Skip to main content

My New Life

No ESPN. No college football/NFL. No cable.

How does a sports fanatic reach this point? you ask...It's simple really:
In August I graduated from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR, with a B.A. degree in English. A week later, I got married. Now, I've moved to Arkadelphia, AR, so my wife can attend Ouachita Baptist University--where she will walk-on the basketball team--while I look for a career. Or a job. Or anything that will pay (unlike this blog).

I've written or recited the above paragraph to any would-be employer so many times that it’s lost its emotional sting (of course, I wasn’t so heavy with the lamenting).
Three weeks later, I still haven’t found a job. Thus, a simple recipe for a life without sports: four cups of a B.A. degree in English, mix in a pinch of marriage, chop up half a head of “small college town” and serve it with a slab of cold unemployment.

When all else failed, of course, I turned to the internet. Even without cable I could read ESPN.com, watch live gamecasts on ESPN360.com, and listen to live radio, right? Well, theoretically--except for the fact that the campus’ wireless internet is as reliable as a Houston Nutt passing offense.

(Note: Will someone please investigate Pat Forde’s man crush on Houston Nutt-- http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&page=dash0801&sportCat=ncf)

Naturally, being a native of Arkansas (Paragould), I am a huge Razorback fan; therefore, I have plenty to say about Bobby Petrino’s debut…except, remember, I didn’t see any of it (No, there isn’t a single restaurant in town with a TV—no, no friends either…sad, I know). I listened to parts of the game on 103.7 The Buzz and read the follow-ups, but it’s hard to get a feel for a team you haven’t seen. I did see the uniforms, and I’m still holding off judgment.

Anyway, aside from living the first three weeks of my adult life without sports, I’m the happiest unemployed, married, college graduate/novice blogger in the South (No, my wife did not type this sentence).

Comments

Anonymous said…
Well, I have not the slightest clue why no one will hire you, really. You are a great writer! Who would have thougth such a horribly boring life could be so interesting to read about :P Keep blogging! I want to know what's going on in your life ;)
Anonymous said…
Haha...very nice. I still don't believe your wife did not write the last sentence.

And no matter if you had cable or not, I'm pretty sure the Razorback game wasn't televised.

Popular posts from this blog

Value Place: An Extended Stay Horror Story

(This is a story I should have shared long before now. Make sure you have some time to spare—this one is lengthy.) Two years ago my wife was accepted into a summer internship program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. We were still living in Arkadelphia at the time, but my wife didn't want to spend the summer making the hour drive, fighting traffic to and from Little Rock. So we decided to live in Little Rock for the summer. However, in case you don’t know, it’s difficult finding a place to live for two months. Most rentals don’t have two-month leases. If they do, the price is either ridiculous or it’s a place you do not want to live. After looking for a couple of weeks, my wife found an extended stay hotel—Value Place—advertising for like $500 a month on Craigslist. A number of things. I didn't know anything about extended stay hotels—oh how I want to be naive about extended stays again, but more on this topic shortly. All I knew was that a...

It's Just a Little Puppy

There are a lot of things I said I  wouldn't  do in my life that  I've  done. I said that I  wouldn't  quit exercising regularly after I stopped playing sports, that I  wouldn't  be a hack writer all of my life, and that I  wouldn't  be working a part-time job at 27 with two useless college degrees. Luckily these are things I can still change. This weekend I will do something that I can’t undo. When my wife and I go home for Christmas, we will choose one of these four puppies: Having a dog  isn't  that big of a deal. Having a dog live IN my house is a big deal for me. You see, I like a neat and clean house. Being married and cleaning up after two people has required enough adjusting. A puppy living inside will challenge the very core of inner neat freak. I’m also allergic to a plethora of things. Dogs? I have no idea—I will find out shortly. With that in mind, here’s a list of things concerning my dog that ...

Three 90s TV Shows (and One Show Enters the Defining Debate)

I’ve long debated with myself whether  Saved by the Bell  or  Boy Meets World  is the defining show of my adolescent. This is an important question, one I will address in writing someday. However, while talking with a few friends last night, a forgotten show from my childhood entered the debate: Clarissa Explains It All. A quick synopsis of how our conversation made it to Melissa Joan Hart (xoxo). If I remember correctly, someone said, “Get it right.” For whatever reason that sparked my memory and I asked anyone if they knew where this line was from: “Now get it right or pay the price.” There was a brief pause, but it didn’t take long. (Sorry to rat you out, guys) Someone started singing from the beginning, “Camp Anawanna, we hold you in hearts…” Soon enough we were all singing along. In case you don’t have any idea what I’m talking about (and although I couldn’t blame you, I would pity your childhood), the aforementioned line is from the Nickelodeon show...