TMI Thursday: Karma

I shared a story over a decade ago about how I moved into a new home, immediately clogged the toilet, and had to go out and buy a plunger. That plunger had an amazingly long run of over 17 years but needed to be replaced. We now are proud owners of a brand new Korky Beehive Max Toilet Plunger. This thing is nice and easier to use...especially for a certain 11 year-old who seems to need a plunger at least once a week. 

We spend way too much time worrying about #2s in my house. Between the oldest masculine child clogging toilets, the middle masculine child having some stomach issues recently, and the youngest masculine child still not mastering the entire process, this is clearly karma from years of my own toilet adventures. 

This is a short blog post, but I felt the need to share this!

TMI Thursday: My Criminal Record

I'm going to share something that only a few people know. It's something that I never discuss and thought went away completely. I was reminded a few weeks ago about this though when I got a letter in the mail. Even though I never saw the movie, I'm pretty sure that this entire scenario is exactly what happened in I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Let's go back to 2000. I was a graduate student in Columbus, Ohio going to a conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. The 2.5 to 3-hour drive was a straight shot on I-70 from my apartment to the hotel. I was probably running late and wanted to make sure I got to the conference in time. I'm going on a major tangent here because that's what I do. The first session I attended was about gambling on college campuses. Basically, there were plenty of research, resources, and programs regarding drinking and specifically binge drinking. Meanwhile, there was little study of gambling among college students. Actually, one of my professors talked with me about doing some research about this, but I was non-committal (and I'm not sure if he was serious about doing it himself), and he never brought it up again. With the proliferation of legal sports betting in many states, I hope that there is more research and educational programs now about gambling and potential addiction for college students. 

Back to the mysterious letter which started like this:

Dear Sean (there was no colon or comma after Sean. Who does this?!?!)

An inquiry was made in connection with an employment background investigation being processed by our office. The file we found, based on the identification they provided, contains public record information. A public record file may contain criminal, real estate or driving information, and is maintained by public agencies.

That text was all in bold. The pages following revealed my dark past. The case was filed on March 28, 2000 in the municipal court of Madison County, Ohio. No word about whether this place has bridges.

The charge degree: Minor Misdemeanor

The charge description: 80/65 speed

Charge disposition: Guilty (Long description: Case was waived by defendant.)

Charge plea description: Guilty

While I don't remember waiving a case, it's true. I got pulled over and received a ticket. I was guilty of speeding in Madison County, Ohio. I believe that the fine was around $70 which was a huge amount of money back then for student with a limited income.

Now the bigger mystery. Who made the inquiry? My current employer where I've been for many years? Was this done because I needed a background check to be a soccer coach for my 7 year old? I tried calling the company listed on the letter twice, but I haven't received a reply. For some reason, I think Jennifer Love Hewitt is behind this!

Please click here to see more TMI Thursday posts. Turns out this is my first one of these in many years!

TMI Thursday: Fountain Day

Twenty years ago last month, the Spice Girls were proclaiming Girl Power (while also telling us what they want, what they really, really want) and Hanson's MMMBop was about to take over the country. Meanwhile, I graduated from college. I nearly missed this anniversary except for a former mentor/supervisor posting something on Facebook about Ithaca College's Senior Splash. Senior Splash sounds innocent enough, and it is. During Senior Week, seniors jump into the campus fountain. 20 years ago, Fountain Day, as it was known then, was a drunk fest.

Let me preface this post by writing that I used to work as a student affairs professional. As someone that worked with students, I applaud Ithaca College for continuing this tradition and making it much, much safer for students. As a student 20 years ago, Fountain Day was awesome!

On the final day of classes, seniors gathered at the Textor Ball on the middle of the campus. While I don't remember if students drank at Textor Ball (though I think we did), there was definitely pre-gaming that occurred. Then, we ran across the quad and jumped into the fountain. There was lots of splashing, and hugging, and celebrating. I kissed a girl, or she kissed me. At one point, someone's lit cigar went into the back of my hand. Instead of getting any type of first aid, I just dipped my hand into the cold, dirty water and kept it there. I had that mark on my hand for years.

I also remember getting out of the fountain and, soaking wet, going up to the college president's office with a few friends to try to convince him to jump into the fountain. Actually, I have no idea why we went there. Again, there was lots of drinking involved. Fortunately, he wasn't there.

After Fountain Day ended, I went back to my room, exhausted and nauseous. It may have been more that nausea. After about an hour, I cleaned myself up to go to a ceremony where I was getting inducted into the History Honors Society. My head was pounding during the reception, and then we had to repeat some type of pledge. Instead of short sentences or statements, the professor said something like, "I am honored to be part of a professional society where learning about history is important, and I promise to do my best, to do my duty, to help other people, and to obey the law of the pack with liberty and justice for all, and I wanna really, really, really wanna zigazig ah." This was impossible even if everyone was completely sober.

