Over and out

I'm leaving in the morning for Texas. After losing my job at The Town Talk a couple of weeks ago, I accepted a job as news editor of The Herald-Zeitung, the community newspaper in New Braunfels, Texas. Today was my last official day as a resident of Alexandria.

My job begins on Friday, while Elizabeth stays behind in Alexandria to pack up the rest of the house as we try to sell it. Hopefully, it won't take that long to happen.

On one hand, it sucks. We didn't want to move, and I certainly don't want to be away from my wife, alone, eight hours away. On the other hand, I'm excited about the newest chapter in our life, as we get a chance to start over in a new home.

Adios, Cenla. Goodbye, Alex. We had some good times and bad times. I have the memories, whether I want them or not. Just be good to my wife over the next few weeks or months. And please, please send her home to me quickly!

checking in quickly ... at 2:50 a.m.

So, to catch up some folks who might have missed it, there's a new member of the family now. Sandy, or as we've started referring to her, Sandy-girl. She's a precious 10-week-old beagle mix that I picked out for Christmas (hey, we celebrate it early around these parts!) from the animal shelter.

Every week, or month -- I don't know because I don't actually read the paper (shhh!) -- we run photos of cute puppies and kitties that need a good home. Well, last week there were a couple that Elizabeth and I just thought were precious, particularly a beagle mix named Tinkerbell. However, when I went to pick out the puppy, Tink's sis, Sandy, was this lovable little creature that had to come home with me.

Well, it's been nearly a week now, and man, what a blast! Last night, she actually slept through the night and didn't wake me up until 7 a.m. (and for those of you who know me, since we work nights, anything before noon is way too early!). Woo hoo! E-beth and I finally got smart and gave her "her blanket," an old afghan that she took to immediately when she arrived. When she's in the living, especially on the couches, it's what she lays on. Well, we didn't think for the first few nights that she might actually want it in her bed. Before, she was wimper and bark most of the night. It was so sad! But now she's doing great.

There are still a lot of kinks to work out. She's doing pretty well with the pottying. She actually made it over 10 hours today without peeing or pooping on the floor. She used the puppy pad, which has been an adventure. But she's learning! Of course, we're still trying to teach her not to bite -- our hands, our faces, the cord to the laptop, everything! She's learning. She really is.

She's such a cutie pie -- although I don't have pics available at the moment -- and really is a very friendly puppy. She hasn't met anyone she didn't like -- humans, big puppies, even the kitty down the street. My Sandy-girl is very, very social! It's party city with this one.

We've got a puppy gate in the house, and she's taken over the guest bathroom during the day. When we're at home, we let her roam around the guest bathroom, dining room and living room. In fact, thanks to my father-in-law, we even got the backyard puppy-proofed on Sunday. We put up boards so she can't get out from under the fence and even lattice to prevent her from getting under the house.

Of course, as first-time pet owners (or as I like to refer to us, as mommy and daddy), we're learning as we go. We try not to get our feelings hurt when she wimpers, or when we have to discipline her. And we're trying not to spoil her too much, though I think we've already made four or five trips to PetSmart (or is it PetsMart?) since we picked up ole Sandy-girl, who's a tough cookie and has been battling a case of the worms and a cold that has her coughing and sneezing. We think the worm is gone, though we'll find out Friday when she goes to the vet for her second set of shots, but the cold is still around. And we'll be making plenty trips to PetSmart, or as I renamed it today "SandySmart," as we've signed her up for puppy training. Our girl's gonna graduate at the top of the class!

It really has been an eye-opening experience, but one we've enjoyed so much. In fact, we made a trip to Baton Rouge on Tuesday (both took the day off) to go eat at Joe's Crab Shack and do some shopping, but kept thinking about how quickly we could get back to Alexandria so we could play with our Sandy-girl!

All right, I'll wrap it up now. There will be plenty more Sandy-girl stories later -- and hopefully a few pics as well!

