Sleep well stressful week

A quiet Friday night at home alone?

Yeah.

For at least one weekend I am trading booze and bullsh*t for NBA on ESPN, deep-fried frozen chicken nuggets and drinking OJ out of the gallon. Here's hoping I don't have to do this often. Well, this is more of a pre-emptive measure by myself, knowing that I have to drive 5 hours to Springfield, Mo. tomorrow, sit on my fat but for about 4 hours (1 hour lunch, 3 hour basketball) and then drive another 5 hours back to Carbondale, Ill. I'd rather not have to make that drive hungover as all hell. It's just not necessary.

But maybe it is as I'm trying to get over one of the more stressful weeks I've had this school year.

Balancing school and work is the BIGGEST challenge any one has at the university level. When work consists of working at a daily newspaper (5 days a week) with the circulation of 22,000 not including the countless eyes on the Web, it becomes a little more difficult than your average on-campus job. During sleepless nights, I've often stayed awake thinking to myself how much easier my job would be if I didn't have to go to class. Or if I didn't have to study for a mid-term. Or if I didn't have to meet with an adviser.

Life would be easier, no doubt. But before I brush it off as "I can't wait to graduate if only because I'll be free of my classroom duties" I'll remind myself that one day I will (HOPEFULLY) have a family. And by family I don't mean the group of guys I go sit at the bar and watch Cubs games with. Or the guys in my fantasy football draft. I'm talking about beautiful wife, two kids, nice house, 2.5 car garage, a white picket fence and a dog. Saluki, of course!

So there's school, which I had to drop a class to accomodate work and my overall life. I felt terrible because I felt I could learn so much from a newsroom management/picture editing class from a very respected photojournalist. Yet, when I fell behind on the class work despite two off weeks because of the inauguration and the snow day, I knew I needed to make the change. And you know, work might sound easy on paper, but running a two-man sports desk is kind of taxing for all parties involved. Not just myself and my assistant editor, but the e-i-c, managing editor, copy editors, picture editors, layout people, people who run the press...everyone. But thankfully, I am surrounded by the best people in the world. Seriously, I'm not sure what I'd do without the people around me.

They've all been really supportive, especially with finding creative ways to try to cheer me up. I like that in people, creativity.

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I also think this crummy weather has to do a little bit with what's going on in my life. A lot of people have asked me if something was wrong, of late. Whether it be in the classroom, newsroom or out and about, people have been like "why do you look so sad?" and "what's wrong?" so I've come to the conclusion that it's OK to blame the weather. It sucks. It's cold. It's cloudy. It's still snowy. Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) makes sense for an excuse. I don't want to get from under the covers and can you blame me?

Bad weather puts me in a bad mood. Good weather makes me want to go outside and grill. Everyone's happy when I cook. Therefore, bring warm weather and I will bring the happiness. As long as someone helps chip in with the grub and the booze.

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As I've tried to balance work, school and sh*tty weather I have also had to balance my emotions. Makes me think about my bowling class when my teacher said we can't be emotional. F*ck that, that's who I am. That's like telling Peyton Manning not to be funny in commercials or Ozzie Guillen not to be controversial in interviews.

Whatever.

One of my close friends has spent the better part of the last two eeks in the hospital. Sad. And it's not even about her working with the paper, because it's more than the talented writer she is. She's a fun person. A great person. One of my favorite people to be around. And trust me, when you get those people in your life you don't let them go. Can't do it. I wish her a speedy recovery, and even though you probably don't know her, you should wish for the same, too.

But seriously, I've spent too much of my time this school year at a hospital. I've seen two of my best friends go in and I don't want to have to see another friend have to go back. Hospitals are bad, except when they deliver babies. And guys on the Maury show would despute the goodness of hospitals when that happens.

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This week's album addiction: Kanye West's "808s & Heartbreaks."

I'm not sure if it's the auto-tune singing or the smooth beats or the fact that Valentine's Day is around the corner, but "808s" is getting lots of play on my iPod touch of late.

As for the musical guilty pleasure of the week, it's Lil' Wayne's "Prom Queen." I'm not sure what I like about the track other than it's thinking waaaaaaaaay out of the box for Weezy F. Baby. The concept is played out and has been done better in its prior editions performed by bands capitalizing on teenage angst.

So until I figure out a really good reason to hate the song, it will stay on my good list.

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I'm not sure if I really captured the stresses of this week. At this point of the night, I don't really care if a blog summarizes it or not. I'm just glad this week is over because next week doesn't get easier.

But all I can do is smile because I have a feeling if I need to fall back, someone will catch me.

And that kind of makes me smile.

Random late night blogging probably done poorly

For the second straight night I came home to a cold bed. It sounds like it should be the first line in a sad poem. Instead, it's a true story. Part of it is because I wasn't home for most of the last two days as I spent a majority of my Saturday in Evansville, Ind., and most of my Super Bowl Sunday either in the newsroom or at a Super Bowl party.

