April 30

Wow...where did THIS weather come from. By "this" weather, I mean mid-summer type weather. Low-mid 80s, humid (yuk), and breezy (yay). Don't get me wrong, I like the temperature now, but with me not being a hot, summer type of person, this was sort of a culture shock. Weather shock. "Wasn't expecting the thickness of the air" shock. It's all good, though. Beautiful day. Now we just need rain to kill the humidity. Anyway, lunch was ate at "The Point" near Genesee Valley with the Grandma and Mother. Afterward I ran some errands and got back home later in the afternoon. A little bit of work and software/hardware updating took up the majority of the evening, and then it was time for some Sams pizza. I really enjoy saying that the best pizza I've ever had is from a joint right around the corner. My local treasure is Sams, and has been since I was little. BOOM.

5-5 for Jackson. Granderson, who?

Oh, also, the Tigers won big tonight, 10-6, after a great hitting night from almost our entire roster. Rookie Brennan Boesch hit a grand slam (his first career home run) and rookie AUSTIN JACKSON had a 5-HIT EVENING! Unbelievable. Listen, I still miss Granderson, but Jackson is making it a much easier transition for Tigers fans than probably anybody thought possible. That kid is for real. Nothing like ending the day in a good mood.

No more April = no more annoying "April in the D" song,
B

April 29

I'm not sure how much I can comprehend right now. I'm pretty tired. Today was a typical one, for sure. There was a baseball game on earliers, which was being watched while I worked. Later on there was a hockey game. Then some basketball. Now...I'm tired. Haha. Tigers won which is great, especially considering it was against the Twins. We ended their 6 series winning streak and are within 1.5 games of first place in the Central. The Red Wings weren't as good. They lost in Phoenix in the first game of the second round of the playoffs. Not too major, though. A lot of games to be played still. All we have to do is take one on their home ice and we have the advantage. Lastly, Spurs won and it's looking like the Suns are going to beat my Blazers. Damn.

I wish I could sink an NBA 3 with no effort,
B

April 28

I just woke up and remembered I didn't blog today. Yikes. Why am I up? Anyway, I got to see Brad's new pup, Lucy, today. Cute little thing, that's for sure. I can't place what mix it is, but Brad says he expects it to get around 40-50 lbs. when it's all said and done. There's a lot of time before that happens, though. In sports news, the Tigers won big against the Twins in a game that the nation got to see. Good showing for our boys, indeed. The Capitals LOST in their game 7. Crazy, but given the Wongs lost to an 8 seed in the first round before, not unbelievable. What was unbelieveable is that the Atlanta Hawks lost AT HOME in a pivitol game 5 to a Bucks team who are missing a big piece in Andrew Bogut. Scott Skiles really has those guys playing hard. Definitely an entertaining day.

Well I see you've got husband now,
B

April 27

I'll admit it, my computer is pissing me off. First it works, then it doesn't, then it does, then it freezes 398 times before it starts working again. I'm seriously getting angry at it. I'm down for selling it part by part to help me invest in a new one. Haha. Today was a lot better than computer troubles, it's just what I feel like starting off with. Well, the only really good bit of news came from the Red Wings game. They dominated and advance in the playoff to face San Jose (I think). Tigers lost mainly due to fielding errors but the Twins pitching really didn't help us any. And...Lakers are beating the Thunder after a terrible first quarter by the team from OKC. A shame, I'm definitely in their corner.

B.o.B is known to have adventures,
B

April 26

Let's get off to a good start, shall we? I'm feeling a little more confident today that the computer problem may be good to go for now. RAM could have been the problem which, in turn, becomes the simplest, least time consuming, and cheapest option. As I said before, for now, we're good. In other news, the Tigers won to finish up their 2 week road trip 5-6. They return home tomorrow to start a home stand against the Twins. This should be interesting. What else should be interesting is how the Red Wings fare against the Coyotes in game 7 IN Phoenix tomorrow. Historically, that team from AZ has never won in this type of situation (the final game that went the distance, regardless of location), but the Red Wings spotty play over the last couple weeks hasn't really given this guy a lot of confidence. I'm hoping for the best.

