Roller Coaster Day

The HB started watching a new cartoon recently, Mighty B. Pretty funny stuff and I can see why he relates to it. One episode has her wanting to go on this hellacious rollercoaster. That was kind of my Friday.

Since I work at home, I'm in charge of getting all the house and care repairs done. The wife's car's (2000 Jetta wagon) brakes were squeaking, so I took it in. Let's just say that if she came home one day and said, "Oh, I pushed the Jetta over a cliff" I wouldn't shed too many tears. It's got about 100k miles on it, so I kinda figured it would need some work. Just not $2,500 worth. Holy. Fucking. Shit. That's a down payment on another Prius. But, if she wants that new kitchen, we're not also getting a new car. So, I give the repair dude the go ahead.

A few hours later he calls back and says, "Umb...we can't do all of this in one day, can you leave it overnight." I tell him no, we can't be without the car this weekend while he starts making his future travel plans based on my repair bill and to get it back running and I'll bring it back on Tuesday. I'm going to need to find a new client to pay for all of this shit.

Speaking of client things, I get this very cool e-mail from the client I saw in KC. He requested some additional data analysis (no biggee) and told me who I should work with to expand the project, and copied that person on the note. YES!

Of course, to balance my karma, I got a very bitchy note from another client complaining about a project. I, wisely, waited about 30 minutes before responding. The e-mail addressed some of the factual errors in her note, as well as describing her team's contributions to the supposed shortcomings of the project. Strangely, I didn't hear back from her.

The HB had a later theater rehearsal last night and my wife wanted to do her weekend stuff with my mil. That gave me a free part of the evening. Normally, I would have strongly considered a long bike ride, but my left knee's still swollen and the gashes on the right shin still have a way to go (but, I'm getting on the elliptical on Sunday for a light workout, no matter what). Instead, I headed up to LACMA, where they have jazz concerts on Friday nights. The music was OK and I wandered the galleries during the breaks.

On the way to get the HB, I stopped at a BBQ place I've driven by a million times, but had never stopped at. I grabbed a bbq beef sandwich and some onion rings (to DIE for) and watch the Cavs beat the Celtics to force a game 7 (I've got the Laker-Jazz game 6 on my DVR) then go to pick up the HB.

The HB has been wanting to watch The Simpsons for a long time. The wife and I were holding out as he already had a bit of a smart mouth, and we figured a constant diet of Bart and Homer wouldn't help. We told him that if he watched what he said a bit more (he is 9, after all) we would let him watch it. He has and we did. So, we watched a couple of episodes last night. I've always loved the show and am glad that I can watch it more regularly now.

My wife got home around 9, and after getting the boy in bed we chit-chatted and watched the Angels (my fave baseball team) beat the Dodgers (her fave baseball team) then I powered through the Laker-Jazz game while she read the paper. It was a pretty satisfying road win for the Lakers which finishes the series (4-2) and gives them an extra couple of days rest before starting the next series with the San Antonio-New Orleans winner. I'm liking LA's chances in both.

Knowing One's Limits

Right now, I cannot stand to hear the sound of my own voice. This is because I led three training classes on the same thing today. I listened to myself say the same things three fucking times. And I said those same things 4 times last week. Professional trainers must NEVER get sick of hearing themselves. I'm so glad I have tomorrow off from it, only to finish with a flurry with 4 classes on Thursday. Fortunately, there is so far no need for make-ups. Let's keep it that way.

At the beginning of the NBA season, Kobe Bryant practically BEGGED the Lakers to trade him. Instead, they knew something the rest of the league didn't about Andrew Bynum, then pulled a heist by getting Pau Gasol. Now, they can clinch home court advantage until the final series with a win tonight against Suckramento. Amazing. They've only lost 4 games with Gasol in the lineup. I don't think anyone wants to fuck with them now.

My prediction about Tiger not winning the Masters came true, but not after everyone, except Immelman, wilted like an azalea in the summer heat. Now it turns out that Woods finished 2nd on a bum knee. So, only one golfer can beat Tiger when he has a bum wheel? Ugh...these guys are weaker than I thought.

Hoop Nightmares

I know better than to get too excited about a game until the final buzzer sounds, but Tennessee blowing that 20 point lead against Ohio State last night was tough to handle. They were KILLING them in the first half, then they lost their aggressiveness and missed way too many free throws (their Achilles heel all season). Plus, I was in a bar with several OSU fans (the local CBS station was showing the UCLA game here). Ugh.

On the work front, I think I picked up a new client today. This person had heard me present and responded to something I put out on my e-newsletter list. Sometimes this marketing thing does work.

Meanwhile, the HB officially starts on Spring Break on Monday. We'll have him in gym camp (which he's not so wild about) on M-W. He'll hang with my parents on Thursday. Friday's his birthday, so the wife and I will take the day off and find some grand amusements. We'll be in NYC for the 2nd week of his break. I'll write more about that later.