Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.02.21
Current Song - One Night in Bangkok (Murray Head)
I'm a skilled chess player.
No, not the chess with kings and queens and rooks and knights and pawns. The OTHER kind of chess.
Yeah, THAT kind of chess.
Don't mess with me. There's no more eating me alive anymore. There's no more pushing me aside so you can get what you want. There's no more weaseling your way around me. Try to, and you'll feel it, literally. My shields are up and I'm on red alert.
The first step in making sure I actually survive and not get pushed around is indefinately ceasing blog entries on here. That way, in order to read my mind, you'll have to do more than just see what I'm writing about.
Tough.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Things That Annoy Me
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.91.21
Current Song - My City Was Gone (The Pretenders)
Having worked with the public for nearly five years at gas stations, I have seen people from all walks of life. Likewise, there are many things that annoy me about certain people and certain things. I'm someone who tries to figure out the world around me, apparently since I'm stuck in my own.
People will do these things, and I have to quietly ask myself "WHY?" or end up slapping my hand on my forehead. These are pet peeves and more than them.
These are things that annoy me. I have a short list, and you can complete it. Maybe we can understand what gives for all of these, and all of yours (in a "trading post" fashion).
These are things that annoy me:
1. People who look at this list and proceed to say or do something on this list to see how I will react. My condition makes me very vulnerable to teasing, and I don't like it.
2. People walking inside during the winter and saying that it's cold outside. Well, DUH!!! It's not a conversation piece anymore, it's meant to make you feel better. Cut the puppy eyes.
3. People that pronounce "pennies" like "pEEnEEs" or "pinees." They're probably obsolete, but quit making them seem cute. The first part of the word "pennies" is "pen," which is pronounced with a schwa (the upside down 'e').
4. They are GIFT cards, not GAS cards. So much for the "special" part of the present.
5. People who refuse to buy the Dixon Telegraph if there are no Sterling Gazettes left. The same stories are in the two papers, just three or four pages off. If this bothers you, it tells me you have little patience.
6. People who see an "Out of Order" sign, and then ask if it's out of order.
7. When a discription of a complaint has a TON of "I"s, "me"s and "my"s. The first person isn't going to solve the problem, it's just going to solve YOUR problem. So much for "making a difference."
8. When there are not enough parking spaces to accomodate a crowd. There's a particular basketball game I attend every two years at this location. It's been going on for nearly 100 years. What's worse is when you're forced to park in a business's parking lot DOWNHILL from the building, and have to walk up it and then down it. Bonus points: Name the school.
9. I've never fully understood the infatuation with Copenhagen Snuff chewing tobacco. Apparently it's fresh until it's coming right from the assembly line right after canning? Send it to the warehouse, and apparently it's stale? So it nerves me to hear about stale Copenhagen. Yet, the company can't seem to make a product that lasts?
10. When there are no rosters at the door at high school sports contests. Tournaments I understand, but when it's two teams going against each other how are we supposed to know who is who? The PA isn't enough.
11. Black Friday clerks asking you whether or not you'd like to apply for their shopping card, or talk about some special offer. Take this garbage talk out and the lines would move more, and perhaps Friday will be less "black."
12. Those who can't figure out the difference between a school's "conference" and "division."
13. Wrestling fans who cringe when they hear the word "basketball." You don't hear basketball fans cringe when they hear "wrestling."
14. Bill facing. Period. When a single is turned over, folded, or slightly tilted, it's still a one-dollar bill.
15. The Northern Illinois Big 12 bowling and golf scoring formats. Bowling is scored on individual vs. individual, while the conference golf tournament is composed of "conference points" rather than the performance at the tournament. Is it really that necessary to be unique? It's like you're demanding attention.
16. People announcing to me the price of the item at another store. What do you want me to do about it? Another thing about that: are we high, or are they low?
17. "Call it both ways!" (My high school sports peeps don't need an explanation on this one.)
18. I have not, and will not, buy a Garmin, Tom Tom or any other GPS system. That being said, I can't stand people who drive while using the system as the only means of navigation, and not looking at the signs posted.
19. (feel free to comment to add to this list)
Current Song - My City Was Gone (The Pretenders)
Having worked with the public for nearly five years at gas stations, I have seen people from all walks of life. Likewise, there are many things that annoy me about certain people and certain things. I'm someone who tries to figure out the world around me, apparently since I'm stuck in my own.
People will do these things, and I have to quietly ask myself "WHY?" or end up slapping my hand on my forehead. These are pet peeves and more than them.
These are things that annoy me. I have a short list, and you can complete it. Maybe we can understand what gives for all of these, and all of yours (in a "trading post" fashion).
These are things that annoy me:
1. People who look at this list and proceed to say or do something on this list to see how I will react. My condition makes me very vulnerable to teasing, and I don't like it.
2. People walking inside during the winter and saying that it's cold outside. Well, DUH!!! It's not a conversation piece anymore, it's meant to make you feel better. Cut the puppy eyes.
3. People that pronounce "pennies" like "pEEnEEs" or "pinees." They're probably obsolete, but quit making them seem cute. The first part of the word "pennies" is "pen," which is pronounced with a schwa (the upside down 'e').
4. They are GIFT cards, not GAS cards. So much for the "special" part of the present.
5. People who refuse to buy the Dixon Telegraph if there are no Sterling Gazettes left. The same stories are in the two papers, just three or four pages off. If this bothers you, it tells me you have little patience.
6. People who see an "Out of Order" sign, and then ask if it's out of order.
7. When a discription of a complaint has a TON of "I"s, "me"s and "my"s. The first person isn't going to solve the problem, it's just going to solve YOUR problem. So much for "making a difference."
8. When there are not enough parking spaces to accomodate a crowd. There's a particular basketball game I attend every two years at this location. It's been going on for nearly 100 years. What's worse is when you're forced to park in a business's parking lot DOWNHILL from the building, and have to walk up it and then down it. Bonus points: Name the school.
9. I've never fully understood the infatuation with Copenhagen Snuff chewing tobacco. Apparently it's fresh until it's coming right from the assembly line right after canning? Send it to the warehouse, and apparently it's stale? So it nerves me to hear about stale Copenhagen. Yet, the company can't seem to make a product that lasts?
10. When there are no rosters at the door at high school sports contests. Tournaments I understand, but when it's two teams going against each other how are we supposed to know who is who? The PA isn't enough.
11. Black Friday clerks asking you whether or not you'd like to apply for their shopping card, or talk about some special offer. Take this garbage talk out and the lines would move more, and perhaps Friday will be less "black."
12. Those who can't figure out the difference between a school's "conference" and "division."
13. Wrestling fans who cringe when they hear the word "basketball." You don't hear basketball fans cringe when they hear "wrestling."
14. Bill facing. Period. When a single is turned over, folded, or slightly tilted, it's still a one-dollar bill.
15. The Northern Illinois Big 12 bowling and golf scoring formats. Bowling is scored on individual vs. individual, while the conference golf tournament is composed of "conference points" rather than the performance at the tournament. Is it really that necessary to be unique? It's like you're demanding attention.
16. People announcing to me the price of the item at another store. What do you want me to do about it? Another thing about that: are we high, or are they low?
17. "Call it both ways!" (My high school sports peeps don't need an explanation on this one.)
18. I have not, and will not, buy a Garmin, Tom Tom or any other GPS system. That being said, I can't stand people who drive while using the system as the only means of navigation, and not looking at the signs posted.
19. (feel free to comment to add to this list)
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Vacation Planning
Cutter's Log - Supplemental
I have asked for Dec. 26 though Jan. 2 off of work. I haven't really planned any "trip," like the one I spent this past spring when I went to Cooperstown and Canton. A real "trip" will be made the week after state basketball is done.
There will be one day of interruption, as December 30 is the final day of the Warkins Cardinals Classic boys basketball tournament in Erie. I have covered the final day for the past four years. I don't plan on changing the annual commitment anytime soon.
Simply put, I'm looking for more of a getaway from the 26th to the 29th: staying overnight somewhere on the 26th, 27th and 28th to return on the 29th and stay at home. I've been to Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Indy, St. Louis, all within a day's drive from Sterling. I'm still thinking about where to go. Or even perhaps somewhere small with a good Christmas Tournament? I'm still thinking about where to go.
The day after Warkins is New Year's Eve. For the past four years I've spent this night working. Not anymore. Before then I stayed home and one year was spent at the grandparents' house. Rather than spending the night somewhere, I'd rather drive back in the wee hours of the morning.
So I'm looking for somewhere to spend midnight at. Chicago? Milwaukee? Indy? St. Louis? Elsewhere???? I'm looking for suggestions.
I have asked for Dec. 26 though Jan. 2 off of work. I haven't really planned any "trip," like the one I spent this past spring when I went to Cooperstown and Canton. A real "trip" will be made the week after state basketball is done.
There will be one day of interruption, as December 30 is the final day of the Warkins Cardinals Classic boys basketball tournament in Erie. I have covered the final day for the past four years. I don't plan on changing the annual commitment anytime soon.
Simply put, I'm looking for more of a getaway from the 26th to the 29th: staying overnight somewhere on the 26th, 27th and 28th to return on the 29th and stay at home. I've been to Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Indy, St. Louis, all within a day's drive from Sterling. I'm still thinking about where to go. Or even perhaps somewhere small with a good Christmas Tournament? I'm still thinking about where to go.
The day after Warkins is New Year's Eve. For the past four years I've spent this night working. Not anymore. Before then I stayed home and one year was spent at the grandparents' house. Rather than spending the night somewhere, I'd rather drive back in the wee hours of the morning.
So I'm looking for somewhere to spend midnight at. Chicago? Milwaukee? Indy? St. Louis? Elsewhere???? I'm looking for suggestions.
The Great Migration? Yeah Right
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.61.21
Current Song - nWo Theme
My one-year study on the effects of the Great Migration of the NISB boards is complete.
My findings show that, in terms of overall coverage area geography, message board posts have been confined to a smaller location. Posts from outside this location have seen a dropoff. Furthermore, posts from veteran message board posters have dropped off.
What was promised from this Great Migration was the expansion of traffic on the message boards with the new postings next to the usual postings. Well, the usual postings have been nowhere to be found. This wasn't what I thought would happen. The mood has changed, and it's changed for the worse.