Double miles,
B

April 25

Early work, fast lunch, Detroit sports, Outback with the family, NBA playoffs, and online. BOOM! That's what was goin' on today. Unfortunately, the Detroit teams didn't fair well, especially the Wings getting blown out at home. The final score was 2-5...but it should have been 1-5. They played terrible. On the more positive side of things, I MAY have figured out what was wrong with my computer and fixed it. I guess I'll find out tomorrow after giving it an entire day. Here's hoping everything continues to go smooth.

Fear the deer,
B

April 24

As I'm laying here right now, the Tigers have beaten the Rangers and OKC are currently DOMINATING the Lakers by 20+ going into the 4th quarter. Man, I love watching the Thunder.

Sunday morning will be here soon,
B

April 23

I like going out to eat with the family. I mean, I like food in general, but it's always best with others. In this instance, lunch with the Mom and Grandma. Tasty. Good way to get things going. Then, of course, there was the running errands around town, doing more laundry, and then meeting up with Laura and Brandon for some dessert and new LCD installation.

You see, a while back, the TV they had in their room stopped functioning, so they looked around and found that they had bought a plan via the Best Buy. A man went out to their home to see if he could get it working, which he couldn't, and then ordered the part to be delivered to the store. Today it became apparent said part was not going to be received mainly because they don't carry those types of TV's anymore. So, Brandon was given a number to be redeemed at the Buy for a like product or, in this instance, store credit going toward a similar picture-box. They opted for the latter and left with a new, 32" Panasonic LCD.

So, after ice cream, we headed back to their house (where I also checked out the new, self-installed deck in the backyard - which is awesome) and attempted to re-mount the TV in the bedroom. Unfortunately the screws that are needed for the back of this particular Panasonic are 1/4" 28's. Those, as we soon found out, are impossible to find. Seriously. Nothing at Lowes or Home Depot. Brandon's mission tomorrow, after getting out of work, is to find these "specialty" screws and get a hold of me so we can get this thing installed properly. Man, who knew such a mundane task would turn into an Easter egg hunt.

In Sports news, Tigers lost after coming back to tie it in the top of the 9th (against the Texans) and the Red Wings took another game in Phoenix to go up 3-2 in the series. We could possibly close this one out in Detroit on Sunday. Let's hope this happens.

Day 3 of the NFL draft tomorrow,
B

April 22

Laundry! I love it. Computer acting up and refusing to turn on for more than 40 minutes...I hate it. Seriously, this better be a simple fix. It's been getting progressively worse, but I can really afford to take it in or even get a new one right now. Here's hoping a little elbow grease will fix it.

In other news, the Lions drafted Suh (No. 2) and Best (No. 30) in the first round this evening. So far, so good. I believe in whatever Martin Mayhew does. A general manager actually following through with a competent plan; unbelieveable. Also, the Tigers split the series in LA after beating those Angels 5-4. Our bullpen hasn't been the problem, our starting pitching has. I bet Galarraga will be called up to take someone's place before the end of the season. I say this only because he's looking like his old self (including the confidence) in AAA.

Good for Tebow,
B

April 21

I want to say that today was different, but it ended up being a typical work day. Nothing out of the ordinary. Oh, the Tigers finally took a game from the Angels tonight. And in the 9th inning, no less.

NFL draft tomorrow,
B

April 20

Don't you hate it when you have a dream that's so vivid that when you first wake up you can remember every bit of it from start to finish. And if you're like me and have a notebook next to your bed, as soon as you start writing it down, slowly but surely you start to lose pieces...until you forgot what you were writing about altogether. Annoying as hell, especially tonight. Man, I had the craziest Sci-Fi/Horror-eque dream I've had in a LONG while (or at least that I could remember).

Anyway, after a good morning I cleaned up and waited until Chad got here. Since he had a day off of work we decided to go check out the matinee showing of Kick Ass. Man, that was one entertaining flick. I'm kind of interested in reading the comics now.

After I got back I spent a few minutes at home and headed back on the road to Owosso. There I was going to meet up with Rhett for the first time since he got back on Sunday. We ended up heading to his friend Joe's place (WHICH IS AMAZING) and watched the Wings game. A pretty good one, mainly because we got the win. Now the series turns into a best of three to resume on Friday. I think.

