Relationship Status: It's Complicated.

I grew up a Cubs fan. My whole family is Cubs fans. Some of my earliest memories are going to Wrigley and sitting on my dad’s lap and napping through the middle part of the game. Jody Davis, Jamie Moyer, Ryno and Mark Grace were my early favorites. 

 My grandma relocated to Florida. She sat at her dining room table everyday chain smoking Kools and drinking Old Style while spending time with Harry and Steve on the Superstation.

I lived and died with the Boys of Zimmer in ’89 and even now, still cringe when see or hear the name Will Clark.

There were some dark days after that, but Ty Griffin or was it Gary Scott or was it Earl Cunningham or Corey Patterson were going to be along soon to save the franchise. Gary Scott – remember him? I waited in line at the Ol’ Ballpark in Orland Park for an autograph for hours.

Over time my frustration began to grow. The team kept losing. Ownership refused to spend money. Fans were more Wrigley Field fans than actual Cubs fans. I started to contend if the Cubs and White Sox switch stadiums most people wouldn’t know it. Then Mark Prior came along and I was all in on him. My man crush was out of control. We all know how that turned out.

2003 was tough but my fandom remained strong. Then one day in in 2006 I was watching ‘Baseball Tonight’ when they flashed the NL Central standings. The Cubs were behind the Brewers, which was unacceptable. In that moment I decided the Cubs were never going to win the World Series and pledged my allegiance to the New York American League Baseball Club.

I cannot lie it has been an absolute blast watching them struggle year after year. I have laughed and I have laughed. But they’ve been doing the right things. They spent money to bring in Theo and Jed, starting tearing down Wrigley and hired Joe Maddon.

Still there is no part of me that wants to see them win. Though sometimes I think of people like Bobby, Shawn, Debbie and the host of other long suffering Cubs fans. Wouldn’t it be nice for them if they won?

Then there are the Cardinals – Yuck. Really the whole organization is so gross and smug. Tony La Russa, the Cardinal Way, the ‘aww shucks’ Midwestern ‘Best Fans in Baseball,’ the weird amount of worship for Yadi – it all makes me want to throw up. Very few things provide me with more joy than disliking this organization.

Oddly enough I have an inordinate amount of Cardinal fans in my life, and, despite their fandom, they are some of the best people you could ever know. I mean the two guys who stood up in my wedding and the pastor who did the ceremony are Cardinal fans. But I certainly don’t want to see this team win again.

So what’s the best case scenario for Cynical Keith? The Cubs win the series so the Cardinal fans have to live with that, and then the Cubs lose in the next round to magnify the disappointment of getting so close.

 

Movies & Books...

The movies I saw in February were:

The King's Speech - Two word review 'Very Good'...

Red - Review in a word 'Okay'...

Gnomeo & Juliet - Review in a word 'Cute'...

I slacked on books. I am reading 'Twelve Ordinary Men' by John Mac Arthur. I am learning a lot so far.

It's time to play the Feud!

I am a long time 'Family Feud' guy. My favorite hosts have been Ray Combs (moment of silence for Ray Combs) and John O'Hurley. I remember being an avid watcher as a kid on sick days and winter break. Then there were the summers when it was on after 'Montel Williams' and before 'Studs.'

These days I only have 9 channels and being on sabbatical leaves me with a lot of time and not a long I don't have a lot of programming options. Watching 'the feud' has become a staple of life the past couple of months. It is on from 3-4 and I rarely miss an episode. It is quality time with an old friend.

There is one thing I cannot get over. If the family doesn't with Fast Money the prize is still $5.00 per point. It has been that way since I was young. I have spent a lot of time thinking about this. I am unable to believe that the powers that be haven't increased the amount in 20 years.

Another random item is that Joey Fatone is the announcer. Not the host, the person who at the start of the show says 'Live from Universal Orlando, it's 'Family Feud.' Good to see he's getting some post N'Sync work.

Feeling 'Lost'...

I am not exactly sure when the final season of 'Lost' came out on DVD. What I do know is that I received it for my birthday in early November. I love 'Lost' and it ranks amongst my favorite shows of all-time. I have watched the first five seasons multiple times through, but here it was February and I hadn't even taken the plastic off season six.

It wasn't because I hated the final episode or felt like 'I wasted six years of my life' as many people felt. It was because it contained the final fifteen minutes or so of new footage I would ever see. The DVD extras contains a segment titled 'The New Man in Charge,' which *small spoiler alert* gives a little bit of background on Ben & Hurley's activities following the final episode. The longer I went without watching it the longer the show still existed for me.

