Emergency Rooms:  Don’t go unless you have a broken bone.  My wife was running almost a 103 degree fever and shivering uncontrollably.  So we took her to the ER.  She saw the triage nurse, which gave her some Tylenol and sent us back to the waiting room.  She told us there was a 2-3 hour wait to see a doctor.  3 hours later we left after the receptionist said it could be another 3 hours before we saw a doctor.  Bottom line, unless you are dying, stay home.  Oh yeah, wife has tonsillitis, that’s what our doctor told her when she visited him the next day.  We are pumping her full of antibiotics and aside from her throat hurting, she’s doing much better.

BBCOR bats:  Will revolutionize the way baseball is played in high school.  They are already using them in the college game and there is more “small ball.”  People say these bats have “less pop.”  That’s not true, they have the same pop, just a smaller sweet spot, which in turn eliminates cheap hits.  This will teach players to hit the ball on the proper part of the bat.  You may want to save this post for what I’m about to say because I’m going to predict the future.  The BBCOR bats will allow the pitchers to pitch inside more.  It will also reduce the number of runs in a game.  So my prediction is that in 3-4 years the strike zone for college and high school will be reduced to the major league strike zone.  One other thought on the BBCOR bats, I’d recommend that high schools get a few this year and start hitting with them.  It will do 2 things.  One, it will get the players used to them  Two, it will make the players that hit with them better with the current bat since the current bat will have more room for error.

Memorial Day Party:  Its almost 2 months away now…I’m ready. Are you??

The year of 2010 is almost past and as with all years, we did our regular Memorial Day party (the 5th annual and great success by the way), celebrated another year of being married, and we did the “Tour de University.”  For those who don’t know, (and that’s all of you…I just made that up) “Tour de University” is where my wife and I visit our Alma Maters for the weekend and a football game.  This year USM played East Carolina and lost by a point in a high scoring shootout.  MSU played Arkansas and lost in double overtime.  In fact, when I look back on it, I don’t remember ever seeing the team we were supporting win while we were in attendance.  I take that back, State won in the Liberty Bowl a few years back, we were there in a freezing Memphis for that one.  We had great holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas), and are getting ready to go head-long into the new year.

So, I do have my ramblings here on this site, but if you want more, follow me on Twitter: dmarshal17

Led by Senior running back Anthony Dixon, the all time MSU rushing leader, and Sophomore QB Chris Relf, the Dawgs dominated the 2nd half.  After 17 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter, they never looked back.

While I didn’t attend the game, I had friends that described the atmosphere as “electric”.  Something missing in years past in Starkvegas.  While watching on TV, I think that adjective more than describes it.

On to recruiting, which this win may or may not have an effect on…depends on who you believe!

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1.  When having a bad day, humming “Hail State!” picks you up.

2.  You don’t like dogs, but when you see an English Bulldog you just have to pet it. (Or even if you do like dogs)

3.  You know who John Bond is.

4.  You know that the “Dawg Pound Rock” isn’t a cartoon.

5.  You know, “Sleepy” and “Pork Chop”

6.  You know where the original Bully is buried.

7.  You remember “The Junction” when there was no “The” and it was a  “Malfunction”.

8.  You don’t like the new hyphenated stadium names, but you understand why they are there.

9.  You know the “back way” into campus, not on 82 or old 82 either!

10.  You know that the last line to “Hail State” is really “Go to hell Ole Miss…”

11.  You end the Star Spangled Banner with “Go to hell Ole Miss!!!”

12.  Ole Miss is MSU’s in-state rival, while Alabama is the REAL rival.

13.  You understand #12 and know that Tuscaloosa is only 82 miles away from Starkville.

14.  You fondly refer to Starkville as StarkVegas.

15.  You remember 25, 12, and 82 before any of them were “old”.

16.  You know all about “Rick’s Rowdies” “You Bleed Maroon” “Maroon is the only color that matters…” and “Dan’s the Man!”

17.  You saw Will Clark at Quincy’s in Starkvegas when he visited campus.

18.  You remember standing in line at Allen Hall to pay tuition (before they moved it).

19.  You and a buddy started a trend that lasted long after you left.  (A buddy and me went to Hudson’s and picked up 2 MSU hats that were hunter orange with brown bills, Oklahoma State was coming into town, we wore them to the game, got put on the jumbotron, and ever since hunter orange has been visible at home football games).

20.  After all this time, you still follow MSU through the good times and bad.

Texas and USM have played once before and Texas, I hate to say this, killed USM by a score of 18-2 back in 1991.  I hope for Southern’s sake that they can use the momentum that carried them through the Super Regional with Florida.  Also, Ballenger was less than stellar in his outing against Florida, so he may feel that he has something to prove.

