Well, another weekend is upon us. I get to play with my new quick hitch and see if it works with my attachments (and see if it’s in OK shape; from the looks of the box, FedEx beat the shit out of it – probably mad because it weighs about 65 pounds). Of course, I only have two attachments, but the QH is the gateway drug to buying more of them. I got a superdy-duperdy deal on the thing. Normally goes for about $139 (though it’s frequently on sale for $99-$119). But they had it on sale post-Xmas for $79, and I had a coupon for 20% off of that. So, for $63, I just couldn’t resist.

I also have a pellet stove dilemma, in that one of my pellet stoves decided not to light last night (do not buy a US Stove; it has been nothing but trouble). This kind of sucks, though I can light it manually with the firestarter gel that I have on hand for just such an occasion. But, it’s kind of a hassle, and seeing as it’s barely a year old (and has only actually functioned for three or four months of that), it really shouldn’t be giving me grief. Now I have to determine that it’s the igniter (though, like, what else could it be?), and then order a new one.

Otherwise, I don’t have much planned for today. There’s a basketball game this afternoon, but it’s not on the teevee (for me; it’s on SNY, which I don’t get, being as Dish dropped it last year), so I’d have to spend money to go see it in person or watch it on the computer. We’ll have to see how it goes. It’s Marquette vs. some other team that’s ranked #1 in the country (which is due for a loss, and that would make me very, very angry). Forget the name.

When I think of Marquette, I of course think of Al McGuire. A loudmouth Irishman who you just couldn’t help but like, no matter how annoying he could be. Could be because they paired him up with Billy Packer, who was (and presumably still is, though CBS finally did us a favor and shitcanned him) a dipstick that would gush over anything even remotely associated with the ACC.

I spoke with Al (and Billy) on the phone once. They were at the local CBS affiliate where my mom worked, and she forced them to talk to me on the phone. Al wanted to know if I had any toy soldiers (he apparently collected them), and I don’t recall what Billy had to say. It was rather awkward.

The mom/Channel 5 connection also yielded me Bob Feller and Doc Severinsen autographs, and an autograph that reads ‘Roosevelt Bouie’ but was actually signed by Hal Cohen, who told my mom he was Roosevelt Bouie (she, of course, had no idea). This is actually pretty funny, but only if you understand that Rosie Bouie is a seven foot tall (more or less; 6’11” with a hair cut, and about 7’5″ with the full afro that he often sported back in the late 1970s) black guy, and Hal Cohen is a 5’10” Jewish guy (who is now a Radiologist at the hospital for which I work, and once made 598 free throws in a row. Ironically, he, too, had an afro – or maybe “jewfro” – back in the day, though he’s bald as a cue ball these days).

My mom did say “Rosie” had a smirk on his face when he signed it.

Besides his other problem (which the vet suspects to be cancer, and being where it’s at, there wouldn’t be anything to do about it, except watch it grow to the point where he can no longer eat or drink and then…. Well, you know), poor Siggy has been limping around pretty bad the last couple of days. Looks like he tweaked his ankle. As an old guy with aches and pains myself, I can relate.

This getting old shit really blows. Hey, Kristians, where’s the intelligent fuckin’ design in that?

Oh well, time for some more coffee and then decide if I want to mess with the pellet stove (or wait until it gets below zero again).