The Longest Yard

I have to write about this to document it, b/c looking back on it, I still don't even believe that it happened and that I was there. So let's get started...

Get the request to help my sister-in-law move. Now, I hate moving. In fact, I hate it so much that I'm packing stuff that I don't use right now in order to prepare for my next move - which could be this summer, next summer - I really don't know right now... but I'll be ready. Anyway, this is family, and I've managed to avoid helping anyone move in over 5 years, so I was due.

Pack up the family, make the 2 hour trip from Philly to NY, get there Saturday, noonish. A few other family members are already there loading the truck, so I get in the rotation, eager to make up my share of the hour or so headstart they had on me. So far, so good. I'm thinking, we'll be back on the road to Philly around 8. Front room is pretty clear. Other's on the first floor not looking too bad. There are a lot of steps in the front of the house, but we work out a nice little assembly line among the moving crew (moving computers at work every summer has taught me to search for any short-cut possible), so we're good to go. But as I take a closer look around, realizing that I'm loading scrap wood, old computers, and construction supplies, I realize three things. 1) We're not moving big stuff yet, 2) Sister-in-law has a lot of extra stuff that's keeping us from moving the big stuff, 3) A lot of this extra stuff isn't packed any kind of way.

Fast forward to end. Wife and kids are sleep on the sofa. Two movers are back at the old house, trying to get a car onto the trailer. Two others are scheming on the sofa and the mattress in the new spot. It's 6AM. We JUST FINISHED. Repeat JUST FINISHED. The final effort was putting the Sony flat screen on the stand. That thing was the heaviest thing I have ever lifted in my entire life. You just don't know how good it felt to inch that thing closer to the stand. Took three people and maybe 10 minutes to get it all of 50 feet or so. This is why they make 1) TVs that hang on walls, 2) TVs with wheels, 3) video iPods, 4) ranch homes, 5) elevators, 6) professional movers.

I ain't mad, though. But be warned. If anyone asks me to help them move, and you hear cursing, and the words "Sony" and "all night," don't take it personally.

That was probably the longest day of my life. My wife commented that it seemed like it wouldn't end. That's exactly how I felt. Crazy thing is now, 10 hours after getting back home, I don't even remember it. But it happened. My body knows.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year b/w Just Do It

I found myself rallying around the TV set the past few days, anticipating college football for the first time in a few years. Probably has something to do w/ the resurgence of Penn State (once a Nittany Lion fan, compliments of hometown Harrisburg, always a fan), the lack of things to cheer about in the Eagle's nest, and the ups-and-downs of the Sixers (while Iverson is having possibly his best season, this team simply can not close out games). Though I've kept up with it somewhat the past few seasons, I honestly forgot how good college football can be. Even the prelim Bowl games brought something to the table. But these last two. Wow.

Penn State 26, Florida State 23. Google "nail-biter" and you'll see a picture of PSU's freshman kicker, nervously sprinting out on the field, trying to seal the game. Wide left. And so begins the drama. All I could think about was that one second on the clock in the Michigan game... the reason for the single loss of the year (and to think, many - myself included - weren't even paying attention to Penn State until we realized they were still on top of the Big Ten w/ only a few games remaining). This game was like a 15-round heavy-weight title match - starting w/ a spark, but settling into a battle of field position in the second half. After the first OT, Joe Pa said eff 3, we need 7. I was feeling him. They got it in, but FSU came right back and did what they had to do. In the triple, the seniors put it on the foot of the freshman kicker again, and he came through. In the end, though the coaches tried to duck the attention all along, the post-game interview w/ them together pretty much summed it up... as did the play on the field. Vintage.

Texas 41, USC 38. I started to think USC was invincible the way they moved the ball. I didn't know about the "inside" running back, w/ all the attention Bush got, but dude was carving out 8 yards up the gut every time. But the more I paid attention to Young, the more I saw that he was the one who wouldn't be stopped. He made very few mistakes, and ran so smoothly. All they could ask for was to get the ball back one more time. A stop on 4th and 1 gave it to them. A few plays later, Vince ran it in for 6, then again for 2 more insurance points. At the end of the game, in response to a stupid question ("You can back for your senior year, but how does it feel to go out like this"), Leinart said that he still thought USC was the better team, but Texas made the plays they needed to win. They sure did, Matt. And anything else is pure opinion at this point.

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So it's another new year. I'm sitting here in a lab that I'm supposed to be cleaning, about to list resolutions that I'm not really making, because there's no need really. As I said on Okayplayer a few days ago, on the surface I don't really feel like there's a big difference from December to January. But then when I thought about it a bit more, there is sort of a reset I guess. Maybe it was the break from work, or maybe I did buy into the New Year's hype, but I do feel a little refreshed, a little more focussed. That's a good thing, cuz last semester was rough (I still work on a college campus so I think of time in semester chunks).

Anyway, my theme for the year will be to just do it (bringing that old Nike tag line back to life). Or maybe get it done. Whatever it takes. Something like that. I already have a list of stuff I know I need to be doing, so I just need to handle that w/ more attention to detail that I had been giving before. I have a feeling that it's going to be a good year. (Okay, let me get back to work now so I can get it done).