My annual post...

I'm pathetic. Yeah, I said it. No one is reading this, but I know if I drop in the words "Kansas State" and "Frank Martin," lots of people will read. The world is funny in that way.

Anyway, I don't post here often. I should, but this is what happens when you not only write for a living, but also maintain a blog (K-Stated) as a part of my job. It gets to be a chore.

But then again, it's nice to get some stuff out there, to express myself in the most effective way I know how. With that said, I guess I'm going to try to get this going again, if only because I'm witnessing some cool stuff out here in Kansas that I feel compelled to share.

If you haven't seen Michael Beasley yet, you should. He's the goods... and then some. He's the best basketball player I've ever seen. It's been fun observing him the past few months because he really, really likes being in college - which is funny because if not for the NBA's age restriction, he never would have set foot on a campus.

Well, maybe to holler at some girls. But you know what I mean.

It's fascinating seeing someone who is the best at what he does, the best in the entire country, still remain the same goofy kid he was when he arrived in Manhattan. He's definitely been one of the highlights of this extended trek of mine to Kansas.

It's official - I'm a disaster

I'm going to pretend I was never away, not that anyone noticed. Actually, I did get a few e-mails from acquaintances/friends wondering why I hadn't posted in a while.

Does laziness count?

Not much has happened in the year or so since I posted. Bob Huggins has come and gone, which is sort of impressive if you think about it. OK, I'm done thinking about it.

The job is OK. The 'Ta is OK. Big birthday bash for Ms. Cohan in Old Town from June 1-3. We're going to rip it up with several of the birthday girl's friends from Vermont, Massachusetts, Florida and NYC. Did I mention she was turning 30? Doesn't look a day over 28 - I swear. And I should know, ifyouknowhutI'msayin...

I'm the best man in my best friend's wedding later this summer. Should be interesting - I'm putting the over/under on the number of times I'm asked why me and Ms. Cohan aren't engaged at 20. Dude, take the over - trust me.

That's it for now. I'm going to do better, I swear. Then again, I've said that before. Really, who cares? It's just another freakin' blog in a world overrun with blogs.

As Brian Billick would say, "It is what it is." And that man would know...

This time, it's for real

It didn't make a lot of sense for me to start this thing when I did, but I'm committed. For at least the next week. Lots to catch people up on, but I'll do it tomorrow from work - have to do something to kill the time, right?

Shame

One of the seven people who read this blog - damn you, DC - has shamed me into resuming the torturous task of updating this blog. Here's the problem - I don't have anything new to add. Ever. Honestly.

I work. I work out (occasionally). I eat. I sleep. I watch TV. I talk to Miles (the cat). I ignore Jill. And that consumes one day.

There has to be something new. Ah, yes - I saw more of the Midwest recently. Can't say I was impressed. Des Moines, Iowa is pleasant, but Ames - where Iowa State is located - is dreadful. But I believe I've mentioned that before.

What has me riled me up right now? The Oklahoma men's basketball team not feeding the ball to Taj Gray and Kevin Bookout in the paint, defensive linemen who take out franchise quarterback's knees, and the fact I don't have a X-box 360 or a big-screen TV.

That's all I've got, and really, it's a miracle I extracted that from my muddled brain. But I'll leave you with this thought - if you thought you were having a bad day, week or month, it can't possibly be as bad as Marcus Vick's.

You Asked For It...

I'm back. I've always been an obedient boy, so when my mother - Hi, Mom! - called this morning and demanded a new post on my barely-breathing blog, I complied.

Looking back, this idea was ill-conceived, at best. I'm a writer. I spend all of my time writing. Why would I want to write more, especially when I'm not working? No idea. When someone comes up with the answer, e-mail me and let me know.

Some cool stuff has happened in the three-week span I've been silent. In Savannah, while visiting the family of my girlfriend - Hi, Jill! - I was hit by a bus. Not directly or very hard. It was surreal. I was inquiring about how long the wait would be to eat in one of those authentic Southern restaurants when I was struck by the driver's side mirror on this massive bus. I think I was in shock. I wasn't hurt, just stunned. Anyway, the lady I was asking about the wait couldn't believe what was happening, her mouth agape as I was peppering her with questions.

