Sports and Politics - Treacherous Waters Ahead?

Hey, I worked with one of those dudes

I want to begin the blog by congratulating the Chicago Cubs and, even more, my friends and the fans Cubs who have been waiting, for most of them, for this to happen their entire lives. The last time the Cubs were in the World Series was in 1945 and the last time they won the Series was in 1908. The Cleveland Indians have a very good team this season and a great pitching staff so it will be a tough road but odder things have happened. It's nice that two teams that have, mostly historically, had dismal seasons will face one another for the title. I find it pretty cool that Back To The Future predicted the Cubs would win the World Series in 2015 and here they are with that chance one year later than the newspaper headlines in 1985. They were supposed to play Miami and sweep them but Miami (I suppose the Florida Marlins are the closest since they play in Miami). Also, they are in the National League so that would be tough too. I wonder if we'll have snow in either Cleveland and/or Chicago before the champs are crowned?

There has been a question that has been gnawing at me since the Cubs have been doing so well and I am sure somebody can answer it for me. I also imagine I could Google it but this is what I am doing now so I will just ask you. Why do people fly their W flags even on the days that the Cubs lose games? I had always thought that they were flown only on days when the Cubs won like it is at Wrigley Field. Incidentally, I have been to well over half of the Major League Baseball parks and one of my favorites is Wrigley Field. I suppose it is good to get your money's worth for that flag while the iron is hot. Shouldn't there be an L flag too so there is no confusion?

 There is the answer and it makes sense, I guess 

Today is my one day off over an eleven day stretch so I have to try to get some things done today. The list I have is not to voluminous so I should be able to accomplish the things on the list. I did sign-up to "flex-down" for tomorrow and I will call tonight to see if that has been approved; I am not very optimistic of having tomorrow off though. The overtime pay is nice but I have become accustomed to sleeping in the little over the half-century I have been a living thing. I guess my dirt nap, when it comes, will make up for the time I am missing asleep these days. Okay, since curiosity killed the Matt I had to look and this is what I found about that.

I love baseball and I hope that all of the Cubs fans can experience the joy I have discovered as a Cardinals' fan. Everyone deserves to be happy. I was fortunate enough to go see the Cardinals in the World Series at Busch Stadium in 2006 with my then ten-year-old son. It was sort of a fluke that I got tickets and that we made it in time given there was a rain-out the previous night and the tickets we had were moved-up to the current game rather than the next game... I hope that many people can share that joy and excitement this year in Chicago and Cleveland as the memories that Fabio and I have from 2006. It seems like so much longer ago now that he has facial hair and is 6'6" tall.

I am so tired of politics and all of the issues that are causing so much turmoil and dissension between friends... I have deleted a few friends from my Facebook list and Cha Cha has completely put her Facebook page on hold (almost deleting it totally). Many of the issues that the two main candidates are discussing are not simply black-and-white issues but many people who consider themselves really far to the left (liberal) or really far to the right (conservative) think these things are all cut into stone and there is now give-and-take or circumstances that could change those solid lines. Many of these things are caused my religious beliefs or prejudices (gender, race...). I would call myself a moderate because I can see every single thing as one way and/or the other based on the other varying factors that make these things up. Most of the people I choose to associate with the most are like-minded. I have a few fiends that think are a bit too liberal which, to me, is just as dangerous as the alternative. I try to remember on what values and ideals our country were founded upon and hold these truths and principals to be self-evident. Apparently, they are not as self-evident as I had always thought.

I should end and get some of the things on my todo list started since this may be my only day until Sunday to get something done (and that is unless I HAVE TO work again two extra 12-hour days again next week). If I do get my flex-down wish granted tonight by the Flex-Down Fairy I will, most likely, blog again tomorrow. Thank you for stopping by and for letting me vent and rant and confuse myself (and maybe you too) even further. I hope you have a fantastic (is that too extreme?) day because I intend too. TTT?????...MITM (out) TA!

FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!

 Or gaining in this instance 

Hello again friend! I am happy that you're here again. I guess that makes me sound like Mr. Rogers but I mean it like I believe he meant it every time he said it too.

