I'm Back

- Wow its been awhile since I've posted on here. I forgot about it for awhile, then had the holidays creep up, then I got busy interviewing for a new job which sort of fell in my lap, and trying to deal with the logistics of all that, along with a new kid on the way in 3 weeks or so. It's been crazy.

- As I said, I got a new job which I start on Monday. I wasn't actively looking, but a couple of friends, who are former co-workers, contacted me about a similar position with a competitor of ours. I figured I would talk just to see what would happen. After a few phone interviews, they flew me up to Boston a couple of Friday's ago, and then a couple days later, a formal offer, which blew me away. It was too good of an opportunity for me professionally, and for my family to pass up. I'm excited to get started.

- We are only about 3 weeks away from the due date of our next son (Chase). This pregnancy has flown by, and the due date has snuck up on us. It's only in the last couple of weeks or so, that we've really started getting ready. We're at that point now, where Sara could go into labor at anytime.

Other random things...
- A-Rod took 'roids/performance enhancers...really, are we supposed to be surprised about that? I think I would probably be more surprised by the list of people who didn't drug up between the mid-1990s and and the mid-2000s. This whole steroid madness over the past 15-20 years in baseball, really makes the accomplishments of the players of eras past, all that more remarkable. I mean, guys like Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, etc. had to take steroids in order to get the strength and durability to go on their home-run happy streak of seasons in order to eclipse, or even get close to the numbers that guys like Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays put up over their careers. The old guys weren't muscle machines, but they constantly put up good numbers over the entire duration of their career, and had to play for a long time to get to their totals. Do I think Bonds. Sosa, McGwire and A-Rod belong in the Hall of Fame someday? Yes. Baseball knew what was going on, and regardless to what they say, they turned a blind eye to it. MLB was in rough shape following the 94 strike season, and it wasn't until 1998 that people started paying close attention to it again, when McGwire and Sosa went on their epic home run barrage. As the old commercial used to say.."Chicks love the long ball"e The home run got the American public into baseball again, and got them to come back to the parks. As the I heard someone (The Sports Guy) on ESPN say, the Hall of Fame is a museum. Anything that happens over the history of the game belongs in the museum. Character issues shouldn't exclude people from being in that museum, I mean we have noted racists in there (Ty Cobb) and other people of questionable backgrounds...but what does that have to do with what they did on the field day in and day out? I'm sick of people who treat it as something that is hallowed, and should be taken with the utmost seriousness, and only the most pretentious of people should have a say in what is and what is not included. Baseball is a silly game..get over it.

- While we're on the topic of drugs and famous athletes, Michael Phelps has also been quite the story as well. Is it wrong for me to say I don't care? It was stupid to do, but really, in the scheme of things does it really matter? We've got bigger problems in the world then to get all in a tizzy about some photograph. Now the sheriff of the county where the party took place, is trying to find a way to pursue legal action against him. Again, I ask, really? There aren't bigger issues in the county than to pursue legal action against something that was photographed a few months ago? I'm sorry, I just don't have the energy to get worked up, or to care about this.

- I've been paying attention to the interviews, and all the news about that pilot Sully who made that amazing landing in the Hudson River a few weeks ago. The only thing I keep wondering is how long until he goes from hero to a villain? Don't get me wrong, he seems like a class act, and the dude is definitely the true definition of a hero. I just get the feeling that someone in the media, or his family, or neighborhood is going to come out with a story revealing that he's a wife beater/tax evader/child slave owner, or some kind of shady character, and everything we've been seeing is a lie. Maybe its just that I expect nothing less of our media these days. They build somebody up to eventually tear them down.

- Its nice to have a President who seems on top of things, and is more intelligent than I am. I can't say I felt the same way over the last 8 years.

- I'm ready for baseball to start. The NBA isn't really doing it for me this year, and I just can't get into college basketball this year.

- I don't have a gut feeling on how I think the Tigers will do this year. At times I feel that they have a good chance to win the division by having their offense hit lights out, and the pitching surprise everyone. But then there are times that I feel that they're old and their age is going to show this year, and the pitching is going to be average at best. I just don't know.

- I am becoming a big fan of the band Death Cab for Cutie. I knew of a few of their songs, and thought they were solid. I was in a music funk at the end of last year, so I got their last 2 albums - Narrow Stairs (their newest), and Plans. I can't get enough of either of them. Narrow Stairs is the first album I've listened to in a long time where I liked every song, and never want to skip one when I'm listening to it. I would like to see them in concert sometime and see how they are live. That is how I judge the quality of a band - how they perform live.

- I'm not sure what to think of the new U2 song yet. Its...interesting. The first few times I listened to it, the verses remind me of the '80's song Wild West by The Escape Club. Yes, that's a random comparison, but that's the first thing that popped into my head when I heard it. I saw them perform it on the Grammy's the other night, but the sound mix was so bad, I didn't get a good feel for it. I'm still excited for their new album next month, and even more excited for their impending tour. I really need to see at least one of their shows on the tour.

- Watching the Grammy's the other night, I realized just how out of touch I am with the music scene now. Years past I used to be able to at least recognize all of the songs/artists nominated for awards, and the presenters and performers. Not so much this year. Maybe not listening to the radio (or pop radio at least) has something to do with that.

- I don't know what's happened over the last month or so, but Facebook has gotten crazy. Since I've joined, I would get a steady amount of friend requests, like a couple a month. Most were of friends/co-workers I currently keep in touch with on a regular basis, and they were just joining. Over the last month though, I've gotten bombarded with requests from people I haven't seen or talked to since I graduated high school. It's cool to get back in touch with all these people, I just don't understand why it happened all at once. I'm not the only person who has had this happen to. Sara was saying the same thing is happening to her as well.

- Sara is selling Avon. Check out her blog to find out how to sign-up and buy stuff..if you are into that sort of thing...

- I think that's about it for my random thoughts for now. I'll try to keep this updated on a more consistent schedule.