Quick synopsis of the weekend

For those of you who don't know, I made a trip up to Ruston this weekend for Tech's Homecoming football game and a Halloween party thrown by several of my friends. It was supposed to be a trip for both E-beth and me, but she got sick Friday night and didn't come. Here's a quick look back to the weekend that was:

Since we had taken a vacation day on Saturday (the only way for me to get out of town), I had a lot of work to do Friday night. Just because I'm gone, the work still gotta get done, ya know what I mean? So I worked late. Didn't leave the office until after 3 a.m. Came home, did the dishes (cuz I promised), took a shower, packed a bag and then got on the road around 4:30 a.m.

That's right, I'm going back to college, right? Might as well pull an all-nighter. I rolled into town around 6:30 a.m., grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed on campus. Since Elizabeth didn't make the trip, I figured I'd try to get a press credential and do a story on a starting defensive tackle (D'Anthony Smith) from Cenla. Vacation? What vacation?

I dropped by the TAC to see if Malcolm Butler, football SID, might be in his office. Instead, I found coach Kerry Rupp of the basketball team, and he invited me to watch their 7:30 a.m. practice. So I got a good look at the Dunkin' Dawgs for the first time. Liked what I saw of some things. Have some questions on other things. But that was good.

After watching practice, I ran by the bank to deposit a check (yes, Elizabeth and I are still loyal Community Trust Bank customers) and then headed out to the Tech golf course, where I caught up with Binni, J.J., Dave Asfar and Jason Shinaberry for the second (?) annual Homecoming golf round. Spent a few holes with them, laughed a lot, encouraged some, took a couple of swings myself and then headed out hoping to see more faces that I hadn't seen in two or three years like J.J., Dave and Shinaberry.

The next stop was the radio. I stopped by the ESPN 97.7 studio for the high school football recap show hosted by Nick White. Spent about an hour there with the only person I know with more knowledge and passion for high school football than me. Here's to the "prep guru"!

After that show ended at 11 a.m., I went over to Joe Aillet Stadium to spend a little more time on the radio with Sean Fox and Ed Hebert for Tech's pre-game show. While there, also saw some old faces like Bradley Walker, Adam McGuirt, Charlie Hogan and Jason Jones. Fun times.

The game was a blur, an amazing 38-35 Tech win over rival Fresno State in which the player I was doing a story on had a good game -- six tackles, 0.5 sack and a pass breakup. Did the whole post-game press conference deal, which was nice, wrote my story and then headed over to Alan and Misti's for the Halloween party.

Let me tell you, this was a good, good time. It was great to hang out with some folks that I haven't seen in a long, long time. And, of course, it's always great to hang out with people I do see, like Alan, Kyle and Binni. Others who were there: Stephen Taylor, Gil Colvin, Scott Sutton, Haywood, Jay Whittington and many others. Sometimes, it's hard for me to believe it's been over three years since I graduated college. The time has flown.

There were some great costumes. Gil's penguin head, I believe, was the best one. Very, very funny. Alan and Misti were rock stars. I was The Man (with my LeBron James jersey) in the Yellow Hat, complete with a Curious George doll draped around my neck. Kyle came as Superman, which always seems to be the case! Amber and Malcom came dressed as officials, while Dustin and Rindy Swafford were an angel and a devil.

Fun times. Of course, we spent most of the time watching the Texas-Texas Tech game on the big screen. Sorry, Misti! It was an amazing game and a good way to end the day. While I'm sure they partied late into the night, this young fella was pooped, since was working on zero sleep, and headed to the Roberts house to crash around 11 p.m.

On Sunday, I grabbed a bite to eat -- Johnny's Pizza! -- and took it over to Alan's to watch a little football (J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets! Jets!) for a couple of hours. Then I stopped off at the Ferrels house and visited with my old friends there, Sherri, Casey, Ashley and Michelle. Also saw Casey's twins, Aiden and Brenton, who are now 4 years old, and the newest member of the family, 5-month-old Charlee.

Overall, it was one of the better trips home I've had since I moved to Alexandria. There were so many old faces and such a good time catching up with folks that I haven't seen in so long!

Back to what this blog's about

Let's talk a little bit about something that hasn't appeared on this blog in a while:

SPORTS!!!

