Lord, thank you. At least the Bears still suck...
GREEN BAY PACKERS WEEKLY RECAP:
We did it! We really did it! We won a game without our lord and saviour, Aaron Rodgers! The defense stepped up huge and, naturally, won't get the credit it deserves since it seems Packers fans only love offense, though our last two Super Bowl wins have come on the backs of our defenses both times. Yes, the offenses played well in them, and in XXXI, obviously, our special teams was off the fucking charts, but it was mostly our D that got us there. Our special teams Sunday was, well, they were there too. It's so tough to be on our third long snapper this season, which has to be some kind of record. Of course, the injury bug, well, it's not exactly a bug anymore, it's probably best to call it the "Injury Shadow Monster" as it has been slowly taking over our players one by one FUCKING WILL BYERS STYLE, continues to ravage us, this week taking our top two running backs including our outstanding rookie Aaron Jones and Ty Montgomery after he made a great run. Do not make a great play as a Green Bay Packer running back. It seems to doom you the last couple years, suspiciously starting around the same time "Stranger Things" has been on the air... Hmmm...
But, man, did Brett Hundley MAKE SOME FUCKING THROWS. And, a flat out amazing catch on the other end of that throw by Davante Adams. Although, it was very irritating that everyone seemed amazed by the fact he made that catch one-handed, but no one commented on the fact that the DB grabbed his other arm so he fucking had to catch it one-handed. Anyhow, I'm so glad Ted Thompson (and me, as I totally called it and told everyone who would listen) doesn't listen to the fans and didn't even think of giving up on this kid a couple years back when he was struggling with foot and ankle injuries (which, his game is based on his ridiculously quick feet and great foot work/balance). He's a borderline superstar and probably our most reliable WR, though I think Cobb could be more involved but that's just me. And, Davante somehow has the cure for concussions in his blood. I need some of that. I've had two in the past year due to getting rear-ended while stopped at a red light. Just sitting at red lights, FUCKING BOTH TIMES. So aggravating. Mine lasted over a month each, the second was almost two months. Davante has a horrific hit to the head and is back to catch the game winner a week and a half later. Magic. I realize now that mine are worse because those were concussions #5 and #6 (that I know of) and, more importantly, my brain doesn't completely fit properly into my head making me more susceptible to it knocking into my skull and concussing me. It's a long story but let's just say I had skull removal and skull reattachment surgery.
Sidenote: how far we have fallen. At the beginning of each season, I have my brother buy the nflsundayticket.tv package ($100 for a student, $300 for a regular ass adult like me) for me. Normally, the Packers only have a handful of games not on national television. Starting a couple weeks ago, when, oh, I don't remember, but something happened and our great and fearless leader, a one, Mr. Aaron Rodgers somehow got hurt (I can't remember who did that to him. Oh, wait, of course I fucking remember who did this one to him, Mr., nope, not fucking "Mr.," I'll call you Tony Barr. I even had a good cheer to myself earlier this season when Shea McClellin went on IR... I know, it's horrible to cheer injuries but that one was even more egregious than Tony Barr's hit. Fuck 'em both...), we all knew our national television games were over. I'm so glad my brother can hook me up with a cheap Sunday Ticket package, otherwise I'd be back to spending $50-70 per game at one of the local Packers bars, probably Corbett's Fish House, and hoping they cleaned the grill enough after cooking the shrimp so I don't get sick again. I don't hold it against them. How could they know I have a shellfish allergy? Plus, their perch is so fucking tasty... Mmmm, perch... Wait, what was I talking about?
THIS WEEK IN MUSIC:
This week, on Saturday November 18th at 8pm, I will be playing my first show in over a year at Conversion Brewing in Lebanon, OR. It's not a big show and I will be playing it as a duo, not a full band, with Brianne Kathleen assisting me on vocals but I couldn't be more excited. After all the drama (fights, screaming matches, near lawsuits, sexism, pure insanity and, unfortunately I'm not kidding, deaths) and delays and delays and delays and, yep, you guessed it, more delays, I'm so excited to play again. I'll definitely be touring soon, but I haven't decided where and when quite yet. Honestly, a lot of that went out the window when I lost the last 2 months (and wasn't sure how much longer so I couldn't schedule anything) before the album release due to, yep, you guessed it, a concussion. I'm so glad to have put that behind me but man did it fuck shit up for me.
For once, it's been a good week for me, mentally and emotionally. The discovery of Kava has certainly helped. But, aside from that things just seem like they're going to be OK. Not good, but OK and that's better than it's been in a while so I'll take it. Unfortunately, over the weekend I suffered a minor setback that threw me into a tailspin but it was nothing a trip to Music Millennium couldn't fix. I found a vinyl copy of an album that has helped me through some (mostly self-inflicted) emotionally dire times: "Bee Thousand" by Guided by Voices. For those unaware of this band, I WROTE ABOUT THEM A LONG TIME AGO while going through, or possibly right after a breakup (I can't remember). For those who didn't read my 3-4 times-a-year blog (bradleywik.blogspot.com) back then, I'll get you up to speed.
Guided by Voices is an acquired taste. I was talking with my brother recently and compared them to drinking Campari, on the rocks, the only way to drink that shit. Zissou fans get it. To give you another idea of their strange, beautiful, amazing, heart-string (as if there were such a thing) tugging music, the best song on "Bee Thousand" is called "TRACTOR RAPE CHAIN." It's a lament surrounding a diminishing relationship that has dissolved because of mistrust. A place we've all been. Well, hopefully, some of you haven't because IT FUCKING SUCKS. But, Mr. Robert Pollard nails the hurt and paranoia and the (mostly) self-inflicted mental and emotional chaos that can ensue. My other favorite song on the album is, for reasons unknown, but I continually wake with this song kicking in my head, "THE GOLDHEART MOUNTAINTOP QUEEN DIRECTORY." Yep, it's that kind of band. They have a song called "KICKER OF ELVES." Seriously. So, I'll pass along the same advice I gave to my brother upon his introduction to this band: sit and listen to the album as a whole and listen to it at least twice. Don't put it on while you're at work or jogging or doing laundry or whatever, just sit and listen to it (an odd concept these days, I know. I might be the only one I know who dedicates hours and hours per week to just listen to music. It's fucking art people, and you shouldn't devalue it. Sorry, don't want to get to far up onto my soapbox). I wasn't sure what I was getting into myself all those years ago, but I remember being slightly confused until subsequent listens, in which, I fell in love. So, fire up the Spotify, Google, Apple Music, iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody (god, it's easy to listen to music for nothing or almost nothing these days... Sorry, getting back down, again...) and look up "Bee Thousand" by Guided by Voices. You won't be disappointed; unless you take my advice in extremely high regard, have a listen and really don't like them, in which case, you might be. But, I can't help that, so fuck it.
My advice this week is to live free or die hard... Just kidding, that movie sucked.