We've Got Cabin Fever...It's Burning In Our Brain

We've been snowed in for almost a week now. Not Boston-level snowed in by any stretch of the imagination, but snowed in for us, which basically means 4" of snow, some ice, and Hoth-level temperatures for the rest of the week. Which means I haven't been in school all week. 

So let me go over a few things I haven't talked about on my hiatus. First off, can we just celebrate for a moment the fact that the Patriots are SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS?????

I'm done!!! That was such an AWESOME moment. I literally fell on the floor (I was at a party, people can vouch for this).

And I heard the best Boston sports question EVER the week after the Super Bowl:

If you walked into a bar and Malcolm Butler and Dave Roberts were both there and you only have enough money to buy one of them a drink, who do you buy for?

Ug. I can't even decide. Butler put to rest so many demons...Spygate, 2007, 2011...but Dave Roberts's steal basically started off the chain reaction that put to rest 86 years of nonsense for the Red Sox. Too hard. Can't do it.

Speaking of the Red Sox, it's SPRING TRAINING! It's HERE! PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORTED TODAY! BASEBALL SEASON IS STARTED!!!!!!

I'm so stinking excited. Not only because I love baseball (seriously...love it) but because it's like the heralding of spring. It means that all this stupid winter stuff is going to melt away and the temperatures will warm up (it's a balmy 18 degrees right now...) and we can pull out the spring clothes and get ready for that magical time known as SUMMER.

I can't even...

So on to another topic. I've had a lot of time this snow break to work on finances. Dave Ramsey. So fun. It's in the book a little, but I didn't realize how absolutely irritating the, let's just call them "DR Doldrums" are. I'm almost done with my first debt (yay!) and then I'll start snowballing the next debt. And I see the light way, way, way at the end of the tunnel but right now all I keep thinking is "AM I EVER GOING TO HAVE ANY MONEY AGAIN?". 

I know. I know. Stick to the plan. It's going to work out if you stick to the plan. It's like loosing weight. It sucks while you're doing it, and you may not see progress ALL the time, but the end is worth all the work and sweat and healthy eating. 

I'm going with the mantra I have been learning to apply to everything: Jesus take the wheel.

Right now I'm discouraged, right now I don't want to snowball my debts, I want to go to Hawaii and buy new spring clothes and shop and go out more. But that's not how this works. That's what got me into this mess, and stopping all those behaviors is what will get me out. 

It's exactly like loosing weight. I had to change the way I ate, completely, before I could really start to lose (30 lbs so far! and continuing) So with my finances I have to change the way I think and the way I do things. And once that first debt is gone, it'll feel really good and I will get that adrenaline boost, similar to the one you get from losing 5 lbs. And then I'll feel more ready to tackle the next debt and it will snowball, but right now I still have the debt, I have lots of things coming up I need to pay for, and I'm in the DR Doldrums. I'll just have to keep watching highlights of Super Bowl XLIX and see pictures from Spring Training to help motivate me. Because if I ever want to GO to spring training or buy Patriots things again, I have to get my brain in a better financial place. 

Jesus take the wheel, cause I'm gonna crash if I drive. And just so I don't end this blog on a low note, here's Tom Brady jumping up and down in reaction to the Butler interception (what was Carroll thinking????)

That Old Bull-Pen Magic

I hate it when Clay Buchholz pitches. Hate it. It makes me very, very nervous. He looked good, though, which was a welcome and pleasant surprise. He looked leaps and bounds better than his first start coming out of the break, he had a lot more control. It was good.

Then we have the bullpen...as a Red Sox fan, especially this season, we are trained to say a Hail Mary and pray frantically when Tito pulls in Delcarmen, Hansen, Okajima or Timlin. Its always iffy. Masterson...I haven't seen in anything but a start. We got to see almost all of them last night, and let me tell you, I actually dare to hope. Masterson was lights-out. Absolutely fabulous. Delcarmen: solid. Okajima: solid. Paps...came on in relief, and I got worried when he had guys on the corners. But Mikey and Dustin came through to get the double play. (in a side note, why is Dustin Pedroia's nickname Petey?) Speaking of Paps, what was with that dribbler? I'm not sure Paps would have handled that even if he was using his glove. That thing was possesed.

Then the top of the 12th...Ellsubry got his firt hit of the night (what a clutch hit!). Pedroia grounded out but Wheels got to 2nd, JD took a walk, and Youk got a lucky (but also good) hit. Mikey came through in the clutch with a two-run single, and Casey added to it with an RBI single. And all of Boston started to breathe again. Hansen pulled out a strong save, despite starting a little shakey, and the Sox completed the sweep of the Mariners.

So now the Sox head home on a day of rest before they take on the Yanks. And here's the best news I'll day: (note, if the Rays loose tonight, it will be tied as the best news) Papi is back in the line-up and ready to swing. Yay!

So some interesting things come out of the West Coast swing: the bull-pen looks much better. Its still not great, but it is no longer my greatest fear. Manny is being Manny. This is what he does in July. Go back every year and Manny is just like this, every July. The trade deadline will pass, it will become August and September, and the slugger will be back in form and back to loving being in Boston. I think its some kind of seasonal disorder. Mikey seems to be out of his mini slump, Jacoby can get back deeper in the order when Papi comes back, which will probably help get him out of his slump, Dustin is still on a hitting tear, JD Drew is hitting into fewer double plays, and Tek has a three game hitting streak. That's right. The Captain may still be struggling with the stick, but he's looking better all the time. Clay B. picked a batter off...man is he fast. Next up: Skankees. But we're at the Fens, so all is well.

Bring on the Bombers.