So, to any of you journalist-types out there (maybe there's ONE...I don't know), do you find yourself IMPOSING freakish deadlines on yourself when you have work to do? Like today...I had my weekly writing (which takes maybe 45 minutes to do, when it's easy) for the paper along with this goofy Madden column I'm doing for the paper...I could have been writing most of the day and be done with it, but I sat around and watched TV and actually played Madden earlier. I just sat down around 4:45 and started going at it. Got the weekly stuff done, which is nice. But now I have the column to write.

The big issue here is, I don't have a daily deadline, like some of my friends at papers do. So, do I do this to myself because I yearn for that deadline (I want to think not), or is it just because I want a challenge, and then when someone says it's good, the satisfaction of thinking, "Yeah, and I wrote it in an hour's time." Any thoughts?

See, in an hour and a half I have an interview with the executive producer of Madden games (I think). So I'd like to hammer out the column, then I can shepherd him into some quotes to fill gaps. It's deceptive, but it's better than wasting his (and my) time. Then, when that's over, it's off to Barb and Pete's where some sort of North-siderish Martini (yuck) party is going on. Really, it should be fun...

Oh yeah, and I was supposed to play against Jacquez Green of the Lions in Madden online last night, but he never called me. Jerk. Oh well, I don't know how he'd have fit into the story too much anyway...in fact, I have no clue how I'm going to write this story anyway...we'll see.

Oh man, do I LOVE it when I'm right. :)

Today at the TV show, I'm sitting in the control room watching my coworker do his thing on the screen, and the little title for his segment is "Steelers QB quandry." I think, that isn't right...so I lean over to the director, who is just observing the festivities, and I say, "Jim, I think quandary is spelled wrong...I think it's spelled -ary." He nods and waits until the end of the segment. He then announces, "Gentlemen, how do you spell "quandary"?" Everyone in the room says "-dry." He turns to me and says, see that's why I didn't stop the tape. I said, no problem, I didn't expect him to, but I still think that's wrong. I don't know if he was trying to show me up or something, but I came home and looked it up instantly and found out I'm right and EVERY one of those TV idiots who think they're journalists is wrong. Woohoo! Now I'm debating whether or not to ask Hub for this guy's email...he's a really nice guy, which is why I don't think he was trying to show me up. I actually think he was trying to show up his employees, but they all agreed on it, so hey... :)

Sorry, it's just nice when I'm right and everyone else is wrong, especially when it's something I do for a living...scathing comments will be ignored. :)

Well, fantastically, my Internet was not working last night...more accurately, my computer wasn't. Today I get to go down to the city twice...once in the afternoon to tape the Pro Football Weekly TV show (yes, I'm on TV this week), then I'll go to my parents' house, hang out and head back to that neighborhood for Sourcelight's (Donna's work) holiday party. Should be interesting, I guess...
Yesterday a weird thing happened when I was driving home...I got down near Bolingbrook, and I noticed this orange, flickering glow on the southern horizon, down in Romeoville. I know that down there are all sorts of gas companies, so I wondered what was going on...I got on I-55, and you could see the flame shooting out of the smokestack or vent pipe or whatever it was...but, man, was it bright...I realized quickly that it was probably some sort of burnoff of something...but that makes me curious as to what they were burning and how does it affect me, Mr. Minding My Own Business But Potentially Being Polluted On. Then I figured it wasn't a big deal...it was strange though, because they don't do that much...I think I've seen it MAYBE once before.
But here's the strange thing...it put me slightly on edge. I looked out the window every once in awhile. I checked to see if it was still there this morning (it wasn't). I slept OK the rest of the night, but it was kind of on my mind before I went to bed. Like something that upsets your daily routine. It made me think, am I that routinized that something like a stupid burnoff at a gas plant miles away that lights up the sky can capture my attention that well? I watched CLTV to see if they said anything, and of course they didn't. I love how they act like they're all CNN like, when really, half the stuff they show is taped anyway, including the repeating newscast. But that's another story...I should do some work now, since I'm only going to be here half the day anyway.

I guess I should blog a little bit, eh?
Me and Luis watched "24" tonight...not as good as last week's, but OK nonetheless. I really hate the wedding storyline...I hope that whole family gets nuked somehow...every one of them. It's the worst storyline of all...and the daughter storyline has never been one of my favorites either...if she wasn't the T & A of the show, the story wouldn't even exist.
After "24", me and Luis got hungry, so we went to Hooters-Fox River Valley. We would have gone to a place called Fox and Hound, but an acquaintance of ours who we didn't really want to run into tends to frequent that place, so we went to the next best food place...no big deal...had some chicken tenders, a beer and left.
Other than that, it's been a less-than-eventful day...going back to work was kind of tough, since I was at my cousin Andrea's (who's made appearances in the comments sections already) house until about 2:30 or so...just talking about crap. You know, crap. Getting up was tough, but not impossible. I'll live...anyway, I'm tired now, which is good, because I'll get some real sleep for a change...
I'm really psyched about this upcoming floor hockey league I'm going to be in...even though I know I'll find out really quickly just how out of shape I am...but it will help me, no doubt...you don't run more in any sport other than soccer...that's for sure.

I'm about ready to go to sleep, and all I have to say is, I don't want to go back to work...I just checked tonight's Powerball numbers because me and Luis bought a ticket apiece. I did not win. So back to work I go...oh well, I guess...I'm working and broke, but at least I'm not not working and trying not to be broke. If that makes sense...