let me explain to you the joy of a 'commuter' trip, which is what i'll be embarking on tomorrow. you get on the bus mid-afternoon, stay on the bus a long time, watch a baseball game, get on the bus again, and get home really late.
 
i'll be embarking on a commuter trip to peoria illinois tomorrow morning, as first pitch is scheduled for noon. (generally we've got night games...bus time usually 130 for those.)  so i'll get to the stadium at about 715 to print out stats and things for coaching staff and myself, get on the bus by 745, and we'll depart at 804 (staff's not a prompt one this year). i'll pop on my ipod and, perhaps, open up a book (the old dan brown book that my mom gave me to read...not da vinci code) or a magazine (sports illustrated or magnet)...otherwise, i'll go to sleep.
 
we'll get to the park at 10...i'll probably not do an interview because i have to set up my equipment and put my stats just so, as weirdos say. then i'll talk to myself for three hours. then i'll head back to the bus...we usually leave about a half-hour after i get down there. then we're on a bus for another two hours or so, and then i'm back home.

actual time at work: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
actual time working: 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
 
to quote a wise man, these days are effin' annoying.
 
we had a noon game today, so i've been home since about 530 or so. got to talk to my mom, and made some sort of dinner out of "what's in the fridge" (which isn't much because i haven't been out for groceries since last month - when i spendt $68)...this meant white rice with salsa and kidney beans and a few jalepenos. it was good, i'd say.
 
high school buddies, most notably coach, were in town this past weekend. it's real tough to be a host when you work in baseball, and tougher when your game lasts four hours the night they arrive. so we were out 1130-2 on friday night, did lunch for an hour on saturday, and were 'out' at our incredible stadium bar about 11-1 on saturday. not real efficient, but pretty fun. they got to play catch on the field and pretend to bring back homers, which is always fun.
 
congrats to nemo! and carrie! it happened some time last week or something, and i made a call when i read it on saturday, and i've still gotten nothing back. i mean, damn. we spoke last monday, so i probably should've gotten a sneak preview...i think we talked engagement-ish things, although i'm not sure.
 
two recent record purchases: polyphonic spree's together we're heavy which is as cliched and joyful as the demo/debut, and fiery furnaces' blueberry boat which is a bit tough for me to get a hold on, although pitchfork says its genius.

gbv's announced that their final tour will end with back-to-back shows at metro in chicago on december 30 and 31. i'm going to both, regardless of cost. i think toby sprout's coming as well, and the go are opening. (they rawked in dekalb.)
 
cubs-cards was tremendous. cubs lost. i'm not one to overstate the importance of mid-july games, but it sure seems to me that this one hurt a whole lot.