That night, I went over to some friends' house for a party. Sort of. All of the seniors were wiped out from the day's festivities. I remember one sophomore was there and really wanted to go crazy while the rest of us just wanted to relax and possibly sleep.

Anyway, congrats to the 2017 Ithaca College students who graduated recently and enjoyed Senior Splash! And congrats to all of the 1997 IC graduates who graduated 20 years ago and (hopefully) didn't get injured during Fountain Day!

Please feel free to click here to see previous TMI Thursday posts.

TMI Thursday: 25 Random Things About Myself (Updated)

Facebook has this thing where they show you "Memories" of your stories from the same date of different years. Recently, Facebook showed me a post from 2009 where I shared 25 Random Things About Myself. I also shared this information (shockingly) in a blog post. Again, this blog is really old. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to revisit the 25 random things.

1. The first concert I ever attended was Neil Diamond. The most recent concert I saw was also Neil Diamond.

The last concert I attended was Billy Joel. I also saw Billy Joel several times in high school. Perhaps I'll see a performer that's not an AARP member this summer!

2. I spend a good five minutes each morning trying to find a pair of matching socks.

It now only takes me about two minutes each morning to find a matching pair of socks. Major improvement!

3. I enjoy being a soccer referee and know that I am a good ref; however, I don’t attempt to get to the next level because I don’t want to deal with even worse parents and players.

I have worked higher level soccer games the past few years, and yes, the coaches and parents are definitely worse. I don't know what it is, but there is just so much complaining and arguing over any little call. It really has gotten worse.

4. I am addicted to fantasy leagues. Over the past year, I have participated in football leagues, 3 baseball leagues, 2 hockey leagues, a Rock of Love 3 league and several NCAA Tournament brackets. I joined a NASCAR league a few years ago, even though I know nothing about the "sport." Should I also mention that I’ll probably run an Oscar poll for this year’s Academy Awards?

I've cut back significantly. Now, I'm down to 4 fantasy football leagues and 2 baseball leagues. If there's a new season of Rock of Love, though, I'm all in!

5. By waiting in line for over five hours, I earned free burritos for a year from California Tortilla. Over the next 52 weeks, I saved $278.09 in burritos and quesadillas.

Ah, the good old days! Of course, I also earned free paninis for a year and burritos for a year again in 2014-2015. Between the two, I probably ate about $750 worth of free food.

6. Before meeting my wife, my longest relationship was 6 months.

This is still true.

7. The idea of buying and selling a home (the process is going to start soon) really, really scares me.

We sold our condo and bought a townhouse about 6 years ago. Yes, it was scary.

8. Due to a stupid car accident that occurred just before the end of my junior year, I was voted Worst Driver in high school. I also finished second in the class clown voting.

There is no truth to the rumor that there was a recount based on inaccurate balloting.

9. I cannot ride a bike; I am not going to elaborate on this.

I still can't ride a bike, and my older son will probably start learning to ride this spring. I'll teach him how to drive in 11 years, but I'm not going to be of any use teaching him how to ride a bike.

10. My blog is an extremely important part of my life. Although it may not look like it, I spend many hours each week writing posts.

With kids, I just don't have the time to write like I did 7 years ago. That's why you only see a few posts a week these days.

11. Many people work retail jobs in high school or college. I worked at Blockbuster and Kohl’s after earning my Masters degree.

I wore my Blockbuster shirt this past Halloween.

12. Assuming that the bus and Metro run on time and aren’t too crowded (huge assumptions here), I enjoy my 50+ minute commute each way as I have read more books for pleasure since I started my job 4 years ago than the rest of my life combined.

The bus has been fine, but Metro is hit or miss these days. Plus, I haven't read any books this month though I'm up on my Washington Post Magazine.

13. I was a Politics major in college and even interned with my Congressman. Although I still follow politics, especially during elections, I hate all of the partisanism (is that even a word?).

Things have certainly changed, haven't they? Everyone gets along now and both political parties work together effectively in the best interest of the American people.

14. I love my kitten and let him get away with just about everything. I hope that I’m not the same way when I have kids (the letting them get away with everything part).

I'm probably a little lenient with the kids, but as long as they aren't hurting themselves, hurting each other or damaging property, I'm generally fine with what they do.

15. Speaking of kids I don’t have, I’m convinced that my children will not be Pittsburgh Pirates fans. I can’t see them supporting such a horrible team especially when they will likely attend dozens of Nationals games. They are going to think that racing presidents are better than racing pierogies!

The Pirates have actually been good. My kids really might be Pirates fans!

16. When I lived in Columbus, I was a below-average beer-man for the Blue Jackets, Crew and Clippers.

Ah, the good old days of Columbus. Back when I was a full time grad student and worked three jobs. Good times! (I'm actually being serious. Good times!)

