It seems like most people have some type of yearly reflection around this time.  People start throwing out “best of” and “worst of” lists like their opinions should have some kind of authority.  Ignoring subjectivity completely, readers immediately react to these lists with enough vitriol to float a boat.  My solution?  Make lists that I can say that I am the authority.  So, here you go.

The Worst of 2008 for Me:
10. Getting my complete lack of drumming ability exposed by Rock Band 2.
9. The extended “sick, but not really really sick” battle I waged in November.  Two weeks of congestion and exhaustion was pretty much a big crapper.
8. The Great Comcast Battle of 2008
7. The extended “remodeling” of the Red Lion that kept it closed all of 2008.
6. My catalytic converter getting stolen off of my Jeep.  That really sucked and continues to keep the Jeep in Sucktown.
5. The seats when we took Sarah’s parents to see Jersey Boys.  A bad view, uncomfortable angle, and they ripped my pants.
4. The complete unraveling of the Cleveland Indians and Browns.  Both ended up being such letdowns after 2007.
3. The incredibly long and unrelenting winter of 2008.  I don’t think we saw anything over 30 degrees until May.
2. Getting a parking boot.  Stupid on many levels, but man, finding my Jeep with a giant yellow parking boot after work was just about the worst feeling ever.
1. Sarah taking a softball to the knee.  It made life challenging for a while and kept her on the bench for the rest of the year.  Oh, and the pressing fear that she wouldn’t be able to walk normally for the rest of her life.

Honorable mention: Owing taxes, the new Indiana Jones movie, and paying $10 for lunch way too often.

And now… the Best of 2008 for Me:
10. Sarah allowing me get away with growing a beard for the last several weeks of the year.  I’m guessing her acceptance will be endless.  If not, Sarah making me shave my beard will be on my 2009 “worst of” list.
9. The Great Nebraska Trip of 08.  This trip has redefined the awesomeness of summer.
8. The Dark Knight in IMAX.  Mind = blown.
7. Getting a Costco membership.  I know that sounds lame, but trust me, it is.  Even so, it has turned out to be pretty dang awesome.
6. Pastor Daniel’s “sex series” and forum.  It’s been quite a while since a pastor has spoken words that hit me the way his series did a couple months ago.
5. The Wii… and Rock Band 2… and WiiFit… and taking my dad down in Wii Bowling.
4. Getting engaged.  From the ring to talking to Sarah’s dad to postponed proposals to finally getting the word to come out of my mouth, this was probably the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done.
3. The Weber 22.5″ One-Touch Gold kettle grill that was provided by the guys from my “bachelor weekend.”  This may continue to be on my 2009 “best of” list.
2. Brewing my first batch of beer ever with Jud.  Hopefully it leads to continued brewing and eventually some stellar beer.
1. Well, it’s not that hard to guess what my number 1 might be.  Obviously, it was discovering there was a Sonic in Ohio just off of I-70 near Dayton.

Honorable mention: Discovering the tv show Mad Men, Iron Man or Wall-E, Microsoft replacing my Xbox 360 quickly and for free.

Ok, for real, there were two pretty monumental occurences that will make 2008 incredibly memorable.  Enough so that they deserve their own list.

So, here it is… the Greatest of the Great in 2008:
2. Hearing Wolf Blitzer say, “We are ready to declare that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States” while standing in Grant Park with my wife and some good friends.

and finally…
1. A month before election day, standing in front of a gazeebo somewhere in Michigan and wearing a nice suit, a beautiful woman for some reason agreed to spend the rest of her life with me.  That was pretty swell.

So that’s it.  2008 reduced to a couple of lists.  Disagree with any of it and I will have my friend Corey poke you in the eye.  He’s ready to do it too.

Normally, this is the time I would be waxing poetic about the start of baseball season.  Trust me when I say my excitement has not diminished.  As any good Cleveland fan, my hopes are high that this is the year.  Unlike previous years, this year looks like it will be our best shot yet.  Many of the core players are back, and if Sabathia and Carmona can dominate from the mound, there is a good chance the Indians will be playing in October.

Unfortunately, we have a huge event for work in DC this weekend, so long passionate musings about baseball will have to wait.

Now, if we could just have some baseball weather, that would be awesome.

Well folks, here it is. The introspective, reflective, cliché sap-fest of a list of lessons learned over the past year. It might be interesting to look at previous versions of this list to see if I’m still learning the same lessons over multiple years, but that would most likely be slightly depressing. That being said, I’ll pretend this is the first such list and deny any part in the creation of previous similar writings.

