Another update.

Listened to the game tonight, another losing game. Winnipeg is a really strong team this year and at least we got one run off them. It's still so much nicer for them to win. Tomorrow is their last game, at 1:30. It would be nice if they could at least go out and play well. I think they have just lost their faith or something. I guess reality probably sinks in for them that it doesn't matter now if they win or lose. Given that, they should just relax and have a good time.

During the game C-bob and I went out and enjoyed the cool weather and played some catch. I haven't played catch in awhile so it was nice. I just hope I didn't overdue it or anything, not that we really do that much. I still have to get my writing done for the night and my arms are already a bit tired. Oh well, such is life, and I'll try not to complain.

Not sure what I'm going to do once the games are over, I have become so used to having them to listen to. I guess I'll figure out other things to do, like reading or playing video games. Wholesome activities like that.

Blogs I read..

I thought I would take some time to list some of the other blogs that I regularly read... these are in no particular order, but I thought I would share.

C-bob's Rant
What's Wrong With That Boy
Mercuryfrog's Blog
Manda's Blog
Jax's LiveJournal
Bri's LiveJournal
Oreos and M&Ms
Ramblings of an Average White Guy
Radical Wit
Technicolor Day

*grin*

I am grinning like crazy now with what I have done. I knew I could do it. I have to remember this feeling, so that I know what it means to truly do what I love. I wanted to post about this so that tomorrow, when I wake up, I remember that it was real. Hi me, you are real!

(ow.. fingers.... )

Tired

I just wrote something shy of 10 and a half pages, double spaced and I'm tired now. Part of me wants to keep going but part of me is rejecting the whole idea. The thing is that right now, no matter how tired I am, I'm not going to sleep. My brain is cranked up and won't settle down quickly. I should probably go drink so tea and maybe check out what's on late night TV, but by now I doubt I even have any stations left to watch.

In total number of words I'm only at 3,633. It's not a column really, but more of a rambling free write. I think my new rule now is 10 pages of free writing a night, no matter what. For those of you that may not know, a free write is when you just let yourself type whatever you are thinking and you just keep going. You shouldn't go back to correct spelling or grammar and you should never delete a sentence. These can be as free flowing and formless as you want them to be. But freewrites are where ideas are born. I think I have pumped out a good idea to run with when I get the energy to do so. I think the freewrites will be good exercise and help me feel like I am doing this as a job. Don't expect to be able to read the freewrites though, these are for me and me alone.

If you are ever feeling bored or in a some what thoughtful frame of mind, you should try this. All you need is a piece of paper and a pen, or a computer or whatever you like to write with. Then you just start writing and don't stop until you meet a certain goal. You can do number of pages, number of words or just an amount of time. Even 5 minutes every now and then can help you sort out your thoughts. Don't be afraid about complete sentences, grammar, spelling or anything of that. That's not what a freewrite is about. A freewrite, just as it's called, is about being free. I would love to hear if any of you try this and what you think.

Now I am really exhausted and frankly, my fingers are screaming at me to stop typing. This is just something they will have to get used to with time though. Peace!

Oh the lines..

the lines they run together.

Sometimes when I read things, the lines tend to run together into one crazy sentence.. like what I read just now, according to my brain...

"California drivers deal with shark attacks."

No, it wasn't simply thing driver instead of diver... the articles in question:
• Drivers face Labor Day jams, gas prices
• California deals with shark attack, sightings

Silly brain.

End game..

It's so hard to write about the team when they lose games, especially when it's caused by their own errors. The game was going great, both sides playing great, up until the 5th inning. For some reason all season the Dogs have been having terrible problems with infield pop-ups. It has happened four times now, that I know of, where they simply don't get the ball called and let it drop between a bunch of them. Come on guys, this is a basic little league play and everyone knows it. You are a team and should really work to play like one. Baseball is a team sport made up of individuals that have to work together to achieve a goal. Play tight and you win tight. I think the team needs someone in the infield as a leader, and from what I've read about the sport, this should probably fall to the catcher in some cases. Failing that, all players need to learn their territory and assist only when needed. They should long know by now who's going to cover a pop-fly in certain areas, it's fundamental. So with that error they seemed to lose all heart and Winnipeg took complete advantage of it. Winnipeg hammered away 5 runs and we never got a chance to catch up. I understand that losing is part of the game, but it seems that things could go better if the team was a bit more together.

After the game, C-bob and I went to Barnes and looked around but didn't buy anything. An idea we have been toying with was better lofted while we walked around. We both have an interest in going to away games next summer and I'm thinking that a book about the adventure would be a great read for anyone that really loves the Northern League and maybe even baseball in general. On C-bob's suggestion, we can use the off-season to really gear up on the history of the league and learn about the players. Then we can embark on the journey and create the book. I think pictures and everything would make it a wonderful way to record the experience.

Quandary...

Go to the store now or stay home? I should probably go, I only need a few things, mainly bread, and if I go now I'll be home in time for the game. I know I'm addicted, I except that now, but there are only 3 more games left, and I'm not planning on missing any of them.