Got the chance to watch the Hornets play tonight on TNT. I know it's early. Really, really early. The NBA only tipped off three days ago. But the Hornets are 2-0, after winning seven straight in the preseason, and already look to be in midseason form.

Of course, it all starts at the point with Chris Paul. CP3, in this biased opinion, was screwed out of the MVP award last season. I don't think there's a question that Kobe is one of the top two players in the world, and he's arguably the best, although LeBron is pretty good, too. However, if you've talking about valuable, there wasn't a player more valuable than Chris Paul, who took the Hornets to within one game of having the best record in the league.

And he certainly looks like he's still at that top form this year, twice saving the Hornets as they struggled early in the fourth quarter. But that's what great players do. They lift their play when their teams need it most. And there's absolutely no question Chris Paul is a great player. In fact, I don't think there should be a question that CP3 is the best point guard in the NBA.

But, as the guys on TNT discussed after the game, it's not all about CP3. The Hornets also have some players who are among the best at what they do in the NBA. The Hornets beat the Phoenix Suns tonight without center Tyson Chandler, who might be the best rebounder and shotblocker in the NBA. And he's certainly the best combination rebounder/shotblocker there is around. Sure, he's offensively limited, but he makes such a dynamic combination with Paul, who drives in the lane and allows Chandler to use his athleticism to finish around the rim.

New Orleans also has one of the top young power forwards in the league in David West, who has become deadly at knocking down the midrange jump shot. Again, like Chandler, a lot of what West does comes off creativity by Paul. But would Paul's numbers be nearly as good as they are now without West being able to knock down the open jumper? There's no way.

In those three players -- Paul and West, who are both all-stars, and Chandler, who's an all-star defender -- New Orleans has plenty of star power. But the Hornets also have role players. Peja Stojakovic was brilliant tonight, and he's one of the top five pure shooters in the NBA. It's literally pick your poison with this team, because Paul is so brilliant that he's going to create a shot for Chandler at the rim, West at the elbow or Stojakovic/James Posey/Morris Peterson at the 3-point line. Or you could just give Paul an easy layup, which he'll gladly take.

Then, there are the young players who continue to develop. Without Chandler tonight, Hilton Armstrong got the start and Melvin Ely came off the bench to provide some quality minutes in the post. With a healthy Chandler, who sat out for precautionary measures because of a tweaked ankle, the Hornets have four legitimate options in the post. And with guys like Rasual Butler and developing second-year player Julian Wright on the wing, New Orleans has depth at nearly every position.

The only question is how do you balance needing Paul on the floor and limiting his minutes. Paul spent time in Beijing this summe winning Olympic gold, and has played more basketball in the last year than he has ever in his life. Mike James can give some quality minutes as the backup point guard, but how many is that? Do you want to give Paul 42 minutes a game? 40? 36? That's the toughest question I think coach Byron Scott has to answer this year. You want your best player on the floor, but you also want him fresh and at his peak when the playoffs come around in seven months.

It's early. Very early. But the Hornets are 2-0! Two down, only 80 more to go for the perfect season!!!

Getting in touch with my emotional side

I've found some emotion. And, yes, that's very relieving!

Lately, I'm kind of just been in a "blah" mood. Not really getting excited about anything, and not really getting too down on anything. Just haven't really had much emotion to speak of.

Growing up, I was a very emotional kid. Don't know if it was because I was the product of a divorced home, or what the deal was, but I would get both very angry (bad, bad temper here as a teenager) and I could also cry at the drop of the hat. Lately, that hasn't been the case.

But something changed. Perhaps it's because I talked to my mother for the first time in a while the other night. It was the first time I've cried in quite some time, which I honestly needed. It was great to hear from her. Did it patch everything up? No. I can hear it her voice, and I'm sure she can hear it in mine. But it was a step in the right direction, and after several months of not really knowing what to do, I now feel like I know what my next step is. To call and talk again soon. Hopefully, that will help us continue to patch things up.