17. My driver’s license states that I am 5’ 7” and as a legal form of identification, it must be true.

Sadly, a late-30s growth spurt didn't happen.

18. I used to be involved in dozens of activities, clubs and sports in high school and college. I don’t do much of anything anymore.

Well, at least now I have the being a parent excuse. That eats up any free time.

19. The first concert I attended without my parents was Debbie Gibson. I was 24. (The age line was a joke; seeing Debbie Gibson was not.)

My Debbie Gibson knowledge remains strong and finally paid off. I had a top 10% finish in a Learned League Debbie Gibson quiz.

20. I want to write a book someday.

Did you see where I don't have time to blog? How I'm not involved in activities anymore? Sure, I have plenty of time to write a book.

21. I love traveling and always need to have a trip to look forward to.

Now this is sad. Besides going to Florida to visit the kids' grandparents and traveling for work once a year, I don't go anywhere. I want to go on a real vacation!

22. I performed in two award-winning musicals in high school. I made the cast through an awesome dance audition coupled with the fact that they needed more guys.

Nothing new to add here. I'll just reiterate that I was amazing in my dance audition.

23. When I took the Myers-Briggs test about 10 years ago, I was an extrovert. The older I get, the more introverted I become.

I really think I would land on introvert if I took the Myers-Briggs test today. Meeting new people is hard for me these days, and I find that I need my own time at the end of the day to recharge.

24. Here are random thoughts I have: how many total miles have I driven; what song have I heard more than any other; what toilets have I used the most in my life (#1 and #2 are in my parents’ house; #3 is my current home; there are several possibilities for #4).

Recently, there was a major renovation of the office bathroom with brand new urinals and toilets. So do the new toilets restart the count or is the bathroom, and not the actual toilet, the key factor in the count? Um, so I guess I still have random thoughts.

25. I was a three-sport star in high school in soccer, tennis and swimming/diving. OK, star is a bit of a stretch. As you can probably tell, I also like self-deprecating humor.

Still got that wonderful sense of humor!

Well, that was fun. Maybe I'll revisit this again in 2023.

TMI Thursday: In The Bedroom

I am the last person to go to sleep at my home each night. Actually, what often happens is that I fall asleep on the couch watching TV, only to wake up an hour or two later. I generally check e-mail, Twitter and Facebook to see if I missed anything, look up my fantasy football or baseball teams and then to go my bedroom. And that’s when the magic happens.*

Like clockwork, about 90 seconds after I lay down, Ziggy jumps on to the bed and goes under the covers to curl up with me. As I pet him, he purrs happily, readjusts himself to get comfortable and licks my arm. After a few minutes, Ziggy decides that he’s done and will either jump off the bed or move on top of the covers to sleep by my feet. I consider this as quality bonding time between me and Ziggy and a nice way to end the day. Ziggy probably has his own opinion on this ritual, but I don’t have access to what he writes on his own blog to know what he thinks.

* Perhaps I am using this phrase incorrectly.

Please click here to see previous TMI Thursday posts.

TMI Thursday: Becoming A Sperm Donor

Let me preface this blog post by writing that the content is PG-13. It may even be PG. Sorry if this disappoints you.

Earlier this week, I received a flyer on my car to become a sperm donor. Let's look at the qualifications required to help others "to build happy healthy families."

1. Are healthy.

Check. I still work as a soccer referee, ran a 5K in under 30 minutes earlier this year without training and walk up the Metro escalator daily.

2. Have earned or are pursing a college degree.

Masters degree here, bitches. (Yes, using bitches might move this to a PG-13 post.)

3. Want infectious and genetic disease screening and physicals at no cost.

I think I'm good here but okay.

4. Want to be compensated up o $4,000 in six months.

Extra money is always good.

5. Want to help people by donating once a week, for less than 1 hour.

Wait, what? This isn't a one-time deal. By the way, they are asking me to donate my time or money once a week, right? RIGHT?

6. Age 18-39.

Even though I'm 40 (I'm a man, I'm 40!), apparently, I'm too old to be a donor. Oh well. The dream is over.

If you want to see some old-fashioned TMI Thursdays, feel free to click here.

TMI Thursday: Mistresses

My first celebrity crush was either on Debbie Gibson (as I wrote two years ago) or Alyssa Milano. Amazingly, in the 8+ years of writing Sean’s Ramblings, I’ve only mentioned my crush of Alyssa (we’re on a first name basis) once and that was in the Debbie Gibson post. We all watched Alyssa as Sam on Who’s The Boss and saw her mature from a child to an attractive teenager. I clearly remember an episode where a guy kissed Alyssa as he taught her yoga. I envisioned this same scenario for my first kiss, but followed Doogie Howser’s model instead.

