What a week!

Wow, it's 10 a.m. Saturday morning, and I feel like my week is finally winding down. Yes, I have to go into work this afternoon -- sometime between 2 and 5 p.m., probably closer to 5. And man am I ever looking forward to my 3-day weekend (yes, it will be full of unloading and unpacking, but we'll get to that later). In addition to my normal Sunday and Monday off, I'll also be off on Tuesday for my Memorial Day holiday. It couldn't come at a better time.

I can honestly say I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders this week, and I neared the breaking point yesterday. I can't count (yes, I probably could, but I'm not going to) the number of hours I worked this week. It all boiled over yesterday, when I spent nearly 16 hours at the office and didn't get home until nearly midnight. As I've shared earlier in this blog, the week started out with my supervisor on vacation, which led to additional responsibility in just my 4th week on the job at The Town Talk. Then the managing editor (my supervisor's supervisor) was out on Thursday and Friday, as well. All of this in the middle of both graduation season (an absolutely deplorable time -- yes, I'm happy for the kids, but it's painful for us newspaper folk), as well as our major hurricane package, which starts in Sunday's paper and runs until June 1, opening day of hurricane season. Needless today, it's been one helluva week. I'm ready to relax. But I can't. Which brings to me the next part of my blog.

FRIENDLY ADVICE

Don't use U-Haul! Just listen to me on that one. It's not worth the headache. As I write this blog, my wife and her family are up in Ruston (thankfully) packing our belongings into a U-Haul truck. At 7:30 last night, we didn't know if we were getting a truck. Yeah, that just added to the stress in my life -- and Elizabeth's.

Despite doing what both of us thought was the "smart" thing -- reserving a truck online two weeks ago -- U-Haul apparently is way behind the times. You see, we live in an Internet age. Online banking. Bill payer. Information available 24 hours a day, seemingly at a moments notice. Many places, including a lot of banks Elizabeth has found out, only accept applications online nowadays. However, U-Haul just hasn't grasped that concept. Their online reservations are horrible.

We got an e-mail saying we'd get a call by 5 p.m. the day before we got the truck to let us know when and where to pick up the truck. Now, I'll admit, that should have been the first red flag. Like when I'm renting a hotel or buying a plane ticket, I want to be able to pick my date and have it set in stone. Apparently, you can do that at Budget. Even though Budget is slightly more expensive, I've learned it's certainly worth the extra cost! Oh yea, back to that phone call that I never got. I called at 4:59 literally, only to have U-Haul tell me nothing was available in Ruston and I might have to drive to pick up a truck. Not the best option, but that's cool, as long as they give me extra mileage. They'll call me by 8 p.m. Never got a call. Once again, I had to call them. Now the customer service on the phone wasn't horrible (it wasn't great either), but if you tell me you're going to do something, by golly just do it!

Anyway, there's a truck available in Shreveport. That's the closest to Ruston. Sure, it's only an hour out of the way. That's not horrible in the grand scheme of things. But oh wait, there's one available in Alexandria. Hey, we're in Alexandria. That'll be perfect! Oh, no. Too easy. Since we're dropping off the U-Haul in Alexandria, they can't give us any mileage to go to Shreveport. We'll have to pay for the mileage -- 40 cents a mile -- and it would cost us nearly $100 extra. Oh, yeah, and if we cancel that's a $50 fee. So we're stuck. And don't get me started about how Elizabeth and her parents had problems getting the truck this morning because we "weren't in the system" -- even though the customer service rep said she transferred me over and told me where to pick up the truck.

I'd like to believe it would have been better if I'd just dealt with the local company instead of going online, but I can't say that's true. A co-worker of mine also moving this weekend (which, by the way, is the busiest moving day of the year, I'm told; great timing there, Bret) recounted his problems with U-Haul to me last night at the office. He dealt locally in Alexandria and was scheduled to get his truck on Friday. Truck broke down. Couldn't get one. They'd call him this morning to let him know if he'd get one. Yeah, don't hold your breath with them actually calling. Lucky for him, he's just moving across the river (Alex to Pineville), but still, there are only so many things he can fit into his Grand Am.

