Tuesday Tidbits...

The ball is tipped, there you are...

* What a game! Honestly, Gordon Hayward was about an inch away from making the greatest shot in the history of college basketball. That's not an overstatement either. A half court shot at the buzzer for the national title? Man, literally too good to be true. Still, what an amazing tournament and a great game! Please leave it be, NCAA.

* As great as the game was, Jennifer Hudson's rendition of "One Shining Moment" was equally as awful. I was going to post it, but I can't be responsible for other people's ear drums shattering from all the screaming. Plus, why do we need to see Jennifer Hudson 10 times during the montage? She's not that attractive. Ugh, way to blow it CBS.

* Also, here's my favorite play from the game:
In case you missed it, Matt "The mustache" Howard absolutely leveled Kyle Singler (aka, that creepy monk from the DaVinci Code) on the last play. It was awesome.

* If you're like me, you're probably pretty bummed about the end of college b-ball season. Well, Gus Johnson can keep you company through the off season right here.

* Braves rookie Jason Heyward homered in his first Major League at-bat yesterday. Also, the Braves started the Bobby Cox farewell tour with a 16-5 thrashing of the Cubs. Boo-Yah!

* Dr. Dog has a new cd "Shame, Shame" out today. I really loved their last album and this one has a song that features the one and only Yim Yames. I bought it at lunch and I'm mega excited to listen to it later.

* Not doing anything tomorrow? Come on out to Ulmer Stadium at 6 for the UofL v. UK softball game. I'll be running the video board and/or the music. Fun will be had by all.

* Parenthood is on at 10 on NBC tonight...you should watch it.

That's all for today. Enjoy your Tuesday.

Song of the Day: Dr. Dog - Shadow People

10 Things I Like and Dislike These Days:

Haven't done this in a while...

* DISLIKE: Internet troubles. The blogger site was down for most of the afternoon and prevented me from posting on Friday. I apologize for that, but there wasn't much I could do about it. Nevertheless, I'm sorry to those of you who thought my April Fool's joke was for real and spent the whole weekend worrying about the future of the human race.

* LIKE: Sports. NCAA b-ball championship and opening day are both today. The Braves play the Cubs at 4 today, hopefully the Braves start the Bobby Cox farewell tour off with a bang. Also, go Butler!

* DISLIKE: Sweaty classrooms. Why do schools refuse to turn on the air conditioning? Honestly, it's 80 degrees in Louisville today and I bet the air isn't on at school. Every school I've ever attended has had a hard time pulling the trigger on the A/C when spring rolls around....it's awful.

* LIKE: Infusing Bourbon. I infused some bourbon with oranges last week and it's delicious. I'm thinking about doing a lime infusion next. After that....I'm going for bacon infused bourbon!

* DISLIKE: Haircuts. I need to get one...I'm not excited in any way shape or form.

* LIKE: Fantasy Sports. We all know about the CrapBags magical run through the fantasy football season and playoffs...and now the JuwannaMen have followed. I came from behind to knock off Lautaro's team in last week's championship. That's right, that makes me 2 for 2 in Fantasy Championships this year and puts me in the driver's seat for the "fantasy coach of the year" award.

* DISLIKE: End of Semester School Work. I had forgotten how awesome it is to have all of your teachers hurl assignments at you during the last 3 weeks of school. Between now and April 26th I have 3 group presentations, 3 tests and 3 papers due. I hate it.

* LIKE: Old Friends. Todd was in town this weekend for Easter and he came over for a bit on Saturday to hang out and have some brews. Additionally, Tom is back in town for like 3 months. We've all gone our own ways the last few years...but when we do get together it's like nothing's changed. Good times.

* LIKE: Softball. Our roster is pretty much full for the upcoming softball season and I'm totally pumped. I still need to get some equipment, but most importantly we still need a team name...we have some pretty good suggestions, though.

* LIKE: My Porch. I spent about an hour on Saturday, scrubbing, sweeping and vacuuming the porch at my apartment. Not to brag, but it looks fantastic now. With the warmer weather and a clean porch...good times are ahead.

That's all for today gang, sorry again about Friday. Hope you guys had wonderful Easters. Until tomorrow...

Song of the Day: Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town.

Blog Blues...