The message board is something that I've tried to make something different than the label that they are used to: a sewer of negativity. I've imagined a place where coaches and players of these teams can even wander around without feeling frightened about certain posts. There's too much fright going on in the past year. That very fright is preventing the full geographical representation from appearing. It's exactly what I feared, and hoped wouldn't happen. Well, it's happened.
The Board in the past year, and even the website to a certain degree, has seen a rise in avoidance. The increased website traffic presence from the southeast corner, thanks to my three contributors, is keeping it afloat. So, why it is missing from the Message Boards?
So, time to get out the old flyers and do something about it.
Current Song - nWo Theme
My one-year study on the effects of the Great Migration of the NISB boards is complete.
My findings show that, in terms of overall coverage area geography, message board posts have been confined to a smaller location. Posts from outside this location have seen a dropoff. Furthermore, posts from veteran message board posters have dropped off.
What was promised from this Great Migration was the expansion of traffic on the message boards with the new postings next to the usual postings. Well, the usual postings have been nowhere to be found. This wasn't what I thought would happen. The mood has changed, and it's changed for the worse.
The message board is something that I've tried to make something different than the label that they are used to: a sewer of negativity. I've imagined a place where coaches and players of these teams can even wander around without feeling frightened about certain posts. There's too much fright going on in the past year. That very fright is preventing the full geographical representation from appearing. It's exactly what I feared, and hoped wouldn't happen. Well, it's happened.
The Board in the past year, and even the website to a certain degree, has seen a rise in avoidance. The increased website traffic presence from the southeast corner, thanks to my three contributors, is keeping it afloat. So, why it is missing from the Message Boards?
So, time to get out the old flyers and do something about it.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Trapped
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.11.21
Current Song - How Can I Be Sure (The Rascals)
I have been told I have a lot of potential. Ironically, if only I moved.
What's keeping me bogged down these past few years is a conflict between dreams, wants/needs, independence, money, morals, reputation, and many other things. It's like a large pile of wires that need straightened out. By "bogged down," I mean I'm not moving forward at all at this point in time. I would ask myself why everyone else can figure this out and I can't. It's the way I think, that's the answer. So I have to budge the way I think in order to get moving again.
I'd like to get moving again. Here's my story:
Right now I live paycheck-to-paycheck. The money I make at work goes toward fuel for the car, work on the car, bills, NISB, and the little shopping I do. The paycheck dries up in a hurry. Then comes the next paycheck, and that dries up in a hurry. I guess in a way this curbs my spending, and I won't eat as much as I should - and there goes the weight. But I still find myself stalling.
Take out the Shell gig and I'll have nothing, really. There's nothing open THAT I CAN ACTUALLY DO - journalism-related and non-related - that is paying more money that what I make at Shell at the moment. What I mean by "what I can actually do" is, I can't do something I don't like doing. This just keeps frying my mind and goals. Factory work tires me, I know this because I once tried it and didn't last a whole shift before I walked out. I guess my eye-hand coordination is shot. It's too bad nothing high school sports journalism-related that I can actually do is open - this would merge working and hobbying into one with time to spare.
So meanwhile, I'm stuck here not going forward yet. What's it going to take to fix this mess?
I don't think I can start alone. I want support. That I have from my closest family. What else? Perhaps the key to unlocking this trap door is establish some sort of social life?
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about how I couldn't seem to enjoy things socially. How bad has it been? It has been so bad, that I am slurring and bungling my words from not speaking so much. That may be changing. There are four good friends of mine I have met in the past year though high school sports. I don't know how they look at me, but I look at them as good friends that I apparently do not annoy. Three of them help me out on the writing part of the website, and the other has in the past. I just hope I can maintain these friendships, or even expand on them or expand on the number of friends I have.
There's this feeling that friends, and support from these friends, lead to confidence in doing things. I don't think I have much confidence at this time. But with friends, that's something that can be worked on.
Off to listen to a radio show that I should be listening to every week at this time.
Current Song - How Can I Be Sure (The Rascals)
I have been told I have a lot of potential. Ironically, if only I moved.
What's keeping me bogged down these past few years is a conflict between dreams, wants/needs, independence, money, morals, reputation, and many other things. It's like a large pile of wires that need straightened out. By "bogged down," I mean I'm not moving forward at all at this point in time. I would ask myself why everyone else can figure this out and I can't. It's the way I think, that's the answer. So I have to budge the way I think in order to get moving again.
I'd like to get moving again. Here's my story:
Right now I live paycheck-to-paycheck. The money I make at work goes toward fuel for the car, work on the car, bills, NISB, and the little shopping I do. The paycheck dries up in a hurry. Then comes the next paycheck, and that dries up in a hurry. I guess in a way this curbs my spending, and I won't eat as much as I should - and there goes the weight. But I still find myself stalling.
Take out the Shell gig and I'll have nothing, really. There's nothing open THAT I CAN ACTUALLY DO - journalism-related and non-related - that is paying more money that what I make at Shell at the moment. What I mean by "what I can actually do" is, I can't do something I don't like doing. This just keeps frying my mind and goals. Factory work tires me, I know this because I once tried it and didn't last a whole shift before I walked out. I guess my eye-hand coordination is shot. It's too bad nothing high school sports journalism-related that I can actually do is open - this would merge working and hobbying into one with time to spare.
So meanwhile, I'm stuck here not going forward yet. What's it going to take to fix this mess?
I don't think I can start alone. I want support. That I have from my closest family. What else? Perhaps the key to unlocking this trap door is establish some sort of social life?
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about how I couldn't seem to enjoy things socially. How bad has it been? It has been so bad, that I am slurring and bungling my words from not speaking so much. That may be changing. There are four good friends of mine I have met in the past year though high school sports. I don't know how they look at me, but I look at them as good friends that I apparently do not annoy. Three of them help me out on the writing part of the website, and the other has in the past. I just hope I can maintain these friendships, or even expand on them or expand on the number of friends I have.
There's this feeling that friends, and support from these friends, lead to confidence in doing things. I don't think I have much confidence at this time. But with friends, that's something that can be worked on.
Off to listen to a radio show that I should be listening to every week at this time.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
What Some Songs Do
Cutter's Log - Supplemental
I can't even remember when the line was crossed when comparing website work with one of the things I yearn for in my personal life.
Working on the website involves a lot of time, and when there's a lot of time I get bored in the repetitive processes. So I listen to a mix of music. Things I write and see judge the playlist.
Well, something was seen and something was written about.
If you're a follower of this blog (and great thanks to the one of you), you'll know that establishing a "status quo" personal life is difficult for me. That's why I've had nearly 40 crushes, and only once tried to break through. Then over these few years, things started to go sour like an 80s rock band going into the 00s. But like some of these, they come back and do a token performance.
Bull. Here I come.
I can't even remember when the line was crossed when comparing website work with one of the things I yearn for in my personal life.
Working on the website involves a lot of time, and when there's a lot of time I get bored in the repetitive processes. So I listen to a mix of music. Things I write and see judge the playlist.
Well, something was seen and something was written about.
If you're a follower of this blog (and great thanks to the one of you), you'll know that establishing a "status quo" personal life is difficult for me. That's why I've had nearly 40 crushes, and only once tried to break through. Then over these few years, things started to go sour like an 80s rock band going into the 00s. But like some of these, they come back and do a token performance.
Bull. Here I come.
Try to Take a Guess at What This Means
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.20.21
Current Song - Take a Bow (Madonna)
Although quite endangering to the curious mind, I can't help but react to strange news I saw yesterday.
It does what it wants to do, but a barrier thought to be hidden approached it. Now the fight to survive carries on, but it's been known not to work effectively. How disappointing.
There, I typed it off my chest.
TIME! Marches on!
Current Song - Take a Bow (Madonna)
Although quite endangering to the curious mind, I can't help but react to strange news I saw yesterday.
It does what it wants to do, but a barrier thought to be hidden approached it. Now the fight to survive carries on, but it's been known not to work effectively. How disappointing.
There, I typed it off my chest.
TIME! Marches on!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Land of Confusion
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.52.11
Current Song - Land of Confusion (Genesis)
A lot of people liked the fact that I had a great memory when I was younger.
I guess you can figure out the theme here.
This is one of those weeks when childhood friends come back to town from wherever they are. Those I haven't seen in months, and even years. I'd see them every day at school or every week elsewhere. Then we graduated high school and took the first train out of town following the graduation ceremony. I wouldn't see them for years.
In the five years since I graduated high school, a lot of things can change among us. Physically we get a little heavier, especially those women that have kids at the moment.
I saw many people I haven't seen in a while tonight at the gas station. My best friend from grade school, Jared, stopped by. I recognized him in an instant. Another friend, Corey, also stopped in. It went on for a while, up until about midnight.
There was this girl that came in and adressed me by name. Obviously she knew me, but I couldn't quite figure out who she was. I'm going through my database of friends inside my brain, and I couldn't come up with a match. Then she asked how Mike, Chris and Dan were doing.
I kind of figured out she was probably one of my friends from Sterling, considering that nearly all of my friends from Rock Falls don't know the names of my three brothers. Since she knew the names of my brothers, I figured it had to be someone near my graduating class that had brothers and sisters the same age as my brothers.
So who would know my three brothers? It took me a while and I thought of only one option, given the description of this girl. It just didn't seem like her.
Okay, so I thought of cousins from both sides of my family. Nope.
Then I thought of kids on my old block in Rock Falls, as well as my old block in Sterling. Rock Falls didn't turn up any matches. Then back to Sterling, where I lived from age 2 to age 7. There was only one possible person. Then I'm going, how would she remember Dan or Chris?
I gave up. I didn't ask her who she was, because I would feel stupid if it were someone obvious. Then there goes a rumor that I have alzheimers, and so on and so on ...
I've had these kinds of brain farts a few times at the gas stations. Whenever I do, it seems to be someone from Sterling. I, for some reason, remember my Rock Falls friends better than I do my Sterling friends.
At least I have some criteria to go by when trying to figure out who someone is without asking their name.
I think why this is happening is because I don't spend a lot of time around those that I have been around with back then anymore. A bunch of high school sports stuff pushes this kind of memory back deeper and deeper.
