Mud doesn't suck...



Not in this context, either...but I'm talking moreso about mud instead of snow/ice.  Trails in Mendham, NJ, are now runworthy.  Snow sucks.  Mud doesn't suck.  I could do without either, but will take messy and runable to snow. 



THURSDAY, MARCH 4TH, 2010

Chimichanga's don't suck...duh.  Its a burrito, but deep-fried.  Ummm, yeah sign me up.  Duh.  Cool word to say, as well, sort of like titicaca or Buttafuoco.



WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3RD, 2010


The Yankees don't suck.  First spring training game this afternoon against the mighty Pittsburgh Pirates, who should bring back the flat top Civl War style hats circa the Kent Tekulve days...

Either way, the Yanks don't suck.  I will miss Matsui a bit, not so much Chien Ming Wang...he sucks, surgeries or not.  Opening day against the BoSox less than a month away.



TUESDAY, MARCH 2ND, 2010

"Get Carter" does not suck, nor does Sylvester Stallone, which should go without saying.  I was shocked and dismayed that IFC only gave it the one-star on the info pop-up box.  Perhaps this is why I'm not a film critic, but I've watched "Get Carter" many times, have it on DVD, and still stop to watch it anytime its on the tube.  Jack is a pretty cool, badass dude in it...plus its set in Seattle.  Big fan of "Copland", too, but the Sly character is a bit more sad in there...at least his name is Freddie, which is not why I named my son Fred. 


MONDAY, MARCH 1ST, 2010

March does not suck.  It got up to a pleasant 47ish degrees today in the Garden State, the excessive and unwelcome snow is melting a bit, and February is behind us.  February did not not suck.  It sucked.  Too much snow.  Trails unrunable.  And I believe I picked up the plague.  F-off February.  Felt better and less plague-ridden already today.  Yay March.  Two weekends away from the first F1 race and selection Sunday.  The 'Cuse is #1, likeable bunch.  March does not suck.



SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, 2010


Robotussin CF does not suck.  In fact I believe it to not suck even more than the Tylenol crap I was taking for the past few days.  Running about 1/3 of the mileage this week that I've been getting in does suck, however.  Alas, the streak remains in tact.  Consecutive day streaks don't suck, particularly when you do suck at running and the streak is the main thing you have to hold onto...and weekly mileage.



THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, 2010

Women's golf doesn't suck.  It apparantly sucks a lot less than track does, at least at Seton Hall University, which just cut its men's and women's track programs and added women's golf to save bucks and comply with NCAA Title IX guidelines.  Title IX, by the way, does not not suck.  Meaning...it sucks.  The Hall is keeping x-c at some sort of club level, which is sort of silly.  Seton Hall x-c, like Title IX, does not not suck.  Meaning...its not very good at running. 


WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH, 2010


Cold and flu stuff doesn't suck...needing to take it does.  So does the fact that it says its non-drowsy.  Perhaps I'm a lightweight, but this stuff makes me drowsy and feel like my head is in a tunnel or box.   





MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, 2010


4:10 for 1600m on a flat track at the NJ State Group Meet doesn't suck. Back to the good running for Delbarton senior Pat Schellberg after a less than satisfying result in Boston.  The Millrose Champ goes after his first Meet of Champions title this Saturday. 



WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH, 2010


Larry Holmes doesn't suck.  He's probably not going to go back to school and get a degree from Harvard anytime soon, but neither am I...Not only is The Easton Assassin an underrated, overlooked, all-time great, but he seems an honest, earnest...dare I say...good guy.  The YES Network's show, "Centerstage" has a good episode with Holmes now.  There's also a new feature on Ali, with some long interview segments with Holmes.  I have always felt that the things that Ali brought into the sport like trashtalking, losing to inferior fighters when unprepared, etc...are really not that great.  Larry Holmes did not talk a lot (at least for a boxer) but he won a lot, with precision and skill.  There were a few fights in the prime of his career where he was in trouble, and he did what a great fighter should do...fight.  He fought back and won in spots against guys like Ken Norton and Mike Weaver when he almost went down.  He showed class and mercy when he could have literally killed Marvis Frazier in the ring.  He's very honest about why he continued to fight when well past his prime and he knew he would lose...money.  Long story short, Larry Holmes doesn't suck, no did his jab.





TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH, 2010


Honey Stinger bars don't suck.  I ate one of the new protein ones yesterday as part of my terrific lunch.  My Clif Bar supply has dwindled down...very few Builders Bars left, so I have sought new options.  These, just to review, don't suck.  They are good for eating...





MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH, 2010

I have been thinking lately that Southern California doesn't suck...particularly when it keeps snowing in NJ and I can't run on the freaking trails.  Monrovia Canyon near Arcadia doesn't suck.  Lots of the sun there. 




SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH, 2010


Trevor Dunbar does not suck.  Have I said that already?  US Junior National Cross-Country Champion.  He is good at running.  Last year's winner was German Fernandez...lets hope that Young Dunbar is better than 97th place at NCAA X-C in the fall.  This is Portland's 1st Junior National Champ...kind of cool...it doesn't suck.  I believe the first team member since Tim Briggs...who was 35th at World Junior, top American, 1995.  Go Pilots.



WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH, 2010


Snow plows don't suck.  I anticipated that my run this morning might suck as much as any run that has ever sucked before.  Alas, the plows in Mendham were out and about and keeping things surprisingly not that sucky. 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH, 2010

The Who does not suck.  They may look old, sound old and be old...but they don't suck...never have, never will.  Pete Townshend kicks ass.  The halftime show music usually sucks so much ass that its hard to fathom.  They aren't what they once were, but they are still legendary and great to watch. 



FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH, 2010


Kashi bars don't suck.  They're pretty tasty.  I'm running out of my supply of Clif Bar products that I liberated from my former place of "employment" and Kashi stuff can be bought cheaper than Clif it seems.  Very important to keep the routine for lunch the same.  A bagel and two bars.  Breakfast is either nothing and black coffee before running, or a bar or Clif Bloks and black coffee before running.  The post-run recovery drink is more black coffee, for what that's worth.




THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, 2010

The Michael Schumacher comeback does not suck.  I have already gone over the obvious fact that The Mike himself does not suck, but will stay with the theme for a while longer here.  On a side note, 3 burritos from Macho Nacho seems to result in an excessive amount of turds. 




WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD, 2010

Michael Schumacher does not suck.  In fact, he does not suck more than anything that has never sucked before.  He doesn't suck as much as Stanfurd does suck.  Day 3 of official F1 testing in Valencia, Spain concluded today, and Herr Weltmeister was an unofficial 3rd on the time sheets for his new Mercedes squad.  Fernando Alonso topped the charts for Ferrari.  That's weird.  In Schumacher's retirement, I had come to not hate Alonso and start to think that he doesn't suck.  Not anymore.  Good thing it became painfully obvious that I could not afford the Audi RS4 this past fall.  I surely would have been conflicted and gotten rid of it, perhaps for an AMG type of thing solely because of Schumacher.  Silliness.  They don't even make them with a clutch.  Lame.  I will save money for Macho Nacho burritos this way.  Only 6 weeks until the F1 season opener.  2010 will not suck. 






TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND, 2010...GROUNDHOG DAY

Running With The Tobe does not suck.  After several years of doing this, I am reasonably sure that he doesn't hate it.  Either way, he's a pretty loyal dude, and great partner for needless 2nd runs of the day which I do often.  Toby is a creature of habit, sandbags horribly on the way out, dragging behind me, ears sagging...as soon as we turnaround and head for home, he hammers, often the split is close to 8 min. pace on the way out, 6 min. pace on the way back.  The Tobe...


SUNDAY, JANUARY 31ST, 2010


The burger I had Friday before Millrose with bacon, egg and cheese on it does not suck.  Nor does Sierra Nevada on tap at the same establishment.  To make the meet more exciting, they should have made Lagat and all others in The Wanamaker mile eat 2 of these burgers within 30 minutes prior to the race, and then turn it into a beer mile.  I would have to think somebody like Chris Solinsky would do well in such an event.



FRIDAY, JANUARY 29TH, 2010



The train station in Morristown does not suck, great spot to catch a ride into Penn Station for Millrose this afternoon.  My son is fired up to drop me off there.  It does kind of suck to not put Fred to bed and to miss dinner with him, but pretty fare trade off with the pleasure he will get from going to the train station.  In another year or two he'll be able to go to the meet and knock back some beers with me.



