I'm So Tired.

Madeline Kahn sings the above captioned words in the comedy classic, Blazing Saddles. If you have ever seen her performance of this song, you will understand the way that I feel, mentally and physically. "I'm Pooped." It has been a long, dreary winter. I took a week off from the gym and feel some recharge. My head still throbs with the events of the day and of the tomorrow. Just the emergence of the sun can lift my spirits, if only for a short while. C'mon spring, you stubborn bastard.

Speaking of the gym, I witnessed two people engaging in some annoying workout behavior. Now, when I work out, I want to get my work done with as little distraction as possible. Believe me, trying to get effort out of this bag of bones takes full concentration. That is why when I see people at the gym talking, socializing or communicating at length via cell phone, I get agitated. These two f-ers where sitting on machines and talking. Not working out but talking. They would move to the next set of machines and continue. The dude was drinking coffee. OOfa. In between the scintillating conversation, they would eke out a set. Not a drop of sweat between them.

I turned my growing anger into exercise fuel. When I was on the bike, I imagined that during a sprint, I was going to run them over. On the treadmill, I was straining to catch up so I could beat the shit out of them. Every hill climbed on the elliptical ended with a cliff, high enough to push them to their deaths. It was one great workout; I lost 5 pounds and took a minute off my best 2 mile run time. Didn't do much for my mental health.

Bears update. The draft is coming up in April. Just more opportunity to talk about a game. Much more fun to actually play. The Bears also expect full payment on those season tickets. This will be one tough year to write that check. This will be a big high school football year, I can see it. I'm just not right.

Hail to the Chief.

Defying the basketball gods, Illinois upset Purdue in the Big Ten tournament. The Illini played its most confident game of the year, and I have work to do in Indianapolis. I kinda was hoping that the Illini would continue this season of futility and not make Saturday's semis. I could sit back and relax. Now I will be fully torqued up for the game. The Indiana faithful were buying up tickets for this day, because Indiana was supposed to play Purdue. Instead, Illinois wins and Minnesota upsets the Hoosiers on a falling down lefty push shot with time expiring. F the state of Indiana. Tickets should be plentiful. Maybe I will be courtside. I will be the guy wearing Orange, baby.

It's Over Johnny...IT"S OVER!

The Wire has ended. My favorite TV show of all time ended its run this past Sunday. I have to say, I'm sad. I don't watch any other fictional television show. I will not be watching another anytime soon. I will miss the stories, the lines and the great acting. I recommend to anyone who has a hankering for a "killer time" to watch the first 3 episodes of Season 1 on DVD. If you aren't hooked, then don't waste your time. Once you are in however, you will be in for the TV ride of your life. When Kathleen and I got hooked during season 3, we got the first 2 seasons on DVD and would watch 3 episodes in a row. I will really miss the show.

To mourn properly, one needs an indulgence. My latest, the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies at Potbelly. Berry Goot. Maybe a corn muffin from Dunkin' Donuts. Or a bag of Dark chocolate peanut M&M's. A tip for you young people, if you eat a whole big box of DOTS in one sitting, the inside of your mouth gets swollen from the sugar overdose. You may need a stop at the ER. It is like an oral allergic reaction to a bee sting.

Our Dairy Queen has been open for 3 weeks. I should be feeling better soon.

The Smell of this Team Needs to be Offensive.

The Bears wisely stayed out of the careless spending frenzy of the top tier free agent market. Kudos to Jerry Angelo on resigning Lance Briggs at cost. A classic example of a player completely mishandling a contract year and free agency. This miscalculation was all Briggs; his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, albiet somewhat of a tool, is way too smart to advise his players to make such stupid moves. Then, the Bears astutley stayed out of a bidding war for Bernard Berrian, who was way overpayed by Minnesota. Don't worry about the receiver position yet. It ain't over until the last ball is dropped. (See "Moose" Muhammed)

My perfect draft. 1st round, Rashard Mendenhall or one of the stout backs, an Offensive tackle in the 2nd and a receiver in the 3rd. This draft is deep at all three positions, and the Bears need help at all three positions. Let's not F this up with a QB or something equally as dopey. We need Offense and more Offense. Especially up front, bolstering the 5 blocks of Jello.

Now for something completely different. The Tony Rezko trial is on my "must read daily" list. The defense is asserting that Rezko, a tremendously wealthy man, has no incentive to get kickbacks or push contracts through for his own enrichment. The defense is playing The "rich guy doesn't need this stuff" card. They think that the jurors will buy this; after all, it seems logical. However, it ain't about the money for these kinds of people, the mega-rich in politics. It is about the power. They want influence and the "respect" of those in political positions. Being rich holds no real cache; There are tons of rich people around. Rezko wants to control the state. It gives his life meaning. He wants a legacy. I have seen this up close, one of the perks of my job. In the famous words of Tony Montana. "First, joo get the money, then, joo get the power, then, joo get the woman." Same here in Illinois...except the part about "the woman." For the whole package, see Scott Fawell.

Most of all, it is a trial about Blagoevich. Although he is not charged, it is a tale of how this guy got elected and what he truly is all about. I am fascinated with this administration, maybe the most corrupt, morally vacant and ineffective in Illinois history. The idea that Republicans may have contributed more money to Blago's campaign than his own party is astonishing. The bottom line is "Pay for Play" politics at its worst. Rod makes George Ryan look like Thomas Jefferson. At least George could get a budget passed and pay our bills on time. Bush and Blagoevich. If this isn't enough to get voters off their ass and do something, nothing will suffice. I may go over and catch a few days of this sucker.

By the way, if Rod doesn't want to live in the mansion in Springfield, I know a family of six who are feeling a little squeezed.