My Reason for Blogging

About a month ago, I wrote an entry about how I've come down with a case of writer's block when it comes to blogging about my personal life. I wrote about how I wanted to keep this blog as angst-free as possible, but I ultimately end up writing about the same subjects over and over again.

Recently, I've been trying to read other blogs for inspiration, and it started to become clear that the blogs that get the most attention tend to have a purpose behind them. Some people want to share all of the relationship ups and downs while others wax poetically about the world around them. Others like to share funny anecdotes about life, and so forth and so on. I also started to notice that some people take their blogs seriously, and they plot out and develop specific posts for specific reasons. After thinking about it, I realized that my blog really doesn't have a purpose or a direction.

I've never claimed to be a real blogger, and it shows after reading what others are putting out there. I started out blogging because I thought it'd be neat to share random thoughts that came to me or if something really interesting happened to me. For me blogging has always been a stream of consciousness medium where things just kind of come out. I've never really sat down and tried to come up with a thought provoking post much less write up a draft. Usually, I just sit down and start typing away.

Now, I could try to be cool and take the approach that I blog for me, and I don't care if others get what I'm trying to say, but that'd be a total lie. If I didn't want my blog to say something to others, then this would be a private journal. The thing is, I don't know what I want it to say.

I still don't think my life is interesting enough to share with the entire world, but if I don't then I have nothing to write about. I could spend countless hours writing about how many times I've missed out on love or about the one that got away, but I don't want to be that guy. Maybe I should just focus all of my time and energy on my entertainment blog since I always have something to write for that one, but there has to be more to life than TV and movies. I want what I write to matter...I just need to figure out to whom.

My Newest Obsession: Soccer

Baseball is up and running, the NBA Playoffs just started this weekend, but for some reason I'm disinterested in both. Over the last couple of years my sport of choice has been soccer, and I blame David Beckham.

I know most people think the Becks/Galaxy experiment was a bust in the States, but I'm one of those that really started to pay attention to Major League Soccer after he joined the L.A. side. Sure, MLS still isn't on par with the NFL, MLB, or the NBA, but I do think the league was able to turn casual fans into more die-hards.

Now, I'm much more interested in watching a Philadelphia Union/Toronto FC match than a Yankees/Red Sox game. I used to be a big Spurs fan, but I'd rather get tickets to an Austin Aztex/Portland Timbers game than heading down to San Antonio. If anything involving the UEFA Champions League or the EPL comes on the TV, I'll stop what I'm doing to catch up on European football, but I could careless about the upcoming NFL Draft. Don't get me started on the World Cup. I kind of feel un-American thanks to my soccer obsession.

Soccer will always be a niche sport in the States, which is a shame, but maybe someday it will become a bigger part of our sport culture. You never know, soccer might even over take hockey in terms of popularity in the U.S. (although playoff hockey is amazing to watch).

My New Toy: Netbook vs. iPad vs. iPhone 4G

While I'm not the most tech savvy person, I do have a pretty big addiction for fancy electronics. Last week was the big debut of Apple's iPad, and while I've been able to stay away from the Apple Store to play with the new "it" toy, I'm still trying to figure out what my next big purchase is going to be. Right now, I'm trying to decide if I'm going to go with a netbook, an iPad, or the new iPhone once it comes out. Each have its own cool little features, but there is no way I can afford all three, so it's decision time.

The thought of have a little, fully functioning computer is a pretty cool idea because who wants to lug around an already small version of a computer in laptop form. Everything I've heard about netbooks really haven't sold me on them just yet. They're not as powerful as a regular laptop which makes them a poor substitute to begin with, but being able to do most basic functions with a tiny computer is still a cool idea.

The new alternative to the netbook is the shiny iPad, which still seems like nothing more than a really big iPod Touch. I've read some of the reviews, researched some of the features, and I'm still not really interested, but I thought the same thing about the iPhone when it first came out. I do have to admit that the iPad looks pretty sexy, but it still doesn't have enough bells and whistles at this time. Buying an iPad now is kind of like dating a really hot chick with very little personality. Sure, you'll feel really cool at first, but you'll get bored pretty fast.

When it's all said and done, I'm almost positive that I'm going to end up buying the new iPhone once it officially drops. Buying my first iPhone was a really good decision, but I've been biding my time before upgrading. I've let the iPhone 3G and 3GS come and go because I was content with my first-gen model. I have a feeling though that the iPhone 4G will tempt me all over again. Plus, I'm pretty sure most of the features the iPad is going to have are going to be offered in some form for the iPhone, plus it'll be a phone. Multi-tasking is always a plus.