THURSDAY, JANUARY 28TH, 2010



All-Wheel Drive does not suck, and I'm glad my car has it.  Otherwise it may not have been possible to make it to work today...43 miles in 2 HOURS and 28 MINUTES...Its a good thing that I didn't have an XL Black Coffee from Dunkin Donuts during this drive, or I would have had some sort of seizure.  I am generally impatient and angry, and don't see this changing.  Kurt Vonnegut doesn't suck, but the whole thing about having the wisdom to accept the things you can't do anything about...I am bad at that.



WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27TH, 2010

The Stig does not suck.  He is good at the driving.  Monday night was the season debut of Top Gear on BBC-America.  The Stig took off the helmet, and it was none other than Michael Schumacher.  I was pleased about this.  Unfortunately, the episode was filmed months ago and The Mike was still quite retired. 




TUESDAY, JANUARY 26TH, 2010


Chairs do not suck.  They are good for sitting.  Apparantly sitting on a plastic crate used to carry water bottles all day hurts my back.  Funny, because whilst I was doing so it really just hurt my ass, which is partially my fault for not being as fat as I was a few months ago.  Being not as fat doesn't suck, nor does running more.  Today my back doesn't suck as much, either, and I even have a cheapo chair to sit on and work the Grotepoll magic for hours on end. 



MONDAY, JANUARY 22ND, 2010


Braylon Edwards not dropping a pass and scoring on an 80-yard TD does not suck, nor does leading 17-6 in the AFC Championship Game.  Having to deal with Peyton Manning sucks.  He does not suck.  Braylon Edwards is not the guy.  He's probably caught and dropped his last passes as a Jet.  Thanks for the memories, bye bye. 



FRIDAY, JANUARY 21ST, 2010


Hockey doesn't suck, nor do Martin Brodeur and the Devils.  I can not consider myself a real hockey fan, I just don't know enough about it, but the NBA just sucks so much, that I am trying more and more to be a hockey fan.  Sure, the Nets are one of the worst teams in the history of the league this year, but the downward spiral into suckdom has been going on for years.  I used to be a huge NBA fan, followed/watched all the games I could, read box scores and articles every day, now I am as disgusted by it as I am by vegetables.  Although I really can't say I have sat down and watched a hockey game this season, I pay attention and will watch in the playoffs. 



WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19TH, 2010


The Garmin 310xt does not suck.  I caved in to techmology about a week-and-a-half ago and picked one of these up.  Very easy to use, and accurate.  As is well established, I'm at least half-a-retard, yet still have had no trouble using this thing and getting the info on the Garmin Connect site.  Then things really take a further turn away from suckiness.  I like maps.  Maps do not suck.  Every day I can see a map of where I just ran.  Neat.  Even if I kind of suck at running.  Something tells me when using this thing that for many years I probably overestimated how far and fast I was running.  So it goes.  This should help me not suck as much at running far...or something.




MONDAY, JANUARY 18TH, 2010


Everything doesn't suck...the Jets are in the AFC Championship Game.  The 'Bolts RB with #21 does not deserve the nickname LT.  As far as I know he never did crack or anything, and certainly is nowhere near the caliber of player that Lawrence Taylor was.  I dislike the Giants, but still...Every year in January Mr. Tomlinson mopes on the sidelines as his team loses a playoff game in disappointing fashion, and he really doesn't do much positive to prevent it from happening.  F-him.  Clear a path. 




THURSDAY, JANUARY 7TH, 2010


37, that's right THIRTY-SEVEN doesn't suck.  Its downright balmy in NJ at 37 degrees.  Perhaps with the sun some melting of the snow and ice will make trails runable again before it gets nasty cold again this weekend.
The national championship game doesn't suck either, working in Princeton today, it is highly likely that I will make a run for the border on the way home and have myself a feast. 



SUNDAY, JANUARY 3RD, 2010

Season tickets to the Jets don't suck, other than the cost of the tickets and the PSL's, and until of course its 17 degrees with 30mpw winds with heavier gusts and the last game of the year doesn't start until after 8 o'clock AND you get out of the game at midnight or later AND don't get home until about 1:30 in the morning AND you have to wake up the next morning to run and be at work before 10.  Good thing I opted to not buy season tickets with money I don't have and will enjoy the game from my couch with a farting Weimaraner by my side.


WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30TH


Heat doesn't suck, particularly when its 12 degrees outside in the morning.  Waking up at 5:55 AM (thanks Fred) to find that the oil heat went out doesn't not suck.  It sucks.  Petro Company showed up at 11:30, and is still doing the fixing.  The movie "Heat" kind of sucks, although I watch it everytime its on, hoping that Robert DeNiro will get away and/or shoot Pacino first.  I'm not very smart.



FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25- CHRISTMAS DAY

I have taken a deliberate few days off from Stuff That Doesn't Suck to submit the following.  So much does this not suck that it can only be fitting on Christmas Day. 


THE MASTER RETURNS.
There is no other athlete (yes F1 drivers are athletes) that I admire more than Michael Schumacher.  Thank you, Michael.  This news makes my 2010 before it even begins.  Watching Brit Jenson Button win a world title with Schumacher's man Ross Brawn last year was difficult, worse given that this prevented young German and Schumacher heir Sebastian Vettel from staking his claim. 

Although I was a Schumacher guy before his Ferrari days in the early 90's with Bennetton, clearly the images of The Master racing all feature him in Imola Red.  No longer, however.  The move and reuniting with Ross Brawn at Mercedes will be strange, but a marketing match made in heaven.  I would have been conflicted a year ago if this had happened.  Way back then, I opposed Mercedes, mostly on the basis that all of their cars, even the biggest, baddest AMG's have automatic trannies.  At that time, and until late August I drove (notice I don't use the word "owned") an Audi RS4, tuned and tweaked to 507hp.  Clearly Schumacher in Mercedes is a German marketing dream, especially with 2nd driver Nico Rosberg, another young and promising German, along with him.  Rosberg comes over from Williams, and also drove the same black RS4.  He'll probably get rid of his, as well, but for different reasons than I did.  That said, I never had the money for that, and even before this news could not be happier with my new job, move to Mendham, great 3rd Christmas with my son, Fred and family, and reasonably positive progress in some sort of running comeback. 

All that said, some of my happiest moments as a sports fan have come in watching Michael's 91 victories and 7 World Championships.  Some of the most gut wrenching and saddest have come in his losses or crashes...or Fernando Alonso world titles...or worst of all his final race in Brazil in 2006.  I will confess that when his ill-fated race that day was nearing its end and he capped it with a fastest lap of the day, I shed tears.  Not 911 wing eyesweat tears, the real kind.  Its likely that by the time the Bahrain GP rolls around on March 14th there will not be any tears, they would have happened during practice or qualifying when Michael makes a run at the pole. 

Froehlich Weinachten, Herr Schumacher...danke, danke, danke. 


SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20TH

Snow sucks, snowblowers do not suck.  I wish somebody would snowblow Patriot's Path for about 6 miles from Mountain Ave. in Mendham.  That would rule. 



THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17TH

Belts do not suck.  Too bad I don't have any of them.  My new array of trousers is terrific, trouble is, I seem to be getting less fat.  Bought 32's in everything, have always worn 30's, but 32 seemed more comfortable, and figured they would shrink a bit.  Guess I am shrinking a bit with more consistent, less bad running.  I still like the pants, just need a belt because they are falling off and what not. 


MONDAY, DECEMBER 14TH


John Wall doesn't suck.  And to think he's playing at such a high level despite the heavy academic pressures he is facing as a college freshman.  I'm sure he's was up late and studying right up until game time before the UConn comeback.  Now all of his finals to deal...hopefully his courses next semester aren't even harder...all the time he'll miss during tournament time. 



SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12TH

My sincere apologies for a hiatus in updating more non-sucking stuff.  I have had some serious issues the last few days, problems so severe that it is very difficult for me to see through all of the sucking and find things that don't suck in the world.  The Jets are starting an Oregon Duck at QB tomorrow.  What's next, Stanfurd guy wins the Heisman and winds up our 1st round draft choice?  Its just not cool at all, in fact it sucks.  A lot.  I'd rather dig up Rick Mirer again and start him.  Or Ryan Leaf...I don't think he's in jail, and is definitely looking for work.  At least he went to Wazzu.  A win may help, 7-6 would not suck as much, paricularly if Clemens never sees action for the Jets again.  Send him to wherever Kerry Rhodes wants to go. 



WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9TH

Avoiding the mall at all costs does not suck.  Today I had to go to the mall.  I hope to never return.  I took my son, Fred, to the Rockaway Mall, went straight into Macy's.  I needed some new pants, found some new pants.  Fred enjoyed the experience, dressing rooms, and so on.  The diffiulty began at the point which should have been the easiest part...PAYING.  I moved to 3 different registers, all of which had all of one person in line, each of which turned their transaction into an oddysey of sucking.  I actually had a $100 gift certificate...which got me 3 pairs of pants with 20bucks left over.  I am unsure whether or not my pants are cool.  They might suck.  I don't give a rat's ass.  Either way, I came close to giving the cashier all of the money in my wallet...forget about the f-ing gift certificate, just to leave.  With or without the pants.  I was very happy to leave, so was Fred.  We didn't see Santa, but perhaps he'll show up this Sunday in Morristown, where he was supposed to be last week.




TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8TH

Greg Dulli does not suck.  He rules. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50c-KsLhEjI
The Twilight Singers also do not suck, nor did the Afghan Whigs.  Saw them a handful of times in college and once in NYC after they released "1965"  Probably the coolest shows I've ever witnessed.  None of them sucked.  At all. Dulli has gotten a bit fat, but still rules. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZYf6BF6JOc&feature=related
Check that 2nd one out, too.  Live with Mark Lanegan, formerly of The Screaming Trees.  Not surprisingly, it does not suck.  I wish more stuff didn't suck.  I don't spend much time on Youtube, but when I do, I find that it doesn't suck.  I wonder how much less I would have gone to class if things like Youtube were around when I was in college.



SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5TH


Kentucky-Carolina hoops on a Saturday afternoon before the SEC football championship game...that does not suck at all.  I could do without the early December snow, though.  An inch or two on the ground and more importantly on Patriots Path would upset me.  That said, if the tradeoff is for perfect conditions in Sacramento for Cal Intl. Marathon, thats cool.







WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2ND

Patriots' Path in Mendham does not suck, nor does living less than half a mile from it.  It would be nice if more people abided by the leash laws, however, so I could run with The Tobe there.  He abides by the leash laws, but has some anger with other dogs, particularly off leash.  It will be strange not living within a mile of The Wall in Bernadsville, but its a good change, I am old and bad at running and perhaps the path will help my cause. 





TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1ST


Munchkins from Dunkin' Donuts don't suck, at least according to my son Fred.  He ate like 4 of them today his damnself when I took him to his Tuesday play group deal.  I didn't have any, just an XL black coffee.  He didn't want to share any Munchkins, but told a few other kids how yummy his were.  Today we moved out of Bernardsville to neighboring Mendham, awessome spot for running and a big park across the street, tons of grass, playground and basketball courts lit up at night.  Mendham High has a good hoops tradition for an affluent town.  Guys produced a Tournament of Champs team led by Jeff Schiffner who played well at UPenn...they almost beat DaJuan Wagner's Camden team.  Girls have won a Tourney of Champs, led by point Kelly Riposta and future Stanfurd star Kelly Suminsky.  


 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH

Trump National in Bedminster does not suck, at least if you either have a spare 250k for membership or are a member of the town committee.  Its a nice place to roll through a couple of miles from the end of a friendly Sunday long-ish run.

It is also apparantly a great place to stop and drop a big, nasty deuce, as one young man from a prominent, big name collegiate program elected to do.  I will not name any names here, however, let me just say it was from a top 10 team at the NCAA meet, and I believe The Donald or perhaps George should contact the fine university's and alert them of the dispicable nature of this act.  Perhaps even some sanctions should be taken against this program for not educating its athletes that it is NOT OK to befoul such a pristine place.  Perhaps that's how they do things at Stanfurd, but not in the rest of the country.  I let it slip...still no names, but a guy from Stanfurd.  I say that their NCAA title should be taken away, all records of it wiped out, ala Coach Cal's Final 4 appearances.  Oh wait, they didn't win.  Nevermind. 


FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH
Man vs. Food does not suck, its pretty cool actually.  I would like to attempt some of the challenges with stuff that's really, really hot...
Pretty sure I would succeed in a few of those.  Some of the massive volume challenges...no way.  120oz. plus of milkshakes, no way.  Massive omelete, no way.  Huge steak, maybe.  Really hot wings or burger probably.  I ate many of the hottest Cluck U wings a couple Super Bowls ago, all went well...I touched my eye, which sucked, but at them just fine.  Any challenge involving any condiment or vegetable would rule me out...won't/can't eat mustard, ketchup, mayo, dressing, cole slaw, any veggies, etc.  I'd like to try to see how many burritos from King Burrito in North Portland I could eat, but none of the Pilots brought me any, and nobody from Jersey ever brings me anything back from Nike Nationals.  Not cool.


WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25th