Anyway, after talking to mama and crying, I've cried twice today just listening to songs. Yes, I'm a wuss. I love music, though I have no talent whatsoever (just ask Elizabeth, she'll brag on me ... hehe). And in the past, music has really moved me. Lately, not so much. That changed today.

The two songs that have really moved me are Beyonce's If I Were a Boy and Taylor Swift's Love Story. Beyonce's song moved me because, honestly, I believe Elizabeth feels like that about me sometimes. I can get so insulated into myself and what I'm doing that I become a very selfish person, not on purpose or out of spite, but because that's just how I am sometimes.

Then Taylor Swift's song just took me back to my "dating" days when I was pursuing Elizabeth. At heart, I'm a very romantic person. But you can ask Elizabeth and Kyle, I don't do a very good job of acting upon those things. I'm just not good at it. I want to be, but I suck. I've always envied Kyle because it came so naturally to him, but it doesn't to me. I want to be that sweet, cute guy who does the sweet, cute things for the one he loves. But, again, I can be a very selfish person even when I don't realize it. If you haven't heard Taylor's new song, check it out. She's a rising star, and this song is headed to No. 1!

Been thinking a lot ...

Throughout the day, I have a number of thoughts (I wonder just how many) and think about writing. But by this time of the day, after yet another long day of work, I'm usually ready to relax with some TV and/or PS3 and climb into bed. So I don't blog about all of those ideas. But I'm in a writing mood, so here goes ...

1. Congratulations, Alan Walker. Alan's TCU Horned Frogs (or Horney Toads, as I like to call them) whooped my Tulsa Golden Hurricane's tails tonight, 35-21. With four turnovers, the game actually could have been a lot worse. I lost. I admit it. Not proud of it. But my season is not over. And, Alan, remember you have to come to Tulsa next season!

2. Was listening to some old school music, and by "old school" I mean my early college days, and came across some lyrics that really made me think.

Pardon me while I throw up.
I guess some people never grow up.
What happened to the salvation you claimed?
It breaks my heart to see how much you've changed.

I have my share of old friends who have changed greatly. When I look back on where we came from to where we are today, sometimes I admit I'm shocked. And I've done my fair share of chewing on some butts for some very poor decisions. But strangely hearing this song, "What Have You Been Doing Lately?" by one of my favorite bands, Relient K, didn't make me thing of old friends. It made me think of myself and how much that chorus can apply to me today.

I can't even tell you how many times I've been to church in the past year since all of that crap went down at church. Seldom would be a generous way of describing my church-going routine. I'm not one of these people who believes you can only get close with God by going to church, but I also don't undervalue its importance. We've talked time and time again about getting back in church, and I have a ton of excuses that I keep using. Eventually, I'll get fed up with the way my life is going, and all of the dumb and stupid things that I do, and find a new church home. Maybe then I won't break my own heart by how much I've changed.

3. I'm breaking my own rule here, because this is supposed to be about Strictly Sports. But I want to talk a little politics for a second. I caught a few minutes of tonight's third and final presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama. Here we are, 19 days away from the big vote, and I have no clue whose side I'm on. Honestly, I feel like writing a long blog on this topic as Election Day gets closer, but right now, neither one of these candidates appeals to me. I've changed a lot since the idealistic kid who cast his first presidential vote for George W. Bush eight years ago. Heck, I've changed a lot since voting for Bush again in 2004. They say hindsight is 20/20, but if I had those decisions to make all over again, I'm not sure I'd do it again.

Which is why I'm so hesitant to vote for McCain. This isn't the Maverick who ran against Bush in 2000. Although McCain had a great line in tonight's debate -- "Sen. Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush you should have run four years ago." -- there's no denying he has become more Bush-like since he ran against him in 2000. McCain gained a reputation for being a maverick because he's moderate and has never hesitated to take on the Republican Party conservatives. But because of that, he couldn't gain the support of the base. To an extent, he still hasn't seized the base -- that's Sarah Palin's job -- but he's certainly veered more to the right since 2000. Meanwhile, I've veered more to the left. After being a staunch conservative as a youth, I now consider myself more moderate.