The game finished and we got back to Rhett's house where I checked out his 7D set-up for HD filming as well as some of his DMV work. Impressive, to say the least. By then it was around 11 and I was feeling a little tired. So I'm back home, in bed, and about to fall asleep. Back to the grindstone tomorrow. Work to do.

Humans experimenting on their own and telekinetic families,
B

April 19

I love Inside the NBA on TNT. Really I do. Just wanted to get that off my chest. A typical Monday today, minus the getting online. I spent most of my time on the computer but not the internets. For some reason, it has been acting up as of late. Kind of annoying. Oh well, when in doubt, I have my iPhone.

Does anyone else feel like 3D TV's are terrible,
B

April 18

The problem with working early mornings once a week is you end up feeling extra tired on those days; as was the case again today. Listen, when you're used to staying up late and getting up late (morning-wise), 6am can be a tad bit daunting. So when I finished up today, I got home and basically faded in and out of consciousness. By the time I finally came to, I realized tht the Wings game was already a-go, as were the Tigers. So, I ended up running out after the games and not getting back until my parents did, which was a crazy coincidence. They were up in Traverse City picking some stuff up from my grandparent's place. They're in the middle of selling it to some "oil man" from Texas and wanted to see if my parents wanted anything before the paperwork is filed and what-not. So there was some unloading being done. After that I ate a late dinner (as is usually the case) and got online for a bit until I got a bit tired again. Sleep...if we didn't need you to live, I'd quit you. Then again...there's nothing like a good sleep.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Wings LOST and Tigers WON. How we let a game get away in the Joe after taking home-ice advantage...beyond me.

One more thing - Rhett is back in Michigan as of today. This is mighty awesome. Now I just have to make it out to Owosso some time soon.

I don't understand dressing your dog,
B

April 17

I enjoy the weekends. They're a good time. Most of the time you can get some work done and hang out. That's exactly what I did today. I got some work done, finished up the last of this month's quota on quizes (retail website), and went over to Brad's for some food, basketball, and online gaming. It was a good, full day. Hot dogs with homemade coney sause, buffalo poppers, salsa, and some delicious dessert. I was very full. I'm now very tired and have an early morning, so I should go to bed.

I'm going to do that,
B

April 16

I got up and felt better this morning. I suppose it's a good thing it's been improving every day. Anyway, did some errands and work and then met up with Chad and his family at Bar Louie for some dinner. You can't beat the half off apps...mmmm. Once I got back is was time to work a little more until around 10:30. Then I got online, played some CoD, and now I'm in bed thinking about what's on the Netflix.

3 is a magic number,
B

April 15

After the last few days, today was relatively tame. Normal. Work and food and then trying to find out why the hell my chest feels like it has a giant air bubble in it. It's been like this since Tuesday and it's getting annoying. Haha. As the night went on Chad stopped on by and we hung out for a bit. Played a little Left 4 Dead and watched some NHL playoffs. I can't believe that the Capitals lost. Then again...every team so far who has been favored has lost (including the Wings). At least the Penguins lost.

FFCA,
B

April 14

An eventful day, to say the least. A semi-early morning of feeling a tad bit sick, then it was off to finish up my taxes - aka paying my taxes. What? Listen, I know tomorrow is technically the cut-off date. They'll be post-marked in plenty of time. Anyway, a huge thanks to Brad for getting me set up and literally writing down to a "T" what needed to be sent with what and keeping me organized. I swear, if he and Rhett ever met each other, they'd find a common bond in their organization.

After all of the important stuff, it was time to head to Saginaw. Why was I going to Saginaw? Long story short, a lot of craziness happened to Donnell's vehicle(s) and so I was picking him up to go to a concert in Royal Oak. And what a show it was. Lupe Fiasco wsg B.o.B, who I will now be seeing every chance I get. Wait, that was meant for Bobby Ray. I'll see Lupe more, too, but B.o.B put on a hell of a show. It was almost a double headlining show, with B.o.B getting over an hour for his set and Lupe playing over 1.5 hours. As for the actual concert, it was fantastic. You can't beat a live band playing with a DJ and ultra-talented emcee (in both cases). I think the reason why Bobby Ray stuck out so much was (A.) it was the first time seeing him live and (B.) it was a set to push his first major label release. The reason the latter matters most is because he doesn't have a lot of "mainstream" material built up yet, so in addition to his new album songs, we got to hear tracks from his mixtapes, which would never happen otherwise. It's like the first time I saw Lupe. He was promoting his first album, but had to stay true to the music that got him recognized in the first place, so he performed a ton of songs from his mixtapes. Now that was a great show. And that's what will probably stay with me about the show tonight. After this, who knows when I may see B.o.B perform "Voltage" or (personal favorite) "Generation Lost" ever again.

