In my capacity as Director of Development for FanSided MLB, I have taken up covering other baseball teams as needed. My old site has really taken off with all the new staff members there and we had a few holes elsewhere, so I took over our Padres coverage at the beginning of November. That lasted only about two weeks before an editor was hired and at that point, I became a Rangers writer.
Covering the Rangers has been much easier to do for me as at least I was familiar with the major league roster. Afterall, the Tigers had just played Texas in the ALCS, so I knew who these guys were. I've been at it for a little over a month now and a strange thing has happened. I didn't really notice it until last night, but I think I'm becoming a Rangers fan (gasp!).
No, don't get me wrong, I still love my Tigers, but since I'm not covering them anymore, I've become much more invested in Texas. Yesterday afternoon, the excitement I had for the Rangers was all based on the traffic to my latest site. Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish had been posted and the Rangers were one of the teams rumored to have placed the high bid. The anticipation caused my traffic to spike to an all-time high, which I was very proud of.
Then a funny thing happened: the Rangers were announced as the high bidder. My reaction was anything but un-biased. I was genuinely happy and excited that Darvish would be pitching for Texas. The Rangers, a significant threat to the Tigers' chances of getting to and winning another World Series, just got markedly better and I was happy about that? I feel sick.
I hope I can attract a new editor for our Rangers site soon. Otherwise I may have to shell out some serious dough for the MLB Extra Innings package. You know, so I can watch my new favorite team. Ugh. Let me get back home to Detroit, soon.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Won't Anyone Think of the Children? Oh Wait, Those are Dogs
Sometimes, the purpose of this humble forum become a bit cloudy. Sometimes, I feel like I need to write something here for no reason other than to vent. This, I'm afraid, is probably one of those times.
My dad and step-mom, Vickie, moved away from Lima some 15 weeks ago. Vickie is now a traveling nurse and her new job takes her all over the country. I speak with my dad often on the phone and apart from being obviously bored, he seems to be enjoying his retirement. They have a break of about two weeks before Vickie's next assignment and they have come home to their old house for Christmas. That great, right? Of course, but it's very obviously not how I envisioned things happening three months ago.
It began in early September. They made the announcement that they were leaving and all of a sudden they were gone. There had been plans in place for my sisters and I to split up many of the bigger items that our parents own, as most of that couldn't fit into a fifth wheel camper (their new home). As the only son, I was to have gotten all of Dad's tools, which made sense, since most of those he got from his father. Unfortunately, the move was so quick that a time couldn't be arranged to gather anything. That wouldn't have been an issue but for my younger sister moving into Dad's house. I have no problem with that, of course, I have my own place and someone certainly should keep that place warm in case Dad and Vickie were to decide that this new life of travel wasn't for them. I could always just arrange a time to come to Jen's new home and gather what I needed.
Very quickly, however, that proved to be a problem. I needed an edger and Dad has one. Of course, he didn't take it with him, so I called Jen to see when I could come and get it. The neighbor had borrowed it and long story short is that between getting a hold of the neighbor and finding a time when Jen would be home, I had to wait more than two weeks to edge my sidewalk. It happens. Not a huge deal.
Then our grill finally really began to fall apart. We have a small two-burner model and a family of six (soon to be seven), so when the rust began to give way to gaping holes, Valerie and I decided it was time to buy a new model. When looking through the ads, I recalled that Dad had a giant stainless steel grill in his back yard. I was certain he didn't take that with him so I called and he assured me I could have a grill from his house. He didn't specify that it would be the same one, I guess, but that's what I assumed.
I called Jen to see when I could come get it. Of course, no matter what day or time I suggested, she wouldn't be home. Finally she agreed to leave it out for me (she had installed a locking fence after our parent's moved out, so I could no longer simply access the shed in the back yard.), but when I got there I found a small two-burner model not dissimilar from the one I already had. Gee, thanks, Jen. She is not married, she has no kids. I took her old grill home and while it works great, I still have to use the old one as well in order to cook for my entire family at once. She cooks for one, maybe two if her boyfriend is over. But yeah, obviously she needs the jumbo grill more than I do.
The biggest gut-punch came about three weeks ago, however. Jen stopped by my work to drop off stuff for my wife. While she was there, she asked how Dad was going to host Christmas, as that had been the plan. Dad and Vickie would be living with Jen at their house (at least I assumed it was still their house) and we were all going to come over for the holiday. But Jen has pitbulls and I don't want my kids around them. Jen noted that her dogs would be there, so Dad couldn't host Christmas. I knew where she was going with this and I didn't bite on her attempt to engage me in an argument; we've gone rounds on that one before. She would be unwilling to put the dogs in a bedroom or a cage or the garage or anywhere else for the hour and a half that the grandchildren would be at "her" house. I simply smiled, biting my tongue, and said I didn't know how that would work out.
A few days later, Dad called and told me that they would be coming to my house to visit and drop off gifts when they got home. He said it was because our van wouldn't hold all the gifts and all the kids together, but it sure felt like a convenient excuse to allow Jen's dogs the free reign she wanted for them. I know she is certain they would never bite and they probably wouldn't. But if they did, my kids would be mutilated for life, or worse. That's not a chance I'm willing to take. If they did bite, her dog would also be destroyed, and I can't believe that's a chance she'd be willing to take. But whatever, I guess. I mean, I get it. Her dogs are like children to her. But the thing is, they aren't children; they're pets. She can leave them home unattended; if she did that with kids, she'd have them taken away from her. There is a difference whether she likes it or not. But I digress.