Don't get me wrong. By no means am I a liberal. And voting for Barack Obama is likely not going to happen. His record is nearly radical. He's much farther to the left of center, where the majority of Americans are, than McCain is to the right. It's not even close. It has nothing to do with race and nothing to do with party. I have no problem voting for a Democrat if he stands for the same things that are important to me. But what is important to me? That's certainly changed in the past eight years.

I still am anti-abortion. I still believe in the power of the American people and would rather limit the role of government. All of these are conservative tendencies taht are engrained in me. However, I'm not a teenager anymore. I'm a 26-year-old with a wife, a mortgage and a 401(k) that has lost nearly 70 percent of the money I've put into it this year. The economy is more important to me than it ever has been before. Why? Because it's my money now. That's why. I believe all of us should be concerned about the state of the economy. In my eyes, it's the No. 1 factor in this election. And historically, Republican presidents haven't fared very well with the economy. Just look how badly things have gone in the past eight years under Bush. Yes, there are some external factors like 9/11 and the Iraq War, but in my lifetime the Democrats have done a much better job with the economy than the Republicans.

Since neither McCain nor Obama really get me going, there's also the third-party candidate. I haven't done just a ton of research on Bob Barr, the Libertarian candidate for president. However, I do think he has good ideas on the economy, the war in Iraq, health care and taxes. In my eyes, Bob Barr is the best candidate for president. The problem I have with voting for him is I do not want to waste my vote. I've heard the argument time and time again, and I'll make the same one. I want to cast a vote that will impact the presidential election. Voting for Bob Barr, while he may be the best candidate, isn't likely to have a major impact. I believe only about 2 percent of those polled in the country are going to vote for him. Is that really a vote well spent?

With less than three weeks to go, count me among the many Americans who remain undecided upon where their vote will go. At least I still have time to make an informed, intelligent decision.

Before and after

So I've been growing out my hair and my beard. I honestly can't remember the last time I'd had a trim of either one.

I decided, randomly, out of the blue, that I wanted to grow my beard out until New Year's. Just was curious to see how long it could get. The wife, though obviously not the most pleased by my decision, struck up a compromise with me. Grow the beard, but cut the hair. Didn't have to be totally short, but at least get a trim. At least look professional. Or the most professional possible with an extraordinarily long beard.

Well, today was the day set aside to get that first haircut as part of the bargain. Instead of just getting a trim, though, I decided to go with something completely different. "Short," I told the stylist when I sat down in the chair. "How about this?" I asked her as I pointed out a picture.

"Wow, that's really short. Going for something totally different?"

As I looked at the picture again, I thought to myself, "Man, that is really short." Luckily, the phone rang. My stylist went to answer it, and I flipped through a few more pages and found a style more fitting. Still short, still different, not quite as drastic, though. Take a look for yourself ...

What a crazy game!

Had a chance to cover my first NFL game ever, for Monday Night Football no less, at the Superdome on Monday. It honestly was one of the craziest games I've ever witnessed, with three special teams TDs, Reggie Bush tying an NFL record with two punt returns for TDs, lots of penalties, turnovers, hard-hitting action and the Saints again finding a way to lose with a late pass interference penalty that set up the Vikings' game-winning field goal.

Check out www.thetowntalk.com/sports for my first NFL story and column, which both ran in Wednesday's paper.

Finishing up the first season

While college football and the NFL are completing their third weeks of the season, the Dynasty Reunion is nearing the completion of its first season. K-Rob, Kelz, A-Dawg and I hooked up for a reunion of sorts on the PS3's version of NCAA Football '09 thanks to the new online dynasty feature. Essentially, thanks to a server and the Internet, we can all play together just like we did back in 2003-04 when we were in our college days.

I just finished my first season at 11-1, at least my first regular season. I still have a bowl game left to play. I chose Tulsa and am ranked #24. A-Dawg is TCU, 11-1 and ranked #23. Kelz is Troy, 9-2 and #25. K-Rob, poor K-Rob, is Akron, 10-1 and the sole member of the dynasty not ranked.