Well, I rode the bike this morning for 26 miles but it was still not enough to make up for my apparent poor eating over the past two weeks. I was unable to weigh-in last week because of my dad's surgery so I ended-up gaining three pounds over the past two weeks. So, the 70.2 pounds that I had lost since December 29th has now changed to 67.2 pounds lost. I know it was my fault for eating poorly while taking care of my parents and then Cha Cha being gone for work for most of last week and me eating poorly again. I only have myself to blame but I will be extra focused for this next week. I just hope I will be able to weigh-in again next week because I seem to need that third-party accountability to keep me going. Most of my life I have always wanted to perform to please others and this, I believe, is no different. So, if we are not forced to work overtime next week I will see at least a three pound loss.

I call her Roz for Pinky Tuscadero

While I rode the bike this morning I mainly just listened to music and played Words With Friends (with friends, of course) and played Texas Holdem on-line. Last night I decided to begin using my iPod again. I mainly use my phone for music and such these days but, for some reason I decided to use my iPod again. I have an alarm clock docking station for it so I can use that for music at night and let my phone take a break and get a good night's sleep so it can work hard all day long with and for me. Toward the end of the workout I started watching Iron Man (2008). I must say on thing that I like about the phone over the iPod is that the phone have a much higher volume. I played the "workout" playlist which included quite a few songs I have not heard for quite awhile - Pink, AC/DC. Rob Thomas...

While peddling (or spinning as the yuppies, of which I may be one of, say) I felt a lot like Dave Stohler competing with Team Cinzano in Breaking Away. It kind of ended the same way (spoiler alert from a 1979 movie) with me getting the short end of the stick (kind of literally in Stohler's case if something can be "kind of" literally). In my case it is from coming-up short in gaining a few pounds. Another thing that kind of gives me conflicting feelings is that my butt hurts after riding for an hour on the bike. I would have liked to ride the real bike outside this morning but my cleaning the garage yesterday meant my bike hanging from the rafters (studs) in the garage. My butt hurts now because I do not have the layer of blubber back there that I used to have. I guess I have white man's flat ass disease. I could have stood and peddled on the outside bike had I waited a week to organize the garage. I never really had a very fat posterior, as I carried most of it in my chin and my gut, but now I have no butt at all. Maybe I will have to get a pillow to sit on when Stohlering next week? I will be right back because the washer and dryer are both playing my songs. Speaking of songs (again) (caught myself peddling much faster when Roz was playing Chariots of Fire.

I am back with some more clothes folded and some others now in the drier and others newly in the washer. Thank goodness for the washboard being a thing of the past.

I may sign-up for overtime next week (maybe a half day / six hours) on Monday so I will better my chances to have Sunday and Tuesday off. I feel like every week is playing the lottery when it comes to working extra hours. If I can try to choose the day(s) I work I will give it a shot. If it does not work, as I hope it does, I will probably not sign-up for overtime too much in the future. I will just the chips fall where they may and play the cards that are dealt to me at that point. I guess I still have Texas Holdem on my mind a bit, huh?

Okay, it is 15:52 and I think I will end now. As I said at the beginning I am happy you stopped by. I hope you have a great rest of your Tuesday and have an even better Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I am not sure when I will write again but, when I need the therapy of your couch again, I will blog again soon. TTTSoon...MITM (out) TA!

Double O Status has been Confirmed!

 Charles "Charlie" Chaplin with his daughter / mother 

It seems like forever since I have written here. I just looked and it was a week ago yesterday since I wrote. Thankfully, I am not forced to work overtime this "my weekend" because I accomplished a lot so far over the last few days. A lot more has happened since the 9th.. My dad had his surgery and it went well. Do we really know if surgeries go well when we are told that by the people who perform the surgeries? I have never heard, "I really botched this surgery up but everything might be alright?"

I knew I wanted to ride the bike for 20 miles or so today, as I do most Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but I had other things more pressing today. Winter is coming (even though I just turned the air conditioning back on in the house because it is supposed to be in the 70's and 80's for the next few days) and I wanted to be able to get two cars in there before the snow begins. So, I bet you have guessed, I cleaned the garage. It really was not as bad as I thought. It was just a bit cluttered unlike other years when it was packed with too much junk. So, I really just had to organize and rearrange things and get rid of a few things. I had a couple of bags of leaves in the garage too so I just burned them in the fire pit in the backyard. That kept Jeff busy while I did the garage too - he loves to herd / roundup smoke.

After the garage I took a few things that Cha Cha had gathered over to The Goodwill Store. Then I stopped at the grocery store or supermarket or whatever you prefer to call the place where we get food that we prepare ourselves. I needed birdseed and a few other things. Birdseed was on sale (buy one bag and get another for free. Two huge bags for $11.49 - pretty darn good deal. It's not a garbage mix either; it has the usual seed but also corn and sunflower seeds and many other fancy looking seeds that I am not sure of what they are.