So...I'm afraid I've got some not so hot news. With school, work, my internship, getting married later this year, etc....I've decided that the blog will be coming to an end. When I started this blog my mind was full of great ideas to blog about and I had a ton of energy and time to devote to writing about them everyday. However, as the days and weeks go by...I'm simply not finding the time, energy and creativity to blog at the same level that I used to. The posts are shorter, I'm finding it to be more of a chore...and quite frankly...I think we're losing readers.

I know some of you will be sad about this decision...and I apologize. However, I signed up to blog to the best of my ability and right now that's just not happening. I think maybe the "Life of Brian" just got too big too fast...kinda like the O.C. Perhaps I just blogged at such a high rate, I emptied the tank too soon. You feel me?

Anyway, I'm terribly sorry to those who have read for so long. I'm sure there's lots of questions you guys have and I'd be glad to answer all of them. I will have one final blog "finale" post in a few days, but also, while I won't rule out blogging again sometime in the future...I can honestly tell you guys that I won't be blogging on a regular basis anytime soon. I need to just stop it all for several weeks at the least...like I said it just got to be too much of a chore. On the flip side I do have one request for you guys...I'd like you to just take a minute and think about today and what this day means....then realize you guys have been fooled. Now that we all realize I was just having some fun, I'll include one final line to dupe the people who skim the LoB and just read the first and last sentences of each post.

Once again, I appreciate your support. I've enjoyed writing for you guys and I hope you guys have enjoyed reading. I'm sorry it has to end like this...but I think it's best to go out on top. Take care everyone.

Song of the Day: Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye

Dustin' off the ol' ball glove...

When I was younger I loved playing baseball. In fact, I just loved baseball in general. As I've gotten older, my love of baseball has dwindled. However, I've re-gained some of my baseball passion this spring. Some of it has to do with the fact that UofL is crazy good at baseball, some of it has to do with the excitement surrounding Jason Heyward at Braves Spring Training, but most of it has to do with the fact that I'm starting a softball team.

For quite sometime I've wanted to play on a softball team and this year some of my buds and I have put that plan into action. This morning I went over and signed up for the Men's C league at Seneca Park. I'm totally pumped.

Here are the main reasons that I am so pumped:

1.) I get to be active.
- I simply have to exercise more. I'm not fat, I'm not unhealthy...but it's a slippery slope and there's no reason for me to be so lazy. Also, I just like playing sports. My fitness will also be helped by Volleyball which begins in about 2 weeks.

2.) Sunflower seeds.
- I love sunflower seeds, but if you're not playing baseball/softball...it's tough to find a time to eat them. I plan on averaging a bag a game.

3.) The Dugout.
- More than any other sport, baseball lends itself to some good ol' fashioned camaraderie. When you're in the dugout there is a lot of down time, so there's lots of talking, trying to spit in things, etc. When I stopped playing baseball the shenanigans in the dugout were what I missed most.

4.) Beers after the game.
- It's the spring/summer so after the game there will be plenty of time to head to a nearby watering hole and grab some beers and some wings with the team. When I was younger our baseball team would go to Hooters after big wins. It was fun and there wasn't even any beer involved. I imagine beer will make the post game meal more enjoyable.

Also, I'm dedicating this season to Bobby Cox. The Braves skipper is calling it quits after the season and it breaks my heart. However, what better why to honor a man who represents all that is right in baseball, than by getting together with your buds to play some ball and drink some beers? This one's for you Bobby!
Get out your gloves and put on your caps, gang...it's time to play ball!

Song of the Day: John Fogerty - Centerfield

Tuesday Tidbits...

It's Me Mario...I'ma gonna wiiin!

* Check out who stopped by my local guitar shop the other day:
Yup, Mr. Yim Yames his self paid a visit to Mick and the other folks at Steilberg String Instruments. One of the biggest bummers about starting grad school is that I don't have time to take lessons anymore and as a result, don't get to head to Steilberg's as often. Still, pretty cool that Yim stopped in.

* In addition to the fine bourbon that I blogged about on Friday, Lautaro has also recently picked up a bottle of Jefferson's:
I haven't tried it yet, but the bottle is cool. Man, we've got bourbon out the wazoo.