Anyway, Alyssa moved on from Who’s The Boss to some terrible movies in the 90s until eventually settling into roles on television shows Melrose Place and Charmed. I don’t think I ever saw her in either of these shows. Meanwhile, Alyssa had a short marriage with a guy from the band Remy Zero and then turned her attention to baseball: dating baseball players, writing a baseball blog and designing women’s clothing for baseball fans.

For the most part, she’s been off my radar until recently when ABC started showing promos for the new series Mistresses. Seeing Alyssa wearing attractive outfits in the commercials, I decided to give the show a chance. Yes, I’m watching the TV show Mistresses. Actually, I watched the TV show Mistresses. I saw the pilot which wasn’t very good. Then, I thought I would give the show another chance, so I watched the second episode. Despite several scenes with Alyssa wearing suggestive outfits, that isn’t enough for me to continue watching the show. Oh well. I guess I’ll share another picture of Alyssa instead.

TMI Thursday: My Crush on the Pink Power Ranger

Today is the first day of the NCAA Tournament, so naturally, I'm writing about something completely unrelated. Although I either had class or my on-campus job during most afternoons when I was in college (approximately 100 years ago), at least once a week I was able to go back to my residence hall room before dinner. During this time, I turned on Animaniacs and laid down in bed usually falling asleep. When this occurred, I was often awaken by some type of battle featuring The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on the television. I never quite figured out the plot, but if I remember correctly, there were six power rangers (not related to the New York Rangers or Texas Rangers) who would fight some type of giant robot or monster. I think the power rangers went undefeated.

Anyway, one of the power rangers was Amy Jo Johnson, the not unattractive pink ranger.

I had a crush on the pink ranger. Maybe not to the level of Debbie Gibson, but I was a big fan. I think I even tried to pass her a note in homeroom. A few years after her role on the Power Rangers, Amy Jo played Keri Russell's roommate on Felicity. Sure, she was in her late 20s at the time, but I guess she passed as a college freshman.

I haven't really followed Amy Jo's career since Felicity though according to IMDB, she spent the past few years in the Canadian TV series, Flashpoint. She is also the star and producer for the new short film Bent.

I also discovered that Amy Jo is on Twitter. At this time, I will not confirm or deny that I started following her. So, um, Amy Jo, will you follow me on Twitter?


You can read more about past TMI Thursdays by clicking here.

TMI Thursday: I Knew You Were Trouble

Taylor Swift has a new single out titled I Knew You Were Trouble, and I can't get the song out of my head. And I'm okay with this. I only first heard this song a few days ago, but I really, really like the chorus. I don't know if it's the way that Taylor sings "I knew you were trouble when you walked in" or just that melody. Regardless I approve.



I just realized that this is the second time I've written that I enjoy a Taylor Swift song. I also liked the first few episodes of the new TV show Nashville. Apparently, I'm turning into a pop country fan!

Although I haven't done a TMI Thursday in some time, feel free to click here for some truly amazing or not-so-amazing stories.

Am I Strange? (TMI Thursday)

Before you answer this question, I’m going to give you three scenarios of things that I do.

1. The Mustard Protocol

Since I make a sandwich at work most days, I keep a container of mustard in the office refrigerator. I also have mustard in my home refrigerator as part of my normal condiment selection. When I run out of mustard at the office, I always replace it with the mustard in my home refrigerator. Essentially, my mustard goes on a journey: Grocery store to cabinet; cabinet to home refrigerator after opening; home refrigerator to office refrigerator. Is this odd to have an unofficial protocol for my mustard usage?



2. Procedure for Cutting Toe Nails

Before I clip my toe nails, I feel the need to soak my feet in water. While this occasionally occurs as part of the shower, at least half the time I’ll grab something to read and dip my feet into the bathtub. I think this originated from when I was younger and used to cut my toe nails with manicure scissors rather than use nail clippers.


(These are not my toe nails. Plus, how is having toe nails this long ever a good idea?)

3. The Bathroom Location Game

Every once in a while, I’ll play the game of trying to figure out where I spent the most time. Generally, I go by state meaning that I spent the most time in Pennsylvania followed by Virginia, New York, Ohio and California (DC probably finishes in 6th but Maryland, Florida and West Virginia also earn honorable mentions.) However, sometimes I go a step further and try to figure out what bathrooms I have used the most. The bathrooms in the Pittsburgh home where I grew up are easily #1 and #2 (ha!). However, things get tricky after that. Does the bathroom in my previous home finish 3rd or is it the bathroom in my office building earn the bronze medal? Do I need to consider each urinal/bathroom stall separately or should I just go with the bathroom as a whole? That could significantly change the answer. Regardless, I wish there was some statistic on this.


(I typed bathroom map into Google images, and this was the result.)


Back to the original question, are any or all of these things strange? Am I on an island here or is this not unusual?

Although I haven't done a TMI Thursday in some time, feel free to click here for some truly amazing or not-so-amazing stories.