 I would like James to get ahold of that knucklehead and 007 him 

Then, after all that, I rode the bike for 20 miles. This week it took me 80 minutes and 12 seconds. I was not really pushing it speed-wise too hard though I did curls (with weights, of course) while I peddled. While I rode today I watched Casino Royale. The one with Daniel Craig (2006) not the one with Peter Sellers (1967). The Peter Sellers version was a spoof as you may imagine or perhaps you already knew. The one with Sellers (James Bond) had bigger stars in it though: Sellers, Orson Wells, David Niven (also James Bond), Woody Allen (also James Bond), Ursella Andress, William Holden, George Raft, Jacqueline Bisset (Miss Goodthighs), Geraldine Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin's real-life daughter who, oddly, played his mother in Chaplin)... The saddest part of Chaplin for me is when Charlie has to have his mother committed to a sanitarium. That saddens me the most because I believe that is foreshadowing for my life. Anyway, This newer Casino Royale is my favorite Bond film and has my favorite Bond actor in it. Maybe that I love playing Poker so much adds to that favoritism.

Boy, I sure got off on a disjointed tangent there didn't I?

The reason I included that Trump / Bond photo above there is because Cha Cha and I have decided that we have overloaded on The Donald and we have decided not to watch the next Presidential Debate. She is the one that mentioned it and I thought it a great idea. We know who we are going to vote for and we will not change our minds.

Jill and I have watched the first two episodes of the HBO series Westworld. I remember seeing the original one in the early 1970's but this one is much better as technology has changed so much and this one has nudity (always a bonus). I had thought about watching it and Splenda was here last week and she convinced me to watch it. So, Cha Cha and I watched the first one on HBO GO and I set-up the season pass for the remainder. We have watched the first two episodes and we have this week's to watch, maybe tonight. I like Tony (Sir Anthony to you) Hopkins and he is a large part of the series. We have sushi in the fridge - sushi and Westworld sound like a good night to me. Just writing about the show makes me think that I may have milk with my sushi tonight? Not really but that is an insider joke and will become more evident as the series goes on. Good call Splenda - way to tip it in for us!

Okay, enough from me for today. I will probably blog again tomorrow afternoon. I appreciate you stopping-in today. I was on a big entertainment genre today though that may be most of the blogs. I appreciate those blogs because that means nothing weird or bad is not going on this very moment. Have a great night and a good morning. TTTT (probably)...MITM (out) TA!

Bobby De Niro For President

Tomorrow is my dad's next surgery. He is having something called a "tee ablation ep study" and a "loop recorder implant." It sounds like they are installing (if that is the proper term) a monitor/pacemaker to make sure his heart is beating properly so he does not have a stroke or a heart attack. It is going to be a trying three days for him, my mom and me. My mom will not even know what is going on but she will stressed because she will be away from her home and her cats for quite a bit over the next few days. My dad will be the one with most of the pressure I would imagine.

I sure hope politics don't come up over the next few days because he and I are complete polar opposites when it comes to politics. He has spent too much time with millionaire bosses over the years that have washed his brain or maybe it is just that he is of the generation where the old white boys club ruled everything and that is he way that he and they believe that is the way things should be. I happen to disagree and believe we should all be treated with equal respect and rights and freedoms regardless of: religion, lack of religion, race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation... I wish my dad could be more like Robert De Niro (see De Niro's stance on Donald Trump). I will try to avoid, and or change, the topic at all cost. He does not need to have more pressure out on him or the situation. I was supposed to work 24 hours hours overtime today and tomorrow but my bosses let me off to play chauffeur, bodyguard, EMT... for the weekend. I would have life the 24 hours of overtime but family comes first and they understood that. I told my bosses about it last week and they said they would work with be if we had to staff-up and they were true to their words; I have to appreciate and respect that.

Jill has made this comparison for years

Our neighbor Phyllis and, perhaps her small entourage, will be coming over tonight to watch the next Presidential Debate. There are many rumors and speculations that "The Donald" will not show but I do not think that will happen. This dude loves all the press and adulation and venom and hatred thrown his way; he is Charles Foster Kane. He would not miss the chance to have another world-wide audience. I think Ted Cruz is either schizophrenic or trying to get a cabinet position no MATTer who becomes President. I am so over politics.