I have decided that I can crank out a really good column once a week for sure, but maybe even twice a week. Sometimes I wonder what I could write if I really took the time to do it. One of two things will happen though, it will either get better or get worse. The reason it might get worse is that I could over analyze every word and make it seem perfect. I'm not trying to imply that my writing is perfect in anyway, but it's like over mixed music, you can just tell that there's something too perfect about it. Things in life aren't meant to be perfect.

There we go.. finally!

I finally did it! I wrote, edited and rewrote my first column tonight. I call this my first column because, unlike the others, this one is actually edited and rewritten. Please go read it, I plan on really getting these things written out, and well now.

The Quarkstar Journal

Another post..

Still not much to post about from my world but here we go anyway. Went to Best Buy earlier and got a new game, Slugfest 2003, and a DVD. I used up my gift certificate but now I have a couple new things to play with/watch. Had Wendy's for dinner, wasn't quite what I wanted, but it was on the way home and it was alright.

Listened to the Saltdogs play in Fargo on the radio tonight. They lost 1-0 in what was one of the faster games I have listened to and certainly the fastest game in the series. The last couple nights the games have been lasting until way after 10. Both sides played well, the pitching was great on both sides. Apparently the last strike call on DD probably should have been a ball, giving him the base instead of ending the game. DD wasn't very happy and I'm sure a lot of other people are not either. It's a shame really, because they are saying it was a make-up call for a bad call made earlier in the game, but that seems very unfair. Oh well, three more games in Winnipeg to listen to this weekend and then the season is over. I'm not really expecting the Dogs to win, but if they go out and play their best, that will make me happy.

Well, I think I'm gonna go try out this new game, have fun everyone!

Hello

I really have nothing to type up for an entry right now but it's become such a habit for me that I felt I had to come in here and at least mark that today existed. I am planning on going to Best Buy here soon and probably figure out what I want to do about dinner. Wish I had other news to report, but I really don't. Have a good evening all!

Stuff

Listened to the Saltdog's game tonight, they didn't end up winning, but the game was really good on both sides. There were a few groaning errors but they happened on both sides, so I guess it evens out.

It's kind of odd now, since school has started again and people are busy with that and work, I haven't really been talking to some people much. I think that's the weirdest apart about my not having a job or doing classes, the lack of human interaction. I'm probably going to lose all verbal skills and regress to some form of grunting and pointing. I will still be able to type though.

Nothing exciting to type so I'm gonna let you all go home early.

Comments..

The place that hosts my comments link seems to be having server load issues. I'm not sure when the comments thing will be back, but hopefully soon. Until then, you can always email me comments or post them to the message board.

Evenin'

Today was a pretty good day overall. I went to the library and got some new books so I have plenty to read now. I worked some on a new story idea I'm messing around with. I think I may have hit on a good subject but now I need to play around with it to see how it's going to fit. Need to decide the angles and character plotting, things like that.

Listened to the Saltdog's beat the snot out of Fargo-Moorhead tonight. It was great that Ira Smith was able to hit a homerun since he is retiring. Warner and JP both hit homeruns, this is good for Warner because he now leads the league in number of homeruns at 16. There were some great plays and the game was really well played out by both teams. Only 5 more games left this season, then it's 9-months of waiting for next season.

Went to HyVee after the game and finally bought some food so I can have meals again. It's nice to have some food choices other than bread with margarine on it or canned fruit.

I have a package waiting for me at the post office but I'm pretty sure I know what it is. I also made a sale on half.com today, so I need to get that sent off at the same time. I have to drive down to the downtown post office which I'm not really looking forward to, but I'm sure I'll live. I really need to get some more stuff listed and sold. It's not a bad way to make a little extra money.

I've decided to space out my errands over the week rather than do them all in one day so that I have at least something to do each day. It just seems best to keep having something to mark the passage of time by and what not. I think I am really moving into my new sleeping schedule now. It's slipping now to me being awake later and later and sleeping until about noon or 1. My meal schedule is all messed up now though, but it doesn't really matter too much. I wonder if the guy downstairs has noticed.

Research

Maybe I should get a job doing research, I actually seem to enjoy it. It's like having this big puzzle and piecing together scattered pieces of information to try and form a concise story or event. I am becoming very good at finding information on the Internet, there isn't much out there that I can't find. So if anyone needs some research help, let me know, my rates are competitive.

3 Things People Don't Know About Me

This was on Jax-tor's Livejournal, so I'm porting in over here..

1. I never actually earned all the requirements needed to graduate from high school but thanks to an error, I graduated anyway.
2. I was going to major in French when I started college and I took 2 years of college level French my freshman year by taking intensive courses. I can still read French to an extent.
3. I used to be in a co-ed fraternity.

Home again

I spent most of the day at my parent's house, making good use of their washer and dryer plus I made sure the cable TV was still working. Went out to dinner with the family to Valentino's Grand Italian Buffet. Lots of food and lots of soda for me. I have been really obsessed with soda recently and I think that was the best part of the whole meal for me. The food wasn't bad so all in all, it was a good time.