A serious relationship with a great girl who luckily doesn’t take me too seriously, my brother officially graduating from my alma mater, and a complete change in careers after almost two years at DePaul were probably the big three developments of 2007. While my brother’s graduation was expected, the other two were surprises to even me. Who knew a friendly dinner with a girl could turn into… well… something much bigger? I know she reads this blog and is going to tell me I’m a sappy nerd after reading this, but she’ll get over it. I’ve never been the quickest when it comes to reading signs of interest from the opposite sex, which I suppose could explain my struggles in sending appropriate signs as well. Sarah was no different. Our stories differ quite a bit, but suffice it to say, somewhere around early February I had a couple dates with the girl and realized she was interesting and laughed at my jokes. I was hooked.

Somewhere in the first half of 2007, I realized that my personal life wasn’t the only part of me that needed to stretch and grow. A conversation with the VP of my department at DePaul, where I was basically told the main reason I accepted the job and moved to Chicago was not really something he considered part of the long-term plan, had me casually glancing at the idealist.org job list. Before I knew it, I was wrapped up in an interview process and accepting an offer to head back into the non-profit world. The first few months had me questioning my decision to leave the friendly confines of a role I understood to find myself overwhelmed and underqualified. Somehow things have worked out and the moments of feeling overwhelmed come less frequently, but I can say that the move was a smart one. I do miss my admissions family and the always-entertaining conversations with high schoolers, but there’s a lot of growth and potential that are keeping me on track in my current role.

As for my brother, well, it’s pretty cool to watch a younger sibling walk across the same stage I did four years earlier. There were a few new faces, but it was great to catch up with faculty and staff and feel confident that my brother’s education was in good hands. I still didn’t know the words to the alma mater, but to see the whole day in a new light and spend it with my family was a welcome trip back to the Hill. Now in his first year of teaching, it’s going to be great watching him develop and adjust to adulthood.

Other lessons from 2007:

• If Jud tells me something is potent… say, his egg nog… I will listen to the guy and cap myself somewhere around the 2-3 cups range;
• Also – if Jud is bbqing, I’m there;
• One more about Jud – the guy is a safe bet when crazy things happen, like car windows falling into the door frame;
• Managing a rec league team takes up way too much time and causes a lot of stress;
• Adjusting plans to see Over the Rhine’s Christmas concert is always a good idea;
• Speaking of concerts – when your favorite band is doing a farewell tour, it’s OK to put out of a few extra bucks to see them from decent seats… even if they appear emotionally drained;
• One more about concerts – taking the chance that Ryan Adams is going to have a good show is worth it;
• Driving a couple of hours out of my way to play golf with my dad and brother is never a bad idea;
• Never turn down a free ticket to a baseball game;
• When a car starts making any noises that aren’t normal, get it looked at sooner rather than later;
• Always appreciate someone who buys Bell’s for you;
• Michigan has a few redeeming qualities;
• People come and go, so make sure to enjoy having them around while you can;
• Bickering and complaining doesn’t accomplish much;
• My church family is full of surprises and apparently knows how to put on a good potluck;
• Watching so many friends take on adulthood is… kind of cool… and makes me think I might have a shot… someday;
• <sap alert> Roadtrips are a lot cooler with a girl who falls asleep on your shoulder</sap alert>;
• If you have the chance to take a long weekend and get out of the city, do it;
• Leaving the city reminds you how much you miss stars;
• The American Girl store is a creepy, creepy place;
• When friends are in Chicago, make time for them;
• Always appreciate people who contribute greatly to your life and make sure they know it while you can;
• and… some people in Chicago take kickball way too seriously.

That’s it for 2007… I’m guessing 2008 will have some pretty great highlights. Here’s hoping I can remember some of these lessons over the next year.

Some who read this won’t understand. I have this feeling that when I go on about my deep love of Cleveland Indians baseball, some just clock out and stare at my blankly until I say something that jolts them out of their temporary coma. I understand. That’s how I get when people start talking about celebrity gossip, the importance of predestination/free-will debates, and terrorism threat levels.

For those of you who have not tuned me out, you can probably guess how I am feeling after this weekend. No? Well, I kind of feel like I finally had the rich bully on the run, only to somehow get sucker punched in the stomach.