TMI Thursday: The Debbie Gibson Experience

Remember when TMI Thursdays were a weekly occurrence? I don’t really have much embarrassing to write about these days, so consider this a special occasion. Yes, any post regarding Debbie Gibson counts as a special occasion. Much to my surprise, I searched my blog and discovered that I really haven’t written much about this 80s pop icon. There have been bits and pieces of stories, but not one comprehensive post. Consider this that post.



My first celebrity crush was on either Alyssa Milano from her days on Who’s The Boss or Debbie Gibson, singer of #1 hits Foolish Beat and Lost in Your Eyes as well as top 10 songs Only in My Dreams, Shake Your Love and Out of the Blue (Electric Youth reached #11). While I honestly don’t remember who was on my radar first, I do know that I didn’t own anything featuring Alyssa Milano while I bought two Debbie Gibson cassette tapes. In addition, the first concert I ever attended without my parents: Debbie Gibson at Duquesne University’s A.J. Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh. Although I don’t remember the exact date of the concert, I still have the ticket stub somewhere 20+ years later. I went to the concert with my friend Dave and met up with junior high school classmates Kris and Greg. How did we ever manage to meet up with friends at an unfamiliar location without cell phones? Anyway, Debbie Gibson played all of her hits, and I bought a Debbie Gibson poster. I remember thinking that she would be the last thing I saw before I went to sleep, and therefore, she would be in my dreams. (Get it? She sang Only in My Dreams. Give me a break I was probably only 13 or 14.)



I love YouTube. I found this video, which according to the title is of Debbie Gibson performing Only in My Dreams at the A.J. Palumbo Center in Pittsburg (really?) on September 16, 1988. I was there...and I was 13. By the way, the drummer also plays sax? Amazing!

I really haven’t followed Debbie Gibson’s over the past two decades. I know that she goes by Deborah now, performed on Broadway and showed off her ice skating skills in the short-lived FOX reality competition show Skating with Celebrities. Now, Debbie Gibson is back! Debbie and fellow 80s pop star Tiffany announced tour dates (Cleveland and Council Bluffs, Iowa?) and on Friday, they are performing on Good Morning America. The DVR will get some rare early morning work. While I always thought that Tiffany was overrated, if the tour comes to Washington DC, I’ll be there! Who’s with me? Anyone? Anyone?



(While Debbie Gibson still looks great, doesn't this seem like a picture Ke$ha would take?)

TMI Thursday: My Life As a Parent

I had a running joke that once a friend of mine got married, I never talked to them again. Unfortunately, this really wasn’t a joke as I lost touch with many of my friends throughout my 20s after attending their weddings. They moved on with their lives, and maybe I wanted to remember our friendship as it was when we were in high school or college. Soon, my friends started having kids, and in many cases, this made keeping in touch difficult, especially if they lived out of town. Now that I’ve been a parent for approximately two months, I understand why.

Since my child was born, I have not read any books, played XBOX, worked as a soccer referee, or done any type of exercise unless you count sprinting for the bus or Metro or walking up and down stairs to do laundry. I received the movie The Other Guys from Netflix in mid-March but only watched it this past weekend. My DVR has filled up quickly, and it’s so bad that I haven’t even watched the two Paul Reiser Show episodes yet, even though NBC announced several weeks ago that the show has been cancelled. I finally cut my toe nails, but only after they reached epic length. I recently discovered that my “postage stamp” front yard is a disaster. Fortunately, we’re having a high school kid take care of it. My car is overdue for an oil change. There have been countless times when I search all over the place for certain objects (toothpaste is the usual culprit) even though it is directly in front of me. What I really need is a full night of sleep, something that hasn’t happened since our child arrived. So if I’m slow to reply to e-mails, I update my blog less often or seem a little short on the phone, it’s not you, it’s me.

It may sound like I’m complaining, but I like being a dad. It’s amazing how much our child has grown already and how much I love him. Of course, it would be great if he would sleep for significantly longer stretches. Controlling his neck would also be a plus.

TMI Monday: I Haven’t Seen These Movies

Did you miss me? Did you even know that I was gone? I was in Anaheim and Phoenix (with a stop in San Diego) for my annual hockey road trip until last night. I promise to share some stories from the awesome trip over the next few weeks. In the meantime, since I don’t want to discuss the Steelers today, I thought I would admit to everyone that I have not seen the movies listed below. In some cases, like The Godfather and The Dark Knight, I have seen parts of the movie but not the entire film from start to finish.

Inception
The Godfather
The Godfather: Part II
The Dark Knight
Avatar
Fight Club
Citizen Kane
Wall-E
Raging Bull
Heat
Gone with the Wind
Scarface
Annie Hall
Platoon
Gandhi
There Will Be Blood
Saw 3D - I figured that I would be lost without seeing the other Saw films.

Feel free to make fun of me for not seeing these movies. You can also admit to movies that you haven’t watched in the comments section.

