Summer of Excitement: Independence Weekend - [a case of the summer]

As one might expect, the aforementioned excitement that occurred last week centered mostly around the activities of July 4th weekend.  I actually took off July 3rd (Thursday), although not for exciting reasons.  I had a dentist appointment at 10:00 (which I incorrectly thought was at 10:30, so I was a half hour late.  Oops), then dropped by my parents' house to do some laundry, and then finally went to the barber to get a haircut.  That evening I also decided to grab a few more things for the apartment (including a TWO TIER fruit bowl!) at which point it started to absolutely pour out.  Like, blankets of water falling from the sky.  Within minutes streets and parking lots were literally flooding.  I don't think I've ever gotten THAT drenched in such a short amount of time from just being outside for less than a minute at a time.  It was ridiculous.  Unfortunately, I was so massively uncomfortable that I couldn't meet a few friends later, so that ended up being a relatively tame night.  But that's okay, because there would be more fun later.

On Friday, my friend had people over for an intended BBQ.  However, since it was raining, we ended up having everybody inside (using the toaster oven in place of the BBQ), which was just fine.  However, when I walked in, I noticed three of my guy friends all wearing the USA World Cup Jersey with matching shorts, in addition to American Flag bandannas.  They explained that they went to the dollar store down the street and, on a whim, talked the guy down to $24 and got everything.  Not to be left out, I went to the very same dollar store and did the same.  He even remembered my friends, which meant I got the same discount.  And so we spent the whole afternoon wearing our matching outfits, and then went to the bar doing the same.  Somehow, we managed to pull it off and had a great time.

Saturday was our yearly tradition of taking my nephew and nieces to the boardwalk in Point Pleasant.  It was a beautiful day and a lot of fun, but holy hell was it crowded.  And I was exhausted, too.  Plus we didn't even eat until, like, 3:00, and I don't like to be kept from food.  But, of course, it was nice to have a beautiful day.

Sunday was a beautiful day as well, as we went to my aunt's house for a BBQ.  A day in the pool with lots of food (see, told you I like food) and family.  Oh, Margaritas too (those are American, right?)  A very nice time.  It was certainly a long, tiring weekend, though, and I didn't feel especially good on Monday!

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LIVE Raw thoughts - July 7, 2014

11:08 - Once again, the final segment of the show was (in my opinion) red hot.  They've got great stuff going on now with Cena, the Authority, and the former Shield.  Love the stuff with Ambrose and Rollins, especially.  I think they made a huge mistake in ending the show with Reigns and Cena repeatedly raising each other's hands instead of them staring each other down.  People who are drawn to Reigns probably don't like Cena....and as a result, having him pal up to him will only turn away the fans' support of him.  They like the Reigns who said that Cena DOES suck.  Does he need to be an outright jerk and spear Cena when Cena had done nothing to him?  No.  But at least tease it and entice the audience.  Other than that, the ending was great but the show, overall, seemed to drag a bit.  Or maybe I'm still not feeling well.

10:52 - I wasn't blown away by that Monday Night War preview.  It didn't show us anything that we wouldn't have otherwise seen on countless DVD's related to that era.  If it is something different -- and I sure hope it is, since it has been anticipated since the announcement of the Network -- then show us HOW it is different.

10:34 - Trust me, I love seeing Kofi win but I hate these victories.  They make Cesaro look bad without making Kofi look good.

10:31 - It's a strange pet peeve of mine that Cesaro doesn't complete shave his head anymore.  The horseshoe look isn't a good one.

10:25 - That was already more intensity than we saw from Tons of Funk.

10:19 - Paige and AJ Lee together?!?!  I'm down with that!  Also, which of these two teams do you see turning against each other first?

10:11 - REALLY love the visual of the audience turning on their cell phones for Wyatt.  It is an AWESOME shot....why are they just doing gilmpses of it?  USE THAT SHOT!

10:03 - LOVE the new Miz entrance.  Obvious allusions to Hollywood Rock, but that's a good thing!  But why on EARTH is the heel commentator (JBL) badmouthing him and the face commentator (Lawler) defending him?

10:02 - I'm kinda over Jericho in the trunks.  Wish he'd go back to his long tights.

9:55 - Eck, didn't care for Sandow/Sheamus.  One character is beyond bland and the other is just frustrating to watch.  I did enjoy that Miz promo, though....and it was the first time I enjoyed him in years.  THIS is exactly the character he should be playing.  And not to toot my own horn, but I was firmly in belief that he never should have turned face to begin with.

