Random Ramblings: January 2021

Welcome to a new edition of Random Ramblings where I share various things that probably aren't enough for a blog post by themselves.

* I've been critical of blogs that only exist to provide sponsored content. I understand people wanting to make money. I mean, earning a living just by being a blogger is the dream! However, it seems to go against the purpose of blogging if there is such a thing. In my mind, blogs are supposed to be journals or about a specific topic. It should be about self expression or about something that you're passionate about. 

Anyway, part of my criticism is pure jealousy. I've written Sean's Ramblings for 16 years (more on that below), and I'd like to make some money from my blog too! Well, it looks like I'm finally getting that chance. I was just accepted to be an influencer for a campaign. Starting next week, you'll likely see a bunch of posts on my blog and on my Facebook page. If you like what I'm promoting, great. If not, that's fine too. I'll still have plenty of other posts about my life or the Grammys or my kids or something else.

  * A friend of mine who is a Cleveland Browns fan asked on Facebook where she could find a Browns Starter jacket. I joked that she could probably borrow one from Bernie Kosar. Turns out Kosar really does have a Starter jacket!    

* Over the last month or so, my three year-old son Luigi, my cat Ziggy, or both have woken me up in the middle of the night most nights. Ziggy will start playing with the blinds or banging on the bathroom cabinet doors to get me to give him more food even though he already has food in his bowl. I've found that picking up and putting him into my bed generally works to get him to stop. He'll stay for a few minutes before returning to the floor. Meanwhile, Luigi generally wants to come into my bed. If I'm really tired or it's close to the time I wake up, I just let him in. Otherwise, one of us goes with him back to his room until he falls asleep again.

* We leased a car back in March, and now 9 months later, we're driven it almost 2,000 miles. That's not a typo. I don't think there are any concerns of going over 36,000 miles by the time the 36-month lease ends.

* On Christmas Eve, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded first baseman Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals for two pitching prospects. Although Bell had a bad 2020 (like most of us) and isn't very good defensively, he was an All-Star in 2019 with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs. Plus, he's still only 28. Maybe the trade will work out for the Pirates, but I do know that I'll miss Bell on the team. I hope that he does well for the Nats.

* I shaved for two consecutive days for the first time since (I believe) early November.

* My blog turns 16 in a few days, so please look for a State of the Ramblings post sometime soon. I have no idea what I'm going to write yet, but my team of speechwriters are on it!

Josh Bell photo by Mark Alberti