Cha Cha and I are on the patio right now and guess what came on her Pandora again. I cannot believe how often this song comes on something while I am writing this blog. They say spirits travel through electronics (I do not believe that either though I do believe in coincidence). I have called this song the official theme song of Matt In The Middle on several occasions. I would be happy if the entire year had the weather that we are having today. It is a bit chilly but it is sunny and I still have short on but am wearing a sweatshirt.

Hurricane Matthew - Not one of the nicer Matthews in history

I mowed the lawn this morning for probably the last time this calendar year unless something wild happens in the weather department. I am not talking wild like Hurricane Matthew but like it a bit cool but sunny outside. Hurricane Matthew has been a real a-hole. I thought it was in poor taste of Saturday Night Live to make light of the hurricane situation last night. It is show that has done things like that many time over the years but even I think there are lines that should not be crossed in some cases. When peoples' lives and loved-ones and worldly possessions are in peril I believe that is the edge of the line. I have accidentally crossed those lines in times but I am not working with a group of writers and producers... in my life. I know they have the freedom of speech and expression but I would have super-sized my freedoms a bit differently I think. They do, however, have that freedom and can do as they choose.

I think I am going to end now and go do some laundry. I just didn't know when I would get a chance to write again because my parents do not have wifi at their house and I think it would be rude to mess on my computer when I am with my mom while my dad is in surgery or while we were in the hospital with him. I am not sure when I will write again but I will probably do updates of my dad's surgery... from my phone as I know some are interested in his well-being. Thanks a lot for stopping in again. TTT?...MITM (out) TA!

Giant Douche or Turd Sandwich?

Tonight is the Vice Presidential debate when Mike Pence and Tim Kaine face-off for the one and only time (officially). I am sure people already know whether they are voting for the Turd Sandwich or the Giant Douche so this is just a waste of time as far as I am concerned. I doubt that I will even watch this debate. There is nothing that either of these dudes could or would say that will change my mind at this point so I will waste my time in a more constructive fashion.

I went and weighed in a bit ago and I lost 1.2 pounds since last week which puts me at a loss of 70.2 pounds since December 29th. I should have been here a little sooner but it took me a few weeks to get off that Freshman Vegas 0.8 plus the extra 1.2. Yes, I rode 20 miles yesterday and another 20 this morning. I should do 20 miles more days during the week rather than waiting until the day before and the morning of the weigh-ins. I usually watch movies while I am riding so I could see more films that way I suppose. Maybe I could be the Bicycling, Weight-losing, Movie Critic or something? I could start an entire health club chain on that premise perhaps (patent/trademark/copyright pending). The movie thing would be tough because everybody would have to arrive at the same time because nobody would want to watch a movie that was already in progress. Maybe I could team-up with a theater chain that already exists and convince them to serve healthy snacks instead of the crap that they offer now. They could do the healthy stuff in one theater and the same things they offer now in all of the other theaters? Though, people should be able to buy healthier things while at the movies if they desire. Cha Cha and I have snuck things like carrots and pickles and such into the theaters before. You would be surprised how much eating carrots sounds like crunching popcorn. Pickles too. With cooler/colder weather coming it will be easier with the large coats. I also have many pairs of cargo shorts and cargo pants which are quite handy in the arena (pun intended).

How about a chicken tortilla or something like that too?

Next week I will probably not be able to weigh-in because my dad is having surgery again on Monday and I have to stay at my parents' house to keep an eye on my mom - it's along story and I will not bore you with that unless you want to know. Depending on how it goes and what time he gets out of the hospital on Tuesday I may be able to go weigh-in later that afternoon or night? I doubt that I will be able to get my 40 miles on a bike in either. They may have a stationary bike in their house somewhere (basement?) but that does not seem practical.

I am going to break for a millisecond, which will probably be 30 minutes or so in real time, to run to the supermarket. Two paragraphs ago reminded me that I need to get the stuff to make my salads for this upcoming work-week that begins tomorrow. I think we are good on bananas but I may get some more grapes to be safe while I am there too. BRB sort of.

Wow, it is 17:18 already and I just got back from the stores. I guess I was only gone for about 45 minutes but the day seemed to go by very quickly. I guess that always happens when our weekends are nearly over doesn't it?