9:30 - Ziggler:  "Okay, so how does the match end?"  WWE:  "Well, you lose.  After getting distracted by a man dancing."  Man, way to make him look like a schmuck.

9:28 - How many times do we need to see these two wrestle, also?  And I certainly hope it's not for us JUST to see Ziggler tap to Del Rio again.

9:19 - Don't love the fact that Ambrose lost that one (and that top turnbuckle spot was a bit odd), but I get it.  One's in the title match and the other isn't.  Still, disappointing, despite being a strong match.

9:01 - Still not completely sold on this Dean Ambrose gear.  I like the jacket/vest thing he wears.  I don't mind the jeans (it's close enough to his Shield gear while also being distinctly different).  I think my main issue is the wife beater.  First off, it's so close to what Luke Harper wears (just cleaner).  Why not a sleeveless athletic shirt like he wore with the Shield?  Or even a black wife beater (which I know he's worn on occasion).

8:51 - Acting as fodder on Raw for a Jack Swagger PPV match....why does RVD even continue to return?

8:38 - What in the blue hell was Jerry Lawler babbling about just then?  With the hand tied behind their back thing?  Jesus, this guy is awful.

8:31 - I'm so tired of this whole "challengers win a non-title match to become #1 contenders" thing.

I did really enjoy that Kane, Orton, Rollins segment, though.

8:15 - Still think it was a massive mistake changing the Wyatts' music.  And haven't we seen this match enough times?

8:03 - It is extremely easy to bring up instances in which an association with Triple H has slowed down, halted, or completely killed somebody's momentum or even career.  But I cannot say this enough:  An alliance with Triple H ABSOLUTELY meant gold for all three members of the Shield.  It is very easy to forget that the Shield was losing traction before the creation of the Authority.  People were already writing them off, saying that the Wyatts would be the new favored three man team.  But simply standing in front of the ring during each and every Authority promo and segment meant that they were a fixture in the main event scene.  And throughout the entire Authority storyline, they remained strong.  And just take a look at the end of last week's show.  Who were the exciting parts?  Rollins with the cash in, Ambrose with the interception, and Reigns with the save.

7:22 - Yes, I do plan on doing some LIVE Raw thoughts after last night's spectacular show (from what I've seen, anyway).  However, I'm not feeling great and I have to go away Thursday, so if I'm really struggling I'm going to call it a night.  But here's hoping WWE rides their momentum from last week.

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LIVE Money in the Bank thoughts - June 29, 2014

10:56 - Not a shocking result, but I don't blame the decision either.  He's a safe choice and it's been a while since Cena has held the championship.  He's only played a secondary role all year -- I don't mind seeing him as the champion again.  I did actually enjoy the story, though, of Kane and Orton trying to ensure Orton's victory while everyone else tried to thwart it.  It did make the booking of the remaining heels -- Wyatt, Del Rio, and Cesaro -- a little awkward, though.

Overall an enjoyable show.  Apologies for being so exhausted that I didn't post much.

10:26 - Some subtle new gear from Roman Reigns too.

10:24 - Nice new entrance gear for Cesaro.

By the way, interesting observation on Cena.  If he's ever not the last to come out, he's usually the first.  Right now he's about right in the middle.

10:21 - Sorry for the lack of updates, I actually dozed off for a bit.  But I'm back for the main event.  My current guess is John Cena, although I'm not ruling out Roman Reigns only for Seth Rollins to cash in.

9:32 - Curtis Axel in a singlet -- like his father -- is a bit surreal.  Too bad it looks more like what X-Pac would wear than what Mr. Perfect would wear.

9:25 - A fun match with the obvious -- and most likely correct -- winner.  There's a lot that can be done with Rollins as the briefcase holder.  It was a match that highlighted the talents of underappreciated guys like Kofi and Dolph, and helped make a singles star out of Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins.  Job well done.

9:17 - Is it me, or have we not seen Dolph Ziggler in like 20 minutes?

9:03 - If tonight can be a coming out party for Kofi Kingston, I will be a happy man.

9:00 - New gear for Kingston.  Wondering if they're inspired by anything.

8:57 - They're doing the MITB ladder match first, which normally I favor, but it does create a bit of a logistical mess for the title match.  Theoretically, the new champion should be exceptionally beat up, whereas the Money in the Bank winner will have had a two hour rest.  Why wouldn't the briefcase holder cash in tonight?

8:47 - Re:  Damien Sandow:  What a difference a year makes....

8:40 - Another entertaining match and a possible "coming out" party for Naomi.  Great job, all around.

