Ups and Downs of the week.

 Red Sox – Despite the last two losses against Tampa Bay, the Sox have turned it around and have been flirting with first place in the AL East.  

  Celtics – Struggling against the Bulls. Doesn’t bode well for the rest of the playoffs, if they even get to the rest of the playoffs. Although I seem to remember this same path last year. UPDATE:  Celts won tonight. They move on. Bulls go home.

  Weather – Typical Illinois Spring. Lots of rain and cool days.

  Hysteria – Swine flu. Not even that bad if, by some exceedingly slim chance, you do happen to catch it. What’s with all the hysteria?

 Dad – Going home in a week or so.

Ups and Downs of the week.

 Rod Blagojevich: Superstar – We went to see this tonight. Pretty funny, although not as hilarious as we’d heard. The improv skits which made up the second half of the show were better.

  Winter is back II - Again, more snow and nastiness in the forecast.

 MLB’s Opening Week – Maybe spring really is here. Sox start on Monday just where they left off, against Tampa Bay.

  Yet Another Nutcase With a Gun – This time in sleepy Binghamton, NY. Seems 2009 is going to be remembered for these shootings.

 Dad – Continuing to improve. Just a few more hurdles to clear and he’ll be home at last.

  McLaren – They still can’t spell integrity. Caught lying about what they said on the radio to their driver, despite the fact they knew the whole conversation was recorded.  Dumb and shameful.

Ups and Downs of the week.

   Sarah’s New Book – This represents over a year of hard work. Between this new volume and her original book, the vast majority of historical novels are now indexed, classified, and described. I know I’m bragging, but she deserves it.

  Prehistoric Road Maintenance - This week it seemed every road I drove on had holes and cracks patched with oil and loose pea stone gravel. I really need to get some pictures of the idiotic way the state of Illinois patches roads. They spray a little bit of thick oil on the crack or hole and then blow in 1/4″ pea stone. They always use way too much pea stone and the first time someone runs over it, it gets scattered everywhere. Then it gets tossed in the air to chip paint and crack windshields. The really stupid part is that it doesn’t last a week. The crews are back at it on the same roads week after week. If I knew whose idea it was to do it this way, I’d sit outside his/her house with a bushelful of these stones and a slingshot and plink away at whatever car they drive. I just hope we’re not throwing away our stimulus money on this nonsense.

  My 2006 Z4 3.0si – This car is a beast. It’s fast and corners like it’s glued to the road. I’ve been having a blast in it for a week now. Best of all, it gets great gas mileage on top of being fun to drive.

Ups and Downs of the week.

 Springtime is here – Into the 70s today. Loved every minute of it. I left work early just to get out and enjoy it.

  “Unofficial” St. Patrick’s Day – Annual excuse for student drunkenness and stupidity. Thank the greedy bar owners who started and continue to promote this nonsense.

 Team Brawn? – Looks like former Team Honda will be back in Formula One this year, albeit with Mercedes engines. Not sure what the team will be called yet, but former Ferrari guru Ross Brawn bought the team outright. Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button will return as the team’s drivers.

 Dad – Walking several laps of the hallways now and climbing stairs. Still looking good for him to be going home soon.

  Boston Bruins – 3-5-2 in their last 10 including three consecutive losses. They’re still in first place in the Eastern Conference, barely.

Ups and Downs of the week.

 Baseball is back – Ok, just spring training games, but the pennant race will soon be underway.

  Google’s Latitude – Sign up to have Google track your every move? Um, no thanks.

 USF1 – The U.S. will finally have a Formula One team again. It won’t hit the track until 2010, but at least we’ll be back in the game.

  Mileage tax – Yet another idiotic idea. If folks who drive more already pay more in gas taxes, why start a new, expensive system that will also be prone to abuse and misuse? The stupidity of some of our elected officials cannot be overstated.

 Dad – He’s on solid food now and has no feeding tube or IV stint. He’s walking more and spending most of his day out of bed. I’m thinking he’ll be home by the end of March. It’s been a long, long road.

  Patriots – They traded Mike Vrabel today. Probably *the* clutch situation player on the Pats and now he’s gone. Someone please explain.

Ups and Downs of the week.

  Buffalo plane crash – What a tragedy.

   Stimulus package – Here we go. Some of the Republican-backed changes look sensible, but who knows. It could all backfire.

 Warmer weather – I was in Chicago Tuesday and it was 63 degrees. Nasty ride on the way home, though. Major rain and wind bad enough to overturn trucks.

  Winter is still here. – Possibly and inch or two of snow this weekend.

 Dad – Eating full meals now. Stronger every day.

  Outrageous pricing – Hotels and airlines have been overcharging businesses for so long that it’s become natural. Is a first class seat on an airliner really worth 8 or 10 times a coach fare? Is it really necessary for hotels to charge $10 for a glass of wine from a bottle you could buy for half that? Are bagels in hotels really worth $6? Coffee and a bagel for $10 at a hotel or $4 at the Starbucks across the street. I foresee businesses cutting down on travel expenses and eliminating or curtailing expense accounts. What will the hotels and airlines do then?

Ups and Downs of the week.

 Blago is gone!! – About time! On his way out the door he couldn’t help but make more of a fool of himself. Listen to him whining to the legislature.

  Business a usual in D.C. – These idiots just don’t get it!!!! Enough with the idiotic pork-barrel stuff. The stimulus package is so full of bullshit, it’s drawing flies. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) cannot possibly stimulate the economy. Support for STD treatment cannot either. Both these could be considered worthy causes in a time of prosperity, but now is not that time. Obama already trimmed out the ludicrous mall resodding project and the equally inane contraceptive funding, but there is still way too much pork and not enough direct action. We need money to support infrastructure projects which will put people to work. If a proposal will not add a substantial number of jobs, it should be scrapped. Congress is whining about Wall Street not listening to the people when they’re just as deaf. STOP THE PORK!!!! (Clear enough?)

  Celtics – Back to their winning ways.

  Winter – 9″ of snow this week. I’m so in need of a warm day or two. Now that I have a ragtop waiting for me, the winter days are dragging by endlessly.

  Dad continues to improve. – Today they had him standing up straight (with a little help) and next week he’ll start learning to walk again using parallel bars. The docs are amazed at his progress, but we’re not. He’s a determined man. Always has been.

Ups and Downs of the week.

 New Toy – 2006 BMW Z4. Quick pic here. More to follow.

  Blago – He continues to thumb his nose at the very people who elected him. He’s a sociopath who refuses to acknowledge he did anything wrong and his obstinate refusal to step down is going to run this state into bankruptcy. He’s nothing but a curse and a burden on this state now.

  President Obama – I like what I see so far, but the really tough decisions are still ahead.

  Dad is doing better – Sitting up straight for longer periods. Standing (but not walking yet) on his own. Starting to eat just a little. And best of all, his attitude is great and he’s getting a little stronger every day.

Ups and Downs of the week.

  Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III – One hell of a pilot. Incredible skill and grace under extreme pressure. Amazing.

  Economy - Still tanking and showing signs of worsening. Circuit City going under with more stores to follow for sure. Bad news. 

  Kevin Youkilis – 4 more years with the Red Sox. Very cool indeed.

  Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ10 – Nice little camera. It’s now in my glovebox so I can grab images during my commute. See below.

 

  Winter Sunset – Cold but beautiful.

Ups and Downs of the week.

 Home again – Be it ever so humble, there’s no place as comfortable as home.

  Blago and Burris – What a pair of losers.

  Feeling healthy again – Whatever it was that had me feeling lousy over the holidays is gone now. ‘Bout time.

 Celtics and Bruins – Both teams still smoking along and on top of their game.