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Did you guys know that when you switch a household bill to your name, then you get a bill with the previous person's name just above a BIG SCARY NUMBER, and you call and talk to the nice phone rep, it turns out that that BIG SCARY NUMBER is not in fact your problem? I didn't. And now I do. Whew.

Yeah. I've got the apartment's gas bill in my name, since we all share responsibilities like that, and it turns out that the last girl who had it - well, I don't know what she was fucking doing with the money everyone gave her, but she sure as shit wasn't putting it toward the bill. So when I opened the bill to see what was up (eventually, that is; I left it alone for a while because it had her name on it, but then I decided that it might have something in it that I should know), I just about had a fucking heart attack. The thought that you may have inherited FOUR DIGITS' worth of someone else's irresponsibility is not so good for the blood pressure.

But it's not my problem, it's hers, and bless the phone rep for being so nice about my question that was probably very stupid and ignorant (this seems like something an actual real adult would know), and I'd like to be a fly on the wall when they send a collection agency after her ass.

(no subject)

Whew, we're not sending down Youk to make room for Gonzalez. Unfortunately, we're getting rid of McCarty instead, possibly losing him from the organization entirely, which, since McCarty is back-up first base, kind of explains the Olerud thing. Wow, way too damn many commas in that sentence.

Tonight: Jeremy Bonderman vs. Jeremi "Not even good enough for the Devil Rays" Gonzalez. I want Bondo to keep his winning record (3-2 right now) so badly that I almost don't mind that the Sox would have to take a loss. Almost.

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Wow. Tonight's game was like an object lesson in everything the Sox are doing wrong.

* They wasted a good starter. Jeremi-with-an-I was about eight bazillion times better than everyone expected. He pitched a good game. He gave up three runs in the first inning, but then he settled down and ended up with seven Ks. I'm feeling better about our rotation.

And yet.

* Way too many men stranded on base. What was it, eleven tonight? I'm used to this, it's what we do, but it shouldn't be. I've noticed that a lot of our runs come from homers, which is all well and good, but let's do some old-fashioned hitting too, because this is what happens when no one gets a home run. Our offense needs to chill out and stop swinging for the poles every damn time.

* OUR BULLPEN SUCKS OH MY GOD. Mantei did a nice job, five up and five down, but Neal and Embree? STOP THAT. Five runs between the two of you was just tragically ridiculous. I'm just glad we didn't have to see Foulkie tonight.

* Too bad that awesome out from Rents ultimately didn't do shit.

BAH.

So, over all, it's a good thing for my sanity that I wasn't rooting for them tonight.

. . . oh, what? I love Bonderman and I wanted him to get the win. And he did, so now his record is 4-2. The Sox get way more games than Bondo gets starts. It was weird as all shit to be cheering and growling at all the wrong places, but this is the only game I'll be doing it. Next two games I'm happy either way, and Thursday Arroyo starts so it's all about the Sox.

It is strange, though, to not root for a team you know so well. Because I know the Sox's strengths and weaknesses, and I knew when to be nervous ("Oh, Tek's at bat") and when to relax ("Blaine Neal? Do they, like, not want to win?"). Usually, it's a bit of a gray area, because you can follow a rival team all you want, but unless you can watch them regularly, you don't know them like you know your own team, so you're not sure how much tension to feel when.

Oh, and that rough time Bondo had? Totally my fault. I'm sorry. See, I decided after his 1-2-3 first that it would be fun to try and keep a game log. So I did, and he promptly started losing his shit. In the fourth inning, bases loaded, I decided to stop writing and see what happened.

( Game Log of DOOM )

And the second I stopped writing, Bondo struck out Manny, and then Ortiz, and got out of that bases loaded jam. Nice. So, even though I was dying to, I didn't write another damn word. I'm sorry, Bondo. I won't do it again. In fact, no more game logs from me period.

And then the Tigers proceeded to take advantage of the Sox - doing whatever the fuck they thought they were doing. Triples and triples. Two homers from Carlos Peña. A great inning of relief from TEH FARNS, and two nice ones from Ugie Urbina. Okay, Pudge went 0-for-4, but you can't have everything.

So, from a Tigers fan standpoint, absolutely lovely. From a Red Sox fan standpoint, what the fuck is wrong with my team?

In news of other teams: Yankees actually win a game, 6-2. Over the Devil Rays, so let's not get too worked up. Meanwhile, the Astros trash the Pirates, 4-11, with my boy Andy Pettitte getting the win. Very good day for my pitchers. <3

In conclusion: BONDO.