Game 5 was expected. Josh Beckett is like the rich bully’s best punch – maybe his right hook – that lands square in the jaw and knocks out the majority of opponents. You know it’s coming and you’ve prepared yourself to accept a hard knock, but you rationalize it in your head as being acceptable because you know the rest of the rich bully’s arsenal won’t hurt any worse.

Game 6 was a squandered opportunity that will be looked back on for years as the rich bully’s finest hour. After exhausting his best punch, he somehow managed to muster a follow up kidney punch that not only left the mouth bleeding, but will make sure the reminding sting sticks around for months. The bandwagon elitists who rally around the rich bully because he is one of their own now have the swagger and confidence back that was eerily missing after the first four games.

And then there it is… the final round and the last gasp of hope. The rich bully has invested about three times the amount of resources into preparing for this battle, and both sides know it. The curtain is drawing to a close on David and Goliath is already celebrating with wine and dance. The rich bully pulls out it’s most coveted punch yet – a technique with a price tag only two bullies could meet. It was like the second shot knocked me to the canvas, and now the bully was sharing $103 million dollar kicks to the stomach. It didn’t stop either. For 9 innings, there were kicks. Every time I managed to get to my knees, the rich bully caught a break. It just didn’t stop.

And then I woke up this morning… I woke up and realized I’m not battered and bruised at all. I’m not planning my evenings around the upcoming battles with the rich bully and I don’t seem to be as tense. Knowing that I lost sucks, but the thought that it’s over for now leaves me feeling refreshed and hopeful.

That being said, Lofton was safe at 2nd. Umpire gets the call right, who knows what might have happened?

Oh, and if someone wants to leave a disagreeing comment, save it. I’ll delete it.

I love fall baseball… the way the run to the playoffs heats up and the play intensifies, even though a season of wear and tear have worn down most players. In the build up to the post-season in the past 5 years, there hasn’t been a lot to hope for. And even this year, I didn’t believe the Indians were going to hold it together until they went on a tear in the month of August, shutting down pretty much everyone (except the MFY, of course). I kept watching that games ahead column go up and down and up and down and up… and up… and up…

And then today… on Fan Appreciation Day at Jacob’s Field… they did it. Westbrook showed the best stuff from the mound he’s thrown since 2005, Sizemore had a great day at the plate, and men exchanged celebratory greetings in the form of leaping hugs.

If they keep playing like this and somehow figure out how to hit against the MFY, this could be it. The front office who kept saying, “wait until 2004 2005 2006 2007!” will finally be right and the dark clouds over Cleveland will allow a little sunshine to break through.

I don’t know why I’m getting my hopes up… I know that Cleveland is officially the most tortured sports city in America (if ESPN says it, it must be true, right? and relevant?) … but dang it, I get to watch post season Indians baseball, and that’s enough to make my day.

… that, and the fresh load of Bell’s I picked up while in that waste of space up north this weekend (in which, I had of course had a great time with Sarah and her family…).

I’m thinking I should do some sort of deep, introspective blog soon… we’ll see what happens.

*cue music from The Natural (if it doesn’t give you goose bumps, check your pulse)
It’s that time of year, folks. The orange and blue shaded depression has almost completely worn off and the Cavs are doing a great job of building up the hope of fans across Ohio before their inevitable giant collapse. Instead, it’s time to turn your attention south to Winter Haven, Florida, where pitchers and catchers are reporting for the 1st day of Spring Training.

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh… people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.”

*Cue more goose bumps

I know, I do this every year. I follow off-season moves, track winter ball stats, check minor league numbers from previous years, and nod my head with the promises made by the front office and players every year. And every year, I end up disappointed. Even during the Indians’ dominance of the AL Central between 1995 and 2001, only twice did they make it to the Series – coming away empty handed both times (much like Charles Nagy did as the game-winning hit bounced off of his glove in Game 7 against the Marlins in 1997).

Still, I believe there is something special brewing in Cleveland, and it’s not just the beer. I feel like a stranger in a foreign land here in Chicago – knowing that I take my life into my own hands by wearing my Cleveland jersey to a game down on the south side. It’s like dangling a piece of meat in front of starving hyenas with smaller vocabularies and way too much beer.

I’ll still make it down to a game or two, but only because of lack of options. There’s a certain Tigers fan that’s worked her way into my life that I may have to stop talking to for a couple of months as well. All sacrifices I’m willing to make in the name of baseball. Pretty heroic, if you ask me.