Trying

Trying trying trying… and always failing.  No matter what I do it seems I just can’t keep up with trades.  So I’m just here to apologize once again and thank you for the continued saintlike patience most of you have found it necessary to show.  It has been a lil busier than normal of late, but really pathetically slow compared to the lives most of you lead, so there is no excuse for it.  I’m not even that broke at the moment. All I can say is I haven’t forgotten anyone and I’ll try to get some things sent out soon.

😦

 

It’s Always Something…

Apologies for starting to drop off the posting pace again, it isn’t for lack of content or anything to say.  To put it briefly, as of early Sunday morning, my keyboard is on the fritz… yes I somehow managed to kill another one.  Anyway, this is being written via crummy on-screen keyboard, which is no good for posts of any real length.  So, no more posts (of much substance anyway) until this can be dealt with.

However, I can still do smaller chunks of work.  As such, I’ve been slowly working on a couple of my pages.  My Wantlist is very nearly up to date, and a bit more colorful now (somewhat inspired by Fuji’s very colorful blog), and I’ve done the same with my trade bait page as well.  I’m also finally slowly adding my available hits to over there, so be sure to stop by and see if there’s anything you like!  The vast majority of my available his should be up by sunrise.

So yeah, that’s what’s up.  I’ll still be around though.  Holla.

Now, where did I put that Price is Right loser horn?

Fail.

 

Just when I think I’m back in, they pull me out. On January 2^nd, my computer got attacked, for all intents and purposes, was destroyed. Fortunately, I was able to get my parents old computer a few days later, to get me by until I can get myself a new computer. After a few more days, I was finally able to get back online. The reason it took so long… may have been accidentally self-inflicted, but that’s neither here nor there.

So I was all ready to jump back into blogging regularly after finally getting back online (something like 11 or 12 days ago at this point), when I discovered that all the old scans of mine leftover on this computer, and the more recent ones I saved the emails to… I can’t edit them into smaller chunks on this computer. Not in any way that I can remember anyway. So I’m still not back yet I guess, and won’t be for at least a little while longer. I saw a pretty good computer (with glorious hi-def monitor included!) that I can afford by February if it or something like it is still available at that price, or deity of your choosing-willing, less.

But cards?! It’ll be a loooong time before I can afford anything very meaningful on that front again. A couple cheap packs here & there perhaps, and maybe I can squeeze in a group break or two, and the rare (yet somehow disgustingly not rare enough) visit to eBay, but I’m cutting my card spending by at least half. Video games have been loudly calling my name again, so I’m looking at a PS3, and I could use a laptop too. In other words, the ol’ budget’s gonna be tighter than an analogy I’m too distracted to make. Fortunately, I still have loads of cards to get rid of, and will still have way too many even after all the trades I’ve let my end down on for way too long are at long last taken care of.

As far as the blog goes, I’m not back, but I’m not entirely gone either. I have something like a three post buffer from before my old computer got torn a new one, and just enough edited down to size scans handy for a couple more if I get a minute. You’ll start seeing all that jazz soon. Until then, I’m Pro Bowl Shufflin’ outta here.

To Hawaii and beyond!

Attempted Derek Jeter Sketch Card

As promised, here’s my attempt at a Derek Jeter Sketch card for Sooz of A Cardboard Problem:

I tried...

As you can see, by no means is it poorly drawn.  I just completely failed at making it look like jeter.  I dunno what went wrong, because two other sketch cards I attempted before this (and also a similar sized work) of other people looked like who they were meant to look like.

He isn’t colored because I lack markers in navy blue and his particular skin tone, and I skipped the gray because I just thought it looked better without any color at all to go with a colored background, though that didn’t turn out quite as I’d envisioned either.  I did mention to Sooz needing practice, and if nothing else, this was definitely a learning experience.

Couple other quickies:

• My 2009 A&G is ordered.  You’ve been put on notice, my fellow Gint-A-Cufflinks.  Or something.

• I pulled an awesome card out of a 1/2-priced pack of 2008 UD Masterpieces from K-Mart this afternoon.  That will be posted as a Random Cool Card I Own soon.  Alas, retail Masterpieces has already been posted at A Pack to be Named Later, so the pack itself won’t be seen on there.

Ironically, the pack posted on APtbNL had three of the four cards in the other pack of Masterpieces I bought (all except former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas; got current White Sox slugger Jim Thome instead).  Madness.  And… I’m out.

Until our next…

Pokefail

Sorry about not posting for a few awhile. Playing Pokemon Platinum. Gotta catch ’em all dontcha know.
>.>

Yesterday Sucked

But today was much better.  I’ll explain later.  As you will see this was written right after I got home last night.  I got tired and lost my focus and was going to put in the links when I woke up this morning, but didn’t get around to it until Saturday evening.  Awkward additions and subtractions to make it fit that timeframe probably abound, so sorry about that.

Things started out so promising.  I got a full night’s sleep (approximately 9 hours) without waking up once.  That just doesn’t happen for me.  I ALWAYS wake up enough to know I’m awake at least once EVERY… SINGLE… NIGHT.  But it didn’t happen.  My dumb ass should’ve seen the signs that today was gonna blow though (yeah it both sucked and blew).

