Hello and welcome back for the 86th edition of Random Thoughts. I've got several things to get to this time out, so let's get to it. Enjoy.
- The reason for the subtitle of this edition, "maverick," actually has to do with my computer, but it's also had personal meaning for me. For as long as I've tried to be or thought myself to be, I've never been much of a "people person." That isn't an easy thing to admit especially given that I put a tremendous amount of time and effort into trying to be one and appearing as one to boot. I have had a lifelong struggle with issues involving interpersonal relationships and at times just dealing with people in general. Don't get me wrong...I want to do things with people and maybe someday being a people person will be what I am. However, the bottom line is that, despite my best efforts, it's just not reality. This is essentially due to too many events and things resulting from various incompatibilities, misunderstandings, conflicts, and circumstances and has been both a cause and an effect in relation to other issues in my life. This fact factors heavily into my job searching, my current activities (or lack of them), my reluctance to do things sometimes with people, and various other things I'm not up for talking about right now. There have been so many times where I've banged my head against the wall trying to fit a square peg into a round hole in attempting to relate to others. Up until a few years ago I was a chameleon, trying to blend in...and fit in...wherever I could and sometimes just "going along to get along" with little divergence. Since then I've been the opposite of one, trying to stand my ground on things and staying true to myself and what I believe in, ticking some folks off and risking several relationships in the process (two have definitively ended in the past three years). In other words, I'm a maverick of sorts. Given all that, it doesn't mean that I'm not going to work on becoming more of a people person. It is possible that this may be my reality for the rest of my days but I will not subscribe to the absolutist notion that one either is a people person or isn't and "that's just the way it is," so to speak. All I can say at this point is that I will continue to work on this and maybe eventually things will change for the better.
- As I said earlier, the subtitle for this edition relates to my computer. About a week or two after my last blog my computer operating system went kerplunk and kerplooey. It took me a while, but I was able to get my computer up and running but I had to upgrade in order to keep it working. I upgraded my Ubuntu Linux OS to the newest edition called "Maverick Meerkat"...I thought it said "meekrat" and was named after a shy rat, but it's actually a meerkat. I don't even know what a meerkat is. At this point I really don't care. I'm just happy my computer works.
- A couple of weeks ago one of my friends in the Westerville Browns Backers died. Amy Hodges, the wife of the club president Steve, passed away the night before the Browns-Saints game. She was an devoted wife and mother as well as one of the most avid Browns fans I've ever known. She will be missed. Rest in peace, Amy.
- I found this piece of wisdom while watching a rerun of "Boy Meets World": Lose one friend...lose all friends...lose yourself. Think about it.
- I hope everybody in the Eastern Standard Time zone remembered to turn their clocks back an hour last Saturday night/Sunday morning. If you didn't, well...I was gonna make a joke but I can't think of one right now.
- We've just finished the big midterm election here in 2010 and Republicans have taken control of the U.S. House of Representatives as well as control of many governorships and legislative houses including Ohio's. All I can say at this point is that they're now on the hook and if things go further south for people then they may not have power again for decades.
- How about them Cleveland Browns? In the last two games they have beaten both the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots. Not only that, they beat up these two Super Bowl caliber teams in convincing fashion. Next up is the New York Jets and I don't envy them right now. Despite their 3-5 record, they may be the most dangerous team to play at this point. This is what Browns fans such as myself have been waiting for since they returned to existence in 1999. I just hope they can keep this up.
- Speaking of the upcoming Jets game, come watch the game with the Westerville Browns Backers this Sunday at 1 PM at Jimmy V's in uptown Westerville. It's been fun the past couple games watching the Browns win and it should be once again this Sunday, so don't miss out.
- The United Football League has been exciting to watch this season. The Las Vegas Locos have already secured a spot in the championship game and the other four teams, including my favorite the Florida Tuskers, are still in the hunt for the second spot with two weeks left in the season. All the games I've seen have been fun to watch and most have been close. Next year there will be eight teams in the league including the Virginia franchise that will later today announce it's name and team colors (Edit, 2:00 PM: the team will be known as the Virginia Destroyers with team colors of white, blue & grey). I say this now because of the real possibility of a NFL lockout next year. If that happens, the UFL will be the only pro league playing next fall. Their games are on Versus and HDNet if you have them and streamed on the internet at www.ufl-football.com if you don't, so check them out when they come on. Check out the site for more info.
- I've heard murmurs and whispers about some people wanting to go out soon. The club Mynt in downtown Columbus has come up in some of these whispers. I haven't been out since Memorial Day weekend so if anybody has definite info let me know. I might be up for it.
- Song on repeat: "Ridin' Solo" by Jason Derulo. This song has been indicative of the state of being I've experienced at several points in my life and coincidentally (meaning this wasn't planned) goes along with the blog this week. I was able to get a copy of this song for FREE from Amazon last through one of the freebie sites I went to (got a freebie code now expired). I got lucky with that.
- SLP to the following: Ernest, Debbie, Pastor Cory, Griff, Stacey, George, Paula, Betsy, Dave, Scotty (happy b-day), the Westerville Browns Backers, Steve (my condolences to you and your family for your loss), Aunts Claudia, Susie, and Sandy (happy b-day), Isaiah (happy b-day), Heather H. (congrats on your nuptials), Holly, Heather K., Rita C. (happy b-day), Raejean (happy b-day), and my father (happy b-day).
It's been an interesting month and several holidays are coming up soon, so if I don't blog before then (which I'm not expecting to do) I want to wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving and safe Black Friday. Until next time, folks. Take care and God Bless.
DJ
