2014

I'm really not caring much for 2014.

Not sure why.

Not enough stegosaurus, probably.

Thoughts from the Ass End of the Night, Part CXVII

An Insomnia Post?

Once a staple of ye olde blogamathing.  It doesn't seem to happen often, anymore, a sleepless night.  Once a month, I'd wager.  A regimen of Valerian Root before bed seems to help, trippy dreams and all.  I've moved over to Advil PM for about a week, though.  I've had a shoulder that's been bugging me off and on for a bit, and the past week it's been shouting a little bit. Took a couple before bed last night.  It's cut the shoulder pain, but here my ass is, wide awake since getting up to take a leak around 2.

Random thoughts?

Shyam came over Sunday and we watched the World Cup Final.  I can say without any exaggeration that I've watched more soccer in the past month than I have in my entire life put together.  I wrote a brief post about it a couple weeks back, when the tournament was still in Pool Play.  My feelings are much the same as then.  I have a better appreciation for the game.  It's still not my cup of tea (shorten that field, dammit), but I can see the appeal for you folks.  Like I said, a few billion people can't be all wrong, and in this case, are most likely not.

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For the first time in a long time, I'm optimistic about the Cubs' future.  Shyam was talking about the prospects of the United States ending up in a World Cup Final in her lifetime, and comparing it to the Cubs' history.

Toward the US in the World Cup, I can see it happening, though it'll be difficult.  It'll take a bit of a philosophical change for the Unites States' program, but I can also say that as a country, soccer's moving more into the limelight.  With so many sports available to athletes, it's hard to say that soccer will be able to influence the best athletes away from American football, baseball, etc.  But, I think they'll have an easier time of it, especially given the exposure the game seems to be getting, lately.

As for the Cubs?  I'm optimistic.  I think the core of young offensive talent in the high minors is exciting.  Very much so.  I think Theo and Jed have done much toward reshaping the organizational philosophy around talent development.  I think it's going to bear fruit, and quickly.

I'm not going to tell you the Cubs are going to win a World Series in 2016, or anything like that.  I am going to tell you that over the next 5 years?  I think they're going to be very much in the conversation.

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A lot of my time awake tonight has been spent thinking about work.

Truth be told, the job's been difficult the past few months.  I wish there were one thing I could spell out that were the particular bugaboo.  It's a lot of things, though.

Scheduling is the biggest concern.  The inability to get weekends off, or even two days in a row, is a pain in the ass.  Not sure what exactly has changed in the past year.  I went back and looked at the schedules since last July.  I've had 3 weekends off that weren't associated with my taking a vacation.  And I'd call bullshit, except that my boss is in the exact same boat.  And we both have vacation time where it averages out where you get your weekends, but in the end, that's exactly part of the problem.  I wander into this week, covering for his vacation.  In two weeks, I'll be having to cover for another.

I'd asked for next weekend off to go to a Braves game with the family.  With him on vacation, it's a no go.

I guess that's the frustrating thing.  There have been plans for camping, or for baseball games or some other manner of event over the past year that I've had to give up because of work.

I'm a grownup.  Or at least, I'm trying to be.  I understand that you don't get what you want all the time.

Family and friends understand (I think).  They ask if I can attend things well in advance.  It's tough saying no.  Especially since we're all grownups, and the window to be able to get together to do things opens and shuts pretty quickly.

Other concerns?

Having to depend on people who don't give a shit.  Such is life in the minimum wage world.  And it's where the weekends get tedious.  Had two call-ins on a Saturday night shift.  And we couldn't get anybody to come in to cover.  The call-ins themselves are enough of a pain.

Can I just say this?  I haven't thrown up 3 times in the past 5 years.  However, if you find yourself sick enough to puke 3 times in 5 weeks?  You've got a problem that you need to see a doctor about.  That, or you're full of shit.  Can you guess which one I'm leaning toward?

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Lastly, it occurs to me that it is Bastille Day.  And I still wonder, after all these years, if my friend Julie gets nostalgic for prison breaks on this, her birthday....

Come to work

Come to work.  How about it, America?

Maybe not act like an upstanding populace, instead of a 2500 mile wide landfill filled with putrid garbage people.

Come to work.

Even on Saturdays.

We have a problem in this country.

Somewhere along the lines, we decided it was a bad thing, something for other people to do, to work weekends.

I've mentioned in the past that we don't have an unemployment problem.  We have an unemployable problem.

I leafed through work applications tonight.  The number of people who list themselves as unavailable on weekends?  Roughly 50%.

It's a service industry.  It's not always fun, but it is what it is.  That means working weekends.

Still.  Some of us botards end up working more than our share.  It wouldn't be such an issue, if everybody pulled their weight.

I'm a big believer that if everybody works hard, nobody has to work too hard.

Not everybody shares this view.

Your old pally Tommy is a tired asshole tonight.  Covering for two people will do it to you.

Link Dump

I'm just going to leave this here:

Presidents with Boobs on their Faces.

In which our hero retires for the evening....

Two thoughts.

It is 3:18 AM and it is 80 degrees outside.  Either I am not holy enough, or entirely too holy.  You shouldn't get swampass at the Witching Hour.

I'm going to bed.  Do not wake me before 11 AM, unless Bea Arthur has risen from the grave, and has chokeslammed her way to the McMinn County Line.

Good night.