It's been one big adventure! Again, will somebody please explain to me why I chose to move and buy a house???

NOW ONTO SOME GOOD NEWS

Got an e-mail from my friend, Erik Boyle, from Utah. We went to junior together in Ruston and played baseball together before his family moved to Utah. Through the years we've kept in touch via letters and e-mail, and the occasional phone call. On May 17, two days the 1st birthday of my brother's son Connor, Erik and his wife, Diana, got a precious gift they call Hannah Elizabeth. While I am in no way ready for any of my own, I love little children. I get such a joy from being around them. And I am very happy for both Erik and Diana. I know they will be wonderful, loving parents. Hopefully, Hannah is the first of many lovely little Boyles.

Personal message to Erik -- your life is about to completely change. I know this because I have a brother and two brothers-in-law that have children between the ages of 1 and 2 years old. Parenthood is one of the most difficult, yet joyful, tasks anyone can undertake. It is no longer about you and Diana. Everything is about that little girl. She will become your life. And I can honestly say, I know that's just the way you want. I'm proud of you, man. Keep striving for your goals, but remember, everything you do now affects that little girl. I'm sure she'll be Daddy's pride and joy. Good luck with many sleepless nights!

JUST A LITTLE SPORTS

For the most part, it truly has been a no-sports week. I haven't watched any on TV. The only way I've kept up with it is through our newspaper and the couple of minutes I've had online this week.

My buddy Kyle, an assistant sports information direction at Louisiana Tech University, called me from Fresno, the site of the 2006 Western Athletic Conference baseball tourney, to let me know my beloved alma mater lost to Hawaii in the first round of the WAC tourney, 8-0. The Diamond Dogs bounced back yesterday with a 14-9 win over Sacramento State and will play Hawaii in a rematch at 5 p.m. tonight. Thankfully, Hawaii's ace, junior Stephen Wright, a projected high pick in next month's MLB draft, won't be on the mound for the rematch.

No matter the outcome, and I think my Dogs will win, of course, it's been a great season for head coach Wade Simoneaux and his crew. Projected to be one of the worst, if not the worst, teams in the WAC, Tech started hot and is trying to play its way into an NCAA regional somewhere. There are currently 33-24, but probably need to win the tourney to get into a regional. Either way, the Dogs are here to stay. They had great senior leadership this year, but the majority of the team is very, very young. Freshman Jericho Jones is already a star, but he's going to be a superstar. The team's leading hitter at .365 with 16 HR and 56 RBI, Jones is also 5-3 on the mound as a starting pitcher. And, most importantly, he'll be in Ruston for at least two more seasons.

Meanwhile, LSU is out of the SEC tourney and hoping, praying for an NCAA regional bid. After beating No. 1 seed Alabama (which, unfortunately, might have clinched the NCAA bid), the Tigers were simply drummed by both Ole Miss and in a rematch with Alabama to go home with their tails between their legs. While the Tigers used to be the big dog on the block, they have simply been knocked off their perch in the ultra-competitive SEC. My boy Brandon Belcher (who's 3-10 in the tourney) and his Tide are rolling. But they must face another former Ruston boy, Stoney Stone, and his Ole Miss Rebels now. If Belcher can return on the mound next year, and the Tide get All-American and former Barbe High standout Wade Leblanc back for his senior year, they could be a dangerous duo next year.

Another Ruston High product, Daniel Best, one of the best closers in the country, now must wait and see if his career his over after his Southern Miss Eagles went 1-2 in the Conference USA tourney this week. Best gave up two hits in his only appearance of the tourney Friday, when the Golden Eagles were eliminated by Memphis 8-5. For the season, Best went 6-2 with a 2.19 ERA and a career-high 12 saves with 49 K's and just 10 walks. He was more than a closer this year, pitching nearly 50 innings in 29 appearances. While falling one save short of the single-season record, Best did set the school record for career saves with 23. He was the heart and soul of the pitching staff, which struggled all year as Southern Miss finished a disappointing 38-21 and tied for 4th in CUSA -- and now waits in hopes on a call about a regional.

That's all I have for you right now -- there might be another post tonight if I'm lucky.