TMI Thursday: My Maya Angelou Experience

Name a famous living poet. Sure, the title of the post now has you thinking of Maya Angelou, but she’s probably the first person that came to mind anyway. Dr. Angelou is likely best known for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She also served on two presidential committees, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000, the Lincoln Medal in 2008, received 3 Grammy Awards, and upon his request, Angelou composed a poem to read at President Clinton’s first inauguration. So when Angelou came to speak at my college, I jumped at the opportunity to attend. As amazing a life Dr. Angelou has led (seriously, check out her impressive biography), she is equally as eloquent and energetic as a speaker. And I’m sure that I’m the only person who has ever fallen asleep during one of her speeches.



As I mentioned, I saw Angelou speak when I was in college. I had a paper due on the same day as her speech, and like many of my college and graduate school assignments, I stayed up all-night completing the paper. Between classes, my on-campus job, and working on the paper, I didn’t have a chance to sleep during the day. Therefore, I attended Angelou’s speech without sleeping for nearly 34 hours. After running around all day, Angelou’s speech was really the first opportunity I had to just sit. It probably didn’t help that except for the stage, the speech was held in a dark room.

Angelou was terrific. She had the crowd following her every word. She was very funny. So funny that I found myself pretending to laugh along with the rest of the audience when the laughter awakened me from my constant dozing off. While I remember her being an amazing speaker, I can't remember anything about her speech. The fact that I went in and out of consciousness is likely the reason why.

If Dr. Angelou happens to read this, I apologize for falling asleep during your speech. If it makes you feel any better, I think I did well on the paper.

Update: I just learned that Dr. Angelou is speaking at the Warner Theatre in DC on Thursday, November 11th. Is this an opportunity to repent?

TMI Thursday: I Tried Out To Be a Cheerleader

When I was a high school junior, I auditioned to be part of my school’s cheerleading team. This was particularly difficult since the cheerleading squad consisted entirely of girls. Never backing down from a challenge, I thought I would break barriers by becoming the only male on the team. That last sentence sounds impressive but is totally false. I auditioned for the one spot on the squad where gender was not an issue: the mascot.

For the audition, my competitors and I had to perform a brief individual routine in costume in front of the cheerleading coach, several of the team members and each other. Routine may have been a stretch, but I had the perfect plan. I would show my enthusiasm and athletic ability by performing summersaults and cartwheels. This sounded like a wonderful idea except for the fact that I cannot and could not perform a cartwheel. During my first and only cartwheel, the mascot’s head fell off. This got huge laughs from everyone (including me) except for the coach who berated me. She thought I broke the mascot head, which apparently was fairly expensive. I didn’t get the mascot position. My friend (let’s call him Dave) earned the role of the Wolverine, although his audition was pretty weak. I guess not damaging the costume was more important than creativity. (If Dave happens to read this, he’ll probably disagree with my assessment of his audition but will admit that my cartwheel was funny.)

So why am I bringing this up? Well, perhaps you saw the video of the Ohio University Bobcat attacking Brutus Buckeye, The Ohio State University’s mascot, on Saturday. If not, here are two different views of the unprovoked attack.





I have mixed emotions on this. On one hand, a mascot fight is funny. I also appreciate the fact that Brandon Hanning, the OU mascot Rufus, became the mascot solely to tackle Brutus. That takes dedication and patience to wait an entire year before conducting the attack.

However, there’s always a chance that someone can get hurt. Ohio State fans calling for revenge against the Bobcat have short memories. Angela Anderson, who served as Herky the Hawk (the University of Iowa mascot), was "struck violently in the back of the head by an inflatable or hard foam object" while dressed as the Hawkeye mascot during the Oct. 30, 1999 football game at OSU.” (The quote is from The Lantern.) She complained of back injuries and eventually was awarded $25,000 in a court case against Ohio State for “severe personal injuries, pain and suffering.” As a brief tangent, the case docket information from this case is fascinating. Just look at the exhibit list from the pretrial statement.



I guess the moral of the story is that I’m glad that I didn't become the mascot. It would have been a shame if I injured the Gateway Gator.

TMI Wednesday: An Ultrasound Story

Although TMI Thursdays are a thing of the past, I figure that this story about my health may qualify as too much information.

A few weeks ago, I had some discomfort on my right side. I thought that I may have had an appendicitis, but I figured that I would have been in significantly more pain if that was the case. A week later the discomfort continued, so I went to the doctor. While the doctor confirmed that it wasn’t an appendicitis, he directed me to get an ultrasound. Since you (hopefully) care about my well-being, I thought I would share the results (with some commentary).

Sonographic examination of the abdomen was performed. (Yeah it was.)

The gallbladder is normal in size and position. (That’s what she said. Seriously, the ultrasound was conducted by a woman.)

