- I'm gonna get my whine on here for a moment so bear with me. The reason I called this edition the "jittery" one is that for a bit over the past two decades around the Memorial Day weekend and sometimes the following week or two, I get really jittery and nervous to the point where I look over my shoulder hoping that nothing bad happens during this timeframe. It started around 22 years ago with an incident I talked about a few years ago in DJRT about a couple guys who bullied and stalked me to the point where I was cornered in my own dorm room and had to hold them off with an old yellow Louisville Slugger bat that I still possess to this day. What I never revealed about that incident was that it was actually the culmination of one of the worst weekends of my life. I was forced to come home that weekend despite the fact that I had a class assignment that needed done on campus where I ended up failing that class because I couldn't do it and that it was the last opportunity I could have gone to my regular hangout, Park Alley/High Energy, to end my first year of college on a high note because the club's liquor license and that the OSU South Campus bars Purity, Moran's Speakeasy, the Locker Room, Jousters and Presley's had been revoked after the Memorial Day weekend that year. That bad weekend also started one of the worst downward spirals I've had in my life that lasted for an entire year, one which included failing an entire quarter, having to testify in a civil case against me and having a bunch of folks I thought were friends leaving me behind and generally hanging me out to dry...shoot, there's only two people that I'm still friends with from that time.
That Memorial Day weekend was probably the worst time ever in my life and to this day I still don't know how I got through it somewhat intact. It wasn't the only time I've had problems around Memorial Day. In past years I've had a driver's side rear-view mirror knocked off my car one year, a car accident in another, a flat tire in yet another, another hangout (Martini Park at Easton) closing up a few years back and the following year twisting my ankle to the point I couldn't walk right for a while. As you can tell, the time around Memorial Day has been the complete opposite of ideal for yours truly to the point where every year around this time I tend to get nervous and look over my shoulder hoping that bad things don't occur. This isn't something I can just put behind me because of the history behind it though I wish I could. I did want to note it here because my nerves were pretty much shot over this past weekend with difficulty getting good sleep, generally being grouchy, feeling uncomfortably sarcastic at the club and just feeling jittery all around. I am hoping I can get past the jitters sooner rather than later at least for this year. My ultimate hope is that, at some point in the future around this time, something happens that's so f'n awesome that the greatness of it stomps out the collective crap from the experiences of Memorial Days past and ends the jitters and nervousness outright.
- The 2014 NFL Draft has come and gone and the Cleveland Browns got probably the biggest name in the draft in QB Johnny Manziel. I thought they had a solid draft overall this year picking up players in positions where there were deficiencies or needs. The only position they didn't address in the draft was wide receiver, but because there were so many taken by several teams in early rounds I think the Browns might be in position to pick up a quality WR or two beyond those they've signed after the draft already from a team cutting a vet to make room for their rookie pickup. This front office and coaching staff both seem to be making solid decisions and sticking to their guns with its strategies going forward, something that couldn't really be said to other previous regimes, which is a nice change of pace. It may not matter to the national pundits and Browns-haters but maybe what's been going on the past few months will finally pay off during football season. Here's to hoping.
- In a surprise move and mirroring what the Browns did, the Cleveland Cavaliers fired their head coach Mike Brown after one season. I thought he did alright enough to at least stick around for at least one more season especially given how they performed the last half of the season. However, I think the new permanent GM David Griffin decided that he wanted his own coach and given that Brown was hired primarily by the old GM that the writing was probably on the wall. As much crap as some people like to dump on the Cavs (probably because it's easier for those folks to criticize and put down troubled teams and rivals rather than strongly support the ones they are supposedly fans of...I believe that makes them weak wimps but that's just my opinion), they may be in prime position for a good season starting later this year. They just won the NBA Draft lottery and have the number 1 pick in the 2014 draft with only 1.7% chance of getting it. They also have cap space and pieces to move to get some solid players. This is going to be an interesting next month or so for the Cavaliers and Cleveland fans.
- I have been able to get out a couple times for my walks with the weather vastly improving but I haven't had a good shot at hitting up any festivals and probably won't for another few weeks or so outside of possibly hitting up Rockin' on the River the next couple weeks or so. I tried to hit up a fireworks show for Kenmore Community Days earlier this evening but the parking and the area in general were so packed that there wasn't anything close to a decent place to park so I took off. If there are any other festivals or fairs I go to that might have some of the same logistical issues, I may have to start planning a bit more ahead than usual. Aside from the fairs, I am hoping to go to Cedar Point sometime this summer. All I really need is a ride up there and I'll be good to go as the other stuff I can handle...I think. In any case, I haven't gone to a theme park in well over 13 years so I'm a bit anxious and maybe chomping at the bit to go to one sometime this summer. I hope I can make it happen.
- Song on Repeat: "Exclusivity" by Damian Dame. Last week I decided to reorganize my music collection and I found I had a ton of songs that have been classified as part of "New Jack Swing" that needed their own section. I've been listening to a lot of that music as of late as it does make up a big part of my dancing roots and songs from New Jack Swing will probably make up a significant number of "Songs on Repeat" over the next several editions...unless something else strikes my fancy. Anyway, back to this particular song, it is considered a one-hit wonder by the duo Damian Dame but only because in the following year one of them died in a car accident and exactly two years later the other passed away due to cancer. It was a song I listened to on cassette many times over back in the day. I found the song once again recently and have been listening to it on repeat once again.
- Shoutouts: George, Cheryl, Jenny K., Rita D., Margie, Marcus W., Al, Lou, Matt, Stephen, Stan, Jay, Fran, Brent, Randy, Jim B., Shane D., Griff, Daryl, Melissa, Dave M., Holly, Kristin, Ron, Alan, Mary, Brandon, Cory, Aunt Sue, Micah, Debbie, Limo Dave & Sarah (congrats on the engagement), Michelle W., Scotty, Rahn, Kevin, Ernest P., Melanie (from the Red Fox), Paul W., Carl, and Terry B.
That's it for now. As far as the Memorial Day stuff goes, I hope people who haven't been in the know now have some idea as to why I am or have been jittery or not my normal self around this time. If I seem off over the next week or so, hopefully you'll bear with me as I weather this and I hope for that f'n awesome thing to happen...if not this year than in the future. The unofficial summer is here so hopefully things get better from here on out. Until next time, folks. Take care and God Bless.
DJ
