Yesterday, I saw my beloved Chargers once again fall short of winning it all. It’s nothing new as they have never ended the post-season winning. My friend Marilyn, at whose house we watched the game, is a longtime Steelers fan. She turned to me afterward and said, “I know how you feel.” I had to correct her and say, “No, you don’t, because your team has won the Super Bowl.” Unless you are a Titans, Panthers, Falcons, or Seahawks fan you don’t know how I feel. Each of these teams have made one appearance in the Super Bowl and lost. On the other hand, I have no idea how fans of the Bills, Vikings, Bengals, or Eagles feel as they have been multiple times without winning it all. Then there are the fans of the Browns, Jaguars, Texans, Lions, Saints, and Cardinals that have never even been to the Super Bowl. Besides being a Steelers fan, she also roots for the 49ers which hardly seems fair since they have 10 Super Bowls wins between them. Every team in the AFC West has won a Super Bowl and a couple have won it twice while my Chargers have yet to win the big one. I appreciate the sympathy, but to be a fan of the Chargers is to know what it means to never win it all. I remember in the 90s hoping I would live long enough to see them make it there. They did and were smashed by the 49ers. Now I hope that before I draw my last, I will see the Lombardi trophy hoisted by my team since the days of Dan Fouts and Air Coryell, the San Diego Chargers.
Reflecting on years past.
A new year is always a great time to look forward and think on years past. In 1969, I was the baby of the family until October when my younger brother came on the scene. In 1979, I was in middle school and trying my best to be cool. In 1989, I was in the last year in the Army and engaged to Renee. In 1999, I had just finished with my degree at Oral Roberts and working at Walmart doing overnight stocking while working part-time as a web designer. That brings us to 2009 and it is amazing how I am back working in Barstow, a town I desperately wanted to escape as a teenager. I have been married to Renee 19 years next month. Twenty years after leaving the Army, I work as a contractor overseeing environmental websites for them. I don’t know what the next 10 years will bring, but I know in whom I trust. Thanks Lord for an amazing adventure filled with friends, family, a variety of locations, and your everlasting, unconditional love.
Yelling at the TV….
This time of year you can always here me yelling at the TV for one reason or another. This weekend, I was yelling at the referee’s call in the San Diego-Denver game that gave what was clearly a fumble back to Denver helping decide the outcome of the game. I really enjoy watching the Chargers play, but I hate watching them lose. At least the Angels are giving me plenty to cheer for right now.
The verdict is in….
Yesterday was a trip to the eye doctor and the doctor concluded that I need two pairs of glasses. I could have gone with bifocals, but tipping my head back and forth in front of the PC all day did not sound appealing. So instead, I will have my computer/reading glasses and prescription sunglasses for driving(distance). Losing my hair didn’t make me feel old as I began losing it in my 20s. Getting gray hair didn’t make me feel old as I saw that as just getting wiser. Having to switch to glasses after never having worn them my whole life, makes me feel old. I know most people that have worn them their whole life have no sympathy for me. Twenty plus years of staring at computer screens has finally caught up to me.
Olympic Rant!
I enjoy watching the Olympics and have always been a fan. I saw the torch relay in 84 and 02 and attended the Olympics in 92 in Barcelona. That said, I hate that NBC refuses to show the big ticket events live on the West coast. I have been watching ESPN News to see results right after the events finish. Unfortunately, NBC feels we aren’t worth showing it live. Not even the record breaking 8th gold medal event by Michael Phelps was shown live. Instead, we wait 3 hours to see a race that I already know the result of. Shameful! Take down the stupid LIVE logo and quit telling me “Coming up live” Bob Costas, because it’s a lie.
What a night to be a Laker fan! – Part 2
OK. So the season is over now after a beatdown of the Lakers by the Celtics. That was the worst I have seen the Lakers get beat in a playoff. It wasn’t even close. So now its time to turn to baseball and hey at least the Angles won last night.
After the massacre had ended, we went out to the movies. Tuesdays is $5 night after all. We went to see The Incredible Hulk. This was a much better movie than the disaster a few years back. It had the right blend of the TV show and the original comic plus the required cameo by Stan Lee. It also had Lou Ferrigno as a security guard and a clip of the Courtship of Eddie’s Father with Bill Bixby in it. Nice to see a nod to the TV show which also had the theme song and the Lonely Man piano song also. The Iron Man tie in and Avengers tease was nice too. Great action and pacing so I liked it.
Next up: Hellboy II(per Jesse) & Batman: The Dark Night!
RANT! – What a night to be a Laker fan!
I haven’t had my enthusiasm for the Lakers swing so much in a single game as last night’s loss to the dreaded Celtics. I went from mountain top high after a great first half having watched the Lakers dominate Boston. In the end, I was left wondering why I even cheer for the Lakers. I grew up in Southern California cheering on the great Lakers teams of the 80s and was thrilled when they won 3 titles in a row at the turn of this century. What drag to watch them fold in the second half and watch the Celtics celebrate. I just hope they can make Boston celebrate on their own floor by at least winning on Sunday and sending the series back to Boston.
Beachfront property?
Yesterday, the doom and gloom prognosticators were at it again declaring we were due for a big earthquake. It seems every few years they describe how bad Southern California will be damaged and how many people will be killed. Yes, we do live in earthquake country, but sometimes these people are making these predictions to promote themselves or their own agendas. I saw the same guy on every station making the same predictions. Smiling and telling all of us how bad it will be when the “BIG ONE” hits. I grew up hearing about the BIG ONE over and over along with how there was enough nuclear weapons to blow the world up several times. Why does the media feel it is necessary to scare people? I have no problem with emergency preparedness, but please don’t try and scare people to make your point. I know in whom I place my trust and its not the doomsayers.
On a side note, it did look like we were at the beach here this morning as clouds rolled in and it drizzled. Reminds me of being in San Diego waiting for the morning clouds to burn off.
Digital, we don’t need no stinking digital (Weird Barstow News..sort of)
When the rest of the US switches to digital tv in 2009, the high desert around Barstow will keep its analog signal and rabbit ears. Who needs progress? Not Barstow.
RANT WARNING!!! – Down, but not out!
As some of you close to us know, about a year and a half ago, we experienced some major change in our lives due to both of us being terminated from the same employer within months of each other. The long short of it is that we appealed to a “State” agency for help clearing our names and reputations. The employer was able to convince the agency that we were no good, lying employees that deserved what we got. Yesterday, we received the final correspondence from the agency telling us we have hit the end of the process. Needless to say, I was a bit hurt to know that a good reputation and job history can be tarnished so easily, and holding an employer accountable for false accusations so hard. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad to be working where I am. I am making more money and being treated with respect, while the former employer is now in turmoil as its leader is on administrative leave. Part of me wants to gloat over that, while another part prays that they see what they have put us through and change. We may have been down as a result of what happened, but we were not out and better things are ahead for us. Our future is brighter than our past.