Around noon I finally got around to go downstairs because I wanted to get the things I had to do today done and be home… at very least before nightfall.  Didn’t have enough change to make the call I needed to so I got some food at Quick Stop to break a $10.  Too late I realized I couldn’t even get through till after 1:30 anyway.  I decided to stay downstairs and read a recent ESPN the Magazine while a guy came into the pool room and bumped up the pop machine’s price to 60 cents (from $0.50), not finishing up and going back to call until about 2:10pm, because my dumb ass has no sense of time.

It just couldn’t be simple today, so I ended up having to walk most of the way over to the parents place.  I usually just tag along when they go out to get groceries to get my own.  Immediately I noticed my ankle bothering me, but it wasn’t all that bad.  I was running on annoyance anyway, so worse pain still wouldn’t have kept me from doing it.  There was, admittedly, a positive of walking 1 1/2 miles on a progressively more hurting ankle, and that is that I got a free McRib and a few french fries out of the deal.  That’s gotta count for something, right?

So after finally, mercifully getting over there I showered and put together my trade with Boxbusters, which should be on it’s way by tomorrow afternoon (it’ll be out Monday actually, because tape is needed to further keep it protected and closed apparently… bleh.  Bailey, yours will be on it’s way then too (same deal, sorry).  After giving up on going out quickly I chilled at Jacky Muffin’s with the rest of the usual suspects on the parents’ computer, and didn’t get around to reluctantly leaving to go shopping until almost 7pm.  The silver lining here, because I like to try to find some good amongst crap, aside from Jacky Muffin/nakama time, which is pure heaven, was all-too-rare civilized conversation with my brother and learning what Nintendo has in store for us in 2009.

Finally to Walgreens, which turned out to be 15 minutes I’ll never get back.  Then to Target, which was just ungodly fail.  Took way too damn long and I didn’t even buy anything, because I wanted to check Walmart.  My ankle is hurting like a b*tch at this point as well.  Finally made it to Walmart and picked up everything I intended to get there and plenty of other crap I didn’t need (wicked hahdore Legend of Zelda T-shirt, I’m looking at you).  Unfortunately the two things I was going to get at Target but wanted to check at Walmart first was total bustage, so back to Target.  Gwahh.

Picked up my stuff and couldn’t pass up the Prime Paks hobby pack repack box.  6 hobby packs from recent times for $20.  Target packs have not been kind to me, but I’m a glutton for punishment it seems.  So finally back home… check that, place that I live.  Home is a place you feel comfortable and actually like.  This is… not home.  It’s after 10 f***ing 30 before I can finally get off my damaged ankle.  Lets bust some packs of baseball cards to put my mind at ease shall we?

Three retail packs (two Upper Deck X, one Baseball Heroes) from Walmart.

First pack’s XPonential was Victor Martinez (just the single X version, but a swank card nonetheless).  Nothing else of note.  One of the little pieces of the stupid lazy die cut card was still in it.  I popped it out and ate it.  What?

Second pack had a base Geovany Soto and XPonential X2 Manny Ramirez.  The universe hates me.  I popped out both pieces of the die-cut that were still in it and ate them.  Tasted better than lukewarm chicken taquitos.

Upper Deck Heroes.  This pack was talkin’ to me.  I just had a feeling there was something worthwhile in it when I picked it up.  Ichiro/Fukudome dual base card.  This is worth it because I collect both of them.  I wish I could tell Fukudome to relax at the plate.  It’s pretty clear he’s having issues up there.  Kinda almost jittery and not being patient like he was in the first half of the season.  Relax man, let the game come to you… it’s cliche, but just relax up there dude.

Now onto the six hobby packs from Target box (2006 Upper Deck Special F/X, 2006 Upper Deck Artifacts, 2006 Upper Deck Ovation, two 2003 Flair ~ wooooo!, and a 2003 Flair Greats ~ wooooo!!).

The regular Flair packs were all base.  Hee Seop Choi and Sammy Sosa are keepers.  The rest… meh.  And more stupid Dodgers to taunt me.  Come to think of it, Choi was a Dodger at some point.  Blah.  The cards look nice at least.

The Artifacts were all base and some Braves rookie that I don’t care about.  Joey Devine?  Any relation to TNA Jobber to the Stars Johnny Devine?

Ovation had another F***ing ManRam insert.  I got two different cards of so many guys.  Berkman, Abreu, Manny and Luis Gonzalez.  Maybe others, too tired to look.

Special F/X: Two for the base set I think.  I’m pretty sure I don’t have them.  I think I must be delusional to try and complete this base set.  Green parallel Zito checklist #’d /99, and a Dontrelle Willis insert I already had and sent to Mario when I sent the Miller SignaCut and Fergie auto.  I’m pretty sure it was in there.

Flair Greats had a SWANK Ron Santo base card, and a Nolan Ryan, and a Ripken, and a couple guys in black & white, which looks really trippy on this design, but one pack of all nifty base cards is not worth the price of admission, even with Santo.