We didn't eat at the authentic Southern restaurant.

Let's see, what else happened? Got back to the gym last night, ending a six-week bender consisting of little more than work, sleep, eating (a lot) and drinking (a lot). Trust me, I have the extra poundage around the midsection to prove it.

Didn't set a foot inside of a Wichita store for Christmas shopping this year. All Internet, all the time. In fact, I'm not certain I'll ever physically go Christmas shopping ever again. Dude, the Internet is the biggest mall in the world, minus the long lines, sick germs in the air and whiny children.

Can't wait to see my oh-so-cute nephews, especially Little/Big Mac. Won't mind seeing the rest of the family as well.

Finally, sports rant: My sources in Vermont tell me there is a kid at Burlington High names Tyrone Conley who is supposed to be the real deal. Crazy hops, way too good for Vermont. Someone needs to go see this kid on Dec. 22 against Mount Mansfield. If he's the goods, I'm going to steer him towards Boston University. I'm going to alert my recruiting people about him. ... Bengals are 10-3. 'Nuff said. ... Riles is back coaching, this time in Miami. Don't really have a feeling one way or the other, but have you seen his mullet? It's unbelievable. ... Speaking of the Terriers, they took an ass-whipping last night to UMass, but I expected that. For you mid-major freaks (like me), check out midmajor.com. It's a cool site devoted to all of the non-power basketball conferences. It even has stuff about Lehigh. ... Adam Morrison can play. ... I like Michigan State to win the national championship, but I'm not ruling out Oklahoma, either. By the same token, Duke and Texas are vastly overrated. ... Reggie Bush is not the second coming of Gale Sayers. I'm tired of hearing that. He's going to be good, but going to a team without much of an offensive line (hello, Texans), he's going to struggle initially. That's why I think Memphis' DeAngelo Williams will have a bigger impact next year than Bush.

I Know, I Suck

So much for posting every day.

I'm a slacker. As some of you realize, I was sick a while back and last week I was quite busy with my job. "Something" unexpected happened, and this week was crazy. Bananas, really.

My alleged friends have ridiculed me, calling me a slacker, which is unfortunate. Guess the truth hurts.

Don't know if you've heard, but the Midwest is becoming the new East. I just learned my boy Luke (or Dookie, as he's known) is moving from Boston to Des Moines to work for the Associated Press. He is possibly the last person I thought would up and leave the Northeast, and I'm not certain he has any idea what he's in for.

I recently spent some time in Iowa.

Good luck, Dookie - it's no Wichita.

Last note - how about my BU Terriers? Losing to Duke in Cameron by 17? I'll take it, especially after watching Seton Hall get spanked two nights later by the Blue Devils. I love this team. Nice juco point guard (Brian Macon), nice perimeter shooting (freshman Corey Hassan) and some inside athleticism (Ibrahim Konate, a 6-7 kid from Mali - he reminds of a poor, poor man;'s version of Hakim Warrick). I didn't think they'd win the AmEast, but now I think it's a lock. They play Michigan Tuesday night at Agganis Arena. No joke: BU has a two-game winning streak against the Wolverines. Plus, UVM lost its season opener, which is always good news. Our family friend who shall remain nameless unless he taunts me was probably at the game; can't wait for the report on the post-Brennan Catamounts. (This stream of consciousness thing is tiring) Brennan, in case people didn't hear, is announcing games (color commentating) for ESPN.

Guess he's not as big of a buffoon as I thought.

Why Is It Called A Cold?

I don't feel cold, but I'm getting one. Sniffles, slight irritation in the throat, a little rundown - all unmistakable signs.

Has to be related to the weather changes here, I think. Two weeks ago, you were crazy if you weren't wearing a jacket or coat. But the past few days have eclipsed 75 degrees. My body doesn't know what to think.

I know, this isn't exactly riveting material. And the vow I made to post something every day? I broke that already, and this blog is barely four days old. No willpower, I swear.

Mom would tell me to get some rest. Dad would tell me to drink some orange juice. I'll do both.