I still think back to my class reunion where someone told me that I don't get out a lot because I'm too busy. Then I try to eliminate some of this busyness. Can't do it. On the days I'm not working, I'm covering something. I dedicate the day to covering the event, and I have stats and story angles and such in continual thought for hours before the game.
Not trying to put an autistic angle to things, but it seems we all gather around a different group of people after we become disconnected from the long association that is K-12 schooling. It's taken my a few years to find my kind of circle, but I'd like to say that I have a lot of good sportswriting friends out there and high school sports friends (even if they don't consider me a "friend" but rather an acquaintence). Outside of sportswriting, I have a few friends from the gas station.
Those friends at the gas station I see more often than I do my sportswriting friends. Of the people I know outside of work customers, family, co-workers and these work friends, I see the area's sportswriters more often than I do friends from school. I think I've covered games with more than 50 sportswriters in the area I cover. Some I see at least 10 times a year, others less.
So there's this group of people that do the same things I do, and enjoy doing it. I remember moving back to Sterling after a few years in Rock Falls, and how hard it was to make friends. I feel the same way now with these people. It's extremely difficult for me to make friends, given my autistic nature. But I'm not going to let that restrain me.
Conversation pieces are abundant: from the high school sports scene, doing our jobs, and the inner workings of the game we're covering. I guess from there it expands outward?
I've always wondered how people I know take the fact that I go see high school sports events at someplace where I don't even know one person. If anything, the only person I know is likely the sportswriter or coach.
Current Song - Land of Confusion (Genesis)
A lot of people liked the fact that I had a great memory when I was younger.
I guess you can figure out the theme here.
This is one of those weeks when childhood friends come back to town from wherever they are. Those I haven't seen in months, and even years. I'd see them every day at school or every week elsewhere. Then we graduated high school and took the first train out of town following the graduation ceremony. I wouldn't see them for years.
In the five years since I graduated high school, a lot of things can change among us. Physically we get a little heavier, especially those women that have kids at the moment.
I saw many people I haven't seen in a while tonight at the gas station. My best friend from grade school, Jared, stopped by. I recognized him in an instant. Another friend, Corey, also stopped in. It went on for a while, up until about midnight.
There was this girl that came in and adressed me by name. Obviously she knew me, but I couldn't quite figure out who she was. I'm going through my database of friends inside my brain, and I couldn't come up with a match. Then she asked how Mike, Chris and Dan were doing.
I kind of figured out she was probably one of my friends from Sterling, considering that nearly all of my friends from Rock Falls don't know the names of my three brothers. Since she knew the names of my brothers, I figured it had to be someone near my graduating class that had brothers and sisters the same age as my brothers.
So who would know my three brothers? It took me a while and I thought of only one option, given the description of this girl. It just didn't seem like her.
Okay, so I thought of cousins from both sides of my family. Nope.
Then I thought of kids on my old block in Rock Falls, as well as my old block in Sterling. Rock Falls didn't turn up any matches. Then back to Sterling, where I lived from age 2 to age 7. There was only one possible person. Then I'm going, how would she remember Dan or Chris?
I gave up. I didn't ask her who she was, because I would feel stupid if it were someone obvious. Then there goes a rumor that I have alzheimers, and so on and so on ...
I've had these kinds of brain farts a few times at the gas stations. Whenever I do, it seems to be someone from Sterling. I, for some reason, remember my Rock Falls friends better than I do my Sterling friends.
At least I have some criteria to go by when trying to figure out who someone is without asking their name.
I think why this is happening is because I don't spend a lot of time around those that I have been around with back then anymore. A bunch of high school sports stuff pushes this kind of memory back deeper and deeper.
I still think back to my class reunion where someone told me that I don't get out a lot because I'm too busy. Then I try to eliminate some of this busyness. Can't do it. On the days I'm not working, I'm covering something. I dedicate the day to covering the event, and I have stats and story angles and such in continual thought for hours before the game.
Not trying to put an autistic angle to things, but it seems we all gather around a different group of people after we become disconnected from the long association that is K-12 schooling. It's taken my a few years to find my kind of circle, but I'd like to say that I have a lot of good sportswriting friends out there and high school sports friends (even if they don't consider me a "friend" but rather an acquaintence). Outside of sportswriting, I have a few friends from the gas station.
Those friends at the gas station I see more often than I do my sportswriting friends. Of the people I know outside of work customers, family, co-workers and these work friends, I see the area's sportswriters more often than I do friends from school. I think I've covered games with more than 50 sportswriters in the area I cover. Some I see at least 10 times a year, others less.
So there's this group of people that do the same things I do, and enjoy doing it. I remember moving back to Sterling after a few years in Rock Falls, and how hard it was to make friends. I feel the same way now with these people. It's extremely difficult for me to make friends, given my autistic nature. But I'm not going to let that restrain me.
Conversation pieces are abundant: from the high school sports scene, doing our jobs, and the inner workings of the game we're covering. I guess from there it expands outward?
I've always wondered how people I know take the fact that I go see high school sports events at someplace where I don't even know one person. If anything, the only person I know is likely the sportswriter or coach.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Sideline vs. Press Box
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.81.11
Current Song - We Almost Lost Detroit (Marquis Porter)
Today, something was revisited to make me go back and find what was written earlier in a Publisher's Desk blog:
"Speaking of deterring my way of covering things, I'm considered a "sideline reporter" for football games, as opposed to reporting from a press box. A couple of times I have been informed of a new rule regarding media restrictions at football games at the 20-yard lines. For years, sideline reporters like myself can intermix with the bench and watch what goes on near the 50-yard line. What if something important happens at midfield? From our vantage point at the 20-yard line, not much is seen. How are we supposed to accurately tell what happened? Go to the press box? There's no room in most press boxes for that one extra reporter. And why was this rule in place, anyway? As long as we do our job properly, don't interfere with us, please."
Is there not enough "box" for the "press?" Seems to be this way.
In the past few years there has been a growth in the number of "press" in Illinois high school sports. The newspapers all point to me and blame me for that :)
It's not as if my husky body takes up space in a press box, but rather they cringe at the sight of a start-up publication. Likely this particular start-up publication is there for a purpose: to be better than the newspapers. Not NISB. At least not since the doctrine that I layed out in this past NISB State of the Site Address. We're here to supplement the newspapers, and work together with them.
Along with writing journalists (this meaning someone like me and a newspaper writer), there are radio journalists and even television crews. There needs to be room for them, too.
Plus when it comes to playoffs, a newspaper will send an extra reporter or two, or three, or even four to write a sidebar or two, or three, or four.
There's only so much room in a press box, and I understand this. I'm a young person, so I can run around a sideline.
Here's where the problem lies:
Certain schools are trying to limit the use of sideline space for reporters. One particular school has a rule where you can't go between the "twenties" on the sideline. This same school is covered by at least five different newspapers, two radio stations and a television crew. That's just the home media. That's not including the box crew, visiting media and the coordinator coaches. This partiular box is "spacious" according to them.
When you limit my sideline space, I'm not going to be happy.
Could we perhaps run from 20 to 20 when the ball goes into the other team's territory (crossing the 50)? If we can't even do that, we've got a problem. Our vantage point after about 20 yards or so becomes rocky. If we are supposed to write about key runs using detail, and perhaps use the paint-a-picture lede, it is somewhat distrupted by the fact that we aren't closer to the action.
I've been roaming football sidelines for only nine years, but I think I've been to enough high school football fields to say this: I've never had a problem with coaches while trying to write about something, shoot something or film something. The closest I've come from being told something by a coach was in a big game for this particular team, and the coach was very nervous because he kept yelling at everyone to go back five feet from him. Couldn't blame him, it was an important divisional game.
Nowhere in the new IHSA State Series Press Box Priority List does it state the sideline limitation, so it's a school-based rule. I hope no more schools catch up to this. I'm sure the schools look forward to great and accurate coverage by their newspaper or website. If it's their sideline enforcement that makes us write shotty articles, don't come running to us. "We USED to be able to do this, and not any more."
Current Song - We Almost Lost Detroit (Marquis Porter)
Today, something was revisited to make me go back and find what was written earlier in a Publisher's Desk blog:
"Speaking of deterring my way of covering things, I'm considered a "sideline reporter" for football games, as opposed to reporting from a press box. A couple of times I have been informed of a new rule regarding media restrictions at football games at the 20-yard lines. For years, sideline reporters like myself can intermix with the bench and watch what goes on near the 50-yard line. What if something important happens at midfield? From our vantage point at the 20-yard line, not much is seen. How are we supposed to accurately tell what happened? Go to the press box? There's no room in most press boxes for that one extra reporter. And why was this rule in place, anyway? As long as we do our job properly, don't interfere with us, please."
Is there not enough "box" for the "press?" Seems to be this way.
In the past few years there has been a growth in the number of "press" in Illinois high school sports. The newspapers all point to me and blame me for that :)
It's not as if my husky body takes up space in a press box, but rather they cringe at the sight of a start-up publication. Likely this particular start-up publication is there for a purpose: to be better than the newspapers. Not NISB. At least not since the doctrine that I layed out in this past NISB State of the Site Address. We're here to supplement the newspapers, and work together with them.
Along with writing journalists (this meaning someone like me and a newspaper writer), there are radio journalists and even television crews. There needs to be room for them, too.
Plus when it comes to playoffs, a newspaper will send an extra reporter or two, or three, or even four to write a sidebar or two, or three, or four.
There's only so much room in a press box, and I understand this. I'm a young person, so I can run around a sideline.
Here's where the problem lies:
Certain schools are trying to limit the use of sideline space for reporters. One particular school has a rule where you can't go between the "twenties" on the sideline. This same school is covered by at least five different newspapers, two radio stations and a television crew. That's just the home media. That's not including the box crew, visiting media and the coordinator coaches. This partiular box is "spacious" according to them.
When you limit my sideline space, I'm not going to be happy.
Could we perhaps run from 20 to 20 when the ball goes into the other team's territory (crossing the 50)? If we can't even do that, we've got a problem. Our vantage point after about 20 yards or so becomes rocky. If we are supposed to write about key runs using detail, and perhaps use the paint-a-picture lede, it is somewhat distrupted by the fact that we aren't closer to the action.