While it's not the same -- and never will be the same -- as when all of us would go over to The BSU House (Binni and Kyle's home, and my home away from home) to crowd around the TV and play, it still has been a great way for us to keep in touch and be involved in one another's lives. And while it certainly won't be the same in the national championship game as it was in the past, it has brought back some very good memories.

I can't wait until the season is finished, we've recruited and we can do it all over again -- next week!!!

Go away Gustav

The headline in tomorrow's The Town Talk says it all:

WHAT A MESS

Hurricane Gustav took aim at south Louisiana, and then took aim at me. The nerve!

Fortunately, he missed. I'm pleased to report that there is very little damage in the McCormick household. Other than some limbs and minor flooding in the backyard, as well as the loss of my precious Louisiana Tech flag, we're OK on Hill Street. No water in the house. No loss of power. No major damage.

I can truly tell you I am very thankful to make it through this one. Now, go away Gustav. And keep your cousin Ike away, too!

Not everyone was so lucky. While Alexandria seems in good shape, much of Pineville remains without power. Avoyelles and LaSalle parishes also were hit very hard, and Gustav has been blamed for two deaths in the area. Hundreds of thousands of people in Central Louisiana still have no power, and some could be without it for a substantial period of time.

Elizabeth and I are very, very lucky that we received little damage. I joked on my Facebook that "Gustav lacked a lot of its Gusto." Seriously, the storm was massive, drenching Rapides Parish with nearly eight inches of rain -- although that's nearly half of the estimated 15 inches.

Now that Gustav is leaving -- yes, I said "Getonouttahere!" -- let's begin the Ike watch and hope he stays away from the Gulf of Mexico. I don't think I'm ready to go through this again!

Another update

It's about 2 a.m.



Had a chance to run home during a break in the storm about two hours ago and everything checked out fine at the house. Lots of water in the road and at the start of our driveway, as well as in the backyard. Lots of limbs down in the backyard, but the house is fine. No flooding, no limbs on the roof. Electricity was on. We seemed to be in good shape. That's a relief.



Elizabeth and I have about four more hours left on our 12-hour shift today. There are several people spending the night here at The Town Talk, but it seems as if the McCormicks are the only ones still on duty at the moment. Elizabeth is "feeding the Web site," as our boss likes to say, and I'm listening to the scanner in case anything major happens.



What an exciting life we lead!!!

FYI -- we're OK

Just to let everyone know, we're doing just fine. Elizabeth and I are in the middle of our 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift at The Town Talk offices, and right now I'm watching a buddy of mine play PS3. He's technically on duty right now, but is also spending the night and will work in the middle, when we are supposedly putting out a special section because of Hurricane Gustav.

We haven't had a chance to go home and check on any damage, although we've heard unconfirmed rumors that the Garden District was hit hard. More importantly, we are safe and sound. I'll let you guys know more information when it's available.

I'm proud to be a Bulldog!

In the famous words of Dave Nitz, "Ya gotta love it!"

Nitz, the legendary voice of the Bulldogs, has called Louisiana Tech football games for 34 years. He's been at the mic for many of Tech's biggest games ever. I don't know for sure where Saturday's game fits in historically, but man what a big win!

My Bulldogs, for the first time in school history, welcomed an SEC team into Ruston. And for the first time since knocking off SEC champion Alabama in 1999, Tech came away the victor.

There have been a few big games in Ruston over the years -- namely welcoming defending national champion Miami in 2003, as well as upsetting Oklahoma State the year before, and playing Tech's first ever WAC game against SMU in 2001. In recent years, all of Tech's biggest home games have taken place at Independence Stadium, about an hour west of campus.

But not this one. This game took place in Ruston. At Joe Aillet Stadium. On that beautiful new turf.

I can't harp too much on the crowd, which was a disappointing 25,000+. Hey, I wasn't there, so who am I to complain that others didn't show up? I certainly am sorry I missed out on one of the biggest wins in school history. And I'm saddened we couldn't get the first sellout in Aillet Stadium history.

But right now, all that matters is Louisiana Tech is 1-0, boasting a victory over an SEC school. And an SEC school that was supposed to be up-and-coming, after making a bowl game last season.