There are multiple polypoid lesions along the gallbladder wall with the largest lesion measuring 4 mm in size. (Wait, what? That's not funny!)



Previous report described echogenic foci measuring 1 to 2 mm along the gallbladder wall. (They’re just making up words here.)

There are no gallstones. (Woo hoo!)

Gallbladder wall thickness is normal. (Can I use the "that’s what she said" joke again?)

No pericholecystic abnormality is noted. (Pericholecystic has to have been a spelling bee word.)

The intrahepatic bile ducts and the visualized common bile duct are within normal limits in size. Common bile duct measures 3 mm at portal hepatis. (I don’t like seeing any version of the word hepatic or hepatis in a medical report.)

Liver size, configuration, and echogenicity are normal. No focal liver lesion is identified. (No focal liver lesion but what about bifocals?)

The spleen is unremarkable. (Excuse me! The spleen was just resting during the ultrasound. You should see it roll over or fetch a ball. Now that is a remarkable spleen.)

The pancreas is partially obscured but as imaged appears normal. (I have a shy pancreas.)

There is no ascites. (Apparently, ascites is excess fluid in the space between the tissues lining the abdomen and abdominal organs. You learn something everyday at Sean’s Ramblings!)

The kidneys are within normal limits in size and appear unobstructed. Right kidney measures 10.7 cm, and the left kidney measures 10.5 cm. (Is the fact that I’m right-handed related to the fact that my right kidney is larger than my left kidney?)

Conclusion: Small polypoid lesions along the gallbladder wall measuring up to 4 mm. Consider follow-up.


Long-time readers will likely not remember that I had high cholesterol when I started this blog. I had an ultrasound then that showed that I had a fatty liver and one polyp on my gallbladder. The fact that there are multiple polyps 6 years later was a little bit of a concern, but they are small. Plus, my liver is no longer fatty. I guess that means I should start drinking heavily.

So the deal is that I’m fine, but I need to get another ultrasound in a year. In addition, the discomfort is gone.

TMI Thursday: Little Things I Can’t Do Without

There are certain items that I need nearly every day. Sure, my keys, wallet, and cell phone are at the top of the list, but I’m referring to the following little things that probably wouldn't occur to you:

- Lip balm/ChapStick/Blistex: Whatever you want to call it, I always carry one of these. My dry lips require, no deserve, moisture.

- Shoehorn: I must have a shoehorn when I wear my soccer cleats. Without one, not only do I struggle getting my feet into the cleats, but I tend to destroy the back portion of shoe. I also need a shoehorn for some of my “dress shoes.” It hurts my feet trying to slip on the shoes with the hard impenetrable backs.

- Kleenex/Toilet Paper: This may seem obvious but I use one of these for a different purpose. I use a piece of Kleenex or toilet paper to dry the inside of my ears after showers. I can’t deal with wet ears.

- Bathroom reading material: I can live without reading material when using the office restroom, but when I’m home, I need to have a book, magazine or newspaper when I really need to go. As a last resort, I have been known to read the washing instructions or my pants and underwear.

- My Swiss Army Knife Toothpick: I received a Swiss Army Knife as a Bar Mitzvah gift several years ago (OK, several several years ago). Included with this knife is what I think was intended to be a sturdy, plastic toothpick. These days, I use this toothpick to help clean my shaving razors.

What little items can you not live without?



Sadly, LiLu no longer organizes TMI Thursdays. but you can always click here to see my TMI Thursday archives.

TMI Thursday: End of an Era

I figure TMI Thursday is as an appropriate time and place as any to make an announcement. After 1,525 posts over 5+ years, I am ending my time at Sean’s Ramblings. After posting nearly every weekday over the past few years, regular readers may have noticed a slight decrease in my writing and the addition of more and more videos as posts. I still enjoy writing, but I’ve been a little frustrated lately. A few big projects I worked on have fell through. Plus, some anonymous comments like those below have worn on me.

- What's your point?
- Welcome back for the Sweet 16 presented by the worst blog known to man
- Smooth is actually from 1999.
- This may be the stupidest thing I've ever seen in my life.
- Why the f is that place called California Tortilla and its not in California

Over the years, I have struggled with the direction of this blog. Do I write only about Pittsburgh sports? Do I write only about pop culture? Do I write more or less about myself? I’ve never been able to figure out what I want to do. If I decide to start a new blog, maybe I’ll have a specific theme. I’m sure that you know the book and movie Marley and Me. Maybe I’ll start Ziggy and Zme! (I’ll have to work on the name.)



So what am I going to do with my free time? I don’t know. Maybe I’ll post more on Twitter (subtle hint to attract more followers). Maybe I’ll start Mafia Wars or Farmville like everyone seems to do on in their Facebook updates.