The show ended around 11:15 and by the time I got back to my house it was closer to 2:15. I had a late night snack, started watching My Left Foot on Netflix, and now, am headed to bed. FYI, the current time is 4:34am. In closing, it was a great day. Hell, it usually is when you get to see one of your favorite artists perform.

When I turn the radio on, out comes crap,
B

April 13

It's almost 2:30 and I'm still up. I really need to start going to bed earlier. There are only so many commercials you can see for TheGeneral.com until you want to throw something at your TV screen. I'm serious, they're so bad. Anyway, a good day today made up of all of the same things that have been happening for a while. This includes another Tigers win after falling behind by 5 runs. Then came the 7th inning, where we scored 6 and maintained until our closer finished it. I'll take the wins, but I'm really concerned about the slow starts we've gotten out to in these games. It'd be nice to see some offense in the first 5 innings at some point, guys.

I have a terrible throwing motion,
B

April 11

Some days are better than others. The Tigers lost, so that wasn't cool. Also, I was just feeling tired the whole afternoon. Not the most appealing feeling. Kind of hard to explain. On the other hand, I got word from my pal Josh that he's probably going to be moving back to MI around May. He's spent the last year out in LA finishing up his film degree and working. With him and Rhett potentially coming back as well I'll be surrounded by plenty of creative minds once again. Well, in terms of film and video. Haha.

Two very different teams,
B

April 11

Well, after an early morning of work I got home to have some lunch and watch the Tigers game. This is going to be the topic of the post.

Now, we were playing the last game of a 3-meeting series against the Indians and had Verlander scheduled to pitch. Instant win, right? Well, apparently not. After the FIRST inning, it was already 5-0, Cleveland. Considering we've came from behind in all but 1 win to start this early season, you knew it wasn't over...but that's a pretty hefty deficit to find your team in after 1 INNING. That's why we play the game. As it went on it seemed our offense wasn't clicking, and when we finally got a run back in the 5th, the Indians answered with 2 more in the 6th. 7-1 going into the bottom of the 6th now. This is when the bats finally started coming to life. We got some hits, scored a couple more runs, but left a ton of men on. This continued in the 7 and 8, where we got a few more runs back, but continued leaving the bases loaded. Going into the 9th inning, it was 8-6. Raburn grounded out to start. The next better, Ordonez (who's been red hot, so far), got a hit and Cabrera was walked. So, two men on as Carlos Guillen stepped to the plate. He hit a ball deep to score Ordonez, get Cabby to 3rd, and grab himself 2nd. Inge grouded out and so Santiago was up next. Mind you, men on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. With the luck we've been having today, I figured we'd leave these guys on and call it a game. Nope. Walk. So, now, bases loaded with Damon coming up to bat (pinch hitting for Laird, who has no offensive game). 8-7, Indians. The pitches go like this: ball, ball, ball, ball. The Indians' "closer" just walked in the tying run. So, 8-8, bases still loaded, and rookie Scott Sizemore is up to bat. I'm now thinking that this is good enough, and even if we leave the bases loaded, we came from behind and may be able to win it in extra innings. Hell, down 6 runs in the 6th to tie it in the 9th is HUGE in baseball. Sizemore is still learning, so I had no idea what may happen. So you could imagine my shock when the first throw of a bases loaded, tie game, 2 out situation from the Indians' "closer" (Perez) was a wild pitch that got away from the catcher and scored the Guillen for the game winning run. 9-8, Tigers, on an error. Wow. Talk about a game we had no business winning, but I'm sure as hell glad we did. Now, I'll admit, it's mighty impressive coming back from such a huge deficit, even if we got help from Cleveland's terrible defense, relief pitching, and unbelievable errors. BUT, throughout the game, we left 18 - yes, 18 - runners on base! That's almost like having the bases loaded for 6 straight innings and not scoring at all in that period. And we still won. Go figure.

