yesterday (monday) was not a good day. it started with me taking my car to the shop, then walking the 15 minutes to work. well, actually, it started when i couldn't sleep. it was the coldest day of the season, and my nose was running. then, i spoke with boss 2 and confirmed that there's no accountability in my office. (a coworker either flat-out lied, or simply can't use a computer, and lost a week's worth of work. boss2's response: "well, just continue as if the data's been updated.) said coworker's "golden boy" status was confirmed, despite a lack of personality and nothing but his mode of dress going for him. (i'm not jealous, but that's just frustrating.) the greatest coworker in the world is departing. in town, but departing. also, i drank about 7 cups of coffee during the course of the day, but was completely drowsy.

i think there was something else that made work suck.

the postwork part of the day was far better. a beer with the greatest coworker in the world. i accidentally locked myself out of the apartment, but the problem was addressed quickly. and at no cost. also, the library brought in chuck klosterman's sex, drugs and cocoa puffs, which is pointless but entertaining.

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today was far better. it was a perfect autumn day. the walk in was brisk, but bearable. the lunch walk was fantastic. i also changed the morning routine a bit, putting coffee grounds and water in the coffee maker, then - poof - turning it on before heading to the shower. coffee made for a much better walk in. i also got to help my coworker with his letter of resignation. he did not follow my hilarious advice to present the letter to the boss on the backside of a flyer for a cancelled concert. (we "recycle" paper at the office.) really, not much different happened, but the weather has a tremendous effect on me, i think. good thing i don't live in fargo or something. also, i continued to do the work that golden boy lied about/completely f'ed up.

the only bad part of the day... (not bad, but an odd feeling)
i was really the only one who knew about coworker's imminent departure. so i told my favorite elder statesman in the office. (yesterday, i called him "everyone's sounding board," and i think he appreciated it. he's the only person in our office of... seven ... that everyone enjoys, i think.) he was blindsided - stunned - and i explained the logic about how it was "time for him to make actual money" and "at some point, you need to make more money than your age" (think about that...) and "sure he'll miss the games, but he'll still come to them" and things like that. and then we got to talking about me. and my frustrations here. (no pay. long hours. no appreciation. no pay.) and he said, "why don't you send off a resume to john deere? a lot of my friends' kids have great careers there. great company. i'm sure there's a sales position or a marketing job or a pr role that you could fill." and i considered it. and, to me, that's scary, in it's own way.

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last week, i entered the pantheon of dorkiness by bragging about appearing on "who you crappin'?" today, i further entered the pantheon of dorkiness, here. don't read if you think i fall into the category of "not a dork." because this is pretty conclusive proof in the other way.

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i often come up with interesting things to write about. then i forget. that's frustrating.

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i don't want to sound like "the annoying white sox fan with a ferocious inferiority complex," (most real sox fans are, of course) but it seems to me that joe buck has spent the entire postseason dwelling on all of the umpiring mistakes that have gone the white sox way.

one example: the jermaine dye hit-by-pitch. he called the konerko grand slam "controversial" before they even showed a replay.

another example: again, early in the game tonight, he referred to a.j. pierzynski "faking out the umpire" when running to first during the alcs. hello! he wasn't trying to confuse the ump; he was running because he was unsure.

now, tonight...
in the fourth inning, jason lane clearly does not hit a home run. this is not even fringe-inconclusive. and there's an ump stationed in left precisely to make that call. and yet, it's not been mentioned since the top of the fifth, when video replays confirmed that the call was blown.

i hate joe buck, mostly because of his arrogance. but also, as has been written, because of professional jealousy. (pretty much, because i've got the wrong dad.)

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i'll be honest...i've never heard the phrase "jump the shark" used except in the awful joke "hasn't the phrase 'jump the shark' really jumped the shark." (zing!)

three questions:
1) has anybody ever used this phrase outside of the bad joke?
2) what could possibly be the origin of this completely dumb phrase.

help is appreciated.

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unstadt has a live journal! link at right. waiting period waived.

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i'm very excited to receive the silver jews' tanglewood numbers in the post. i'm slightly-less-excited to receive the clientele's strange geometry in the same package. i still have a discover-card-earned $25 gift card to borders to use, and i'll be getting another one soon, but i've got nothing to buy. (borders didn't get either disc that i just ordered; i wanted both.) i'm looking for suggestions.

i will not be getting the new fiery furnaces album. ahh, the power of pitchfork. and of my "bad idea" detector.

i may purchase the new joggers album. the first was fantastic. i sense that that will be "mail order only," however.

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what i'm looking forward to with greater intensity than receiving the cds...

tomorrow night's softball tournament finals. and this weekend's imminent trip to the c-h-i. and, most intensely, the hundreds of dollars of groceries that i'll scam off of my mom. (i'm only now out of the meat she gave me last time; that was in early september.) woof.