This happens every year

I put too much faith in the wrong things. I admit it, I have a problem.

… So, for the third time in four years I went to watch the opening game of a NCAA Regional hosted by Long Beach State. (Actually, the first game I saw four years ago was a Super Regional and Jered Weaver pitched for LBSU. The closer blew the game in the ninth inning and the Dirtrbags were eliminated two days later. But that’s another story.)

So as you guessed by the parenthetical statement, the Dirtbags lost for the third straight time. Last year, they were one hit. Think about that, one hit in an era of aluminum bats, they were only able to get one hit. This year, they were able to get more hits, but their best pitcher – the one up for a national award – couldn’t get the job done and they lost to Fresno St. There were taken out of their misery on Sunday when San Diego defeated them.

I will admit, I had fewer expectations for them this year. They were hosting a regional against three other teams where their record against them this season was 1-7. They also struggled through the middle part of the season. And despite winning a share of the Big West Conference title, I never really had a good feeling about the team.

Well, professional baseball is still around and my beloved Giants are doing better than I expected. And the football is coming in less than two months so I can get ready for the 49ers. Whoopie!

Maybe I’m setting myself up again.

… This is the first blog I’m writing on my new computer. It’s a HP Pavilion with 3GB RAM, 250 GB hard drive with a Blu-ray drive. It’s awesome. I love this new computer. I love the keyboard too. Every time I type in a word, you can hear it. It makes the statement, “I mean what I type!”

The new computer comes with Windows Vista so I had to buy a new printer. I took the $120 of Best Buy gift cards and bought an HP all-in-one with wireless. I realized how cool it was when I was filling out a rebate form for my computer and thought about taking it to work for a photo copy, then realized, I can do that from home. It’s awesome.

… I went to Las Vegas for the four time in five months to “cover” another UFC event. It was exciting; Tito Ortiz in what could have been his last UFC fight, B.J. Penn defeating the guy he said he was going to kill.

We stayed in Jean, about 20 minutes away from the strip and again I won money there. Last year, I won $50 playing blackjack. This year it was $40 playing craps – and I never win at craps. My co-worker also couldn’t lose in nickel slots. He won at least $50 and every time he put money in a slot, he left with more.

I’m starting to like Jean more and more. The Gold Strike Hotel is something to be desired, but I’m winning.

… I saw my parents after I got back from Las Vegas. My father finally started getting radiation therapy and seemed fine. They were in town to watch their granddaughter make her first communion. I arrived too late to make the ceremony, but took them to the lunch with the family.

They waited until after lunch and I was driving them back to my sisters to gang up on me with questions. At first they asked, “When are you going to make your conformation?” Now, for those that are not Catholic, this should have been done while I was in high school. Somehow I slipped through. I told them it is hard to do since I have to work nights. They were steadfast saying the church would work with me if I explained my situation.

But their next point said by my mother was something I had never heard from them before. She told me – and maybe I lost something in the translation – that she was staying alive just for me to see that I find someone that will take care of me.

My mother has had diabetes for as long as, well, she’s been my mom. She’s managed it well. To me, this is the closest they’ve asked me, “When are you getting married?” In a strange way, it was kind of sad to me. Am I making my mom suffer? It also made me think. Who doesn’t want their parents to be at their wedding and I never worried about it until now.

I know she meant well when she said that, but it was kind of sad.

… Speaking of marriage, the person I associated the line “… marriage is punishment for shoplifting in some countries.” from the movie “Wayne’s World” is getting married. I so happy for the both of them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people more compatible.