I've been roaming football sidelines for only nine years, but I think I've been to enough high school football fields to say this: I've never had a problem with coaches while trying to write about something, shoot something or film something. The closest I've come from being told something by a coach was in a big game for this particular team, and the coach was very nervous because he kept yelling at everyone to go back five feet from him. Couldn't blame him, it was an important divisional game.
Nowhere in the new IHSA State Series Press Box Priority List does it state the sideline limitation, so it's a school-based rule. I hope no more schools catch up to this. I'm sure the schools look forward to great and accurate coverage by their newspaper or website. If it's their sideline enforcement that makes us write shotty articles, don't come running to us. "We USED to be able to do this, and not any more."
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Hall of Fame
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.61.11
Current Song - Something About You (Level 42)
I found out tonight that the Winter 2011 Induction for the SHS Athletic Hall of Fame will be on January 28. I am a member of the 2001-02 girls basketball team as a manager.
Looking forward to the event.
Current Song - Something About You (Level 42)
I found out tonight that the Winter 2011 Induction for the SHS Athletic Hall of Fame will be on January 28. I am a member of the 2001-02 girls basketball team as a manager.
Looking forward to the event.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Brain Drain Update
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.61.01
Current Song - Stranglehold (Ted Nugent)
Everything's going well. I should have posted this on this blog as well, but I couldn't find the time.
Things are easing up. I'm preparing for a two-and-two today. That's 9-5 at East End and 6-12 at Dixon West. These are the things that require pre-game warm-up music. Stranglehold was a song that I heard at the football game I was at on Friday.
Financial things are in order. That's because I'm working a bit more. Website things are going smoothly, even though the next few weeks are going to be absolutely rough. I'll have to tune into the football playoff pairings at work, AGAIN. Glory Days things are coming to a head. There are a couple of things I'm working on before I'm caught up on what I want to do for that.
Before I go to work, I'm going to spend 45 minutes working on the front page poll for NISB. Just another thing to be DONE.
Current Song - Stranglehold (Ted Nugent)
Everything's going well. I should have posted this on this blog as well, but I couldn't find the time.
Things are easing up. I'm preparing for a two-and-two today. That's 9-5 at East End and 6-12 at Dixon West. These are the things that require pre-game warm-up music. Stranglehold was a song that I heard at the football game I was at on Friday.
Financial things are in order. That's because I'm working a bit more. Website things are going smoothly, even though the next few weeks are going to be absolutely rough. I'll have to tune into the football playoff pairings at work, AGAIN. Glory Days things are coming to a head. There are a couple of things I'm working on before I'm caught up on what I want to do for that.
Before I go to work, I'm going to spend 45 minutes working on the front page poll for NISB. Just another thing to be DONE.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Today sucked
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.42.90
Current Song - Shattered Dreams (Johnny Hates Jazz)
I wish I could talk about today, but I'm not supposed to.
Current Song - Shattered Dreams (Johnny Hates Jazz)
I wish I could talk about today, but I'm not supposed to.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Making Financial Cents (Sort of)
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.12.90
Current Song - What You Won't Do For Love (Bobby Caldwell)
I play the lottery. I try to play smart. Therefore, I don't play often.
The only time I play lotto is whenever I travel out of town. This can be for any reason, like covering games. I will play $7-$9 in Pick 3 and Pick 4 (combined), and maybe some Lotto or Little Lotto quick picks to make it $10. I've been doing this for a month now, and hit twice on my Pick 3s (playing them $0.50 in any order - Box).
It's not because I'm not hitting. It's because I'm realizing that my money needs to go elsewhere. I don't play for the jackpot, but rather for them smaller prizes. College is coming up in less than a year, and I'll need a new car by that time too.
The key here is to not cut ot completely, but rather cut back a few times until nothing. I will be cutting back by only buying tickets whenever I travel to Chicagoland. That's where the winners seem to come from. A week's worth of the jackpot games, plue a few Pick 3's and Pick 4's should be good. What helps is the fact that I don't travel into Chicagoland that much.
Lotto tickets aren't my only gambling vice ... It spreads out to the blackjack table.
I've been cutting back on the blackjack table little by little for a long time. The last time I was up there was a couple of weeks ago at Diamond Jo in Dubuque. I used $50.00, got up to about $135.00 and lost it all. That took me 1 1/2 hours. So I thought maybe I'll let the clock dictate my table playing. I figure 45 minutes is sufficent. I'll see if there's a way to amek that possible through the casino itself.
Eventually it should cease alltogether.
Current Song - What You Won't Do For Love (Bobby Caldwell)
I play the lottery. I try to play smart. Therefore, I don't play often.
The only time I play lotto is whenever I travel out of town. This can be for any reason, like covering games. I will play $7-$9 in Pick 3 and Pick 4 (combined), and maybe some Lotto or Little Lotto quick picks to make it $10. I've been doing this for a month now, and hit twice on my Pick 3s (playing them $0.50 in any order - Box).
It's not because I'm not hitting. It's because I'm realizing that my money needs to go elsewhere. I don't play for the jackpot, but rather for them smaller prizes. College is coming up in less than a year, and I'll need a new car by that time too.
The key here is to not cut ot completely, but rather cut back a few times until nothing. I will be cutting back by only buying tickets whenever I travel to Chicagoland. That's where the winners seem to come from. A week's worth of the jackpot games, plue a few Pick 3's and Pick 4's should be good. What helps is the fact that I don't travel into Chicagoland that much.
Lotto tickets aren't my only gambling vice ... It spreads out to the blackjack table.
I've been cutting back on the blackjack table little by little for a long time. The last time I was up there was a couple of weeks ago at Diamond Jo in Dubuque. I used $50.00, got up to about $135.00 and lost it all. That took me 1 1/2 hours. So I thought maybe I'll let the clock dictate my table playing. I figure 45 minutes is sufficent. I'll see if there's a way to amek that possible through the casino itself.
Eventually it should cease alltogether.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Mending the Rips
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.41.90
Current Song - Sara Smile (Hall & Oates)
Recent complaints about the coverage area of NISB led me to read some history about the late Roman Empire. While I am no king, or dictator, I have before me a large coverage area. The Roman Empire didn't just vanish all at once, it became divided.
I keep my mind on that bit of world history because I'm seeing what I have predicted for the past couple of years.
That's the division of the coverage into smaller areas. The diehard fan focus has diminished in the past couple of years. Our understanding of other teams has become less and less. Our "high school sports world" has been limited to their own school and the nearest two or three. We're keeping fewer tabs. Each portion of the area believes that they are more superior than the others.
Maybe that is changing, but what is not changing is the way our regionals and sectionals and supersectionals are set up. When we enter a sectional tournament, what do we know of the opponent? If this trend keeps going, we won't know anything. We won't be able to understand the value of any win any more than what we do now.
I have always said that a team is so much better than a group of five people.
SYNERGY!!!!
***
I have to hold back and ask myself this: Have I evolved a great deal, or has everyone else scaled back? Which of the two carries a greater truth?
You'll find that I cover large schools and big schools, Jo Daviess County schools and Bureau County schools, the Western Big 6 and Little 10, and football and bowling. Sometimes I'll even venture into the Chicagoland side of things when our area teams enter that realm. So I guess I've seen almost everything. Is that wrong? Is it wrong to claim that my knowledge of this particular world is more superior than others?
***
If I had to make a determination at this time, I would say that NISB pretty much have three great factions: The New-Mor-Rock-Ster portion, the Winnebago portion, and the Little 10 portion (which is sort of invisible, but is noticable when it comes to just the content side of things).
Any business person would respond to that with wanting to focus in on these three portions more than the others. That would leave out a few chunks. If we abandon them, and later try to expand into them, how will the reception be?
Current Song - Sara Smile (Hall & Oates)
Recent complaints about the coverage area of NISB led me to read some history about the late Roman Empire. While I am no king, or dictator, I have before me a large coverage area. The Roman Empire didn't just vanish all at once, it became divided.
I keep my mind on that bit of world history because I'm seeing what I have predicted for the past couple of years.
That's the division of the coverage into smaller areas. The diehard fan focus has diminished in the past couple of years. Our understanding of other teams has become less and less. Our "high school sports world" has been limited to their own school and the nearest two or three. We're keeping fewer tabs. Each portion of the area believes that they are more superior than the others.
Maybe that is changing, but what is not changing is the way our regionals and sectionals and supersectionals are set up. When we enter a sectional tournament, what do we know of the opponent? If this trend keeps going, we won't know anything. We won't be able to understand the value of any win any more than what we do now.
I have always said that a team is so much better than a group of five people.
SYNERGY!!!!
***
I have to hold back and ask myself this: Have I evolved a great deal, or has everyone else scaled back? Which of the two carries a greater truth?
You'll find that I cover large schools and big schools, Jo Daviess County schools and Bureau County schools, the Western Big 6 and Little 10, and football and bowling. Sometimes I'll even venture into the Chicagoland side of things when our area teams enter that realm. So I guess I've seen almost everything. Is that wrong? Is it wrong to claim that my knowledge of this particular world is more superior than others?
***
If I had to make a determination at this time, I would say that NISB pretty much have three great factions: The New-Mor-Rock-Ster portion, the Winnebago portion, and the Little 10 portion (which is sort of invisible, but is noticable when it comes to just the content side of things).
Any business person would respond to that with wanting to focus in on these three portions more than the others. That would leave out a few chunks. If we abandon them, and later try to expand into them, how will the reception be?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
New Camera
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.80.80
Current Song - American Boy (Estelle/Kanye)
I'm having a hard time writing this.
My parents bought me, for my college graduation, a video camera that takes pictures. I tried it out a couple of times. The video isn't all too bad, really. I can shoot something and upload it to YouTube, and it will come out alright.
The photos are another story. Absolutely blurry. I can stand it still and not zoom in, and it will still be blurry. It's hideous.
The hard part of all of this, is telling them about the fact that I just can't take any photos with this. After my camera broke down after six years, that's what I really needed.
The optimist part of me says, "but you can still shoot pictures with it." The pessimist part of me says, "yeah, but ..."
I hate dissapointing people.
Current Song - American Boy (Estelle/Kanye)
I'm having a hard time writing this.
My parents bought me, for my college graduation, a video camera that takes pictures. I tried it out a couple of times. The video isn't all too bad, really. I can shoot something and upload it to YouTube, and it will come out alright.