After staying inside on a beautiful afternoon to watch that game, I wanted to get out. So I drove over to hang out with Mitch for a little bit. I checked out his house and learned that within the next few weeks he'll probably be moving with the wifey to a new place a couple blocks down. Still, it was good to see him. Then it was off to Brad's where we were going to have a mini-cookout. I went up to Meijer to pick up some ice cream and different topping for dessert. I ended up running into Brad, Richie, and Robb there, who were getting food and drinks as well. We got back to the house where Bradley's brother, Kyle, was sitting on the porch, waiting for us to arrive. We headed inside, the cooking started, and we hung out until everything was ready. A few appetizers, burgers, brownie sundaes, and drinks later we were laid out and ready for The Pacific, which I hadn't watched yet. It was on part 5 but, just like Band Of Brothers, I figure on catching up later. It's shows like this that make me want to get HBO. I can't wait until it comes out on Blu-Ray. Instant buy. Afterward we hung out a little more and I headed on home. A few rounds of CoD and I was done for the day. Looking back, a pretty good day. Pretty good day, indeed.

OH, also, the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks in Chicago to clinch the 5th spot in the Western Conference playoffs. This mean we have the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday to kick off the Wings' post season. We've been playing great since the last half of the season. Hopefully this translates to wins.

Sorry, Pistons,
B

April 10

Well, here we are. Posting on time and in bed. And it's all BEFORE midnight! Crazy, ain't it.

There was an early meeting at the Buy this morning. Afterwards Brad and I headed out to French Laundry for some breakfast. I got a waffle topped with homemade whipped cream and tons of strawberries. Holy crap...so good. On top of the great meal and great service, the deli was shopped up and I brought home a fresh loaf of bread and some amazing cheese spread. Love that place.

I got home and tried to get some rest, but it wasn't happening. I did some work, watched the Tigers beat the Indians (after a great 4 2/3 innings by Bonderman), and continued my work. Dinner, some online time, and now bed. A good day.

NBA playoffs and NHL playoffs are starting soon. Add in the first week of baseball coming to an end and this is a great time of the year.

Flagrant foul,
B

April 9

Again, a little late, but the day is not missed. Today involved a lot of banking and hanging out. A little bit of depositing and a little bit of transferring. After some confusion on my account number and a couple fixes, I was off to Brandon's to help with his new deck. When I arrived, other plans were made and the deck was put off until tomorrow when he gets out of work. I might be busy with work but we'll see. Anyway, I'm about done for today. I hope you enjoyed.

Oh, Klondike bars,
B

April 8

I know, I know, a little late on this one. Haha. Well I was pretty tired last night so I needed to go straight to bed. Outside of that it was a pretty normal day. Work, errands, cleaning, and sleep. Sorry, but this boring life is the one I've chose.

Tiger Woods,
B

April 7

Well, short version, Joe was back today and we go some good dinner with the guys. Later we headed to Bradley's to hang out for the night. Now I'm home and tired. Haha. Sorry. I'm dozing off as I type this via my phone.

Zzzzzz,
B

April 6

Worn out right now. The only thing I can tell you is Joe will be back in town tomorrow for a couple days. We'll definitely be getting together. Speaking of coming back home...heeelllllllllllooooo Rhett.

Kevin Durant is good,
B

April 5

What a day in sports, folks. What a day in sports. Duke ended up beating Butler not 10 minutes ago by 2 points. However, the last two shots attempted by Butler (Hayward, specifically) were dead on and rattled out at the last minute. The last shot was a half-court heave with time running out at the end of the game. Still, Butler proved they deserved to be in the championship game tonight. Too bad Duke won - National Champions 2010.

