Friends, you probably don't care at this point, or you've probably given up reading, but I'd like to let you know that I'm still alive and kicking.

I don't quite know what I've been up to in the past week - I saw a glorious Cats win [and got a speeding ticket during my return] against the Hoosiers with Gurs on Wednesday, I saw awful minor league hockey with co-worker Chris last Friday, I cleaned a bit and celebrated my Grandma's birthday on Sunday, I saw a disappointingly bad Richard Buckner concert with co-worker and all-around nice chick Eileen on Tuesday - but it's been busy.

We're reaching crunch time in the minor league baseball offseason, only a month away from games (and seven weeks away from our stadium opening)...and that means that my free time is considerably less.

we've got promotional appearances set for this Friday (5-8), Saturday (10-4) and the following Saturday (9-5), and I'll be taking part in them in some regard. we've also got a huge one lined up for tomorrow, as our manager arrives in town for a Q&A with the fans and we unveil our brand-spanking new uniforms for the 2004 season.

it is this second thing - the uniform unveiling - that has caused me to be at work at 11:30 on a Wednesday night. that's right, friends, we're doing a fashion show, and yours truly is in charge of writing the script and MC'ing (i hate the word 'emcee' - what a bastardization) the entire fashion show portion.

this, of course, means that i get to interject a series of witty lines, including:

"Headed to Beloit, Wisconsin, next month? Our next models, _______ and _____, look ready to hop on the bus today, and they're planning to do it in the striking Swing road uniforms. "

and

"And, by the way, no dumpy cotton here. All of our Swing uniforms for the 2004 season are made of high-quality doubleknit polyester…We hear it reduces the need for sliding shorts."

and

"As you’ll notice, _______ is accenting the [Batting Practice] jersey with the home white pants, while ________ is sporting the road bottoms. This, of course, proves that, home or road, the BP top is part of a perfect double-play combination."

Shoot me now.


In other news, when I purchased the last Death Cab for Cutie album, Transatlanticism, it came with an inserted advertisement plugging two things: 1) A web link to a way to get 15 % off Barsuk Records purchases, if ordered before February 29 and 2) Free shipping on online orders of over $30.

This, of course, meant that, while doing nothing on Saturday (the 28th), I ordered three Barsuk releases ($12 per CD)...two John Vanderslice records and DCFC's We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes. I figured that I was done with Barsuk forever, until I received the CDs today. There, in the Death Cab CD, another insert..."15 percent off if ordered by June 31st." I'm screwed.

And finally, I work amongst Iowa Hawkeye fans. One has gone so far as to say "Vedran Vukusic looks like a nerd." Well, that nerd scored five points in the final minute, and the Cats guaranteed themselves their first .500 or better season in the Big Ten since 1968. Sweet, ugly victory.

I can't get to the Michigan game (see: Appearance schedule above). I'm really hoping for a win, and a 9-7 conference record, and a four seed in the conference tourney. How wild would that be?