Here it is, not quite 7 am of the first week of the NFL, and I'm wide awake, having downed two huge cups of nut/nut java (Hazelnut coffee with coconut flavored creamer) in the past half hour since I woke up. I can't wait for the games to start. I feel like a kid on Christmas who's parents won't let him go downstairs and open presents for another three hours. The anticipation is driving me crazy.
Of course, I got a little fix this week with Thursday night's game, and the college season is in full-swing, but there's just something about the NFL.
And it feels like football season, too. I've been feeling under the weather all week, and last night I felt especially bad. So when I got to work I signed the early-out list and noted that I was sick. I only had to work a half-hour before they let me go home. As tempting as it was to just hang out in the sports book watching the college games wrap up, I really needed to get to the store and get some better meds. Somehow, while I was feeling better the past couple of days, yesterday I picked up a cough and now my ears are stuffed up, too.
Anyhow, the point is, when I got home, I opened up the windows to get some fresh air in my room, took my drugs, and immediately went to sleep. I woke up around 4 am and had to get another blanket because it was, dare I say it, chilly this morning. Of course it's going to get up into the 90s later today, but right now it's a beautiful autumn-like morning out here in the desert. If I only had some buddies here with me, I'd be tempted to fire up the grill and do some tailgating out on the carport.
Days like today make me miss the old days back in Tempe living with Derek, Neil, and Brian, when every Sunday morning during football season I'd kick off the day with a huge pot of coffee and make a big breakfast of biscuits and gravy that got everyone out of bed. We'd all take our usual spots in the living room watching all of the pre-game shows while running back and forth to the computers getting last minute bets in with the online bookies.
We had the NFL package on DirectTV, so we could watch every game, and in addition to the main game showing on Derek's 57-inch widescreen, we had two 27-inch tv's on the side showing secondary games--either favorite teams playing or whichever one we had the most money on. And Neil was the master of the remote--his timing was impeccable, assuring that we watched as few commercials as humanly possible while hopping going from game to game. If channel-surfing was a sport, Neil would be Tiger Woods.
Man, those were some great times. It makes me wish that sometimes I had a normal job with weekends off again. But I'm reminded of that over-used phrase that makes an appearance in every mob movie ever made, This is the life we've chosen...
And it has it's own rewards.
But I'm off during the day, so I'll be able to catch most of the action. And if I'm dealing Pai Gow tonight, I can easily see the late game on the 42-inch plasmas in the Gaudi Bar right from my table.
If I've managed to pick my games with any success, I'll also be able to go collect my payout on my break, too--no more having to get a check Fedex'd from Costa Rica.
Speaking of picking my games with success, I went 6 for 7 yesterday in my college pool, the only misstep was taking Penn State to cover against the mighty Golden Domers. So I think I'm out of the basement now, sporting a nifty .500 record.
Enjoy the day, gang. I'm ready for some football!
Mikey
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