Deep down, I always knew my heart belonged to the iPhone, but I just getting antsy while waiting for the new model to come out. I just need to patient and avoid doing something hasty like jumping into bed with the first sexy mobile computing device that crosses my path.

My Epiphany

For some reason I've always had itchy feet, which means I cannot stay in one place for very long. I really cannot pin-point why I have this need to move around, but I do know that it is some instinctual thing because I don't feel comfortable if I'm settled.

I'd be content moving across the country for years on end, but unfortunately I have other life goals that don't really mesh with my wandering ways. I'd like to meet the girl of my dreams, get married, and start a family sooner than later. It's kind of hard doing that if I don't stay in one place for more than a handful of years.

The last couple of weeks have caused me to ask a lot of questions, but I really haven't come across any of the answers. As always one option that automatically springs to mind is to move somewhere new and start all over, but I realized that the drawback of always starting over is I never get to the end. I'd like to think I'm heading somewhere rather than nowhere. I just wish settling down didn't scare the crap out of me.

My Getaways: America's Past-Time

With today being Opening Day of the 2010 Major League Baseball season, I couldn't help but be reminded of one of the earliest goals that I set for myself, which was visiting all of the Major League ballparks. I know that this is not a dream unique to just myself since many have reached this feat before, but it's still something I'd love to do. The thing is this goal has lost some of its luster since most of the old school parks have been replaced with state of the art stadiums, but there are a few I'd like to see sooner rather than later:

5. Oriole Park at Camden Yards: Baltimore Orioles

For some reason, I will always see Camden Yards as the forerunner of the modern day ballpark, and according to some sources, it's the blueprint that so many other organizations have copied. I just remember the opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards being such a big deal, and it's always stuck with me, which is why it's one the short list of stadiums I want to see now. Plus, it has one of the best names in baseball because it's simple and void of commercialism. Good job Baltimore.

4. AT&T Park: San Francisco Giants

While on my roadtrip home from Oregon to Texas, I spent a few days in San Francisco, and while I didn't actually go into AT&T Park, I did get to drive by it. Even from the outside, I could tell that it was a nice park. You know that it's a modern park with some old school charm. Also, the idea of McCovey Cove is brilliant, and I wouldn't mind spending a few games just floating around waiting for home run balls.

3. U.S. Cellular Field: Chicago White Sox

To be honest, I could careless about the stadium (which has lost some of its appeal when it changed names from Comiskey Park to its current moniker), but I've always been a fan of the Chicago White Sox, so I would love to watch a home game on the South Side of Chicago. I'm still glad that it was the Chi-Sox that beat my beloved Astros during the World Series. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

2. Wrigley Field: Chicago Cubs

Since I'm a White Sox fan, I have no desire to support the Cubs (plus they're in the NL Central, which makes them divisional rivals of the Houston Astros), but I have to admit that seeing Wrigley Field would be an amazing experience. The old school parks are becoming a rare breed, and Wrigley is one of the few still around. I need to see the ivy-covered wall and the rooftop seats before the Cubbies decide to follow in the footsteps of every other club.

1. Fenway Park: Boston Red Sox

The only team I like less than the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees is the Boston Red Sox. I really don't have any ill-will towards the franchise, but their fans are insufferable (even more so now that they've actually started winning championships). With that being said, I'd love to watch a home game amongst them because any baseball fan has to. I'm pretty sure for many going to a game at Fenway is a religious experience, and it's one that I'd like to partake in while I still can. Plus, I really want to sing "Sweet Caroline" during the 8th. You don't get to do that just anywhere.

So, there you have it, the top five ballparks that I'd love to see. Sure, I wouldn't mind seeing dumps like Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays) and Sun Life Stadium (Florida Marlins) someday, but these five parks are the cream of the crop in my opinion, and I need to experience them before it's too late.

I can just smell the hot dogs...

My Shadows

Have you ever actually felt someone drift away from you? You can still see them, but it's very faint, and you have this feeling that they'd slip away if you blinked and you'd never seem them again.

This is how I'm starting to see those who used to be close to me. I can kind of see them, and I remember how I felt while I was around them, but I have a sense of loss and longing...emptiness. Then they just become shadows that surround me.

I can still sense them, but I just can't see them anymore, and as things get murkier I start to wonder if they'll ever be in view again.

My April's Fool

It seems like March 1 was just yesterday, and now it's already April Fools' Day. While I never been a fan of this pseudo-holiday, I've decided to use it as motivation to stop acting foolish this month. March was a crazy time, and I didn't take time for myself or to enjoy my surroundings. I know that April is going to be just as nutty, but I'm dedicating myself to not letting the madness take over. I just need to figure out how to do that. Suggestions are welcome.