of snow and sleeping. In a reversal of the team's fortunes, I was very impressed by what the Defense was doing ... at least through the First Half. But then Tom Brady led the Pats on that drive in the Third Quarter and, yeah, I didn't like where this was headed, so I went to bed. You could pin this on the Offense too, but the bottom line is these guys needed a perfect gameplan to win, and they didn't, so everyone's to blame.
Optics is everything. There are a lot of people refusing to push the panic button today after the loss. Have they seen that the Vikings have slipped from a Wild Card playoff spot to being one of the teams "In The Hunt?" If they have, they would be freaking the fuck out -- and they should.
One other thing. Without that horrible loss at home to Buffalo, and that wayward tie in Week 2 in Lambeau, these guys would have been 8-3 -- and tied with Chicago. I'm not saying that they would be vying with the Bears for the division; I truly think that the Bears are a better squad. All I'm saying is that such a record would give the Vikes the cushion they need to weather this tough stretch of games. Slipping from 8-3 to 8-5 after defeats to New England and, next Monday night, Seattle means Minnesota would remain in a playoff spot. Going from 6-4-1 to 6-6-1 means they are fighting for their lives. Big difference. The end of the season may have been decided very early. And beyond all that, what was hyped up as a Super Bowl contender will, at best, limp into the playoffs as a Wild Card team, and this year, they're not getting past The Bastard Cleveland By Way Of Los Angeles By Way Of St. Louis or New Orleans (let alone Chicago) this year.
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Hey, Whatever Happened To The Donnas?
This was an idle thought I have had off an on: Whatever happened to The Donnas? You know:
Why them? I don't know. I just know that this is one of the best pure rock songs I've ever heard, and they just ... disappeared.
I have thought about them from time to time. On Wikipedia, they said that they played their last gig in Des Moines, Iowa, and then just stopped.
Um ... yeah, looks like they have stopped. And although I assume that all the members of the band are still in touch, they've gone not only their separate ways, but also are doing things out of music. Original drummer Tory Castellano (aka Donna C.), for example, had to quit because of chronic shoulder issues, went to Stanford (The Donnas are from the Bay Area), and after graduating in 2013 went to Harvard Law. This according to Wikipedia.
And just over a year ago, there were a couple articles about lead singer Brett Anderson (aka Donna A.). Although she is scoring commercials, it looks as though she graduated back in May with a degree in psychology and is into research now. Interesting!
Why them? I don't know. I just know that this is one of the best pure rock songs I've ever heard, and they just ... disappeared.
I have thought about them from time to time. On Wikipedia, they said that they played their last gig in Des Moines, Iowa, and then just stopped.
Um ... yeah, looks like they have stopped. And although I assume that all the members of the band are still in touch, they've gone not only their separate ways, but also are doing things out of music. Original drummer Tory Castellano (aka Donna C.), for example, had to quit because of chronic shoulder issues, went to Stanford (The Donnas are from the Bay Area), and after graduating in 2013 went to Harvard Law. This according to Wikipedia.
And just over a year ago, there were a couple articles about lead singer Brett Anderson (aka Donna A.). Although she is scoring commercials, it looks as though she graduated back in May with a degree in psychology and is into research now. Interesting!
But Where On The Shaft?
Drove through the snowstorm last night fine. Not optimal, but fine.
But it was snowing. Two or three inches, depending. I could break out the snowplow, but I'm still afraid it won't work, and the relatively paltry amount of snow gives me a good excuse to keep it in the garage.
Instead, this is a good time to use what The Wirecutter called The Best Snow Shovel. The site also recommends that I buy this particular second handle which I can attach to this ergonomically-friendly shovel because it lessens the strain on my back.
So I did, even though I haven't even attached it yet, let alone used it. One problem: I have no clue where on the shaft to attach it. The Wirecutter says two-thirds down; another says the best thing about the handle is that you can attach it where it best fits you, your height and the lengths of your arms. So ... where is it best for me?
I don't mean to be a dunderhead about this, but I don't know where along the shaft of the shovel I should attach the ergonomic handle. And "what works best for you," frankly, doesn't help me, because I don't know what's best for me! Could somebody please tell me what's best for me!