My cable went out during the blizzard last week, which prompted me to put in a DVD. I unwrapped the plastic and finally popped in the DVD. I liked what I saw during 'The New Man in Charge,' and now 'Lost' is officially over for me.

Next up in the end of another one of my favorites, 'Friday Night Lights.' The fifth and final season starts airing on NBC in April. I don't know what I will do without Coach and Mrs. Coach in my tv world.

'Those balls aren't on fire'...

Last week Jennifer and I saw Cirque du Soleil Dralion. Cirque de Soleil shows are one of the fifty coolest things you could ever see. This was the third one I've seen. I have included the trailer above. This way you can get a visual sense of the acts I write about along the way.

Everything (except for the clowns. I hate clowns) was awesome. Every act is jaw dropping. The problem I have is with the clapping. The appropriate reaction to every moment of the show is this.



But I never know exactly when it is okay to clap. If I whoop it up while the lady is flipping around (without a harness) on a hula hoop suspended above the stage will I mess her up? If I lose my crap during the juggling display will I cause the performer to drop the pins? So instead I end up sitting on my hands politely clapping at the end or at pauses during the performance.

The rest of the crowd follows the same pattern with the polite clapping. Again, this is some of the most amazing stuff we've ever seen. The audience reaction doesn't do the performance justice. I wonder if the performers feel under appreciated. There wasn't even a standing ovation at the end.

It seemed as though most people while they were clapping were leaning over to their neighbor saying, 'That was cool but those balls, hula hoop, rope, trampolines, rings etc. aren't on fire.' Has having weird/crazy/amazing things at our finger tips on YouTube inhibited our ability to appreciate incredible when it is right in front of our faces?

January Books...

I read three books in January. Before I get to those I have one more movie to add.

'The Town' - As he plans his next job, a longtime thief tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the FBI agent looking to bring him and his crew down.

I read 'The Town' at the end of last year. For the most part the movie was a good retelling of the book. Of course the book offered a lot more depth and background. Also, the end of the book and the movie were very different. I felt the book ending was more fitting than the movie ending. I did enjoy the movie, and recommend both it and the book.

Books ---

'The Blindside' - Michael Lewis - The movie based on the book was a huge hit. The book is an excellent read. For the most part the events in the movie are all part of what was in the book. It is ordered a little differently & some 'Hollywood-ing' in the movie. The book provides more detail on the story of Michael, but it also provides a lot of information on football and the recruiting process. Those elements weren't explored in the movie. As a sports fan I enjoyed that information in the book.


'How Lucky Can You Be' - Buster Olney - (from Amazon) "acclaimed sports journalist Buster Olney tells the remarkable story of the successive tragedies that befell Coach Meyer but could not defeat him. Laid low by a horrific car accident that led to the amputation of his left leg below the knee, Coach Meyer had barely emerged from surgery when his doctors informed him that he also had terminal cancer. In the blink of an eye, this prototypical 24/7 workaholic coach—who arrived at the gym most mornings before 6 a.m.—found himself forced to reexamine his priorities at the age of sixty-three."

Another great read for sports fans, coaches, dads, moms, sons, daughters. It is a book for everyone.

'Giving' - Bill Clinton - This is a book about Bill Clinton's life after the presidency. He has spent his time on raising and giving money to all sorts of different causes. He highlights the different things he is involved in, but most of the book is stories about people who are making a different in the world. It ranges from Bill and Melinda gates to kids in Brooklyn, to school teachers in Africa. The stories are inspiring. I found it interesting to read about all the different ways to get involved, the sheer number of causes that are supported & how much there is to do help people.

January Movies...

I saw five movies this month.

'Easy A' - After a little white lie about losing her (Emma Watson) virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in "The Scarlet Letter," which she is currently studying in school - until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.

Review in a few words - Solid date movie.

'Going the Distance' - A romantic comedy centered on a guy (Justin Long) and a gal (Drew Barrymore) who try to keep their love alive as they shuttle back and forth between New York and San Francisco to see one another.

Review in a word - Meh...

'Despicable Me' - When a criminal mastermind uses a trio of orphan girls as pawns for a grand scheme, he finds himself profoundly changed by the growing love between them.

Review in a word - Cute...

'True Grit' - A tough U.S. Marshal helps a stubborn young woman track down her father's murderer.

Review in two words - Good stuff...

'The King's Speech' - The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.

Review in a word - Excellent...