I am gonna stop now because I have some other things to get done around the house - the clothes drier just played that little tune that says "get the stuff out of me and folded before it wrinkles." I also just got done making enough salad for the eight work breaks I will have this week. That is unless they make me work Sunday too. They already promised me that I would not have to work Monday or Tuesday because of my having to be Kato (Bruce Lee not that idiot Kato Kaelin who was O.J. Simpson's beotch) for my dad. I am not going to get used to a three-day weekend because there are rumors that we will have to work six days (64 hours per week) from November until sometime in January. The money will be nice but sleep is invaluable sometimes. I won't stress on that now because it will make for good complaining for the blog later if I can stay awake long enough to write.

Thanks a lot for stopping by and letting me ramble some things off of my chest and/or mind. I hope you have a great rest of your day and your tonight. I may blog again tomorrow as Cha Cha has plans though I may go out and find some trouble to get into. I wonder if Donald Trump will Tweet during the dabate or will he wait until 3 AM? TTTWhenever I decide to blog again...MITM (out)!

The Omega Matt

Omega Matt may be coming to a city near you soon though I hope not

Hurricane Matthew is roaring on the East Coast of the U S and A and there is a probable earthquake (an advisory as I write this) on the West Coast of the U S and A. I have been thinking a lot about how this upcoming Presidential election is tearing our country apart but I thought it was just figuratively but, as usual, I am incorrect. Our country may literally be torn apart during October. I guess I will wait to buy the Halloween candy so I can buy a few extra bottles of water to survive the upcoming natural disaster holocaust.

Cha Cha and I went to see The Magnificent Seven on Saturday night. It was a pretty good movie. I remember seeing the original as a yute but this new one is much better as movie effects have come so far since 1960. I suppose in 2050 they will remake it again and this new one will look to our descendants like the old one looks to me now. I plan to be dead when the next remake comes out (earthquake or hurricane or irresponsible voting this November).

Witherspoon does not have the same distraction or sonthing

While I am in the movie mode - am I the only one that notices that there are several actresses (actually two that I can think of) say "sonthing" rather than "something" when they talk in their movies. I know that Marissa Tomei and Gwynneth Paltrow do that for sure and it has always distracted me for a moment in while watching their films. Is it so they don't smudge their lipstick? Is it so their lips do not stick together for a millisecond? I like both of their work but that takes me out of the moment for a moment so I lost at least two moments every time they say sonthing.

I have to take a writing break to go do a quick 20 miles. I have been averaging 20 miles in about 78 minutes. I am not sure if that is quick or not but it feels like forever while I am doing it. Thank goodness for DVD's, HULU and Netflix to keep me somewhat distracted. Be back soon to you and an eternity to me.

I am done with my torture for now. I may do another ten miles or so later tonight and then do at least 20 more miles tomorrow before I go and weigh-in. While I rode today I watched There Will Be Blood on Netflix.I had seen the film before and I like it very much. It is a downer for the most part but it is very good. I could not help but make many parallels with Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) and a certain person who has been part of the Presidential campaign landscape of late.

It was very handy that the drier was finishing just as I came back upstairs. I was able to fold the clothes right away before they had a chance to get wrinkled. I hate when clothing gets wrinkled because I get distracted or have to leave before they are done. First wold problem I guess.

I heard the The Gong Show is going to return to ABC. Will Arnett is going to be the Executive Producer. Why are all of these old shows being reborn? Doesn't anyone have any original ideas anymore? I suppose I am just focusing on the negative. But, Steve Harvey is doing Family Feud now, Alec Baldwin is doing Match Game, $10,000 Pyramid is back on with Michael Strahan. Shouldn't that one be the $100,000 Pyramid these days with inflation? They are all on ABC too - lazy, lazy, lazy. Too bad Chuck Barris is almost 90 years old now because he was the best thing about The Gong Show. I have not heard who will be hosting Gong so I better my resumes sent off huh? I would definitely get a Gene Gene The Dancing Machine and The Unknown Comic back.

I have to run to the store to get some bird seed and a few other things so I am going to end now. I need to start one more load of laundry before I leave too. Thanks a lot for stopping by. I will blog again tomorrow but I am not sure how the blogging will work nest week. My dad has another surgery on Monday and I have to spend the night at their house to keep an eye on my mom and then pick my dad up from the hospital on Tuesday to bring him home. Hopefully this surgery will go well and bringing him home will be less eventful than last time. Have a great rest of your day and night and wish me good luck in reaching my newest goal of 70 pounds lost; I will blog the results either way tomorrow sometime after noon. TTTT...MITM (out) TA or sonthing!