B-List - Things I've Learned While Packing (List 2)

Welcome to the second edition of B-list. Last week's first list featured my top 7 favorite White Sox players of all time.

This week's list is on another timely topic. As many of you know, I'm about to move to the city with the girlfriend. I'm still in the process of packing stuff that has been collecting in my room for the past decade and a half.

The packing process has brought back some memories. In no particular order, seven random thoughts...

7. I've collected waaaaaaaay too many things. You need four or five copies of The Daily Illini from 9-12-2001 that reflect the tragedy that our nation suffered the day before? This guy had them. What about some random bent-up baseball cards from the early 90s of guys who are probably changing oil on your car? That doesn't include the stuff I still collect, like hats and beer glasses, which are all coming to the new place (as the Lady smiles).

6. Me and my friends used to be skinny. I was looking at some old pictures of y'all. Sorry to say, ladies and gentlemen, but Father & Mother time hasn't been friendly to our mid-sections. Do I blame alcohol? No. Laziness? No, not that. Decreased Metabolism? Nope. Terrible dieting habits? Uhmm....nope, not that either. Screw it, I'll just blame global warming. Increased earth temperatures caused us to balloon up 20-50 pounds. Not alcohol.

5. One Hit Wonders. I'm sure every generation of kids has a handful of albums they've bought for that one hit, only to realize that the other 11 songs are complete shit. There's a reason many of these groups did not make it beyond that one hit. Anyone looking for that Dishwalla reunion tour opening for the New Radicalz (with a 'z' cuz they're edgy and cool) might be waiting a while. Yes - I have a Dishwalla CD from the 90s, and no - I have no idea why I didn't throw that into the fireplace at some point over the years. At least I wasn't dumb enough to put them on my I-tunes playlist; otherwise, based on my new year's resolution of listening to every single song on the I-Pod, I might have to (gulp) listen to....Dishwalla. If you don't know who they are, go on YouTube and search "Counting Blue Cars" (I apologize for putting you through that 4 minutes). But please, whatever you do, don't tell me all your thoughts on God.

4. Dusty Rubbers...I'll leave that one to the imagination.

3. So much stuff, so little space. If you've ever been at the house, you'd know that my room is one of the smallest in the house. Before I moved down here in the mid 90s, the room was home to all of me, my brother and sister's toys. When shoving a bed and a dresser for clothes into the room, there's not a whole lot of square footage to navigate in the room. For this much stuff to be in the room is quite amazing. And yet, I'm still not done in there. That's more due to procrastination.

2. The Devaluation of Memories. Packing up all the trophies I received from the bowling, basketball and baseball leagues over the years, I have much different thoughts about some of those experiences now than when I experienced them back in the day. The biggest trophy in my collection was an indirect subject of my blog from yesterday - since I don't actually remember playing a single game during that baseball tournament. These participation trophies are a lot cooler when you're younger than now, when they're just reminders of your lack of playing time. It also reminds me of the three-point contest that I never got a chance to compete in during middle school since my coach gave me the wrong time for the start of the competition, and funny enough, his kid replaced me in the contest. That team participation medal that I got that day went immediately into the trash can. Fuck that guy.

Ok, I'm done venting. Seriously though, if you're ever a coach of a sports team for kids, don't be as big of a dick as that guy was.

1. I'm really gonna miss this place. That's what living in one place for 26 years (including the years at college, when this place was still technically my home) will do to a guy. Sure, don't get me wrong - I cannot wait to start my new life in a new place with a great gal. I can't wait for the new memories that are awaiting me in the future, but being the reflective guy I am, I can't help about the great times I've had at this place, save for Item 4. The toilet toss, Monday Night Raw sessions, pick-up basketball games, poker games. To leave this place behind is gonna be tough. But I'm ready to move on.

Time to create a new home in a new area. I can't wait.

Fuck that guy. Sorry, still stewing about the end of Item 2.