Vickie sent me a text this morning that informed me that Dad has a kidney stone that's being removed late this afternoon. Once that's done, they'll be home, to their old house. I didn't respond to the second text, the one in which Vickie told me where they'd be. I'm sure that Dad will be in no shape to travel, even the 20 minute drive to my house. I would love to bring the kids over to see them instead, but if Jen isn't willing to put her dogs up for a full-family gathering like Christmas, I'm sure asking for an impromptu visit is out of the question.
The sad thing is that the tools and the grill, those are just things. I'll never fight about things. I didn't have them before, so I won't fight about having them now. If it means so much to her to keep them, then let her have 'em. It's silly and childish, but if it makes her feel more loved or favored or whatever, then she can have 'em. But Dad and Vickie always told me, no matter what I did or needed, I'd always be welcome in their house.
Now, that's not true either.
My parents will be home for just a couple of weeks. I wonder if we'll see them for more than an hour while they're here. I'm beginning to think not. And that's not the way it should be.
My dad and step-mom, Vickie, moved away from Lima some 15 weeks ago. Vickie is now a traveling nurse and her new job takes her all over the country. I speak with my dad often on the phone and apart from being obviously bored, he seems to be enjoying his retirement. They have a break of about two weeks before Vickie's next assignment and they have come home to their old house for Christmas. That great, right? Of course, but it's very obviously not how I envisioned things happening three months ago.
It began in early September. They made the announcement that they were leaving and all of a sudden they were gone. There had been plans in place for my sisters and I to split up many of the bigger items that our parents own, as most of that couldn't fit into a fifth wheel camper (their new home). As the only son, I was to have gotten all of Dad's tools, which made sense, since most of those he got from his father. Unfortunately, the move was so quick that a time couldn't be arranged to gather anything. That wouldn't have been an issue but for my younger sister moving into Dad's house. I have no problem with that, of course, I have my own place and someone certainly should keep that place warm in case Dad and Vickie were to decide that this new life of travel wasn't for them. I could always just arrange a time to come to Jen's new home and gather what I needed.
Very quickly, however, that proved to be a problem. I needed an edger and Dad has one. Of course, he didn't take it with him, so I called Jen to see when I could come and get it. The neighbor had borrowed it and long story short is that between getting a hold of the neighbor and finding a time when Jen would be home, I had to wait more than two weeks to edge my sidewalk. It happens. Not a huge deal.
Then our grill finally really began to fall apart. We have a small two-burner model and a family of six (soon to be seven), so when the rust began to give way to gaping holes, Valerie and I decided it was time to buy a new model. When looking through the ads, I recalled that Dad had a giant stainless steel grill in his back yard. I was certain he didn't take that with him so I called and he assured me I could have a grill from his house. He didn't specify that it would be the same one, I guess, but that's what I assumed.
I called Jen to see when I could come get it. Of course, no matter what day or time I suggested, she wouldn't be home. Finally she agreed to leave it out for me (she had installed a locking fence after our parent's moved out, so I could no longer simply access the shed in the back yard.), but when I got there I found a small two-burner model not dissimilar from the one I already had. Gee, thanks, Jen. She is not married, she has no kids. I took her old grill home and while it works great, I still have to use the old one as well in order to cook for my entire family at once. She cooks for one, maybe two if her boyfriend is over. But yeah, obviously she needs the jumbo grill more than I do.
The biggest gut-punch came about three weeks ago, however. Jen stopped by my work to drop off stuff for my wife. While she was there, she asked how Dad was going to host Christmas, as that had been the plan. Dad and Vickie would be living with Jen at their house (at least I assumed it was still their house) and we were all going to come over for the holiday. But Jen has pitbulls and I don't want my kids around them. Jen noted that her dogs would be there, so Dad couldn't host Christmas. I knew where she was going with this and I didn't bite on her attempt to engage me in an argument; we've gone rounds on that one before. She would be unwilling to put the dogs in a bedroom or a cage or the garage or anywhere else for the hour and a half that the grandchildren would be at "her" house. I simply smiled, biting my tongue, and said I didn't know how that would work out.
A few days later, Dad called and told me that they would be coming to my house to visit and drop off gifts when they got home. He said it was because our van wouldn't hold all the gifts and all the kids together, but it sure felt like a convenient excuse to allow Jen's dogs the free reign she wanted for them. I know she is certain they would never bite and they probably wouldn't. But if they did, my kids would be mutilated for life, or worse. That's not a chance I'm willing to take. If they did bite, her dog would also be destroyed, and I can't believe that's a chance she'd be willing to take. But whatever, I guess. I mean, I get it. Her dogs are like children to her. But the thing is, they aren't children; they're pets. She can leave them home unattended; if she did that with kids, she'd have them taken away from her. There is a difference whether she likes it or not. But I digress.
Vickie sent me a text this morning that informed me that Dad has a kidney stone that's being removed late this afternoon. Once that's done, they'll be home, to their old house. I didn't respond to the second text, the one in which Vickie told me where they'd be. I'm sure that Dad will be in no shape to travel, even the 20 minute drive to my house. I would love to bring the kids over to see them instead, but if Jen isn't willing to put her dogs up for a full-family gathering like Christmas, I'm sure asking for an impromptu visit is out of the question.
The sad thing is that the tools and the grill, those are just things. I'll never fight about things. I didn't have them before, so I won't fight about having them now. If it means so much to her to keep them, then let her have 'em. It's silly and childish, but if it makes her feel more loved or favored or whatever, then she can have 'em. But Dad and Vickie always told me, no matter what I did or needed, I'd always be welcome in their house.
Now, that's not true either.
My parents will be home for just a couple of weeks. I wonder if we'll see them for more than an hour while they're here. I'm beginning to think not. And that's not the way it should be.
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