The photos are another story. Absolutely blurry. I can stand it still and not zoom in, and it will still be blurry. It's hideous.
The hard part of all of this, is telling them about the fact that I just can't take any photos with this. After my camera broke down after six years, that's what I really needed.
The optimist part of me says, "but you can still shoot pictures with it." The pessimist part of me says, "yeah, but ..."
I hate dissapointing people.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Riverfronts
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.10.90
Current Song - She's Not There (The Zombies)
I drive on First Avenue Bridge between Sterling and Rock Falls every day it seems. I'm used to seeing all of the rubble on both sides of the Rock River. Bring in anyone whos never been here before, and they'll think it's South Bronx in the 1970s.
There are a couple of spots that are being redevolped into hopefully something useful: the west side of the bridge in Sterling and the east side of the bridge in Rock Falls.
Rock Falls already has a plan for their riverfront. Sterling is trying to come up with one. We will focus on Rock Falls today, with Sterling at another time.
ROCK FALLS
http://www.rockfallsdevelopment.org/Master_Plan.pdf
The plan includes: A 2.5-acre waterfront plaza, including an amphitheater; a 185,000 square feet of new commercial and residential space; a bike trail connecting the upper and lower dams; and the extension of two city streets -- Second Street and Avenue A.
Most of the former Reliant/RB&W complex is gone. When all of this is cleared, there is a large open space between Wood Avenue and the bridge. I do like the open area promenade. The extension of second street (or rebuilding, depending on how old you are) relieves a traffic obstacle for those who live along the river.
I just don't know what is going to go into all these buildings that are proposed, and therefore the parking lots. Plus, building "H" is the old office complex, and is going to look ugly in all of this. We already have difficulty attracting businesses into our existing downtown buildings.
The best way to answer this question is, what are we lacking?
Hotels - It would compliment both Sterling and Rock Falls. No more driving all of the way to the Interstate for lodging. Examples: Rock Island District Holiday Inn and Freeport's Hamilton Inn. Maybe put that in buildings "A", "B" and "A'". I know that the plan says the "A" buildings are suggested for retail, but a hotel can't be that small. Building "C" would be the hotel's accompanying restaurant. Maybe shave off a part of "A'" to make for more parking.
That leaves 2, D, E, F, G, and H left. What else do we need? Okay maybe put some retail in "2" and "H" (maybe even the Hare-hopefully VA clinic), the long-awaited Post Office in "D," (with the current structure turned in a small bank), lofts in "G," and "E" and "F" for Coloma Park District use (offices, swimming pool, rec center, etc.).
I don't feel as if the whole complex should be entirely office and retail because it would take away from the existing downtown area. The artist's rendering shows that 2nd Steet will be turned into a boulevard. How about we improve the rear of the existing downtown businesses north of 2nd Street and between 1st and 2nd avenues, keep the parking spaces, and cut off 1st street to make it end/curve at 2nd Avenue and turn the old street into more parkland.
Still, you have the large open area west of 2nd Avenue (I doubt the limestone building is in any future use). Use the limestone area for expanded Lower Dam Park use, the burned-down part of IH for more lofts, and every empty lot beween 4th Avenue and 8th Avenue for houses (including the tearing down of the old art deco S&S building and Henry's laundrymat).
Next, is the connection all of these places will have with one another. The rendering has a bike trail connecting the "City Parkland" on east 2nd Street to the existing trail just west of the Bridge.
It would be nice if the bike trail could connect with the river front of Riverside Park, go up the hill onto 2nd Street and go on the sidewalk in front of the A.G. Smith Mansion to connect with the walking bridge and canal.
The trail should connect with First Avenue on the west side of the bridge. Maybe smooth the grade from the river trail to the Love Light Tree (remember, we are cutting off 1st Street). Another trail should follow Avenue A from the riverfront to the trail along the old CB&Q tracks.
I think it would also be cool if the western side of the bike trail crosses the river into Lawrence Park. And have a similar bike bridge to the Sterling side, right in front of what's being developed there.
***
These are just my ideas. I don't know whether or not they will work out, but that's what I'd like to see.
Now, if I can draw something up on Sterling ...
Current Song - She's Not There (The Zombies)
I drive on First Avenue Bridge between Sterling and Rock Falls every day it seems. I'm used to seeing all of the rubble on both sides of the Rock River. Bring in anyone whos never been here before, and they'll think it's South Bronx in the 1970s.
There are a couple of spots that are being redevolped into hopefully something useful: the west side of the bridge in Sterling and the east side of the bridge in Rock Falls.
Rock Falls already has a plan for their riverfront. Sterling is trying to come up with one. We will focus on Rock Falls today, with Sterling at another time.
ROCK FALLS
http://www.rockfallsdevelopment.org/Master_Plan.pdf
The plan includes: A 2.5-acre waterfront plaza, including an amphitheater; a 185,000 square feet of new commercial and residential space; a bike trail connecting the upper and lower dams; and the extension of two city streets -- Second Street and Avenue A.
Most of the former Reliant/RB&W complex is gone. When all of this is cleared, there is a large open space between Wood Avenue and the bridge. I do like the open area promenade. The extension of second street (or rebuilding, depending on how old you are) relieves a traffic obstacle for those who live along the river.
I just don't know what is going to go into all these buildings that are proposed, and therefore the parking lots. Plus, building "H" is the old office complex, and is going to look ugly in all of this. We already have difficulty attracting businesses into our existing downtown buildings.
The best way to answer this question is, what are we lacking?
Hotels - It would compliment both Sterling and Rock Falls. No more driving all of the way to the Interstate for lodging. Examples: Rock Island District Holiday Inn and Freeport's Hamilton Inn. Maybe put that in buildings "A", "B" and "A'". I know that the plan says the "A" buildings are suggested for retail, but a hotel can't be that small. Building "C" would be the hotel's accompanying restaurant. Maybe shave off a part of "A'" to make for more parking.
That leaves 2, D, E, F, G, and H left. What else do we need? Okay maybe put some retail in "2" and "H" (maybe even the Hare-hopefully VA clinic), the long-awaited Post Office in "D," (with the current structure turned in a small bank), lofts in "G," and "E" and "F" for Coloma Park District use (offices, swimming pool, rec center, etc.).
I don't feel as if the whole complex should be entirely office and retail because it would take away from the existing downtown area. The artist's rendering shows that 2nd Steet will be turned into a boulevard. How about we improve the rear of the existing downtown businesses north of 2nd Street and between 1st and 2nd avenues, keep the parking spaces, and cut off 1st street to make it end/curve at 2nd Avenue and turn the old street into more parkland.
Still, you have the large open area west of 2nd Avenue (I doubt the limestone building is in any future use). Use the limestone area for expanded Lower Dam Park use, the burned-down part of IH for more lofts, and every empty lot beween 4th Avenue and 8th Avenue for houses (including the tearing down of the old art deco S&S building and Henry's laundrymat).
Next, is the connection all of these places will have with one another. The rendering has a bike trail connecting the "City Parkland" on east 2nd Street to the existing trail just west of the Bridge.
It would be nice if the bike trail could connect with the river front of Riverside Park, go up the hill onto 2nd Street and go on the sidewalk in front of the A.G. Smith Mansion to connect with the walking bridge and canal.
The trail should connect with First Avenue on the west side of the bridge. Maybe smooth the grade from the river trail to the Love Light Tree (remember, we are cutting off 1st Street). Another trail should follow Avenue A from the riverfront to the trail along the old CB&Q tracks.
I think it would also be cool if the western side of the bike trail crosses the river into Lawrence Park. And have a similar bike bridge to the Sterling side, right in front of what's being developed there.
***
These are just my ideas. I don't know whether or not they will work out, but that's what I'd like to see.
Now, if I can draw something up on Sterling ...
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Football Boxes
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.13.80
Current Song - Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty)
I had been writing about most sports on a regular basis since the time I began in this profession nearly 8 years ago. I started writing about football on a regular basis, during its season, 5 years ago.
I've found it difficult to put together a football box. I can put together a story without problem. The darn box keeps delaying me.
There's three parts to the football box:
The first part of the box is easy: that's listing each score.
The second part is a bit tough because you have to add a bunch of things together. I don't know whether or not I can add these things up from whistle to interview. However, I've never tried. So I will this Friday.
Last year I typed up a worksheet that was supposed to help me put a box together quicker. I can't recall if it worked. The things that are a part of the second part of the box are: first downs, total offense, rushing yards, passing yards, completions-attempts-interceptions (C-A-I), fumbles and those lost, penalties and yards lost, and number of punts and average distance.
I have seen boxes that omit first downs, penalties and punts. In my first attempt this season, I will try to skip these stats in order to better formulate the rest. Then once I get better, I'll try to include the first downs, punts and penalties.
The third part is totaling up individual stats. I don't need a calculator.
I guess the biggest problem for me is actually formulating these numbers into a box. My template is two-sided: one for first-half stats, and the other for final game stats.
I'll just see if this works on Friday. I'm heading to Galena for their game with East Dubuque.
Current Song - Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty)
I had been writing about most sports on a regular basis since the time I began in this profession nearly 8 years ago. I started writing about football on a regular basis, during its season, 5 years ago.
I've found it difficult to put together a football box. I can put together a story without problem. The darn box keeps delaying me.
There's three parts to the football box:
The first part of the box is easy: that's listing each score.
The second part is a bit tough because you have to add a bunch of things together. I don't know whether or not I can add these things up from whistle to interview. However, I've never tried. So I will this Friday.
Last year I typed up a worksheet that was supposed to help me put a box together quicker. I can't recall if it worked. The things that are a part of the second part of the box are: first downs, total offense, rushing yards, passing yards, completions-attempts-interceptions (C-A-I), fumbles and those lost, penalties and yards lost, and number of punts and average distance.
I have seen boxes that omit first downs, penalties and punts. In my first attempt this season, I will try to skip these stats in order to better formulate the rest. Then once I get better, I'll try to include the first downs, punts and penalties.
The third part is totaling up individual stats. I don't need a calculator.
I guess the biggest problem for me is actually formulating these numbers into a box. My template is two-sided: one for first-half stats, and the other for final game stats.