But it was weird when I came home. I assume I come home to a cold bed every night since I am rarely ever home ... but for some reason I noticed it more when I came home early Sunday morning and when I came home after the game ended. I'm pretty sure that's a metaphor for something, but can't put my finger on it.

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It's February 2nd, do you know where your sweetheart is?

(Checks fridge for two-pound box of chocolate. It's still there.)

I'm not a big Valentine's Day guy. Never have been. That's mostly because I act like a bitter old man when February rolls around despite the fact that I'm kind of a softie. Fact. I can cook, I can clean (when I'm not feeling lazy) and have the sickest sweet tooth in the country. Yet, there I am preparing for another Feb. 14 that will be centered around chocolate and college basketball.

Thankfully, SIU hosts Creighton in the biggest rivalry in the MVC. A Saluki win would probably make my day. Then it's off to heavy drinking.

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50 Cent needs to go away. First album was good. Damn good. Then he fell off the face of the Earth. I Get Money was nice and Ayo Technology still gets plays on my iPod Touch. But his gimmick is played out.

Starting "rap battles" for attention. Seriously, it was cool when I was in high school. But people grow up. It was also cool when two good rappers were going at it. Gimme LL Cool J v. Cannibus. Gimme Jay-Z v. Nas. Gimme B.I.G. and Pac.

No one wants to hear 50 Cent battle Fat Joe. No one wants to hear Rick Ross battle 50 Cent.

No one wants to hear 50 Cent. Period.

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One of my favorite sites is the list of "Stuff Journalists Like." As a journalist, I can relate to the list. I will confirm this journalist enjoys the following listings: free food, coffee, drinking, bylines, breaking news, ap stylebooks, press passes, Google, Barack Obama, year in reviews, press areas, Twitter and Firefox.

I'm here to nominate another thing journalists like: hanging out with other journalists.

See, as a child, I thought people on opposing staffs were supposed to hate each other. That's probably because I grew up in Chicago knowing that the Chicago Sun-Times' two top columnists (Rick Telander and Jay Mariotti) hated each other. So when I became a college journalist, I thought I was supposed to hate the competition.

That's when I learned competition is good. I noticed that the Tribune's John Mullin and the Sun-Times' Jim O'Donnell (a pair of college hoops writers) sat next to each other and discussed normal things. I think when you sit next to someone you are likely to share similar interests (such as writing, for one) for starters. Then add to the mix that you're usually in the same spot, talking to the same players, coaches, administrators, fans, etc., and maybe it shouldn't be odd that you enjoy the company of other sports writers.

If there's one thing I've learned so far in my time at the DE, it's that reading the competition is a good thing. The more newspapers you read the better. You never know what will inspire you on a certain day. It might come from a blog, a column, a preview or recap story.

And always remember, they're reading what you're writing, too.

Snow days, blow-jays and love songs

When I was a kid in the Chicago Public Schools, I only remember having one "Snow Day" in high school ... and that was when they let us out after a half-day only because the school had a power outage. Now, I'm not saying that the weather in southern Illinois isn't brutal, because it is, but the folks down here are kinda thin-skinned.

And you can add me to that grouping, too. Let the record show that I've NEVER liked the cold weather. I hate it. Everyone down here tells you "you're from Chicago, this is your element" and my only response is "it doesn't mean I have to like it." Seriously, where does it say in the city of Chicago charter (if there is one) that it is a prerequisite that you have to like cold weather.

Between that line and the whole idea of "Bear Weather" (which is as fictitious as a low-post figure for the Bulls) Chicagoans truly have a twisted sense of weather.

I'll take sunny and 120 poolside at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas before I take this crap.

And seriously, I still work. And people still work. So Snow Days aren't really as much fun and games as they could have been when I was younger. Ugh.

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Let's talk a little bit about love songs.

I'm not sure if there is a more polarizing genre of music. A really good, soulful love song can either pick up my mood or devestate my psyche depending on the kind of mood I'm in.

If I'm rolling with a good day and I hear a good love song, I'm cranking it on my iPod or the stereo. Either way, I'm jamming. Add alcohol and you can turn me into a crooner. But if a love song comes on and I'm a little down and out then I'm gonna turn it off, or better yet, cuss it out because I don't wanna hear about someone else's love exploits as I battle the cold under a sea of blankets while wearing two hoodies, two pairs of sweat pants and winter hat.

Those days, I just need a hug, a shot of Jack Daniels, a few singles and a lap dance.

Ha!

I'll end today's entry with my favorite love songs ever:

1. Because I Love You, by Lenny Williams.
2. Let's Get It On, by Marvin Gaye
3. At Last, by Etta James
4. I'll Make Love To You, by Boyz II Men
5. Anything by Babyface -- any love song by him is the sh!t, no doubt about it

My beard hurts. I should probably shave, but it's cold outside and the beard keeps me warm.

Here's hoping for another Snow Day and a safe trip to Carbondale for Missouri State's men's basketball team.