I’d like to thank everyone for reading and for sharing your thoughts and comments over the years. I truly appreciate all of the time you have spent reading this blog. Hopefully, I’ve given you something to think about. Probably not. At the very least, I hope that I have entertained you. With that, I’ll leave you with one final video. I can’t get this song out of my head, so it might as well get stuck in your head too.



Filet O Fish. Something else I can't eat during Passover.

For more TMI Thursdays, please visit LiLu and you can click here to see all of my TMI Thursday archives.


Update: Please note the date of this post and see some of the comments.

TMI Thursday: Blister in the Sun

You may not know this, but I am a soccer referee. I started when I was 15 and earned a lot of money working as a ref through high school and part of college. Well, it was a lot of money to a high school and college kid. After taking about six years off, I returned to the soccer field when I moved to Northern Virginia. The extra money is nice but I primarily ref now because I enjoy helping kids learn the game (the adult games aren’t as much fun) and it’s a great way to get into/stay in shape. Essentially, I’m getting paid to work out instead of paying for a gym membership. There are some drawbacks to working as a referee though. Parents, players and coaches yelling at you is at the top of the list, but forgetting sunscreen on a sunny day is right up there. This happened to me during one of my first days returning as a referee several years ago.

I knew I was in trouble as soon as I got home from spending nearly five hours outside. My face was extremely red. The real problem, however, occurred several days later when I started peeling. Oh, did I mention that the peeling occurred only about two months into my new job? Did I also mention that the peeling occurred while I attended a conference for my new organization where I was meeting nearly 100 people for the first time? There wasn’t enough aloe in the world to help me. My entire face, particularly my nose, and even my ears and the top of my head were peeling. Flakes of dry skin fell when I rubbed my forehead. I guess that you could say that my face made a nice icebreaker in meeting people. I must have explained at least a dozen times that I didn’t use sunscreen while working as a soccer referee. As uncomfortable it was for me to tell people this, it was even more uncomfortable for people to look at me and carry a coherent conversation with me.

Fortunately, the peeling process pretty much ended by the start of conference’s second day. It was amazing how many people looked at me in amazement at how much better I looked. Overall, not a good first impression, but things worked out okay. The lesson here (to the class of ’99): wear sunscreen!

For more TMI Thursdays, please visit LiLu and you can click here to see all of my TMI Thursday archives.

TMI Thursday: Winter-1 Sean-0

(If you're looking for the Championship of the Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament, please scroll down to the next post.)

I give up winter. You win! The record snowfall in the DC area has taken its toll, but it’s more than the snow. The bushes that line the one end of the driveway now take up part of the driveway. I’m not sure if they’ll ever go back to their previous position. However, it is the potholes that delivered the knockout blow on Monday night.

After leaving trivia night, I hit a massive pothole just before entering the Beltway immediately resulting in a loud clunking sound for each tire rotation. After having two flat tires in a span of one week last year, I thought I had another one. Actually, I hoped that it was just a flat tire though this sounded different. I pulled over but there was not enough light to see the damage. I drove another few blocks hoping that there would be a gas station to no avail, so I ended up pulling into a bus stop area off the main road. Although the tire looked and felt fine, I wasn’t chancing driving on the Beltway and I-66 (the worst road in America).

10:29pm – Called AAA. Spent 22 minutes on the phone because they could not determine where I was located. I thought I was on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda; however, it turns that the Beltway is the border between Bethesda and Rockville and the road changes its name to Rockville Pike. Who decided that roads need to change names every few miles in the DC area?

Other highlights of the call:
- AAA operator attempting to spell Wisconsin starting with Wics and it got worse from there.
- I explained nearly 20 times that I was next to the Grosvenor Metro station. I probably pronounced Grosvenor 20 different ways.

10:51pm – Finish phone call. Told a tow truck would be there by 11:30.

11:33pm – Call AAA. Truck will be there by 11:56.

11:50pm – Tow truck arrives.

11:55pm – In the process of attaching my car, a bus arrives but cannot get through because of the tow truck. Naturally, there was only one bus that stopped by during the 1+ hour I was already there.

Did you know that AAA tow trucks cannot divert from the GPS directions? Instead of going directly to the Beltway, the GPS had us go through a residential neighborhood before proceeding to the Beltway. According to the driver, he almost got reprimanded once for not following GPS directions that had him going the opposite way on a one-way street. Way too much Big Brother stuff going on there.

12:30am – Arrive at gas station/service station.

Around 12:50am – Arrive home.

It turned out that damage wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared. The service station straightened the left front wheel bead (I don’t know what this is) and replaced and balanced the tire which had an internal leak that could not be repaired.

I’m not sure if there’s much of a TMI in this TMI Thursday. If anything, I learned that if I’m going to be out unplanned until nearly 1:00AM, it’s best to call your wife to let her know the situation.

The other morale of the story is that we finished 2nd at trivia night!

For more TMI Thursdays, please visit LiLu and you can click here to see all of my TMI Thursday archives.