The Wire, Softball Socks and Driving

The Wire

I finished it today and it was, without a doubt, the greatest show I’ve ever watched. Perhaps, will ever watch. It had drama, humour, and great character development as well. The story was so layered, so intricately weaved that you could watch it several times and catch something new each time. Characters who get killed off in the show tend to “haunt” the show after. By that I mean other characters are greatly affected by the death and you can see the toll it takes on them in their eyes.

It’s a strong testament to how good a show is when their weakest season (their last season) is probably better than most great seasons of any other show. It neatly tied together pretty much everything in the show and left me completely satisfied. Completely. I strongly urge those of you who haven’t watched it to give it a shot. It’s a little slow, and the lingo might turn you off, but stick with it and not only will you be rewarded with a great show, but a new way of looking at things in life as well. And how often can you say that about a show?

Socks for Softball

Normally, I wear ankle socks when I wear shorts. It’s just something I got used to because I hate having people look at my socks when I’m in shorts, but for softball, it’s a different story. Certain situations call for sliding and if I’m in shorts I’m probably going to need a skin graft every time I make one of those plays. Phil suggested that we get ourselves some baseball socks which are longer and will cover your calves to prevent this. I put them on today and I look like a Japanese schoolgirl. They are pretty ridiculous but I will endure it if it saves my legs in the long run.

I also got my Jersey today and I’m fairly disappointed at the number that I got. 13. I wanted number 6, but that was given to a girl on the team (the same one that lectured me on cursing) so I wasn’t too happy that I lost out on it. I would have really, really, wanted it, but, what happens happens. Instead I was given my old number, and I hope that it brings me the same luck that it once did when I first wore it.

Driving

I have until August 26th to get my G so I started taking driving lessons again. I’m not really in need of them, just some small habits that I have to change, but apparently, aside from driving with one hand, I have still maintained most of the good habits that I was taught a few years ago. My teacher took me to the highway and he kept telling me to “reach 100,” when I was on the ramp, which, somehow for an odd reason, reminded me of Marty trying to reach 88mph in the DeLorean to travel back in time. Unfortunately, this wasn’t Back to the Future, and my acceleration didn’t result in me going back to the 1950s and trying to persuade my mother to go out with my father.

Small Update

Forgive me if I’m starting to sound bitter in some of my posts. Truth be told, I’m on the up and up and have been feeling dandy these past few weeks because school has been over and I can finally relax. I’ve got work today and tomorrow but that’s not that big of a deal since the shifts are easy and I’ll most likely spend it reading and writing.

I haven’t had a chance to watch any of the major blockbusters yet, missing out on X-Men (which I wasn’t too excited about to begin with after X3 got debacled) and Star Trek (which I had to skip because of work), but I’ll probably find time to watch ‘em next year when they come out, seeing as how everyone’s already watched these movies. Looking back on my DVD collection, I think a fairly large percentage of them were movies that I didn’t get to watch in theatres. Whether it was because I had work and missed out or maybe because at the time I was too young to watch it (Kill Bill, Sin City etc), either way they have somehow found their way into my collection. Along with Stepford Wives, which if anyone is reading, I am willing to give to you for free, along with a meal of your choosing and a photo of myself with a sign that says “[insert name] is Redford’s master.”

In other, unrelated news: fuck LOST! I’m migrating to HBO. They’ve always had the best shows and now I’m going to commit myself to shows exclusively from this network. I’m two seasons away from finishing The Sopranos, which I’ll probably do sometime this summer, after I’m finished watching The Wire, which is too damn awesome. I’m surprised it took me so long to start this show but it is honestly the best show ever. Ever! This isn’t hyperbole speaking either, as far as I am concerned the series is damn near flawless.

Softball and The Wire: My Summer Plan.

I had my first official softball practice the other day and three things became very clear to me:

1) I can’t run anymore.
2) I’ve still got a bum shoulder.
3) I need to stop swearing.

We started out by jogging two laps around the park and midway through I was wheezing and felt an incredible cold feeling in my lungs. Kevin can attest to my inability to run as he showed me up when we ran to the bus stop a month ago. Not only did I stop half way, but I stopped to throw up what I had for dinner, complete with lumps of food and bits of my dignity.

Anyway, while I was chasing down a grounder in practice I tried throwing it to the shortstop but didn’t get a good enough grip on the seams. The ball slipped out of my hand and I said “shit!” out loud, which turns out to be the wrong thing to say in a Christian Softball practice. I got a bit of a talking to. As it turns out, my pottymouth can get me into oodles of trouble with the league so I’m gonna need to cut down on my cursing. It’s easy to cut down swearing when you’re talking, but, in moments like this, it becomes reflex.

To make matters worse I started watch The Wire recently. Shows like that can only increase my vocabulary for all the wrong reasons. Philip recommended the show to me way back but I was too busy watching The Sopranos and LOST to pick up a new show. Now that I’ve lost my faith in LOST, I figured I could pick up a new show and put the other one on the back burner for now. Best. Decision. Ever. I just finished Season 1 and it has changed my life. The way it delves into issues within the police force, the bureaucracy that hampers justice, and the complexity of criminal organizations, it’s about as realistic a show as I’ve ever watched. The thing is, what makes it awesome, is that it doesn’t tie things together so neatly. I’ve grown to hate the self-contained episodes in CSI because their portrayal of cases and justice is so idealistic. They don’t look into the politics, nor do they really pose the question: “what if the cops don’t want this case solved?”