Texas can really hit, and they have outstanding pitching.  I guess that’s why they are the #1 team in the country. 

Many of you don’t know this, but Omaha, is my unintentional home away from home.  I don’t have family there, but my company has a facility there (Blair, NE) that from an IT perspective I’ve been responsible.  So I know the city and the area very well.  Its a great mid-western town, and the steaks are the best I’ve ever had.  Downtown Omaha has recently undergone a revitalization effort and it is very nice.  If you get the chance, go.  You won’t regret it.

So, if my wife didn’t already know…we’ll be in front of a TV Sunday night.  I suggest you do the same.

First, the NCAA took it a little light on Alabama, at least in my opinion.  They lost no scholarships, go on 3 years probation, and only had to vacate wins.  Earlier today I didn’t know what was involved in “vacating” wins, but I did find out.  In a nutshell it means that if Alabama won, it loses credit for winning, but it does not go down as a loss.  All losses stay the same.  It looks like 21 football games will be effected.  They do have to pay back about $43,000 but that’s chump change to a program like Alabama.

15 out of 16 athletic programs at Alabama were effected.  Everyone except the rowing team had “textbook” problems.  Rowing?  Really?  Who’s the coach, Ned Beatty?

So what do I think the NCAA should have done?  3 years probation, loss of 3+ scholarships, vacate the wins and suggest the Athletic Director step down.  In the end its Mal Moore’s fault for not overseeing his department.  In the past decade, Alabama has been in NCAA trouble for the majority of the time.  If it were just the football team or track team, ok, but this is 15 out of 16 athletic programs.  Give me a break.  That’s poor leadership.

Just to let you guys know, I’m not an Alabama fan, far from it.  I graduated from Mississippi State, just 82 miles on highway 82 separate Starkvegas and Tuscaloosa.  So, I’m not the “voice of a fan.”  I don’t want you to think that I’m being hard on Alabama, because if MSU were in this exact situation; I’d want Greg Byrne to step down. 

So that’s what I think about the punishment, or slap on the hand as I’d call it.  What do you guys think?  

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7:30am – We got up and started moving around.  Jessi and I did some final cleaning and organizing around the house.  We also discussed when her parents would arrive to help us get setup.

8:30am – I left to go pickup the crawfish.  Earlier in the week I had ordered 3 sacks, but since the bad weather was rolling in, we cut back to only 2 sacks.  I also called my wife from my car, discussing if we should cancel the crawfish completely since I had just heard on the radio that Dauphin Island was now under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.  We decided to go ahead as planned.

8:45am – I arrive to get the crawfish, but Simply Seafood isn’t open.  I run to Winn Dixie and pick up some charcoal.  Since its raining, I also go to Walmart in Tillmans Corner and pick up a rain jacket…really nice.  After that, the seafood place is open and I pick up the seafood and a packet of Swamp Fire.   That is usually my base.

9:30am – I’m back home and get out all of the day’s supplies from the shed.  Jessi’s parents arrive and we begin putting up the tarp to protect us from the weather.  The rain jacket I bought is coming in extremely handy at this point.

10:30am – I’m behind schedule as I wanted to start the grill at 10, but better late than never.  I get the grill going under the tarp.  Its raining really hard by now, but we keep going.  40 hamburger patties, 30 hot dog wieners…geez, that alot of food.  Once I get done, I move the grill out of the way.

12:30pm – Guests are beginning to arrive and I’ve yet to start the crawfish.  So I begin and have a conversation with my youngest older brother that there is some LandShark in the fridge and he may like it.  He tells me that he drinks “man beer” Miller Lite.  Geez, some people’s ego…   It takes way too long to get the water to a boil…thanks storm!

1:30pm – Finally the first batch of crawfish comes out.  I vowed it wouldn’t be bland, and I didn’t disappoint.  Very spicy, nice flavor.  Finally, I have a batch after 4 years that I’m proud of.  The only thing I forgot was the mushrooms.  Oh well, double mushrooms on the next batch!

1:45pm – Jessi’s uncle Steve brings 4 dozen crabs he had caught.  We boiled them before the next batch of crawfish.  I only ate a bit of the crab, but I was told it turned out very good.

2:15pm – The second batch of crawfish go in.  I tried not to have it as spicy as the first, as some people’s lips have started to burn (the good type of burn).  I think it worked.

3:00pm – I finally get to sit down and eat a little bit.  I didn’t do too bad.  All of this while, my wife, Jessi, was inside making Potato Salad and baked beans.  She was also entertaining guests; something I didn’t do too much. 

