Exciting Weekend In The Woodchuck Hole (Sorry for the delay!)

It's going to be one heck of a weekend for this here marmot. Tonight, it's the Monsters (AAA hockey) vs. Toronto ($1 hot dogs, $1 soda, and a free hat, if the on-ice effort picks up from the last few outings, this'll be heaven), tomorrow marks both the high holy day of Buckeye State futbol known as Crewsmas as the Columbus Crew open up at Hunt Park against Toronto and the return of a unified IndyCar series with the Miami 300 (8 PM ESPN2). As a fan of fenderless motorsport, this is a moment of unbridled joy. Heck, I hugged the computer I read the news on upon reading of confirmation of the merger with Champ Car! After a Sunday consisting largely of church (Jesus Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia.*), typing papers, and watching televised basketball (as well as getting used to NASCAR sans a Jarrett on the track), Monday will be the greatest day of the entire year (weather permitting), Opening Day for the Cleveland Indians! They play Tor.... oops, Chicago (fell into a habit there). Have a good weekend and I'll be back on Tuesday with a recap of all the exciting events of the weekend as well as a few fresh rants.

* If you're Lutheran, you understand both the significance of this phrase and why periods are used instead of exclamation points. If not, it's (like much of Lutheranism) too lengthy to explain in this space.

Change of Plans

In thinking about how to spend my last spring break (unless I go for a second grad degree*) next year, I was contemplating flying to Phoenix to watch Cleveland Indians Spring Training. I am seriously reconsidering these plans after hearing about the terrible effects of jet lag. If jet lag can make Hillary Clinton unable to tell the difference between a warm welcome from high-level dignitaries and a Port Kaituma Airstrip-esque fusillade of gunfire, I'm afraid to experience it for myself.

On a serious note, am I the only one sickened by the crap treatment our soldiers and veterans get these days? These people volunteer to fight and possibly die for us and we treat them like this?! or this?!?!

Think happy thoughts! Think happy thoughts! Like hockey, ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!

How about baseball? Ahhhhhhh! Much better! Hard to believe the Tribe's last ever Grapefruit League game is tomorrow. Actually, the coming weekend is pretty exciting. More about that in tomorrow's dispatch from The Woodchuck Hole.

Until then, remember that it's not really a bad day unless you're incarcerated, trapped in a war zone, in Hell, or reliving the '91 Tribe season in a Groundhog Day-style continuous loop (which I believe is several denominations' theological definition of Hell).

*Don't laugh, I'm competent enough in two other areas (outside of history) to at least consider pursuing Master's degrees in them.

Welcome to the Woodchuck Hole!

Note to Burke Airport officials: do not call the exterminator, the woodchuck hole in question is a fictional place.

Hello, my name is The Hairpin. I'm a woodchuck (and a highly opinionated one at that). I live in a woodchuck hole at Burke Lakefront Airport, right outside my namesake: the erstwhile turn 1 of the currently defunct Cleveland Grand Prix circuit. From said woodchuck hole, I shall opine on various topics including, but not limited to: auto racing, stick-and-ball (and puck) sports, politics, the economy, and pop culture. This may seem like an awful broad scope for a blog but, hey, I'm a renaissance marmot!