Who do I still think I am??

This one's about what I won't be doing.

30DBC PROMPT: "What is something you did as a kid that you still enjoy doing today? Or, what is something you did as a kid that you wish you could still do today?"

'Sup y'all? Just another mind-numbingly cold and snowy day here, and you'd think I'd be used to it by now. Truth is, it's never an acceptable thing. It's likely that it's been at least 25 years (if not more) that I looked out the window and wished it'd snow more and/or harder. I guess you could put that on a list of something I might've enjoyed as a kid but could really be unexcited about nowadays.

Also to add to that list, at risk of sounding whiny and petulant (wait...never mind...I just re-read the prompt...I got this ) I think what I really miss most about being a kid (besides the lack of responsibility) is that I can't just round up a bunch of friends and play football, hockey, baseball, or basketball. I know I'm not that old, and I know plenty of people still do those things much later in life for fun, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that if I were to ever attempt to play any sport again, it's a foregone conclusion that I'll never come close to the level I was accustomed to in my late teens through my mid-to-late twenties. Even as recently as two years ago, I was debating trying to restart my floor hockey playing days by joining a league at a local high school, and got as far as pricing new equiptment...my accident pretty much ended all hope I had of maybe getting back out there (as did my move across the state, but breaking my ankle was the final nail in the coffin). Knowing that you're done isn't an easy thing to come to grips with. In my head I still think there'll be an opportunity for me to prove I can still play, but the more time passes, the more doubt seeps into my brain, and common sense tells me even if I'd started training once I was cleared to resume normal activities, I'd still have a ways to go to get back into a game-ready condition I'd be comfortable with.

I guess of all the things I miss the most, that would be it. I played on my first indoor floor league team when I was 10 years old, and it's been probably five years since I strapped on pads...seven since my last time in league play. I'll get over it eventually, I suppose.

BCF PROMPT: "Film or TV?"

Easy question, and if you've read my work for any considerable length of time you'll know where I stand on this, because I've written on some variation of this topic several times. TV always wins, and I'll give the same answer I usually give: I don't have the attention span required to sit through most movies in one shot. Also, I have this thing where I have to watch something from start to finish. I can't just turn on a movie 20 or 30 minutes in, even if I've seen it before, and if I stop watching something or fall asleep in the middle (which has happened many a time, no matter how much I've wanted to see the movie), rarely will I ever go back and finish watching it. I'm a one-shot, start-to-finish consumer. If I wanted to stagger my consumption, I'd read a friggin' book. That's why most TV shows work for me. Give me a half-hour of something interesting, and I'm there. Even if I need to watch several episodes to reach a resolution. I can live with that...I don't feel like I'm forced to devote an entire afternoon or evening to something I'm not positive will hold my interest or feel satisfying in the end.

This same line of thinking does tend to impede how I watch some TV shows also; particularly ones you almost need to follow from day one to know what's going on. If I have to do that, rarely do I bother, because then it's just the same as tuning in to a movie midway through. And if you can do that and know what the plot is without having seen the first hour or so, the movie probably shouldn't have been made at all.

I know a fair amount of you will tend to disagree with me, and that's perfectly ok; after all, this is my blog and not yours. Your opinion is very valid should you care to share it, and we can do that in a respectful way in each other's comment sections. It's cool. I just don't see myself being swayed into thinking movies are some grand and necessary thing (and I haven't even started on the whole "going to a movie theater" aspect of this conversation, and I won't other than to note how utterly ridiculous it is to pay what people are willing to pay for popcorn, soda, and candy while attending a cinematic extravaganza outside of their house...I've been down that road while blogging about this before, and there's little need to do so again, mainly because I'm sure most would acknowledge this highway robbery insanity disparity in value as opposed to other forms of entertainment).

I think I've said enough for one day regarding my personal opinion. Carry on with the rest of your evening (when you're done with reading this entry, of course).

MUSICAL BREAK!!

Some will say that this lineup of Black Flag wasn't the best, or that they had better songs, or whatever. Some people will say anything just to argue try to convince you that their opinion is dominant over the rest of the world's. I don't care to involve myself in discussions like that, especially when it's not really that important...and like I alluded to earlier, you can say whatever you want once you start writing my entries for me. Until then, I'm callin' the shots around here...and I can admit that I don't know everything there is to know about Black Flag, and maybe they have songs with more of an impact on society, but this was my introduction to them many years ago. I'll leave it at that.

THE DAILY BOX SCORE:

It should be noted that of the 38 or 92 times I've written how I feel about TV over movies, I prefer neither of them to internet access. TV's pretty wasteful most of the time, but since I was presented with the option of choosing one opposed to the other, that's what you get.

The mystery of the, uhhh, mysterious picture text email I received from a random person yesterday has been solved. I couldn't take it anymore, so I broke down and replied with "Who is this?" Turns out it was one of my sister's friends...which is weird because I haven't spoken to my sister in a few years, and I honestly couldn't tell you when that last time I saw her friend was. I don't even know how she would've gotten my email address. She was like, "Oh, my daughter sent that." Great, but weird. The kid looks to be about toddler-aged, and while my Hotmail address is visible on Facebook, you'd almost have to be trying to find it, and then purposefully sending me your kid's picture on top of it. But whatever. Now that I know, I'm over it. Life will move on.

Definitely spent a good part of my afternoon going back and forth between Twitter, http://www.thehockeynews.com/ and http://www.hockeybuzz.com/ like I do nearly every year on NHL Trade Deadline Day (you might remember me referring to Deadline Day as my "Christmas Morning" recently or in the past...reader's choice). Nothing really surprised me too much...the Sabres are all-in for bottoming out this year (and maybe next as well), most of the major names that were expected to move did, and there are no shortages of opinions. I love the lengths some fans are willing to go to lose their minds just as much when their team makes moves and when they stand pat. People certainly love the art of complaining more so than understanding rational activities in a passive manner, and it's great to see just how they think everything needs to be changed with "now" as the term of motivation over "what's best for the future", especially when "the now" sucks to high heaven and will for quite awhile.

I think I had other stuff I wanted to add, but I can't help from being fixated on the little icon that's telling me I currently don't have an internet connection...which isn't the ideal situation considering I just spent approximately one-third of this entry telling you how much I prefer the internet over many other forms of media. Superb . Time to save this entry into the near-worthless WordPad and dust off a book of crossword puzzles. Maybe I'll run across the street to CVS and get some kind of baked good treat from the Entenmann's rack...cake always helps to counter the sting of no internet access. Peace, nothing better to do, and GOODNIGHT NOW!!