8:26 - I'm guessing that Paige retains and Cameron and Naomi officially break up.  And is it too much to ask for AJ Lee to finally return?

8:21 - Really awesome match and a surprising victory.  Not disappointing, though.  I love the way the Usos have been pushed over the past year or so and they deserve this great moment of glory.  Good for them, and great performance all around.

And does it bother anybody else that Dean Ambrose's new "street clothes" gear is just a cleaner version of what Luke Harper wears?

8:06 - What is this music?  The theme they used last week was sooooooooo much better than this generic nonsense.

8:05 - Cool new gear for the Usos.  I'm guessing the Wyatts win this one, if only to create the idea that Bray may take home the title in the main event.

7:58 - Considering the big matches going on tonight -- the Money in the Bank ladder match and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder match -- I'm shocked that they ended the pre-show with the final push being for the tag team championship.

7:44 - LOVED that "By the Numbers" Money in the Bank video.  Awesome stuff.  Also, great to see Christian on TV again!

7:27 - Okay, welcome to my LIVE Money in the Bank thoughts.  I'm thrilled that they added a second ladder match to the briefcase, as (and I've noted this many times) I think that the briefcase adds a certain level of intrigue to every single segment the champion appears in.  I just wish it wasn't SO thrown together.

By the way, I have a Smart TV and recently learned that WWE Network isn't compatible yet.  I was obviously disappointed, but I decided to try something new.  Using the Web browser option, I simply visited the Network website and viewed the streaming video through the site.  I maximized the screen size so it takes up the whole TV.  It's just as if I was watching normally.  Works perfectly.

Alright, the pre-show is about to begin.  Follow tonight for my LIVE thoughts throughout the show.

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Summer of Excitement: Special Olympics - [a case of the summer]

Well, as you can see, I've been slagging off already.  I actually did have a Summer of Excitement post to report last week, but it was insanely busy and I didn't have an opportunity to do so.  Therefore, this post really refers to the week of June 22nd.  And as this Summer of Excitement feature is in an evolution process, I've decided to not "force things" even further.  If I have nothing to write, I won't.  If I write it late, so be it.  Maybe I should rename this the Summer of Relaxation?  Anyway, this week I'll discuss the excitement that was my volunteering at the Special Olympics games!

My workplace was one of the many sponsors of this year's Special Olympics (along with a little company known as WWE) and as a result, we were encouraged to volunteer if your schedule permitted.  I, along with the rest of the marketing team, devoted our day to the Flag Football competition.  Yes, it was rewarding.  And definitely a once in a lifetime experience, but man....was it grueling!

I joke that I definitely feel mislead about what I was getting in for.  My assignment was "ball retriever," which meant -- as I was told -- if the ball was overthrown I would have to run to get it so that they could begin the next play.  Unfortunately, that is NOT what it was.  Instead, I had to run to go grab the ball EVERY SINGLE PLAY and, once again, EVERY SINGLE PLAY I would have to run a fresh ball over to the line of scrimmage.  And if the line of scrimmage changed, I would have to reset it.  So I was running out into the center of the field every single play of every single game.  It was absolutely exhausting.  Not to mention that it was 100 degrees out (SLIGHT exaggeration) and I wore pants since I didn't know I'd be doing THAT much activity.  There's a girl I was working with who is about 100 times more active with fitness than I am, who didn't run as much as me, who was absolutely exhausted as well.  Imagine how I felt!

Finally, for the last two games, we had to switch with the people who were announcing because we felt so dead.  So there I was -- the guy who knows absolutely nothing about sports -- doing announcing on the loud speaker for a flag football game at the Special Olympics.  And I only got yelled at twice to stick to the script!

It was definitely an interesting experience.

Oh yeah, check back at 7:30-ish for my Money in the Bank LIVE thoughts!

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Summer of Excitement: New Apartment! - [a case of the summer]

Well this post is about a week late, and for that I apologize.  Yet the topic of the post is actually a big reason why I haven't been updating as frequently as I would like.  That's right folks.....I moved into a new apartment!  This whole process was actually very quick and relatively painless -- just a whole lot of work.  And, while the frame of time was relatively small, the commitment it took seemed to eat up all of that time.  But, the place is about 95% of where I want it to be at, so I'm happy.

Basically, I have been telling myself that I want to move for years now.  But there was always a reason to not do it.  For a long time, it was because I didn't see myself staying at my job for the long term, so I didn't want to move someplace only to get a new job, and suddenly the place I had chosen was really inconvenient.  Then when my position changed last year, I knew that I DID want to stay at my job for the long term.  The next excuse was that there was never a good time to do the research or check the place out.  Finally I decided, "let's just do this!" and from there, the ball got rolling.

