Dark Clouds Shrouding My Heart

Ah, what a wonderfully Emo title I've selected this fine, sunny day.

I'm sad, though. I dialed through the news this morning and found that a family friend died over the long weekend. He was a friend of my grandfather's, a member of one of the town's "noble" families (the town's heritage could be divided into about three main families...the joys of small town life...I've taken to calling them the "noble" families as a kind of tongue-in-cheek reference to those days of long ago when governments were dominated by family units moreso than any strong infrastructure, and that you could identify a place by the names that were there and vice versa...but I'm getting way off track here), he cut my hair when I was a lad, helped open my bank account when I was a callow youth, and helped my parents with their insurance needs as I rocketed toward driving age. He was a member of my old church. He was a likeable and wonderful man. One of his step-granddaughters was one of my very good friends in high school. In one of the greater understatements of my lifetime, he'll be missed.

Billy Joe Randol -- you can read the obit here. Rest in Peace, my friend.

Then I read that Sean Taylor died from the gunshot wound he sustained the other night. Wonderful. ESPN and other news outlets will cover this one [i]ad nauseum[/i], but it was just another in a series of depressing news stories that I read this morning. Now, anyone who's read this blog for a while knows that I'm not a huge Redskins fan, nor was I a great Sean Taylor fan, but it's not like I felt he deserved this fate. Especially when it seems that his little girl helped him get his life turned around and all. It's sad, no matter what you think of the NFL, the Redskins, and Sean Taylor himself (and dearest God, please, [i]please[/i] do not think that I'm ever going to link this to an indictment of the lowliness of Miami (FL)'s football program...I'm just heading that off at the pass). RIP, Sean. You'll be missed.

So, with all that in mind, I've felt like the little Zoloft ball this morning. For now, I'm going to keep things somber on here, but tonight is my first chance to see Indiana in action on the hardwood this season, so I'll get to my thoughts on their rather fast start to the season. I've also got some updates to some things I need to get to, plus a look back on the Irish's last game of the season. Thankfully. Oh, and some more stupid sports talk comments.

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. Don't forget, there's only 28 shopping days left until Chri$tma$. So, take a moment, forget about what the season means, sit down, and buy stuff already. If you don't, the terrorists have already won.*

* Everything after the word "Thanksgiving" is dripping with sarcasm. Just so you know.

More Local Stupidity

Ah, yes. I've brought you idiotic comments via the local sportstalk folks before. I thought I'd add these, as well.

Today's idiocy is once again courtesy of ACC fanboy David Glenn, who has been the inspiration for many a rant and laughter thanks to the dribble running unchecked from his lips.

Also key on this is Adam Gold, whom I once thought okay and decent enough that I'd have a beer with him. But now I realize he's just too dumb.

Both comments key on Butch Davis's future (giggle) at North Carolina.

From Adam Gold (paraphrasing): "I really don't think that Butch Davis would leave UNC to coach at his [i]alma mater[/i], even if they offer him money like Nick $aban is getting at Alabama (the number $3.5 million/year was tossed about). All UNC has to do is upgrade the facilities, and that'll be enough to keep Davi$ in Chapel Hill." This was in respect to people looking to give Davi$ a contract extension, after a 3-win season (I sure as hell hope Duke wins this weekend).

From David Glenn (paraphrasing): "If UNC hurries up with the upgrades to the facilities and the expansion of the stadium, Davis won't go anywhere. I also haven't heard anything about Houston Nutt's future at Arkansas." Oh really, Dave? What about this? Sounds like Coach Nutt (once rumored to be on Notre Dame's radar back in the Davie era) is getting a wee bit defensive. Perhaps you could have read your employer's blog.

Seriously, guys? You don't think Davi$ will go chasing the dollar signs at his [i]alma mater[/i]? The guy who walked out on one of the most talented football teams ever assembled...without winning the national championship? Seriously? Because he has six years left on his deal with UNC? And he will always play second fiddle to Roy Williams? Really? You think he's not going to say "Thanks for reminding the better programs about my name, Tarheels. It's been fun."

My favorite argument: "If he really wanted the Arkansas job, he wouldn't have come to UNC." Yeah, like when he got fired in Cleveland, he laid his head down on his pillow at night and said, "Wow, if only I could coach at a third-tier school in a second-rate conference known for basketball, I'd be a happy man." Whatever gets you through the day, fellaz.

I Know What You're Going to Say

So I'll say it for you:

"But it was against Duke."

- I think we found a running back for next season. It looked to me that he was actually able to spot holes to run through, and he was able to shed some tacklers and fight forward for more yardage. The fact that he was creative, strong [i]and[/i] fast gave me hope for a running game next season (But it was against Duke).

- Clausen looked like the highly touted recruit he was last year and that he's actually learned something in the course of getting the shit knocked out of him over this past year. His arm strength is still lacking, but he was good and accurate. He threw no picks and three touchdowns (but it was against Duke) and took only one sack (but it was against Duke) and he seemed to recognize how to keep a drive sustained (but it was against Duke). Still, this was one of those confidence-boosting games that a young quarterback needs.

- Thankfully the game was against Duke, because the coaching still lacked...depth, creativity, cajones. Whatever you want to put in there. I'm tired of the swing pass that goes for a yard or less. And calling a screen pass two times in a row was boneheaded. Hopefully with the emergence of Hughes at running back, the playcalling can get a little less predictable. And the 4th-and-1 where both guards jumped on the first count when clearly they were told to go on three and then the subsequent 4th-and-5 where the ball was snapped over the punter's head pretty much typified the season for Notre Dame. The fact that the punter got the ball off maybe showed that the luck of the Irish was changing. Or not. We'll see.

The next one is against Stanford, which gave even the Quinn-led teams fits, especially on the road. I'm just hoping for 3-9 and a more confident squad going into next season.

Thank goodness basketball season is here (more on that after I clean the house up for some holiday we're having in the near future).

Resurrection

I haven't totally gone away. I haven't totally forgotten the blog. I haven't totally snubbed everyone who hangs on my every word.

*insert cricket noise here*

Well then.

I managed to finish the re-read on The Boar War. Things went fairly well, and I cut out a lot, but ended up adding stuff in the end. I think I added five pages. As I don't have my counts and lists in front of me, I can't tell you the exact numbers and such.

I sat around for a while and debated as to whether I should just send it off to publishers willy-nilly, or if I should try to find an agent (adding yet another level of willy-nilliness to the searching). I eventually settled on the latter (because, honestly, we need all that extra willy-nilly), and thusly submitted my first query letter to an agent in Denver.

A quick sum-up: Total Fail.

Oh well. That's the fun of the process, I guess. Not everyone is going to be won-over by my query letter, I suppose.

I haven't searched for a second yet. It's not because I'm afraid of more Total Failure. It's more because I've gotten busy lazy and haven't put in the time nor the diligence in order to find another potential agent.

Thus stands the update. I have nothing to tell, other than I swung for the fences and missed badly. I read fastball, got a slider, and, well, looked like Sammy Sosa on a pitch low and outside.

Unlike Sammy, though, I'm not going home early. I'm going to try and find another tonight. I might also ask some opinions on some stuff later, if I can figure out how to make a blogpoll.

So, no, I'm not dead, gone, forgotten or even missing. I'm just lazy. But you all knew that already, didn't you?