Well, not a bad start to my b-day weekend at all... :)

My first gift came in the mail yesterday, from UrbanTherapy, "Kung Faux, Vol. 1"...Hells yeah... :)

I went to Gina's for my "surprise" evening...she ordered Giordano's deep dish pizza, my favorite deep dish. I opened presents...I got a new comforter, finally, which I've needed since living in The Brook, when Kazak used to have free access to my bed and tore several holes in my current comforter. Of course, I'm going to pack this new one away until winter, so it doesn't get ruined by then. I also got two pairs of jeans and a bunch of new summer shirts to wear. So good...more options is always a good thing.

We then went to see "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," which we wanted to see for V-day. I have to say that it was good, but not as good as all the hype. Yes, I did laugh, but a lot of the jokes were predictable, and made moreso because each skit has a title that they show on a screen, and typically that title gives away everything. But it was worth it's weight in salt. I actually liked the Shakespeare play "All's Well That Ends Well" that we saw on V-day better than this, because I had to think much more for it.

I also got an unexpected gift that I Sanford & Son-ed from Gina's alley...we were going around the block to find parking, when I saw two end tables and a coffee table...the first thing I thought was, wait, plant stands! I made Gina pull over and snagged the end tables--they're wrought iron with glass tops, in great condition. I left the coffee table though...it wouldn't have fit in her car anyway. I might use them outside or inside, we'll see. I have to look at them better in "daylight" tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I have softball at 6pm followed by Luis' last-minute b-day party at Minx Lounge, where his coworker is spinning the tables. Should be cool...he says I'm his ride home. So I have to be there. :)

To quote Homer Simpson: "In your face, Milwaukee!"...and every other city, for that matter. Take that, ya bastards...

Today at work I had to play parking attendant b/c idiots decided to block other people in and block the parking lot exit. Morons. I also cleaned up after the Humboldt Park team, which left a huge mess of garbage in the dugout and under the stands on their side. Hmmm, they take care of things just like the neighborhood. I'm glad I'm outta here come October. Fuckin' pigs.

Otherwise, I'm gonna play a game of MVP Baseball 2004 and then go to bed, I guess. Yeah...

So many phone calls...

I have to call unemployment, my ballpark job, Brookfield Zoo (for potential employment there), a former coworker (about employment at the Trib) and who knows who else.

Plus, this dog is sitting here, albeit patiently, but annoyingly pestering me to take him out already. Responsibilities suck.

I'm officially grounding myself for the rest of the week. I had to borrow money from the parents yesterday, which I hate asking for favors, period, because of the measly $7 check I got last Friday for the Mother's Day week at the ballpark, during which I worked 1 hour. So, until Friday, when I get paid again, I'm grounded...and technically, I'll be grounded for a while after that too, because finances don't get much better after that. I need a damned job. (Thanks, E, for that email by the way...)

I've started a Dynasty with my White Sox on MVP Baseball 2004 for PS2...I'm 2-0 (I'm playing on the rookie level though, because I'm nowhere near good enough to play on the other levels). I destroyed the Royals on Opening Day and edged them out in Game Two. It's a pretty cool game, though the controls are tough to master.

In softball yesterday, we won something like 15-12 after putting down a furious last-at-bat rally by the other team, the Cruisers. I had a decent game...nothing fantastic. We're now 3-1, which is fantastic, but I think this is the "soft part" of the schedule. We'll see.

All right, off to get crap done. And I still have to find time to clean this place up for Saturday's big shindig. Yay...

Laz format...it's been a while, hasn't it? Here's what's "new"...

--Drove to and from Rockford twice (Thursday and today) to pick up and drop off my little brother's girlfriend, who stayed with my bro and parents this weekend for...

--Attended the wedding of a distant cousin on Saturday...his mother is my first cousin, and she's a couple months older than my father...that's how big my dad's family is. She is the daughter of my dad's oldest sister (my dad is the youngest), who is 30 years older than my father. Hard to believe, I know, but very true. The groom (my 2nd cousin) I haven't seen since high school, and rarely at that, as he went to my high school too. But, he did know me and apparently had been reading my stuff and watching and listening to me while I was at PFW...wish he'd have emailed me or something, I never was some unreachable, full-of-myself superstar... :)

--Played softball on Friday, won in 4.5 innings with lightning flashing all around. We won 12-11, barely. But we played generally pretty well. Gina was happy because she had two hits and walked once.

--Sunday I worked, as usual, after going to church and Gina's parents' place. No big deal, really...It was really, really busy...case in point: concessions started the day with 35 boxes of hot dog buns (12 or so per box) and finished the night with two boxes left.

--Passed a fast-food restaurant in Rockford called Beef-A-Roo. I kid you not. Got to eat lunch at Fazoli's and Perkins, which is HUGE...I LOVE Fazoli's, by the way.

--Discovered that I actually have the History Channel, which has been a treasure for me this weekend. I watched the history of shrimping and the history of salt mining at my parents' house between the wedding ceremony and reception on Saturday, and I've been "catching up" on my World War II knowledge. :)

--Currently, VH1 has those 50 worst songs list on...it's pretty funny. But I wish there was something else to watch right now. I'd watch "A Beautiful Mind" but I really don't like Russell Crowe at all...

--Today, after returning from Rockford, I decided to cook a recipe I caught on "Victory Garden" on PBS...I'd never had the main ingredient (Swiss chard), but my dad said my grandpa used to grow the stuff in the yard and they'd eat it all the time. I figured if it tasted good, I could grow the stuff on my deck, because "Victory Garden" said it works really well in containers. So I went to the grocery store and bought some Swiss chard today and made the dish to see how it tastes...it was quite, quite good, although I'm gonna ease up on the pepper next time...and, bonus, it's vegetarian friendly, for those of you vegetarians out there.

--If you haven't RSVPed for my party on Saturday...well, what are you waiting for?

--That, and the general point of having my birthday this coming weekend is making for another busy week. Summer's tough on the schedule, I tell ya... :) Apparently, Gina has plans for me and her on Thursday, but I don't know what. Wednesday I work, and Tuesday and Friday are softball, as usual. I'll have to clean this place up otherwise...those of you who will be here will be marginally surprised if the last time you were here was Halloween. The place looks as though someone actually lives here! :)

--Ah well... :)