I could be centerfield

So I was almost half an hour late for work today, not because of the snow, but because I couldn't find my iPod. I know getting to work on time should be more important than finding my iPod, but I can't face the day without that thing by my side. Driving to work without it would have been a nightmare.

My brother's stupid school canceled classes last night, so he was all doin' a little dance and shit, and clearly I'm just jealous, because never again will snow mean that I don't have to get up early in the morning. Working for a living ruins everything. I used to love the snow. Now I hate it. Also, I miss sleeping. I can't go to bed early--I just can't--and I can't sleep late, because I even work on the weekends. Bah.

I also hate snow days, because my mom always calls me at work in the middle of the day to tell me what she's making for dinner, like, that's nice, Ma. Really, I'm just bitter and jealous some more, and she's making chili and corn bread, which is, like, my favorite. I have a million favorites, but chili and corn bread is super good on a cold, snowy day.

Mike and Shannon just got the cutest new tiny kittens ever. They are so small. They're only, like, eight weeks old, and I'd never seen such a baby kitten in person before. Charles Wallace was twelve weeks old when I got him, because that's when the Humane Society puts kittens up for adoption, and he was a titan compared to these tiny things. The weird thing is that they've had these cats for a week, and they don't have names yet. Exactly half of the fun of getting a new pet is getting to name it. Actually, this fraction increases the less interactive the pet. Like, almost the entire reason for getting a fish is to get to name it something fun. Like, I named my first beta fish Hamlet, because I had a hermit crab named Horatio, and then when Hamlet basically committed suicide, I named his replacement Fortinbras. Did I mention I was a nerd? And that I took two semesters of Shakespeare in college? And not just because Dr. Lynch, Shakespeare professor extraordinaire, was awesome. Also, when I had a whole mess of goldfish, I named them, like, Meatwad, Pudge, Gil, Stewie, Jimmy, and Tina. For real.

How about that weekend of football upsets, huh? I was convinced that the Patriots would be playing the Colts next weekend, but it is not to be! Suck it, Peyton! Even though I hate the Cowboys (I guess I lied when I said I don't really hate any of the other NFL teams), I was convinced they would make Eli cry; I can't believe he didn't blow it. Oh, sadly, the Seahawks could not upset the Packers, and obviously, no one is going to beat the Patriots. All y'all who hate on the Pats just because they're good can suck it, okay? Do you know how long they sucked? Basically since they were the Boston Patriots until 2001. So let New England have their fun! This is going to be just like 2004, with the World Series and the Super Bowl going to New England, but it's going to be even bettah, because the Pats will be undefeated. Suck on that, Miami Dolphins of '72.

Okay, so maybe Tom Brady is kind of a dick. Whatever, at least he's not as goddamn ubiquitous as Peyton Manning. And, god, did you see the roughing-up of my main man Wes Welker during the Jacksonville game? There were all kinds of bullshit penalties on the Patriots during that game (at home!), and Welker had a goose egg on his head from face-masking and other kinds of unnecessary roughness, and no one did anything. Bitches. Also, that controversial first quarter touchdown pass after David Garrard was already down set the Bostonians I was watching the game with into fits. Fits! I was like, "Yeah, Belichick should have challenged that, but what're you gonna do?" It's not like they were gonna lose.

You know, I forgot I loved watching football, because I was working all the time last year, and I was never even home for a game. Good thing I scaled back this year. Baseball is much more accessible, because it's on all the time. I think it's time for black-market organ-selling so I can go to more than two Red Sox games this year. Also, I think I should make Sarah take me to a Nationals game, so I can slowly move closer to my goal of seeing a game in all the MLB stadiums. And then Allison will have to take me to see the Blue Jays. She will. And then I'll take her to see Brandi Carlile, and we'll be even. Then my dad will take me to Yankee Stadium, and I will root for whoever they're playing, but I will not wear any Red Sox paraphernalia, because I'm not that much an idiot. And then I'll have to go to Shea--or did they destroy that already? Is Pedro Martinez still on the Mets? I'm so out of touch with the National League. I guess a game in Philadelphia and a game in Pittsburgh could also be doable. Then I'll have to look into some serious traveling. I really wanna go to Wrigley Field, and I also want to see the Brewers play just because they're the beer team, and I like their uniforms. National League! The California teams don't appeal to me, but I'll have to go sometime. My dad went to wherever the Giants play, and he said it was all swanky and huge and stuff, and eh. That is not what I look for in a baseball stadium. Everything is going to fall short of Fenway, obviously, but, you know, Camden Yards was pretty nice. I also really wanna go to Seattle, and a Mariners game sounds like as good an excuse as any. (Also an acceptable excuse to fly across the country: Brandi Carlile concert. Shocking, I know.) But all this will have to wait until I'm rich. Sigh.

Oh! This is the last year for Yankee Stadium and Shea! I think a baseball pilgrimage to NYC is in order. So New York City, D.C., Toronto, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. That would bring my grand total of baseball stadiums (stadia!) up to eight. Woot. My aunt lives near San Francisco (ish), but I think I might have a hard time getting her to take me to a Giants game. Well, I could always go by myself. I'm a creepy loner like that. I could potentially swing a trip to Maryland on Memorial Day weekend again this year, provided that Sarah feels like hosting me, and the Nats are playing at home that whole weekend, and tickets on StubHub are starting at $14. $14! Jesus god, it is painful to be a Red Sox fan sometimes. I would imagine that means we could probably just buy tickets from the Nats themselves like we did for the Orioles. That is such a novelty to me. And! They're playing the Brewers that weekend. I just love the idea of the Brewers, even though I know absolutely nothing about them. If I wanted to see the Nationals in Houston (though...why? Well, I have to see a game in Houston eventually. It would just be more fun (and infinitely more expensive) if I were to go see the Red Sox), tickets start at $6! $6! Do you even get a seat for six dollars? Standing room at Sox games definitely costs more than six bucks. (Do other stadiums even have standing room tickets?) That is madness. To see the Red Sox in Houston would cost at least $87 right now (for those seats that are going for six dollars when the Nationals will be there, plus airfare and accommodations and ballpark beer). Stupid Red Sox. Astros-Yankees tickets are more expensive, though, as I thought they would be--haha! To see the Red Sox at Fenway on my birthday would cost at least $73 (for a bleacher seat--blech). Stupid Red Sox. I wouldn't change a thing about them, though.

Tickets to see the Nationals at Shea Stadium start at $5! Five. Dollars. I had no idea. This touring the baseball stadiums of the country thing is sounding somewhat more affordable. It would be even more affordable if I made it a road trip, but I can't take all that time off of work. Stupid work. Ruins everything. What would make it the most affordable, though, is if I went with my dad. He said he wanted to see a game in every stadium in the country too, without my bringing it up, even. So I'm hoping we'll go to Yankee Stadium this summer, even though he's already been there. I don't think he's been to Shea Stadium, so hopefully we can knock that one off too.

Look at me, getting all worked up about baseball in January. Whatever, I love it. I need a new Red Sox hat. Mine is all sun-bleached and stained with something unidentifiable, and it's just ugly.