I'll just see if this works on Friday. I'm heading to Galena for their game with East Dubuque.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A Thought About Scoreboards
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.52.80
Current Song - PYL Theme (???)
I run a weekly football scoreboard on NISB. Posters can post scores to each game on this particular thread. Because I'm writing a football gamer after these football games, I won't touch the scoreboard until around 1:00.
There were times when I thought about putting up one big scoreboard for the area, for all sports. I would have to obtain every schedule from every high school sports team in the area. I have tried this, but each time I've tried there has been some sort of computer crash via highschoolsports.net. It's not their fault, I just happen to be loading a LOT of schedules.
It will take a lot of arthritis in order to just get the schedules posted to NISB. That's just to post the schedules. Now I would want people to chip in. That's the tough part. Plus, if no one chips in, all that arthritis will mean nothing. In order for people to chip in, I'll need to persuade the coaches to put me on the contact list. That, and find a way to not only get a fax machine (@#$& !!!), but to also pay for a large phone bill. That, and ALSO trying to find time each night to update it.
I think it will be quite some time before we get a scoreboard concept going. I may have to quit the Shell gig in order just to run it.
Now a little something about fax machines: I don't have one. I don't know where to put one. I give up there.
Current Song - PYL Theme (???)
I run a weekly football scoreboard on NISB. Posters can post scores to each game on this particular thread. Because I'm writing a football gamer after these football games, I won't touch the scoreboard until around 1:00.
There were times when I thought about putting up one big scoreboard for the area, for all sports. I would have to obtain every schedule from every high school sports team in the area. I have tried this, but each time I've tried there has been some sort of computer crash via highschoolsports.net. It's not their fault, I just happen to be loading a LOT of schedules.
It will take a lot of arthritis in order to just get the schedules posted to NISB. That's just to post the schedules. Now I would want people to chip in. That's the tough part. Plus, if no one chips in, all that arthritis will mean nothing. In order for people to chip in, I'll need to persuade the coaches to put me on the contact list. That, and find a way to not only get a fax machine (@#$& !!!), but to also pay for a large phone bill. That, and ALSO trying to find time each night to update it.
I think it will be quite some time before we get a scoreboard concept going. I may have to quit the Shell gig in order just to run it.
Now a little something about fax machines: I don't have one. I don't know where to put one. I give up there.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Five Years Later ...
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.22.08
Current Song - Dance With Me (112)
About 25% of our high school graduating class got together for our 5th Year Reunion. I attended.
I had a blast! Even though if you saw me there sometimes standing alone, I still had a good time. It was good to see everyone after these few years in a setting I could be comfortable in. I couldn't really get going until some more people showed up. The real thrill for me was keeping up with most of those there. A couple of which I hadn't seen since graduation.
A lot of us have gone on to do some very successful things, and work for very successful businesses (such as the Seattle Seahawks). I told a few people about my two websites, as well as some stories about working at the Shell station. I guess the kick out of all that is that I didn't seem like I was doing nothing with my life :)
I sat with the crowd with the most beer. All that beer. Okay, maybe a small sip. Thank you, B, for pouring the entire cup full! One, two, three ... my eyes widened up and I was shaking a little bit after just a small sip. I walked away for a bit and went off to the side of the building and dumped the rest out. It wasn't the first time I had tasted something intoxicating: I had a couple of sips of some kind of wine at my sister's wedding. This was the first taste of beer (Bud Light). It tasted like cold, flat Fresca. Nothing I would want to try again. After that, I really can't believe there are people that drink many cans of that a day!
Enough about Bud Light (thank God). I can't wait for our tenth. Maybe a few more people will show up. I did learn a few things about myself tonight - that if I actually try to put some sort of effort into finding a connecting point, it will happen. That I can still at least attempt to fit in with a crowd. That I also kind of need more time off from what I'm doing.
After talking with one classmate about what I've been up to, somehow I was able to spit out the fact that I'm working and writing a lot and need to quit doing that a lot. He agreed that I was always busy.
We'll see about that.
Current Song - Dance With Me (112)
About 25% of our high school graduating class got together for our 5th Year Reunion. I attended.
I had a blast! Even though if you saw me there sometimes standing alone, I still had a good time. It was good to see everyone after these few years in a setting I could be comfortable in. I couldn't really get going until some more people showed up. The real thrill for me was keeping up with most of those there. A couple of which I hadn't seen since graduation.
A lot of us have gone on to do some very successful things, and work for very successful businesses (such as the Seattle Seahawks). I told a few people about my two websites, as well as some stories about working at the Shell station. I guess the kick out of all that is that I didn't seem like I was doing nothing with my life :)
I sat with the crowd with the most beer. All that beer. Okay, maybe a small sip. Thank you, B, for pouring the entire cup full! One, two, three ... my eyes widened up and I was shaking a little bit after just a small sip. I walked away for a bit and went off to the side of the building and dumped the rest out. It wasn't the first time I had tasted something intoxicating: I had a couple of sips of some kind of wine at my sister's wedding. This was the first taste of beer (Bud Light). It tasted like cold, flat Fresca. Nothing I would want to try again. After that, I really can't believe there are people that drink many cans of that a day!
Enough about Bud Light (thank God). I can't wait for our tenth. Maybe a few more people will show up. I did learn a few things about myself tonight - that if I actually try to put some sort of effort into finding a connecting point, it will happen. That I can still at least attempt to fit in with a crowd. That I also kind of need more time off from what I'm doing.
After talking with one classmate about what I've been up to, somehow I was able to spit out the fact that I'm working and writing a lot and need to quit doing that a lot. He agreed that I was always busy.
We'll see about that.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Fall Grind
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.12.80
Current Song - Tired of Being Alone (Al Green)
Tuesdays and Fridays are off days. Friday will be spent doing a football game.
Friday afternoons could be spent snapping either a XC meet or tennis match at the site of the football game. Soccer games can be fully-covered with less emphasis at the town of the football game. However, I have never turned this trick before. The odds of either happening are at least 1 in 25.
Tuesdays are free days, and I can cover pretty much anything.
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday if I'm working the midshift: I'm out the door at 5:30 if I have something planned. The only thing that late would be volleyball, or a RARE football game. I can make a varsity tip-off no later than 7:00, meaning I can travel an hour and 15 minutes. Thursday's are special because I may be out by 4:30.
Saturday and "school holiday" coverage (if I am closing at Shell) has to start no later than 8:00 for boys golf, 10:00 for XC, 1:00 for boys soccer, and has to be within 30 miles from Sterling. I also factor in the time it takes to drive immediately to work. So, yeah, Saturday's suck.
Everything revolves around the Shell schedule.
Current Song - Tired of Being Alone (Al Green)
Tuesdays and Fridays are off days. Friday will be spent doing a football game.
Friday afternoons could be spent snapping either a XC meet or tennis match at the site of the football game. Soccer games can be fully-covered with less emphasis at the town of the football game. However, I have never turned this trick before. The odds of either happening are at least 1 in 25.
Tuesdays are free days, and I can cover pretty much anything.
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday if I'm working the midshift: I'm out the door at 5:30 if I have something planned. The only thing that late would be volleyball, or a RARE football game. I can make a varsity tip-off no later than 7:00, meaning I can travel an hour and 15 minutes. Thursday's are special because I may be out by 4:30.
Saturday and "school holiday" coverage (if I am closing at Shell) has to start no later than 8:00 for boys golf, 10:00 for XC, 1:00 for boys soccer, and has to be within 30 miles from Sterling. I also factor in the time it takes to drive immediately to work. So, yeah, Saturday's suck.
Everything revolves around the Shell schedule.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
A State of Flux
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.11.80
Current Song - Just The Two of Us (Bill Withers)
I was reminded today that I'm not faring so well in this battle versus the real world.
I was reminded today that I think I have a case of a mixture of solitude, depression and lonliness.
Between work, high school sports, and the battle to live a normal life, today I find my mind in a scramble.
A blah day at work was followed by a nap, looking at a state atlas, dinner, another nap, news and Leno, reading a book, and typing this. I did nothing else other than this.
The effort to communicate better isn't going so well. I would like to share an example of my failure to communicate:
On Monday afternoon, I traveled to a golf meet in Rockford. I was going to cover it, but had to be back in Sterling at a certain time. I park at the course parking lot. I had to think of a plan for a couple of minutes: okay, I'm going to go inside, try to find someone important and ask him/her when the meet's going to end. I exit my car thinking as if I'm breaking out of a huddle.
I walk in the clubhouse and find a bunch of people. I don't know any of them. Nobody looked too important, and they were all engaged in discussion. Rather than rudely interrupt the conversations, I walked outside and thought of a Plan B.
Plan B, as odd as it is, was to call the clubhouse and ask someone. I'm thinking, they have to answer the phone and I'll finally get my answer. I can't just say, when's it going to end. I called the clubhouse and disguised my voice as if I were someone older. I told them I couldn't reach my son, who's playing in the meet, and I wanted to know when things were going to wrap up (it wasn't going to wrap up in time for me to report to work).
That is what I did.
Years of not engaging in general conversation had made me sort of forget HOW to converse.
I write this stuff here because I don't know who will WANT to listen to me.
When I was out of work from the summer of '05 to the fall of '06, I was told that getting a job would help me interact. It has, a little bit. Four years later, I find myself as an afterthought in customer-clerk conversation when another clerk is in the store. They'll acknowlegde my presence, and then converse with the off-duty clerk.
They say converstation starters are things such as the weather, gas prices, weird items (especially the large beef jerky), and the Gazette. "It's nice out." "It's cheaper in Dixon." "that's a HUGE piece of beef jerky!" "Sheley's on the front page, AGAIN." These are things that I can only concur. I can't really find that connecting point to extend the conversation. I do succeed in finding it at times, but they are repetitive.
So if it's communication, it's generic communication. I deeply hate that.
I can't even find a conversation starter when it comes to classmates and high school friends from both Sterling and Rock Falls. What HAVE I been up to? I feel as if I want to tell the entire story of my life post-graduation. At the same time, I realize they don't have TIME to hear everything. So I try to abbreviate it in the form of "still working and writing."
We have our Five-Year Class Reunion this Saturday. I kind of know what everyone's up to because I'm Facebook friends with a bunch of classmates. Speaking of Facebook, I only have about 140 friends. I'm not going to engage in some sort of popularity contest of who has the most friends. The 140orso people are those people who are important to me.