* The New Jersey Nets won their 10th game of the season last night, meaning they will not be known as the worst team in NBA history. They've actually been decent this past month and much of that is credited to the outstanding play of their rookie Terrence Williams. Seriously, T-Will's playin' like a bad ass this month...his future is bright.

* We've all had bad days...but I think this chick just experienced one of the worst days ever:

I mean seriously, it's bad enough to miss a shot that could send your team to the final four...but to miss a wide open layup...twice...that's what we call "choking." Still, gotta feel bad for her.

* It's always lame when College Basketball comes to an end, but it does allow me to relax a bit and focus on some of my other hobbies, such as music. Luckily, this spring we'll get hit with some new albums from some outstanding artists...check it:
4/16 - Dr. Dog
5/4 - New Pornographers
5/4 - Big Boi
5/11 - The National
5/18 - Band of Horses
5/18 - The Black Keys
I will but all of those, it will be awesome.

* There are few things I hate more than the NFL draft. I mean honestly, it's still like 3 weeks away...who cares?

* Tuesday's are not super exciting.

That's all I have for today. Have a good one!

Song of the Day: The Whigs - Right Hand On My Heart

My Old Kentucky Home...

Everyone knows that the University of Kentucky lost to West Virginia in the NCAA tournament this weekend. Most people know that I don't particularly like UK. I was out to eat with some friends on Saturday and I didn't even watch the game. Yet, I still kept track and the UK loss brought a smile to my face. One of our friends lives in Shelbyville, KY (Shelbyville: We take what we can get!) and asked me why I was rooting against UK. She is a fan of the state of Kentucky and made the point that across the nation Kentuckians get such a bad/unfair reputation, shouldn't we root for all of our teams to win so we can be known for something else? I said, yeah in a perfect world that would be awesome. In fact, I root for all other teams in Kentucky (WKU, Eastern, Murray St, etc.) but I don't root for Kentucky. She then asked me to explain why and I thought I should probably explain to everyone why I hate UK.

To start off, I don't root against UK because I'm jealous and I don't simply root against UK because their our rival and I don't want them to win. I root against UK because if they win...I have to hear about it from their fans....and god are they obnoxious.

I know what you're saying, "But Brian, you celebrate when Louisville wins...what's wrong with that?" That's true, but I don't rub it in UK fans' faces. I celebrate the fact that my team won and I move on.

Also, this isn't something that has started recently...here are some highlights in my life as a UofL fan.

- In 2nd grade UofL lost to UK, I was sad. However, my best friend was a UK fan and decided that it wasn't enough for his team to win and my team to lose. That little bastard actually sent me a kleenex in the mail that said, "use this to wipe up your tears! Go Cats!" The best part is that his parents actually helped him send that. I mean really? Way to be a good sport. Now, I know that was a looong time ago and I'm not bringing it up because it still bothers me...I'm bringing it up to show how long this has been going on.

- In 1996 and 1998 UK won the championship. Guess what happened? Within 10 minutes of the final horn in both years, my cousins on my Mom's side (UK fans) called my house. Thank God for caller I.D., I didn't pick up. Still, they left messages saying, "We're #1! Go Cats! UofL stinks!" I mean honestly? Your team wins the national championship and the first thing you think of is, "Oh, let me call my cousins to rub it in their faces!" I can assure you that if UofL wins the national championship in my lifetime, the last people on my mind will be UK fans. Not to mention I'd be crying so hard and drinking so much that I won't be able to work a phone.

- After UL loses in High School I would often walk into homeroom to find a note on my desk that would read something like, "Nice game Loserville!" or "UL Sucks" both super creative and unnecessary.

- Throughout the rest of high school and college UofL started to get better and UK started to get a little worse. Hell, we even beat them a few times. Still, I had plenty of phone calls and text messages after UK wins and UL loses. All saying the same thing, "UL SUCKS!" "GO CATS" "GO BIG BLUE" It was predictable and it was lame.

Now, those are just highlights...I could write you a 200 page book about how many times UK fans have been terrible to me over the years. I just don't have that kinda time. I still have UK fans call, text or e-mail me on a regular basis, it's sad really.