Argh! See, my ideal plan was to wake up this morning before football (I happened to wake up a bit past 9) to shovel and then just relax and watch the games and stay in all night. But I've been paralyzed by not being able to find online a website that can tell me, just me, where I should put this handle. I ... I don't know if I can shovel without knowing this piece of information. And the games are about to start, so I don't know if I'll even care.
No, at some point this afternoon I'll forget about watching football because I have to shovel. Maybe I'll do it this later this afternoon, while the Vikings are getting their asses kicked by the Patriots. But ... I would think that there would be something on the Internet that can tell me this piece of information, and there isn't. Why the heck not?
But it was snowing. Two or three inches, depending. I could break out the snowplow, but I'm still afraid it won't work, and the relatively paltry amount of snow gives me a good excuse to keep it in the garage.
Instead, this is a good time to use what The Wirecutter called The Best Snow Shovel. The site also recommends that I buy this particular second handle which I can attach to this ergonomically-friendly shovel because it lessens the strain on my back.
So I did, even though I haven't even attached it yet, let alone used it. One problem: I have no clue where on the shaft to attach it. The Wirecutter says two-thirds down; another says the best thing about the handle is that you can attach it where it best fits you, your height and the lengths of your arms. So ... where is it best for me?
I don't mean to be a dunderhead about this, but I don't know where along the shaft of the shovel I should attach the ergonomic handle. And "what works best for you," frankly, doesn't help me, because I don't know what's best for me! Could somebody please tell me what's best for me!
Argh! See, my ideal plan was to wake up this morning before football (I happened to wake up a bit past 9) to shovel and then just relax and watch the games and stay in all night. But I've been paralyzed by not being able to find online a website that can tell me, just me, where I should put this handle. I ... I don't know if I can shovel without knowing this piece of information. And the games are about to start, so I don't know if I'll even care.
No, at some point this afternoon I'll forget about watching football because I have to shovel. Maybe I'll do it this later this afternoon, while the Vikings are getting their asses kicked by the Patriots. But ... I would think that there would be something on the Internet that can tell me this piece of information, and there isn't. Why the heck not?
Saturday, December 1, 2018
That Bitter Dream Again
I should talk about this more, but I'm tired and have to work in the morning, so I won't.
For some reason -- the weather? The need to walk everywhere to watch both the Golden Gopher volleyball and men's basketball teams? My lack of sleep? -- I kept re-thinking all day yesterday (Friday) of a dream (and I really do mean that, even after I describe it to you) I've had for a long time. Namely, that I was adopted. Specifically, my parents flying out to Los Angeles (where they left me at a church or something) to find me. I would be all bitter, and yet they would insist that I fly to Minnesota to see the entire family and to reconnect. And knowing that all they want to do is parade me around and make themselves feel good about finding me, I lash out, verbally and then, on my last day there, physically. I never find a family, you see, and I end up being molested throughout my childhood. And so I blame my folks for ruining my life from Day One, and all I do the entire weekend I'm up in Minnesota is yell at them, throw things at them, and, finally, beat them up.
I should explain more later. Let's just say that I've felt like an outcast from my family for a long, long time. What prompted me to ruminate on it? No clue.
For some reason -- the weather? The need to walk everywhere to watch both the Golden Gopher volleyball and men's basketball teams? My lack of sleep? -- I kept re-thinking all day yesterday (Friday) of a dream (and I really do mean that, even after I describe it to you) I've had for a long time. Namely, that I was adopted. Specifically, my parents flying out to Los Angeles (where they left me at a church or something) to find me. I would be all bitter, and yet they would insist that I fly to Minnesota to see the entire family and to reconnect. And knowing that all they want to do is parade me around and make themselves feel good about finding me, I lash out, verbally and then, on my last day there, physically. I never find a family, you see, and I end up being molested throughout my childhood. And so I blame my folks for ruining my life from Day One, and all I do the entire weekend I'm up in Minnesota is yell at them, throw things at them, and, finally, beat them up.
I should explain more later. Let's just say that I've felt like an outcast from my family for a long, long time. What prompted me to ruminate on it? No clue.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)