It wasn't the greatest debut for Taylor Bennett, who was sluggish early and often. Bennett, a transfer from Georgia Tech, did enough to get the win, helping the Bulldogs rally from a 14-3 deficit late in the first half and to a 22-14 win. That's the most surprising thing to me in the upset. Tech outscored Miss. State 19-0 over the final 33 minutes of the game. Pitched a shutout in the second half. Amazing.

Great job Bulldogs. I am so proud of you guys and happy to be a Tech alum right now. We all wanted to believe that Derek Dooley was doing things the right way and taking this program in the right direction. This is proof that our faith in the man isn't without merit.

Now all we need is an encore. Next up for the Bulldogs is a trip to nationally-ranked Kansas in two weeks. A win there really would serve notice to the nation that this group of Tech Bulldogs is here to play!

Do you ever have one of those days?

I'm sitting at my desk ... in the office ... at 2:50 a.m. ... listening to a little Metro Station on the myspace.

Just to set the scene, ya know?

I want to write. Really, I do. I really enjoy writing. Words are my friend. Yet, I'm sitting here with not a whole lot to write about. At least not much that I think anybody else would find particularly interesting.

FYI, the mood music is now Secondhand Serenade. Just thought you'd want to know the switch.

Anyway, I'm a boring person. This isn't any kind of news flash. I've known it for a long, long time. For some reason, there are a few people in my life who put up with my total lack of originality and funness (yes, I made that word up). Poor Elizabeth.

But seriously, I'm trying to find something interesting to write about, and I can't. I read other people's blogs, friends of mine, and think, "Wow, that's an interesting story." Or, "They're such a fun person. I know why I like them." Then I think about my stories and truly wonder why anyone likes me. I'M BORING!

The only things going on in my life are my work, which I spend far too much time doing, sleep and um, NCAA '09 on the PS3. I live such an exciting life, let me tell you.

I covered a football game tonight. While it was jamborees for most schools, the MPSA started last week. So I covered Cenla Christian Academy is what was actually a very exciting game. I hope my Tech Bulldogs can have a similar contest -- and a similar win -- when they face Mississippi State on ESPN2 on Saturday.

About the only other thing going on in my life right now is "The Gustav Watch." We've all been put on alert at work that it could be a busy week. I'll most likely be working both Sunday and Monday, my two scheduled days off, and since Monday is Labor Day, it's supposed to be a 4-day work week next week. Yeah, like that'll happen.

From following the latest projections, it seems like Gustav (which apparently means "God's staff") is turning more and more West and appears like it will not devastate New Orleans on the 3-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina after all. Hopefully, the monster will just keep on turning left and miss Central Louisiana altogether. I don't want to have to go through an extended period without power!

Well, it's after 3 a.m. now. I need to get going, so I can get a little sleep and get ready for a big day of college football on Saturday!!!

Ready for vaca!

So, I'm sitting in the office, listening to a little Baseball Tonight after having watched Michael Phelps win his first gold medal of these Olympic Games, killing a little time and waiting for the night to be over.

I'm done with my work, and vacation starts tomorrow. Technically, it started today, yet here I am, in the office again, waiting for Elizabeth to be done with the three hours she had to put in today. I'm ready for tomorrow, but I doubt I'm as ready as Elizabeth, who turns the BIG TWO-FIVE in about 35 minutes!

We worked our butts off today around the house, and it's looking really nice. There's still a few more things to do, but our checklist for next week took a big dent today (I don't even want to talk about the storage room. Eek -- a mess!).

What are we doing this week? Great question. Because of all the hassle I had at work actually getting my vacation, we haven't made any plans, other to say we might go up to Ruston. I really want to go, if only because I can play Rock Band at Alan's. Yes, it's that much fun. But there are so many people that I'd like to see, even if it's trying to squeeze them into a day or so. As of right now, though, no plans are firm.

I guess I'll just relax, besides all the work I have to do around the house, and get ready for football season, which is right around the corner!!!