I guess when I try to be respectful, I don't often succeed.
So that's how my lack of conversation fails me at work.
I truly feel that if I had more time to spend with high school sports maybe my communication in that area would improve. Maybe I would have a stronger inner circle (more about that later). I guess you can say vice-versa with Shell. Also, sometimes I think that my desire to be involved more with sports friends kind of turns off my Shell co-workers. Like customers, I can't seem to find a connection to a conversation piece with my co-workers, and it seems as if we don't work together well. It hurts a lot.
My lack of communication also fails me when it comes to my career: high school sports journalism. I was reminded during this past spring season that what I do and who I cover has hindered my communication ability. How?
My coverage area is the combined coverage areas of about 10 different daily newspapers. My coverage schedule and dedication time only allows me to stay in touch with the top of the top. In a newspaper's coverage area, I could only tell you about the top two teams. I hear all these writers talk about all of their teams, and it blows me away. It should NOT blow me away. It sure makes me look dumb.
In knowing a lot about all of their teams, the writers it seems are in more constant contact with coaches and players outside of the sports event. I like to refer to this as an "Inner Circle" of sorts. If I had one of my own, it currently would be a very weak one with only a few coaches. Constant contact is something that's being preached to journalists these days. That's something that I cannot excel in.
Then fix it. Establish constant contact.
That's when the respect factor comes in. I know people have a lot more on their minds than wanting to be an interview subject for a website that's looking for some popularity. I'm so AFRAID that it will turn into stalking, that I shy away from constant contact with coaches. I tell myself that this is prepatory sports and not professional sports, and coaches are teachers first.
I guess when I try to be respectful, I don't often succeed.
There is still a lot of places to explore in the high school sports scene. Working at the Shell station, I feel very stuck in the same loop of disappointment when it comes to communication. However, as I have mentioned time and time again, Shell is where I'm making my money and NISB is where I'm just trying to keep my career going. What would make this much better is that coveted journalism job.
Establishing a knack for simple conversation leads to friends, friends lead to having girlfriends, and so on.
As for right now, all I can do is dream.
Current Song - Just The Two of Us (Bill Withers)
I was reminded today that I'm not faring so well in this battle versus the real world.
I was reminded today that I think I have a case of a mixture of solitude, depression and lonliness.
Between work, high school sports, and the battle to live a normal life, today I find my mind in a scramble.
A blah day at work was followed by a nap, looking at a state atlas, dinner, another nap, news and Leno, reading a book, and typing this. I did nothing else other than this.
The effort to communicate better isn't going so well. I would like to share an example of my failure to communicate:
On Monday afternoon, I traveled to a golf meet in Rockford. I was going to cover it, but had to be back in Sterling at a certain time. I park at the course parking lot. I had to think of a plan for a couple of minutes: okay, I'm going to go inside, try to find someone important and ask him/her when the meet's going to end. I exit my car thinking as if I'm breaking out of a huddle.
I walk in the clubhouse and find a bunch of people. I don't know any of them. Nobody looked too important, and they were all engaged in discussion. Rather than rudely interrupt the conversations, I walked outside and thought of a Plan B.
Plan B, as odd as it is, was to call the clubhouse and ask someone. I'm thinking, they have to answer the phone and I'll finally get my answer. I can't just say, when's it going to end. I called the clubhouse and disguised my voice as if I were someone older. I told them I couldn't reach my son, who's playing in the meet, and I wanted to know when things were going to wrap up (it wasn't going to wrap up in time for me to report to work).
That is what I did.
Years of not engaging in general conversation had made me sort of forget HOW to converse.
I write this stuff here because I don't know who will WANT to listen to me.
When I was out of work from the summer of '05 to the fall of '06, I was told that getting a job would help me interact. It has, a little bit. Four years later, I find myself as an afterthought in customer-clerk conversation when another clerk is in the store. They'll acknowlegde my presence, and then converse with the off-duty clerk.
They say converstation starters are things such as the weather, gas prices, weird items (especially the large beef jerky), and the Gazette. "It's nice out." "It's cheaper in Dixon." "that's a HUGE piece of beef jerky!" "Sheley's on the front page, AGAIN." These are things that I can only concur. I can't really find that connecting point to extend the conversation. I do succeed in finding it at times, but they are repetitive.
So if it's communication, it's generic communication. I deeply hate that.
I can't even find a conversation starter when it comes to classmates and high school friends from both Sterling and Rock Falls. What HAVE I been up to? I feel as if I want to tell the entire story of my life post-graduation. At the same time, I realize they don't have TIME to hear everything. So I try to abbreviate it in the form of "still working and writing."
We have our Five-Year Class Reunion this Saturday. I kind of know what everyone's up to because I'm Facebook friends with a bunch of classmates. Speaking of Facebook, I only have about 140 friends. I'm not going to engage in some sort of popularity contest of who has the most friends. The 140orso people are those people who are important to me.
I guess when I try to be respectful, I don't often succeed.
So that's how my lack of conversation fails me at work.
I truly feel that if I had more time to spend with high school sports maybe my communication in that area would improve. Maybe I would have a stronger inner circle (more about that later). I guess you can say vice-versa with Shell. Also, sometimes I think that my desire to be involved more with sports friends kind of turns off my Shell co-workers. Like customers, I can't seem to find a connection to a conversation piece with my co-workers, and it seems as if we don't work together well. It hurts a lot.
My lack of communication also fails me when it comes to my career: high school sports journalism. I was reminded during this past spring season that what I do and who I cover has hindered my communication ability. How?
My coverage area is the combined coverage areas of about 10 different daily newspapers. My coverage schedule and dedication time only allows me to stay in touch with the top of the top. In a newspaper's coverage area, I could only tell you about the top two teams. I hear all these writers talk about all of their teams, and it blows me away. It should NOT blow me away. It sure makes me look dumb.
In knowing a lot about all of their teams, the writers it seems are in more constant contact with coaches and players outside of the sports event. I like to refer to this as an "Inner Circle" of sorts. If I had one of my own, it currently would be a very weak one with only a few coaches. Constant contact is something that's being preached to journalists these days. That's something that I cannot excel in.
Then fix it. Establish constant contact.
That's when the respect factor comes in. I know people have a lot more on their minds than wanting to be an interview subject for a website that's looking for some popularity. I'm so AFRAID that it will turn into stalking, that I shy away from constant contact with coaches. I tell myself that this is prepatory sports and not professional sports, and coaches are teachers first.
I guess when I try to be respectful, I don't often succeed.
There is still a lot of places to explore in the high school sports scene. Working at the Shell station, I feel very stuck in the same loop of disappointment when it comes to communication. However, as I have mentioned time and time again, Shell is where I'm making my money and NISB is where I'm just trying to keep my career going. What would make this much better is that coveted journalism job.
Establishing a knack for simple conversation leads to friends, friends lead to having girlfriends, and so on.
As for right now, all I can do is dream.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Back in the midshift groove
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.41.80
Current Song - Opening Act (Prevue Channel)
Finally tonight, as promised, a Special Comment on the -1% of gas station customers.
Gee, after working a few daytime shifts the whole point about "I, me, my" doesn't seem as abundant as I thought it would be. In other words, I haven't had any major headaches.
I have had minor headaches, however. I lose track of time quite a bit, and sometimes don't even make it to the other side of the counter where the coffee's at. Non-stop lines until about 3:30, with small pockets of time for unpacking a carton of cigarettes or taking a sip of my Dew.
All of this goes on with the stupid two-counter/one-register format (the ONLY thing I miss about BP is having just one counter). At times, there is no line. It's a blob of people. And when there's a line of people at one register, someone comes into the store and is the only person in the other line, and thinks he/she is the next person in line.
They do not know that there's a second line. They don't see the second line. They don't see anything other than their purchase, the clerk and the exit door. Everything else is blank white. These are your "I, me, my" people that make me want to puke. They don't pay any attention to the world around them, as opposed to the the world should be revolved around him or her.
Some may think it's easy to point these people out. Look at their clothes. However, in the nearly four years I've been behind gas station counters, I have noticed that well-dressed people are more cooperative than the sub-one. I have noticed that the area's celebrities and public servants are more cooperative than not only the sub-one, but the large majority of total customers. I don't judge the book by the cover.
So who exactly makes up the sub-one?
If you pester me about the ATM fee, even though that's decided by the ATM - chill, man!
If you toss your credit card on the counter like a ragdoll, that's just like throwing money - chill, man!
If we don't carry your cigarettes, and you've never seen an advertisement of them - chill, man!
If you inform me that the Jif peanut butter is ten cents cheaper down the street - chill, man!
If you use the words "should" and "therefore" during a transaction - chill, man!
If you think we're informed every day from Mr. J about why Dixon's gas is cheaper - chill, man!
Good night and Good Luck.
Current Song - Opening Act (Prevue Channel)
Finally tonight, as promised, a Special Comment on the -1% of gas station customers.
Gee, after working a few daytime shifts the whole point about "I, me, my" doesn't seem as abundant as I thought it would be. In other words, I haven't had any major headaches.
I have had minor headaches, however. I lose track of time quite a bit, and sometimes don't even make it to the other side of the counter where the coffee's at. Non-stop lines until about 3:30, with small pockets of time for unpacking a carton of cigarettes or taking a sip of my Dew.
All of this goes on with the stupid two-counter/one-register format (the ONLY thing I miss about BP is having just one counter). At times, there is no line. It's a blob of people. And when there's a line of people at one register, someone comes into the store and is the only person in the other line, and thinks he/she is the next person in line.
They do not know that there's a second line. They don't see the second line. They don't see anything other than their purchase, the clerk and the exit door. Everything else is blank white. These are your "I, me, my" people that make me want to puke. They don't pay any attention to the world around them, as opposed to the the world should be revolved around him or her.
Some may think it's easy to point these people out. Look at their clothes. However, in the nearly four years I've been behind gas station counters, I have noticed that well-dressed people are more cooperative than the sub-one. I have noticed that the area's celebrities and public servants are more cooperative than not only the sub-one, but the large majority of total customers. I don't judge the book by the cover.
So who exactly makes up the sub-one?
If you pester me about the ATM fee, even though that's decided by the ATM - chill, man!
