Friday Miscellany.

First things first:

My truck - well, I must say...I didn't realize how bad the brakes WERE until I got in it last night and drove it three blocks home. I no longer have to put all my weight down on the pedal! Huh. I was right, the thing does drive like new. So this pleases me.

But one thing disturbs me - on the hang tag they put on the rear view mirror, above where it says "gray Ranger," someone put two zeros with dots in the middle. Now...do I take this to mean that they wanted to signify that the owner of this vehicle is female? Were these things supposed to be BOOBS? Lucky for Watertown Ford I have sense of humor about such things and that I don't take myself, or my boobs, very seriously. Or I'd have issues with this. As it is, I'm letting it slide because...if you don't have a sense of humor, you're a miserable cow.

Like this seriously unbalanced woman who was in there when I got there, who was having some kind of meltdown, something to do with a tow and a rental, and in response to a simple, direct question from the guy behind the counter, she went ballistic and said "You're the biggest asshole I've ever met!!" and stormed out.

WOW!!!!! Lighten up, Leona, no one's out to get you!

Granted, I only came in towards the end of the interaction, and for all I know the guy WAS being an asshole - but it sure didn't look like it from what I saw. Anyway, again, you catch more flies with honey, honey.

Anyhooo....thinking about sports a lot lately. Watching a lot, though the last three days in New York haven't actually happened. (Except for that one brief, beautiful moment in time that Tek laid off a high, fast one. That can stay.) The rest of it? Nope. Sorry, I have no recollection of the Sox playing the Skankees at all this week. They must have been resting while their incompetent body doubles went to the Bronx. That's my story and I'm stuck with it. (Aren't I clever.)

Still, we retain the lead by 5 games, so I'm not particularly fussed. On to football.

Here's the thing:

There is altogether TOO MUCH pre-season football. Am I right? A game or two, sure, gives the new and third string guys some playing experience, gives us a chance to size up our teams, gives the coaches a look at their players in action, and tweak potential strategic problems, etc. Sure, makes a lot of sense. A couple of pre-season games can whet our autumn appetites, and make us not so sad that summer is ending.

But come on, watching very expensive players go down (hey now) with season-ending injuries before the season starts, in games that don't count, so that the owners can line their pockets with a few extra games worth of ticket sales?

If the season starts in mid-September, there is no good reason for me to be watching football on August fucking NINTH.

I'm against it!

And another thing: Is Eli Manning that bratty neighborhood kid, the younger brother of some popular, more athletic kid, whose mom says "You HAVE to let your brother play too, or I'm taking the ball away." ?
What? You thought it, I said it.

Happy weekend all! It's a long weekend and I'm off for an extra day on top of that, because I have to travel. I'm also against this, but it must be done. I shall have to get over this anti-travel thing. But it is hard, so hard. It's very, very, very, very hard.