Odd conversation with a boss today.

He walked in, basically with nothing to say, and started picking my brain. My thoughts on the R/DS. My thoughts on the ring fingernail. My thoughts on the rest of the staff. My thoughts on the relative commitment level of the rest of the staff. (That is, do I think that the rest of the staff is planning on being around come next season? Yes, we're three games into the season, and we're already concerned about mid-September. That's how it always happens.) My relative commitment level beyond this season. "Keep this under wraps, but there's this apartment that we have for the coaches, and we're stuck with a year-long lease on it..." [Implied: You can probably wind up there.]

And then, me being me, I started pontificating. About my thoughts on working in the "industry." [I like most aspects of it.] My thoughts on how much I enjoyed this past weekend. [A lot.] My thoughts on how much I like broadcasting. [A lot, though I may have concluded that it's not the be-all-end-all in terms of professional satisfaction.]

I think he was pretty surprised by the "not the be-all-end-all" fact, because I think that he's thinking of me - already - as a post-season [in-season?] successor to the R/DS.

I also asked how they wound up with the R/DS. "We thought it was a great hire. We were real excited about him. Sadly, we pretty quickly realized that he might be a mistake." [Seriously, shouldn't he not be saying things like this to me?]

Essentially, he was trying to get a pulse on what I think about the organization, and what I think about my place in the organization, and, more importantly, how I view my future in the organization. Flattering, I guess. Uncomfortable [Shoot! I've been here less than two months! You really want my opinion on this stuff?], too, but also interesting.

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I also learned today that the office is even more incestuous than I previously realized.

We'll start with the boss who was speaking with me, call him J.

J's parents are co-owners, one serving as "President" and another as "General Manager," or something like that. Titles mean very little.

Also in the office -

J's best friend from college. J's best friend's wife was here at the outset, though she got a better job elsewhere. J's best friend will be leaving after the season.

J's father-in-law.

J's wife's former college teammate, who is engaged to a player. [At the moment when he said, "My wife and M. were teammates in college," I cleverly said, "Wait? Teammates? This is even more incestuous than I realized." I thought it was a good statement, so I included it above, also.]

Basically, there are what I would call 11 "core" employees, and seven are somehow connected. Wild.

Worst part of this? J refers to ownership as "my mom" and "my dad." Just uncomfortable, but part of the charm, too. In a way, anyway.

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At the beach this weekend, while in a semi-sleeping, semi-meditating, semi-relaxing state, I started singing, as completely as I could, the first half of Guided by Voices' Bee Thousand. I also repeatedly came back to Pet Sounds, and often to Blackalicious' Make You Feel That Way.

And then I started thinking about my favorite songs ever, just because. Favorite albums tend to stand out, and earn their way to the top. Favorite songs waft in and out of one's consciousness.

My best stab at my ten favorite songs (in no order, though the first one listed is my unadulterated favorite):

Guided by Voices - Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory
Wilco - I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Guided by Voices - I Am a Scientist
The White Stripes - Hotel Yorba
Blackalicious - Make You Feel That Way
Neutral Milk Hotel - Two Headed Boy Pt. 2
Kanye West - Family Business
Guided by Voices - A Salty Salute
The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice?
The Mountain Goats - This Year or Dance Music, but I can't decide

That was pretty fun, I guess. It's far from definitive, though I'm very comfortable that the first two GbV songs, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, Wouldn't It Be Nice?, and Make You Feel That Way are cinches. Gosh, Make You Feel That Way is powerful, in a dumb, not-powerful, but still beautiful way.

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Localizing myself:

Saturday, I applied for a library card. Should arrive in the next few days.

Tuesday, I opened a local bank account.

Wednesday, I got my first local haircut. They give the hot shaving cream on the neck treatment, though it's not as good as the treatment in either Evanston or The 'Port. Still, a pretty high-quality haircut.

Next on the list is local auto registration, though I'm told that my insurance will shoot up once I'm registered here. Stupid no-fault automobile laws, or something. Problem is, my tags have been expired for two months, so I need to register somewhere.

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This is my 500th post. No joke. Perhaps you should check the archives to see the ones you missed. I'm sorry. Here's to 500 more. Or no more, I'm not sure.