Here's the kicker though...most people would probably say, "Well, Brian...you've rubbed it in when UL's won and UK's lost before, so don't play that sympathy card with me!" Honestly, that's not true. I'm not going to say I haven't taken the occasional shot at UK in my lifetime because God knows I have...but I've never sought out a UK fan just to rub it in when they have lost and I've never done it when UL has won a big game.

People probably find that hard to believe and I'm sure UK fans don't believe it...but prove that I'm not telling the truth and I'll admit I'm wrong.

Here's the reason why I don't rub it in....losing sucks. There is nothing worse than your team losing a big game or getting knocked out of the tournament. Actually, the only thing worse is having that happen and then having some idiot rub it in. It sucks a lot and when it happens to you several times a year for 24 years...you tend to develop some hatred toward those fans that do it and the team they support. Especially, when you don't return the favor when you win or they lose.

I don't root for UK, in fact...I hate UK. But I don't just hate UK for the hell of it, I have 24 years of reasons. I know there are UofL fans out there who are obnoxious and do rub in UK losses...but I'm not one of them, so start calling and texting them after games....they deserve it.

In fact, I've never started an argument about UL/UK stuff. If you bring it up, you better believe I'll get into it with you and defend my team...but I don't bring it up. If you comment on a Facebook status of mine, I'll respond...but I've never commented on a UK fan's status and trust me...there are some real gems out there that I've wanted to respond to.

At the end of the day, it's not worth it, it's like arguing politics...which is another thing I don't do. I root for UofL, UK fans root for UK...nothing is going to change that. I root against UK because I don't want to hear their fans rub it in my face if they win, it's pretty simple.

The UofL vs. UK rivalry is the ugliest in all of sports, I'll argue that till I die. During Football and especially Basketball season it causes a bunch of tension and anger across the state. It would be nice if we could all support each other and give Kentucky a better reputation across the nation...but that won't ever happen.

But basketball is over now and with 4 months until football starts, we can all rest easy and focus on Spring, which allows us to shed our redneck image for a few months...only to obtain the image of drunk, southerners who love to yell at race horses! At least we do that together.

So, fellow Kentuckians...I raise a glass of bourbon to you. We may seem like drunk-inbred-barefoot-rednecks to everyone else...but we all know the truth! (Just 80% of us are drunk-inbred-barefoot-rednecks).

Here's to Derby!

Song of the Day: John Prine - My Old Kentucky Home

Stocking My Bar...

For most of my adult life, I've enjoyed the occasional drink or two. Over the last year or so I've really expanded my horizons and I've developed a good appreciation for fine liquor....especially bourbon. The problem is that I don't make a lot of money. As a result, I tend to be cheaper liquor and I only buy it as needed. However, with this past Christmas and my recent birthday my bar is looking more and more...how do you say it....bad ass!

For Christmas I added a nice bottle of Woodford Reserve courtesy of Taylor's Parents
While Woodford isn't my favorite bourbon, it's very good and I enjoy it quite a bit. Also, the bottle came with a horse bottle stopper.

Also for Christmas I received a bottle of Four Roses Small Batch from my Mom.
Four Roses is my favorite bourbon and the small batch, which I hadn't had until this bottle, is fantastic. Extremely smooth and delicious.

When my birthday rolled around, I didn't know what to ask for...but booze always makes a good gift.

Ben and Megs gave me a bottle of Basil Hayden's
I've tried this before, but never owned a bottle. It is one of my favorite bourbon's for sure though. In addition, I love the bottle and the fact that this bourbon was first made when Kentucky, as a state, was 4 years old and George Washington was president.

Finally, as a final birthday gift, my dad gave me a bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel.
I haven't tried this one yet, but it's on my immediate things to do list for this weekend. My mouth waters a bit just looking at it.

In addition to these four, My mom also gave me this UofL decanter for my birthday
It fits the collection nicely.

So, while I'm not bourbon expert by any means...I like bourbon a lot and I've been wanting to stock my bar with a good selection of bourbon for some time. Luckily, thanks to good gift givers, I've finally been able to stock my bar like an adult. Don't worry though, there's always room for some Very Old Barton and Kentucky Gentleman on my shelf.

Also, the top shelf of my desk, which used to be full of CDs, proved to be a good spot for my "private stock."

Have a good weekend everyone. Cheers!

Song of the Day: Billy Blues - Water, Wood and Corn