Watched a baseball game on TV and started wishing I still had cable, since I can't get any games to watch now. I'm thinking about getting a baseball game with my best buy gc, but I have to figure out which one I want.

That's about all from camp GD. Peace.

Morning??

I'm confused, what in the world is going on? I forgot what mornings feel like. I have no idea why I'm awake or how long it's going to last. I didn't even go to bed until almost 3, and then I didn't actually really sleep up until almost 5. Then I woke up around 6:45 and had something to eat. Now I am awake and I have no explanation for it. I think I'm tired, but, I don't feel sleep coming on.

I don't have much on the agenda for today except some laundry and probably dinner with the family. They still owe me the family birthday dinner. It's tradition in my family to all go out to dinner, or eat in, for someone's birthday. The birthday person always has to choose where we go or what we have to eat. I'm thinking something along the lines of pizza would be pretty awesome. Mmm.. pizza.

Post-Birthday Wrap-up

Wooo.. I survived my birthday, go me!!

Ok, first off met up with Susan, Nick, Sheri, Tony, Nate, Kelly and C-bob at Buzzard Billy's for some Cajun food around 2:30. I had the Bayou Platter which was red beans and rice, gumbo, blackened chicken breast and hush puppies. I liked the red beans and rice a lot, the gumbo wasn't bad and the chicken was chicken. I've never really liked hush puppies but I tried theirs anyway, it was ok but I only ate a bite out of one of them. Because it was my birthday I got a free meal, drink (non-alcoholic) and dessert. I had the bread pudding for dessert and it came on a sizzling platter thing, so that was cool. Susan and Nick got the bananas foster which they make right at the table, complete with flamage. They also don't sing to you on your birthday, so that was nice.

After food, said good bye to Sheri and Tony and the rest of us headed over to the last Saltdogs' home game of the season. Sadly they didn't end up winning, they gave away 4 runs in the first inning and the end score was 6-5, but it wasn't so bad. They started getting back into playing but they just couldn't keep it going. It hurt that in the 9th inning they started at the bottom of the lineup, and just couldn't get any good hits. JP was back playing tonight but Smitty didn't play, they had the other catcher playing. It was probably nice for him to get the break, unless he really wanted to play.

We bought berm/GA tickets (Susan and Nick paid for mine) but we ended up sitting in the section we normally sit in, by my brother, which I'm sure he was thrilled about. Before the game started, C-bob and I went down front and collected autographs from some of the players. I had them sign the baseball I bought awhile back, and now it's sitting on my entertainment center. Getting the autographs wasn't actually as weird as I thought it would be. They seem really used to signing stuff and what not. Maybe I'll try and take an picture of the ball and post it, that way everyone can see. :) Also during the 2 inning they did the birthday announcements and I got my name on the board, go me!

I do have a bunch of picture from the day that both c-bob and I took with my digital camera. I had so much room on there that I started taking some action shots to see if I could get anything cool. I haven't moved them over yet from the camera or done any editing on them, but I will probably post a few of the good ones here.

After the game we went to the Dugout, which is this family bar place where people and some players go after the game. Only saw JP there but didn't talk to him, someone else was coming in when we left, but I couldn't figure out who it was. JP is one of those guys that the girls all hit on and stuff, he seemed to be enjoying that, but he's a guy, so it's not his fault. I got a free drink there though since it was my birthday. C-bob and I played shuffleboard, and C-bob won but I couldn't really remember the rules, so if we go again, I'll look them up first. It is a fun game, if you know what you are doing. Actually, it was pretty fun even when I didn't know what we were doing.

Ok, I also got presents today, woo. C-bob got me a program at the game, which is awesome. Nate and Kelly got me a gift certificate to Best Buy, some popcorn and a chocolate bar. We ate the chocolate bar at the restaurant because it would have melted while we were at the game. Susan and Nick gave me two 10 packs of capri-sun, fruit punch and wild cherry and they bought my ticket to the game. All in all, it was a great game, but I'm tired. I have pictures to get edited and what not. Thanks everyone for making my birthday so great!

Birthday!!

So it is now officially the day of my birth, central time anyway. I was actually born around 8 AM but it's my birthday now. Go me!

Also, in case I get to busy tomorrow, Happy Anniversary Merc and Ong!! One year! WTG!!

Now for the evening update, went to the baseball game, they won again and it was pretty good. JP was gone at some wedding thing so the new guy John Rodgers was playing 3rd. He was alright but almost too eager to do well to the point that he kept screwing up sometimes. The Saltdogs really need to learn to trust each other as a team and learn how to call the freakin ball when it should be an easy pop-up catch. Twice tonight they blew that. Sheesh.

There were cool fireworks after the game and we watched the little kids run the bases. Those little kids were pretty cute.

I'm tired and I got stuff going on tomorrow, what with it being my birthday and all. I'll recap it all later, probably even with pictures!! Ooo.. pictures.