Things I Like to Do

Just checking in on a Saturday afternoon before I run some errands. After some bitterly cold days, it's supposed to warm up this weekend into the 40s and possibly 50s. I'm going to do a 20-miler tomorrow; normally, I've been running on Saturdays but I ran yesterday. Wednesday night at hockey, I took a shot off the left calf, where there's conveniently no protection from my shin pads. It hurt pretty bad but I played the rest of the night. But Thursday morning it was really sore, kind of like having a charley horse. I tried running on the treadmill but it really killed, so I waited a day and it felt better. It's still sore to the touch, but I don't foresee any problems tomorrow (knock on wood-like skull).

Hannah had great indoor soccer game today. She played well as goalie in the first half, making a bunch of saves and giving up two goals. Then in the second half, she played out and scored a goal and two assists. She kind of reminds me of myself as a soccer player (and in every other sport I play/played): not the most talented player, but the hardest worker. She hustles and makes stuff happen. Even though she's one of the smaller if not the smallest player out there, Hannah never stops battling. And she does it with a smile on her face. It has really been a blast to see her learn and enjoy the game.

The critter situation: So we decided to hold off on cutting a hole in the wall of our eaves. Instead, we're going to pick up some mousetraps and put a couple in the other eaves, which we have access to. We'll also put a couple in the basement. Deb's mom says she's heard what she thinks is a mouse running around in one of the walls downstairs. Before we commit to anything too expensive or destructive, let's see if we can take care of the problem the old-fashioned way.

I've got some plans to revamp the podcast format a little by incorporating some other voices. Inspired by the banter in shows like Smodcast and No Agenda, I want to record some segments in which I talk to folks about various topics; not so much an interview as a back-and-forth discussion. The hardest part will be the scheduling, but I've got some ideas about that. Hoping to debut the new format next month if everything goes as planned. Stay tuned for details.

Thaw out:

• I suppose I shouldn't be shocked, but SI is reporting that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003. As much as I think he's a douche, I always believed he came by his abilities naturally. Now I'm wondering if we should call him A-Fraud or A-Roid? Both work for me.
• Okay, this whole story about the lady who had octuplets in California is just bugging the hell out of me. She's a single mom who already had six kids, so now she's up to 14 freakin' kids under the age of 7. WTF? She had six kids and she was going for fertility treatments? The doctors at that clinic need to be investigated. That's just wrong.
• The Grammy Awards are tomorrow night, but honestly, I have no interest in it whatsoever. I'm a huge music fan, but the Grammies are just a record industry grab-ass ceremony that doesn't reflect anything I care about. Radiohead is supposed to be performing, but I'll catch a clip of it online. I'm more interested in the Oscars, but even that show is questionable.