A new face

So, yes, I do remember saying I was bringing back Strictly Sports. But I don't remember posting again since saying that. So, ta-da! It's back again.

And it's brand spankin' new! For a new year (no, it's not 2009 yet, but as a high school sportswriter, my years basically run concurrently with school years -- so it's a new year!) I'm unveiling a new design for Strictly Sports. No, I didn't do anything other than click on a new template. It's not like I have a lot of time to customize these things!

Anyway, I really want you guys to check out my new video (although, I'm pretty sure that everyone that I know already has) about a new project we've started at work called the Cenla Challenge.

For anyone who is wondering, I'm really not as bad of a golfer as the video portrays. Yes, that was an awful first tee shot, but I took a mulligan and smacked it right down the middle of the fairway. If you'll read my column, in addition to watching the video, you'll know that I was actually 6-over-par after five holes, which is pretty good for me. Then I fell apart over the final four holes. I don't have a bad golf swing, but I'm not very good at scoring -- that is doing the little things around the green to lower my score. I'll get there, though.

This Cenla Challenge thing is going to be lots of fun. My colleague, Will Tubbs, and I have thrown out several other ideas, such as playing 2-on-2 basketball against two of our better high school players, trying to cover and catch passes against high school football players, step in the batter's box against our local independent baseball team, and pretty much any other challenge we can think of. It's going to be a blast.

If you don't hear from me for a while, it's because I'm busy. Dixie World Series for the next six days, then trying to finish the football tab, then hopefully going on vacation, just to come back in time for the start of football season. But I will try -- and try being the key word -- to do a better job of updating this site!

The ultimate desire

Have you ever wanted something so much, but you just couldn’t do it? For some people, that desire could be finding a boyfriend/girlfriend, finding the perfect job, or the perfect church. As humans, we all have a number of desires, some of which are fulfilled, others that go tantilizingly unfulfilled.

My desire is to get rid of this stinkin’ writer’s block. Hold up. I know what you’re thinking. "Bret, you’re a writer. That’s what you do." Yeah, yeah. I know. I write every single day, it seems. But I’m not talking about the kind of writing I do for a living. Or the kind of writing I do for fun like this blog. I’m talking about the kind of writing that used to be my passion -- poetry.

Growing up, that’s about the only thing I would write. It began in junior high, when I discovered my love, and talent, for writing poetry. In fact, I believe in another life, you know one in which I actually had some musical ability, I think I would have been a singer-songwriter. But over the past several years, I just haven’t been able to develop good poetry. I believe it’s a combination of the fact that I’m a perfectionist when it comes to my poetry, combined with the other fact that I’m always writing something, that I just can’t seem to find the perfect words anymore.

The desire is there. The production isn’t. Hopefully, I’m going to change that. I know my wife would love that. So, in a desire to will myself back into being a skillful poet, I’m going to post some of my favorite personal poems over the next couple of weeks (assuming I can find the list that I have saved to a desk somewhere in this house) for your enjoyment. We’ll start with the last poem I remember writing -- Remember When.

Do you remember when
We could do as we pleased
Without a worry or care
To bring us to our knees

Do you remember when
Innocence was the name of the game
You and me, being carefree
But now it’s just not the same

Do you remember when
We’d take late night walks
Or just sit on a swing
As we’d cuddle, laugh and talk

Do you remember when
I tried that thing call romance
Whispering sweet nothings to you
Even as you refused to dance

Do you remember when
You amazed me with your brain
Casey Jacobson, MJ and UNC
When you still thought I was sane

Do you remember when
You could stare into my eyes with love
Without a doubt, right then and there
I was in your hand just like a glove

Do you remember when
Things began to change
What was important became lost
Priorities became rearranged

Do you remember when
All I wanted was to please you
The only thing that mattered
Was my heart and yours too

Do you remember when
We both said ’I do’
That 2 p.m. sun was so hot
My friends still want to sue

Do you remember when
Things were so easy
How did we allow
Our lives to become crazy

Do you remember when
I said I’d be here forever
Think I could live without you
That day will come never

Do you remember when
I said I love you
Don’t ever forget
Because you know I still do