Film/TV: Defeat by the Dodgers. The Braves looked like the girl in Red from Schindler’s List atop a pile of missed opportunities and untried moments. Heyward looks lost, batters aren’t aggressive enough and getting behind in the count too quickly by watching strikes, and little rink-dink hits and walks at the worst times are scuttling the team’s chances.

Music: Listened to the two Lucky Nightsticks holiday albums Christmas is Fucked and Arbor Day is Fucked. So much fun. We’ll start working on President’s Day is Fucked after Laker III is done, possibly this weekend. If you aren’t privy, here’s the entire LN discography:

Comedy: Bill Hicks’ Rant in E-Minor, which is real good but I think people blow him way out of proportion in the comedy pantheon. Also, Mike Birbiglia’s new release Sleepwalk with Me, which is heartfelt and fun. Also, the first half of the Bill Cosby Director’s Cut Podcast of XM’s Stand-up Sitdown. I was in the car a lot.

Food/Drink/Inhalents: Some pancakes in the morning. Buttermilk ones that I made with granola and blueberries mixed in. Lunch was quickly engulfed leftovers as Rocco semi-slept, and dinner was wretched fast food I got on my way back from my late game. Wendy’s. Their fancy grilled chicken sandwich tastes like sagebrush. Some coffee. No booze.

Family: I had Rocco all day and he slept a total of 15 minutes… and that was in the damn car. I saw Mom and Aunt Dora at the Forum for a while, then got Sofia and and dealt with the offspring until Catherine got home and I had to jet to softball. A lot of work and cleaning and feeding and cleaning.

Friends: I filled in for Sweeney’s softball team in Buckhead, was good to see him. He’s going through some rough shit, hope it pans out soon. Saw the X-Factor boys, and it was great to see them. Mike Howard, a guy I used to clash with… is a really special dude.

Work: As much as possible considering the situation. Had to trim some payroll, which really stings. I think we have the best staff we’ve ever had and I can’t make the numbers work.

Art: Nope.

Goodies: I was at the bookstore and I got NOTHING. I was at the video game place and I got NOTHING. I was at the clothing shop and wanted some summer clothes and I got NOTHING. I even neglected to get K-cups at Caribou for the coffee machine. A big fat zero.

Screenwriting: Yes, on Henchmen. A project no one even wants!

Projects: Compiled all the files and cleaned them up for DJ Jeremy Healy’s remix of How I Roll by The Killing Swarm, hopefully the first of many remixed by the gent. Had a call with ad folks, hopefully leads to something. Bounced ideas regarding director for the TV thing. I like how it’s shaping. Saw the cut of the next trailer for Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. It’s really good. Spoke with my management about another project that’s stagnated. Was a good call. Gives me hope.

Minutia: One of the bitches on Sweeney’s team called me Silent Bob. Because of the long hair and the beard. I’m half the man Silent Bob is. Best part, she called me that as I rounded the bags on a monster home run I hit for their team with a crappy Target bought bat. It was as far from smoking a joint on a sidewalk as possible. Should have called me JESUS WITH THE BAT or something applicable. I get compared to Zach Galifanakis and the guy from the ski lift commercial and McCready and Christ because of  my look but the Silent Bob thing flat out offended me. I think nicknames are earned, and since they’d just met me and been given my name, Nick would have been a good thing to call me. The only forced nickname I’ve ever liked for me was Sleeper Cell, because I am a hairy gent and I surprised all the people on the softball team I filled in for (2 years ago) with great plays and hitting. That was a good nickname. Also, because I am a terrorist.

Activity: Two ballgames on completely opposite ends of town. I went 3-3 at Sweeney’s game with a HR, 1B, and 2B. The only bad play was one where I didn’t get my glove down to field a screaming ground ball. In my defense, I use a large glove and my glove was not with me. I left it with the Thursday team and the glove I was forced to use was a good three inches smaller than mine. It certainly changed my perspective as my muscle memory tells me where my glove ends. If I’d had it, that ball would have been cleanly fielded. I still fucked up by not making the play but I know why I didn’t. Sadly, for my real team I was batting leadoff and went 0-3 with a walk and a run scored. One of my at bats was a weak fly ball but two of the others were good hits, just right at folks. Still, if I’m going to 0-fer this isn’t the team I want to do it with.

Ailments: I had a bit of trouble. I was out with the kid at the bookstore and I felt weird all of a sudden. Like something was “off”. A few minutes later I look down and there’s a huge spider on my hand as I pushed the stroller. It wasn’t a Brown Recluse or Black Widow but it wasn’t a cute Wolf Spider either. It was creepy looking. I shook it off and kept walking around. I still felt “off”. Then my right hand started to feel sharp pain and spasm a little. Then the right side of my chest felt a sharp pain. I had no idea what was wrong but I felt weird and once again “off”. Because I had Rocco and didn’t want to be in a position where if something was wrong with me he’d be at risk I called Mom and she happened to be at the same shopping center. She came and kept an eye on Rocco as I walked around trying to determine what was wrong with me. I told Catherine and she wasn’t concerned it was my heart or anything. It was just weird. I think the spider exacerbated things and freaked me out a little. Plus I wasn’t feeling very good all day. Ultimately I was fine, but it was a weird hour or so.

Shrink’s Chair: Did you see Game of Thrones? Did you see Peter Dinklage sitting?

Asshole(s) of the Day: Silent Bob bitch. I hope the lining of her vagina turns to salt.

True Trivia: I’ve told this story before but Morgan Freeman was a dick to us on the set of Dreamcatcher, walking up to us in the snow and sub-zero temperature after we watched him get off a helicopter for what seemed like 50 boring takes. He walks up and is introduced to us “Oh… the INTERNET” he said disdainfully before answering most of our questions with questions or smart-assed cynical responses. I hope he was just a cock because DREAMCATCHER but it was really pissy of him, and THE INTERNET sort of won that skirmish.

What Did I Learn Today: That chick with the delicious tits plays for real. I was playing Third on Sweeney’s team and this pretty and stacked young lady (looked like a mix of Michelle Rodriguez and Rosario Dawson but obviously not as good) tries to turn a shitty hit with two errors by my team into a three base error. I take the throw and apply the tag, and she’s barreling towards me. I make a firm tag right at the bag but she’s not sliding. I don’t think she’s even contemplating the stopping portion of the event. She gets tagged out and goes tumbling on the dirt past third, a dervish of rich tan skin and breast. I was worried she got hurt but she bounced up and bounded away.

Link of the Day: Dick Durock WIKI. I didn’t know he died! What the fuck!

Looking ahead to tomorrow: Work, more softball, a Braves 3pm game that they NEED to win.