In better news, the Tigers opened the season today against Kansas City. A tale of two games. If Greinke would've pitched all 9 innings, the Royals probably could've pulled this one out. However, as was the case last year, their bullpen let them down. It didn't help that, as is the opening day norm, the starting pitchers on both sides were on strict pitch counts. Mid-90's is usually the limit. Greinke allowed only 2 runs in his 6 innings and J.V. allowed 4 runs in 5 innings. In the top of the 7th the Tigers put up 6 more runs - including the first major league hits for Scott Sizemore and Austin Jackson - to go up 8 to 4. The score would remain until the end of the game. A great start for the Tigers, thanks to (drum roll) the Royals TRRRRRRRBLE bullpen. Honestly, though, the Tigers just got hot in the 7th. Hopefully that maintains throughout the rest of the...season?

Boo = Duke, Yay = Tigers,
B

April 4

Well, Happy Easter to you all. The magic holiday where Jebus turned into a zombi rabbit and gave kids colored eggs. I think that's what all the hype's about.

It was a good day. Brad and Colleen got back from their Chicago trip and picked up Sloan. That dog definitely missed them. Once they took off, Bailey instantly laid down to rest and Frank came out of hiding. The cat just wasn't having a good time this weekend. The family started arriving around 5 and dinner was served shortly there-after. I love me a nice, big meal. The visiting was next and the night ended in some cards. Classic.

In other news, the MLB season started tonight with the Red Sox beating the Yankees. I watched bits and pieces of this game mainly because I wanted to see how our - yes, I'm still referring to Curtis Granderson as OUR's - centerfielder made out in his pin-stripe debut. Home run first at bat. Enjoy, New York.

Tigers at Kansas City tomorrow at 4:10. Verlander vs. Greinke. I can't wait.

Take me out to the ball game,
B

April 3

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Michigan State lost tonight against Butler in a game that went down to the very last possession once again. I wouldn't have expected anything less. This tournament has been full of some of the best games and finishes I've seen. I just wish State would've played better. I'll be completely honest with you, I was amazed we were only behind 1 point with 23 seconds to go. With the turnovers, missed FT's, disappearance of Raymar Morgan's game, dumb fouls, we probably should have been trailing by a lot more. Yet, 1 point was it. Watch out, next year. Lucas will be back (almost guaranteed) and our incoming freshmen are beasts.

Earlier today I went out to eat with Ben, who is in town with the wife for family Easters. I hadn't had Famous Dave's in a while, so it was a good break. After that I ran home, watched the dogs for a bit, and then Josh stopped on by for the game I described above. A little later Meagen drove over and hung out for a couple hours. A good surprise and a great visit. Always is.

Now I'm sitting here and thinking about all of the what-ifs. I need to stop. Definitely isn't healthy.

Next year,
B

April 2

April...fools? OK, so yesterday was a weak attempt at an April Fools joke. I have been informed, however, that April 1st is no laughing matter.

Yesterday did bring some pretty good bits o' fake news, though. Everything from Google changing their name to Topeka, Starbucks introducing their new cup size (128 fl. oz.), Google Maps Australia offering up directions in "Aussie speak", YouTube streaming videos in new TEXTp format, and so-on. Classic. Oh, there was also the "announcement" that Tim Burton has taken over for Christopher Nolan on the third Batman film and Johnny Depp was confirmed as The Joker. Yup, all in all, a good day o' pranks.

Today was all about dog sitting. Brad and Colleen headed out to Chicago for the weekend so I said we could watch Sloan. As soon as she was dropped off, her and Bailey were off and running outside, where they stayed for the majority of the afternoon. The energy never ends with those animals. However, at about 9:30pm, they were both passed out. A late night bathroom break at 1:30am and now they're back to snoozing.

Outside of the pets, I worked for a little on the computer and got stuff ready for the weekend. Tomorrow is the State game at 6:07pm. The anticipation...

Send it in,
B

April 1

This will be my last post. I'm done. I wish I could throw in some words of wisdom, maybe a funny little anecdote, but alas this is all she wrote.

Insert French word for "finished",
B

March 31

April starts tomorrow. I wonder what fake reports will be coming out. Hmmm.

They aired "The Room" on Adult Swim tonight. You may have heard about it years ago, as it was gathering a cult following as one of the best worst movies ever made. Unbelievable doesn't begin to describe it.

Chocolate,
B