Catching Up

* So I've been building up items for this "notes" post in the several busy weeks since my last post, and I finally found the perfect time to sit down and actually write it (or at least get started). I found myself wide awake at 4:45 this morning, unable to go back to sleep. That's more than three hours before I normally wake up grudgingly, so I have no idea what's going on. I'm hoping I can catch at least a little bit more sleep before I have to go to work, but I'm not sure that's in the cards.

* Off the top, I want to give the e-finger to the Ohio BMV. I went into the license bureau here in BG recently, on one of the rare occasions when their limited hours permitted me to do so, to renew my vehicle registration. I was immediately confronted with a sign that informed me that they do not accept credit or debit cards. I, of course, never carry cash or a checkbook, so I was unable to conduct any business that day. What decade are we living in here? I have trouble viewing as legitimate any business or organization that doesn't maintain an updated Internet presence or accept credit cards. Of course, you can use a credit card to renew your registration if you do it online, but when I tried to do that I was informed that my address was invalidated because the BMV tried to send me some mail and it had been returned to them. Funny that I have gotten mail from them here in the past, and also that all my other mail seems to get through just fine.

* The fundamental things apply as time goes by. I still maintain that anyone who drives in the left-hand (passing) lane of the interstate for no apparent reason should face discipline from large men, bitter at the directions their lives have taken and armed with hammers. Why these morons insist on inhibiting the flow of traffic so pointlessly, I'll never understand.

* So my parents got a new dog about a month ago. She's a 7-month old yellow lab that my dad has named Jubal. No one told me about this--I got to find out on my own. I arrived home one day to find a dog bed in the living room, and dog food and water laid out in the kitchen. I then walked out into the backyard to discover Dad with the new addition to the family. She's really cool. She's very social and just wants to be around someone all the time. She's not very bright, but that's okay. Before it happened, I wasn't sure how I would feel about a new dog for a while, but I'm glad they got one. It's definitely fun to have her around. Brandi and I took her for a run at Duke Park in Troy while we were in town this weekend, and that was a lot of fun.

* A post that I recently began and then aborted included a note on how ecstatic I was that the Reds were playing so well as to be still in the race halfway through the season. Then they totally fell apart as the All-Star break approached, and while they're definitely still in the race, they've looked like a totally different team lately. They need some help. I was really pleased when they traded for "Everyday" Eddie Guardado, but hopefully Wayne Krivsky isn't done upgrading this team just yet. It would be great if they could make an addition to the starting staff. Of course, at this point I would be happy if manager Jerry Narron would just fix his lineup and stay with it for a few days in a row.

* Thus begins the end of my twenties. My 29th birthday was last week. I'm not entirely thrilled about being this old, but I suppose that doesn't really matter. I haven't really thought about it all that much, to be honest. Next year may be a different story. At any rate, as my birthday is on July 4, Brandi and I went to my parents' house for the annual cookout/family get-together. With all the wedding festivities that have been going on lately, I'm sure my family is getting pretty tired of seeing me. Don't worry, everybody--we can get back to our normal schedule now.

* I've been seriously out of my groove lately, in terms of reading and writing. I'll try to get back in here on a more regular basis. I'll also (hopefully) have some more interesting things to say. Anytime now.