If you toss your credit card on the counter like a ragdoll, that's just like throwing money - chill, man!
If we don't carry your cigarettes, and you've never seen an advertisement of them - chill, man!
If you inform me that the Jif peanut butter is ten cents cheaper down the street - chill, man!
If you use the words "should" and "therefore" during a transaction - chill, man!
If you think we're informed every day from Mr. J about why Dixon's gas is cheaper - chill, man!
Good night and Good Luck.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Busy, Busy Week
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.70.80
Current Song - Jackie Blue (Ozark Mountain Daredevils)
I got stuck with the same work schedule (wink, wink) for next week.
Sunday off, Monday night, Tuesday mid, Wednesday off, Thursday and Friday mid, and Saturday night.
I closed this past Thursday, and had to come in at 10:00 in the morning. Little sleep. I've done this before, so it's not new. The only time when it gets irritating is when you have one of your "Top 5 sales shifts" ever during the day, and your relief is an hour late. Then again, Friday middays were once a staple for me during the past football season. However, that made the football games not that interesting.
When I got home, I needed to lay down. It was a nice day outside, so the air conditioning at home wasn't on. However, I had it on all day at work. You know how that feels. I eventually did lay down in the sauna (the nickname for my bedroom - where the insulating is worn out). I could feel my feet literally tingling toward my knees.
But that's all over with.
I'm closing tonight and getting tomorrow off. While off in the following week, I'm going to get caught up on stuff I actually had planned for June and July. There's three features, an event, and more bits and tweaking with NISB.
The sports season is starting soon!!
Current Song - Jackie Blue (Ozark Mountain Daredevils)
I got stuck with the same work schedule (wink, wink) for next week.
Sunday off, Monday night, Tuesday mid, Wednesday off, Thursday and Friday mid, and Saturday night.
I closed this past Thursday, and had to come in at 10:00 in the morning. Little sleep. I've done this before, so it's not new. The only time when it gets irritating is when you have one of your "Top 5 sales shifts" ever during the day, and your relief is an hour late. Then again, Friday middays were once a staple for me during the past football season. However, that made the football games not that interesting.
When I got home, I needed to lay down. It was a nice day outside, so the air conditioning at home wasn't on. However, I had it on all day at work. You know how that feels. I eventually did lay down in the sauna (the nickname for my bedroom - where the insulating is worn out). I could feel my feet literally tingling toward my knees.
But that's all over with.
I'm closing tonight and getting tomorrow off. While off in the following week, I'm going to get caught up on stuff I actually had planned for June and July. There's three features, an event, and more bits and tweaking with NISB.
The sports season is starting soon!!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Love Is Blue
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.40.80
Current Song - Love is Blue (Paul Mauriat)
Today, I got a dose of an instrumental piece you may have heard on an oldies station. You know, that one with the string guitar and the piano doing some sort of French waltz? No, not Classical Gas.
You can probably say that Paul Mauriat's "Love is Blue" is my kryptonite. It's a song that closely resembles two of my favorite foreign films ("Bicycle Thieves" and "Band of Outsiders"). All active thought in my very active brain ceases for this moment.
In the words of a YouTube comment of an audio file of the song, "My heart sighs heavily."
More difficult than "A Tale of Two Cities," "War and Peace," and any early T.S. Eliot poem is the understanding of life's greatest adventure. Eventually we all finally understand the literary works, but it takes years to understand this adventure.
I feel like I'm back in the literature part of my English classes: Everyone is at the fun and exciting part, while I'm still trying to figure out what the first paragraph of the prolouge means.
Okay, so it means this ... and I advance forward in the reading.
NO! ... and I get thrown back to square one.
Again, I try to make sense of it and again I get thrown back.
I try many different ways. However, I'm unable to get anything off the ground. And as time goes on, the task gets even more difficult. These are the only ways I know, and they have all failed, even if I repeat them. And when I do repeat them, the fewer the people who hold me back - but I still get held back.
Avenues I once went down are permanantly being blocked quite a bit these days.
When, oh when, will that time come?
And which lady will it be? Who will strike me with a zap of romance?
Current Song - Love is Blue (Paul Mauriat)
Today, I got a dose of an instrumental piece you may have heard on an oldies station. You know, that one with the string guitar and the piano doing some sort of French waltz? No, not Classical Gas.
You can probably say that Paul Mauriat's "Love is Blue" is my kryptonite. It's a song that closely resembles two of my favorite foreign films ("Bicycle Thieves" and "Band of Outsiders"). All active thought in my very active brain ceases for this moment.
In the words of a YouTube comment of an audio file of the song, "My heart sighs heavily."
More difficult than "A Tale of Two Cities," "War and Peace," and any early T.S. Eliot poem is the understanding of life's greatest adventure. Eventually we all finally understand the literary works, but it takes years to understand this adventure.
I feel like I'm back in the literature part of my English classes: Everyone is at the fun and exciting part, while I'm still trying to figure out what the first paragraph of the prolouge means.
Okay, so it means this ... and I advance forward in the reading.
NO! ... and I get thrown back to square one.
Again, I try to make sense of it and again I get thrown back.
I try many different ways. However, I'm unable to get anything off the ground. And as time goes on, the task gets even more difficult. These are the only ways I know, and they have all failed, even if I repeat them. And when I do repeat them, the fewer the people who hold me back - but I still get held back.
Avenues I once went down are permanantly being blocked quite a bit these days.
When, oh when, will that time come?
And which lady will it be? Who will strike me with a zap of romance?
Monday, August 2, 2010
Daytime
Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.20.80
Current Song - Sign Your Name (Terence Trent D'arby)
I'll be working the daytime shift at work in the next couple of days. I only get one or two daytime shifts a month. I'll be doing three this week. It's like having to fill a dayshift quota. Actually, we're a bit short-staffed.
I haven't written in this blog for a while because of being busy. But when I do, it's likely something I need to share (probably because of frustration).
The reason why I'm the "night specialist" is because of me being a night owl. The night shift, to many people, is one where you taper off as the night goes on. The way I avoid this is by waking up in the afternoon. When I come to work, it's as if it's the first thing I'm doing. That philosophy is what made me survive the overnights at BP for a year-and-a-half and the evenings at Shell for over two years.
So when I have to work during the daytime, I'm usually finding my sleep pattern interrupted. I'm entering work feeling groggy. However, through the years I have seemed to manage it well ...
Until recently.
The way I conduct my "clerking" is a bit different. I have a set schedule for chorework. Everything's routine. A good portion of the night is spent doing chorework. This is reversed during daytime.
There's more time at the register during the daytime. There are more customers at the store during daytime. The busyness doesn't frazzle me.
What DOES frazzle me is the make-up of the customer base in the daytime, compared to the nighttime. I have found out that there are more customers who are rude, insubordinate and mean. Everyone thinks that nighttime customers are all drunk and vagrant. I find it the opposite with the 5% of daytime customers I'm writing about.
The real reason why I don't like working during the daytime is because of that ONE such confrontation that will absolutely ruin my day. It is all about disgruntled customers.
I'll admit that I'm the worst at dealing with disgruntled customers. Everyone else who works where I work at, all with a lot of daytime experience and one with over 20 years, is so much better at this. I rarely, if ever, get disgruntled customers at night, and when I do, it is in the early part of the shift (5-7). They scare the hell out of me.
When this kind of thing happens, here is what is going through my mind afterward:
-You are not God.
-If you kill us youth off like that, the cycle of evolution will break, and you are effectively killing society as we know it.
-Johnson Oil's future depends on youthful people such as myself.
-Those guys from Turk 190's are right, people from Sterling really CAN'T read.
-Mr. Williams' lecture on healthy Time Management in my college health class.
-I don't want to work a dayshift ever again.
-Why am I worrying so much?
-You ever notice that it's always the pump and never the card?
-You ever notice that it's always our problem and never yours?
-This never happens when I work at Wende's.
... and I will add more later.
Current Song - Sign Your Name (Terence Trent D'arby)
I'll be working the daytime shift at work in the next couple of days. I only get one or two daytime shifts a month. I'll be doing three this week. It's like having to fill a dayshift quota. Actually, we're a bit short-staffed.
I haven't written in this blog for a while because of being busy. But when I do, it's likely something I need to share (probably because of frustration).
The reason why I'm the "night specialist" is because of me being a night owl. The night shift, to many people, is one where you taper off as the night goes on. The way I avoid this is by waking up in the afternoon. When I come to work, it's as if it's the first thing I'm doing. That philosophy is what made me survive the overnights at BP for a year-and-a-half and the evenings at Shell for over two years.
So when I have to work during the daytime, I'm usually finding my sleep pattern interrupted. I'm entering work feeling groggy. However, through the years I have seemed to manage it well ...
Until recently.
The way I conduct my "clerking" is a bit different. I have a set schedule for chorework. Everything's routine. A good portion of the night is spent doing chorework. This is reversed during daytime.
There's more time at the register during the daytime. There are more customers at the store during daytime. The busyness doesn't frazzle me.
What DOES frazzle me is the make-up of the customer base in the daytime, compared to the nighttime. I have found out that there are more customers who are rude, insubordinate and mean. Everyone thinks that nighttime customers are all drunk and vagrant. I find it the opposite with the 5% of daytime customers I'm writing about.
The real reason why I don't like working during the daytime is because of that ONE such confrontation that will absolutely ruin my day. It is all about disgruntled customers.
I'll admit that I'm the worst at dealing with disgruntled customers. Everyone else who works where I work at, all with a lot of daytime experience and one with over 20 years, is so much better at this. I rarely, if ever, get disgruntled customers at night, and when I do, it is in the early part of the shift (5-7). They scare the hell out of me.
When this kind of thing happens, here is what is going through my mind afterward:
-You are not God.
-If you kill us youth off like that, the cycle of evolution will break, and you are effectively killing society as we know it.
-Johnson Oil's future depends on youthful people such as myself.
-Those guys from Turk 190's are right, people from Sterling really CAN'T read.
-Mr. Williams' lecture on healthy Time Management in my college health class.
-I don't want to work a dayshift ever again.
-Why am I worrying so much?
-You ever notice that it's always the pump and never the card?
-You ever notice that it's always our problem and never yours?
-This never happens when I work at Wende's.
... and I will add more later.
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