4:00pm – Party was still kicking along.  Someone comes inside and gets me to say that there is a German guy looking around outside.  Wulf, one of my German colleagues from work has arrived.  As ask if he wants some crawfish and he declines, he does get a few hamburgers though.  Guests are beginning to leave.

6:00pm – We start cleaning up, the tarp comes down, and we pack up all of the garbage.  Me and my dad take the garbage to a local “dumpster.” 

7:00pm – We’ve gotten the placed cleaned up, and we are winding down.

10:30pm – Jessi and I crash.   It was a long day…but we enjoyed it.

Well, that is the way I saw it go down.  This was the first year it rained, but it only rained in the morning.  By the time I started the crawfish, the rain was gone and we even saw some sunlight.

So, all of that being said, we had a great time putting this on, and we look forward to next year.  Same bat time, same bat channel!

I’m about to go to Houston for the project I’m on, and the site there says that if I display the slightest symptoms of the flu, I would be kicked off the plant site.  So that means I can’t even have something as small as a headache.   The project itself is a headache, so I wonder if I should even go?  Oh well, we have to go, so unless they turn be back Sunday, I’m off…

On to other happier things…I’ve not posted in months and to tell you the truth:  I’m out of ideas.  Well maybe not, but those ideas I mentioned when I started the blog; I should have written down somewhere. 

I did have a birthday since I last posted, and I had a great one.  Although I had to work that day, the family took me out to Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  I like that place.  I’ve never had a bad steak there.  My wife also gave me a great present…guilt free money for golf!  Not only that, but I used some of my Delta Skymiles to get myself a new set of Callaway X-22 irons.  The only issue I have is that the shipping can take up to 4-6 weeks.  So, I get to wait a while on them.  That’s ok because it gives me time to think if I want to “trade in” my old irons for something else.

Well, you may know that I posted on the Bowl Championship Series back in January, but know the BCS is now in front of Congress to explain themselves.  Yes, our country has more pressing problems, but I would much rather hear about the holes in the current CFB championship system than the sinking economy or the crappy swine flu.  Never mind, I put the swine flu in the title.  I guess I’m a hypocrite.

Also the 23rd of this month is our annual Memorial Day Crawfish Boil.  I look forward to seeing alot of you!

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I’m SO glad baseball season is upon us. I just don’t care for basketball. The last time I actually cared was when I was up at State, sittin’ in the Hump watching the Dawgs play Kentucky (in the student section nose bleeds). Now this was back in the ’90s so Kentucky was tough, and yes the Dawgs got blasted that day. Now baseball is a completely different story. Baseball is the game I grew up on, and no matter how many controversies Major League Baseball goes through will change my excitement for the game. I will admit, I don’t much care for the MLB anymore; I feel they get paid too much money for what they do. Its a game, but its also entertainment for many folks. I still think its overcharged entertainment but entertainment nonetheless.

I’ve heard that MSU has some new baseball uniforms. Well, I don’t have the scoop, but I’m sure Brad Locke or Kyle Veasey will. Click their names, you’ll get their blog. That’s how I get all of my info. I check their blogs, and check twitter. Yes, I’m on twitter, and if you use it correctly it can be a powerful tool. Brad and Kyle kept me (and hundreds if not thousands of others) up to date on the MSU football coaching search. Ok, advertisements over….now if I could only get paid for that….

Vacation time for me. I get a whole week off, and no, its not for Mardi Gras. I tried to put in for the 1st week in March, but apparently I have training that I don’t know about yet, but my boss does. So I asked for the 2nd week in March. Nope, training. I’m glad I knew this! (Please read that sarcastically) So, with our big project kicking off the 4th week in March and knowing good and damn well that the 3rd week of March was out of the question, I, on short notice, got next week off. If all goes well, I’ll be relaxed and ready to hit the ground running on March 2nd, when I return to work. I plan on some golf days between now and then as well as watching my nephew play ball on Thursday in St. Martin (not St. Marteen…I wouldn’t be that lucky).

So, guess what? You are updated, and I’m outta here. Headin’ out to Bone Fish tonight for some food….

So my company has a tent at the Senior Bowl. I hate to brag, but I think its the largest tent there. I know the building I work in would fit inside of it. It seems to be one of the most popular tents, but along with popularity brings large numbers of people and it was muggy. My wife and I had hamburgers and hot dogs, and then I previewed Evonik’s entry into this year’s Chili Cook-Off. Let me put it to you this way, I look forward to the Chili Cook-Off again this year. The things we figured out about planning to go to the Senior Bowl will be implemented in years to come. We learned alot last year, much more this year, and I’m sure as time passes we will be as professional as the staffs that coach the teams at the Senior Bowl. FYI, we had 2 extra tickets to the game and to the tent that we tried to get rid of….you guys missed out.

Here’s to next year…anyone with us?