1.28.2009

Li'l Bitta' Sumthin' Happnin'?

Who knows. Either way, Vicky and I bought a car on Friday... 2007 Dodge Caliber. This was really the first hurdle in our move to L.A. Pretty sweet car. Pretty good deal. 'Nuff said.

So I told myself I wasn't going to get excited about baseball in any way this year. A few factors came into play when making this prediction. Not only was the end to the Cubs' season one of the most maddening things ever, but my decision to move to L.A. during the MSBL season has made the possibility of not playing a probability. However. The bug (as usual) hit me this week as the date for spring training approaches and a couple of coworkers began asking about when we were all going to go train together in Bridgeview...

Ugh. I think I'll play this year, until mid-June, anyway. I just find the game so much fun again. I can really think of only a few things that make me more happy and content than playing ball. My stats were damn good last year for being a full-time catcher again for the first time since senior year of high school. .436 avg, .565 obp, .638 slg, 21 RBIs. Pretty good. Just need to get into a little better shape over the next week or so and then focus on strengthening my arms, legs and core and I'll be set to have an fun season.

Not to mention the fact that I'll be insured again. Glad I've gotten that taken care of.

Now Playing: Blackhawks Post Game Live.

1.19.2009

Old Mixes and Late Nights...

I really need to start getting back into the routine of getting to bed at a respectable hour and thereby waking at an early one as well. All this staying up til 3 am for no reason is taking it's toll on the amount of things I can get done in a day.

Oh fuck I didn't do that shot list I was supposed to...

Y'know what I DID do though? Read the Achewood wedding story arc from last summer. So awesome. Especially when you're way too involved in it like I am. Reading that thread got me thinking about my eventual wedding as well as the weddings I have already taken part in. I imagine my wedding being sort of a mix between Steve's and Blaszczyk's. Steve had a nice, chill (albeit still religi-fied) ceremony that wasn't too stressful on the nerves in regards to fucking up the entrance or where I needed to stand, etc... And Blaszczyk's reception was, to quote a number of patrons, 'off the hook.' It was a crazy-fun bash where people stopped caring about anything other than celebrating the married folk and having a gay-old-time.

I do not want religion to be a part of my wedding nor do I want the scrutiny of the church to rule my special day. However. I understand that I come from a very religion-oriented family and that Vicky (damn this is in the realm of 'hell of presumptuous') also has religion in her family. I think that both parties are the kind of people that would be the 'more about us' types which is golden. There is also the little known fact that I love churches. The structures themselves. They are frickin' marvels of architecture (most of the time). There is so much inherent beauty in the buildings on the whole that I would love to bind myself to my future wife in the presence of such beauty. Unfortunately, I don't think that 'the church' (I speak now of the organization/conglomoration here) would much approve of me asking "all people in the business of religion to please step outside for a while while we do our thing." Just not gonna happen.

It is a foregone conclusion that my wedding will be here in Chicago, even if I am residing in L.A. (or elsewhere) at the time. This city is my home and always will be. It brought me up, taught me to be who and what I am and is frankly, the best fucking city west of the Atlantic and East of the Pacific. True. I am kinda leaning towards an autumn wedding becuase it is my favorite season in the main which would dictate the possibility of requiring an in-doors type of ceremony (although I still would prefer to be outside, in the glorious presence of nature and in full view of a sky). I have not thought much yet on what type of surroundings I would like. Not important yet.

In my experience in wedding parties over the last couple years, I have noticed there is usually an average of 5 men that will stand at my side, supporting me and making sure I don't run off or something like that. They are usually four of my dudes in the main and one rep from the Bride's family/closeness. I know it is, of course, up to me and all, but that sounds reasonable for this guy. As for my four main dudes my brother is a clear-cut first and only choice for Best Man. We grew up together and known eachother since an age ago or so and complete each other's sentances and such. There is no one I would rather have support me at that moment of moments than him. A close second is Steve. We're buds since old times and witnessing his transformation into the guy he is today from where he was just a few years ago is pretty cool to me and I know that he sometimes thinks the same about me. I would ask Blaszczyk not because he fulfilled his side of our arrangement as kids that we would be in each other's wedding but because though we have had long periods where we don't see or hear from each other over the years, when we do see each other, it's like we didn't miss a beat. There is a trust and a bond there that is not really acceptably describable between dudes. There is one spot for a man from my Bride's closeness and one spot left for me. There are choices. Many of which depend on what happens between now and the Nth of Month, ???? (wedding).

I am a man who enjoys a good meal. I am not a chef (despite my huge respect for them) and have no reservations to a simple meal that consists of simple choices. No 'Hudson Valley Duck Breast with Basque Peach Chutney and Yuzu Vinagrette' before a 'Duet of Mycenaean Beef and Welsh Lobster.' I will place my trust in the mighty fine Chef Ted Przybylo at the White Eagle. It is basically the one certain in this increasingly hypothetical wedding - that my reception will be an all-out drunken bash at the place where I have the second most memories of my life. I always had an affinity for the Althea room but would probably go with my second choice - the Victoria room because of size. As another assumption, there will be a fuck-ton of people at my wedding reception.

Matt will be in charge of music. Whatev. He knows this. The books would be an excellent band to play my wedding. If he cannot get them, I know he will land either the New Pornographers or the Shins (to whom I am currently listening!). J/k, obviously. An iPod with an excellent playlist will suffice.

All this said, I am quite sleepy. Heh heh. Leave it to planning a wedding to put a guy to sleep.

I'll tell you about my old mixes tomorrow. It's a good st-... Well, it's a story.

Now Playing: Sufjan Stevens - "Holland"

1.11.2009

Tommib...

I don't know what it is about that song (by Squarepusher, fyi) that always makes me want to blog. It's like clock-work. Hell, anything on that damn mix makes me want to emote. I can't listen to Nick Drake's "Northern Sky" without getting all soft on the insides.

Speaking of soft mid-sections, I have lost a little bit of weight in the past two weeks and I am hoping to keep it up (or down?). An hour or so on the bike everyday compounded with my New Year's resolution to NOT drink beer or eat fast food I suppose helps. I think I am addicted now, though. Yesterday was my 'I-AM-TAKING-A-DAY-OFF-FROM-THIS' day because of the shoveling (over a foot of snow in one day... WHAT THE HELL, NATURE?) and the fact that a week on the bike has caused my knees to cry at the sight of any wheel or wheel-like motion and after only one day off my brain is telling my body it is too large.

*Sigh*

On the new car front...

I think I am too close to buying one. This all happened by accident. I found some perfect fits for Vicky and I through a used car website and they required me to get the price VIA EMAIL. I was either too tired or gullible to notice it was just a way for dealerships to get your info because the next morning (Saturday, mind you) I got 4 phone calls from local dealerships asking me to come in for a test drive.

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Okay. Just spent the last few hours planning our day tomorrow with Vicky as well as our trip to L.A. this spring break to scout out places to live/cars/jobs etc... Now I need to sleep before finishing this for real.

Oh, BTW, I also just spent a ridiculous amount of time rebuilding some old mixes so I could get them on my iPod... Ugh...

Now Playing: Squarepusher - "Tommib"