This box sucked and wasn’t worth the money.  I wasn’t necessarily expecting a hit, but damn.  All base and worthless inserts.  Maybe I was expecting something.  Regardless, there’s $20 down the drain.  Unless you get lucky and pull a Carlos Quentin autograph, it really isn’t even remotely worth it.  I should’ve just picked up a box of Ultra SE off of eBay.  It wouldn’t have been that much more than the $24 + tax I spent (the Baseball Heroes pack was worth it).  I would’ve gotten at least as many cards and 5 hits.  Even if they sucked, it would’ve been nice to get a hit.  It’s been so long since I pulled one I’m not sure I even remember what they look like (yes I know I got two from Shane the other day, smartass).

Saturday will probably be bad too, because I have go out on this bum ankle again and deal with family as well.  But Sunday has some promise.  Since I have very few extra expenses this month, maybe I actually will try to get ahold of a box of Ultra SE in the near future.  Guaranteed hits are nice sometimes.  It may be a form of Victory by Default, but we already know that there are benefits to that.

Yesterday may have sucked, but today actually turned out to be nice.  Hope is always only a day away. 😉

Buggin’

I am pretty open about my problems online.  It makes me have a hard time… respecting people who don’t.  Well no, not really.  I respect people’s privacy.  I have no problem talking about my problems, but I don’t give out any personally information.  Nobody I converse with on the web has more than a general idea of my whereabouts and only the my closest of close net friends know my real name.  The problem is people being vague about their issues.

It’s not when someone isn’t open about something that seems trivial (to me at least) that bothers me.  It’s this: If you hold back your reasoning for something when you are trying to prove a point, it’s pretty dang annoying.  This is somehow made worse on what are ultimately pointless subjects.  This kills a person’s cred with me when they spout their opinions on other, more significant things.  If you can’t, or won’t explain, but say you do have a really good reason for why you feel like you do about something, you are asking a helluva lot of my faith to believe what your saying.  And most of the time saying that makes you come off as a douchebag in my eyes, because there are very few people I can stretch for like that, and odds are you are not one of those people.

Granted, I am probably more open-minded than the average bear, so I’m less likely to be bothered by your issues if you talk about it.  But to me, if you won’t go there, you’re better off not even mentioning you have a reason at all.  You’re not asking me to trust you or your judgment that your hidden reason really is a good one, and it doesn’t doesn’t make me wonder just what your deal is.  Just say why and let me gauge for myself, or don’t and prevent unnecessary complication and, in the case of this post’s origins, drama.

Like it or not, the effects go beyond the statement itself.  Regardless of whether I agree or disagree with most of what you have to say, how can I even quantify your other opinions?  If you are a blogger with a lot of opinions on things a large number of people to care about to at least some degree, people have to stop and think about the validity of the PERSON making the opinion, not just of the opinion itself.  If the blog isn’t that personal, and those opinions on things people care about are a significant part of the blog, that’s not good business.  A specialized blog that gets approximately a good number of hits is gonna have an affect on the more casual or less experienced people that read it, and if they wonder WTF like me, well… WTF yo?

Maybe it’s just me that feels this way.  It may even be for the best, to force me to question what’s what.  I dunno, but this is how I feel.  Apologies if coherence is lacking.  My attention is obviously divided with the game on.  What do you think?  Am I way out of line in my thinking?  Does anything like this ever bother or put you off?  Discuss.

6-0 Dodgers with two outs in the bottom of the 5th.

What the Hell, Cubs Fans?

Chicago Cubs fans… are eternally optimistic.  At least that’s what we claim to be.  It’s supposedly written in our very DNA.  We are unapologetically loud, boisterous, jovial, and sometimes drunk off our asses in our support.  We’ll get ’em every next year for the past hundred years.  Well guess what, next year finally came this year.  This is very likely the best team we’ve fielded in the past 100 years.  So I wanna know Cub fans… Just where in the hell was all that optimism last night?!

We’re not the pre-2004 Red Sox, whose fate it seemed was to always fall just short.  We’ve hardly even had a sniff of success since World War II.  We’re playing with house money regardless of how great the talent that’s been assembled this year is.  So just what in the Dodger blue hell gives us the right to get so deflated and lose faith after a grand slam goes against us only halfway through a game?!?  I mean, good grief, we were only down 4-2!  It was so quiet the second half of the game you would’ve thought Charlie Haas was wrestling.

We’re Chicago Cubs fans goddammit!!  We’re eternal optimists!  So if we fall behind early in game two, y’all at the game better start making some noise like never before.  This is no time to clam up or give up.  When it’s go time, it’s time to MAN UP!!  We’re the wildest, loudest, rowdiest fans in all of baseball, and when it’s crucial to get loud and support our team, you fold up like you just got Suplex’d on your heads?!  Oh hells no!  That will simply not be tolerated.  EVER!

Few things are more pathetic than last night’s display of hypocrisy.  It is unacceptable for fans of any team, let alone THIS team, to tuck tail like that.  Regardless of whether or not it makes a difference, whether or not we had a chance last night (which we did!), you HAVE to keep cheering to the bitter end if you are a real fan of the Chicago Cubs.  There are no more next years.  THIS IS OUR YEAR.  So start acting like it.