The timetable is a bit fuzzy, as this all went down about a month ago, but basically I did an Internet search on a Monday, had visited the place by Wednesday, had committed to it by that Friday, signed the lease the next Tuesday, and began moving things in the week after that.  Because of a work trip and the fact that I really didn't have any of my own furniture, I did need to pay for the place for about two weeks without actually living there, but I've now been living here for a week (with practically all new furniture, which I love!) and have now gotten moving on hanging things up on the wall.  I'm really happy with how it's all coming together.

Funny side story:  I have basically been buying and saving things to use for my eventual apartment since college.  And now that I have a place that is 100% all mine, I can finally hang it up.  Problem is, a lot of it is very collegey type stuff (like tin signs that say "Beer Pong Champ") and I can't help but wonder where the line is.  I'm 32 now, hanging some of these things up kinda makes me feel like a douche.  The exceptions, for me, are if I actually made the thing I want to hang up (which is the case with a few items) or if I really like how it  works.  But I think the Beer Pong Champ sign might get cut from the line up.

Anyway, this is a really exciting move for me and I'm HOPING that I'll bring my percentage from 95 to 98 after this weekend (I'll have hung up all the stuff I brought, leaving me to decide what to do with the empty wall space).  I'll try to do a blog video to show all of you what the place looks like.

Oh, and once I'm more "moved in," I'll really work on updating the blog more.  I owe you all some season finale thoughts!

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LIVE Raw thoughts - June 9, 2014

11:05 - That was a sweet looking Sister Abigail.

11:01 - Luke Harper hitting Cena with a modified Nikki Bella Rack Attack? That's low...
10:42 - And now Cesaro vs. Sheamus AGAIN?!?!  Honestly, they desperately GOTTA mix up their booking.

10:38 - When your authority figure is relegated to pouring and sneezing into champagne, it might be time to cut the dead weight.

10:14 - By the way, while I do miss AJ Lee.....I do quite enjoy Paige.

10:10 - Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd another repeat match.

10:05 - So, what did you all think of Rollins' promo and explanation?

9:59 - So wait, the Shield hangs around backstage just to walk around the arena and enter through the crowd?
9:43 - Annnnnnnnnnnnd again with a repeat match.

9:35 - Awesome fake out from Heyman.

9:31 - I don't know what happened....but I kinda find Bo Dallas funny now.  Not so much the pre-match promos, but rather the comments he makes during the match (yelling "he's trying his hardest!" to the fans) and after the match.

9:25 - Random comment:  I miss AJ Lee.  :(

9:19 - The director is bringing his A game today, huh?

9:14 - Remember when Damien Sandow stopped wearing his robe so that he wouldn't look like an Indy act?

9:09 - Surely the Pat Patterson revelation can't be that he's gay, right?  I mean, hell, that's like the third thing you learn when you become "smart."

9:06 - Dean Ambrose nailed that promo.  I'm glad to see him get a little attention, as I don't want him to get lost in the shuffle of the Roman Reigns rocket and the Seth Rollins heel turn.

9:00 - I still miss the skeleton face masks.

8:52 - Echoing what I had said earlier.....Goldust and partner vs. Rybaxel......another repeat?

8:43 - Considering the size of their roster, why exactly are we seeing the same exact midcard matches over and over again?  How many times have ADR and Ziggler fought?  And Sheamus and Barrett?  And Rusev and Ryder?

8:35 - Remember all that goodwill WWE built after WrestleMania?  Well, that's surely gone now.  First they put the incredibly dull Alberto Del Rio over fan darling Dolph Ziggler.  Then they strip Daniel Bryan of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  And now they put the ultra stale Sheamus over the newly hot Bad News Barrett.  Why?  Just....why?

8:26 - I really do hate the fact that there won't be a Money in the Bank briefcase out there.  Like I've said before, the briefcase adds SO MUCH suspense and intrigue to every segment the champion appears in.  Yes, there have been a few missteps (Sandow, Swagger), but the briefcase was the "push" that guys like Edge, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan needed to get to the next level.  It gave hardworking guys like Miz and Dolph Ziggler a shot at the spotlight.  And most recently, it completely reinvigorated Randy Orton's career (after floundering for two years).  It really is too bad.

8:08 - I'm surprised Triple H put Randy Orton -- and not Seth Rollins -- in the MITB ladder match without having to qualify first.

Also, how is this the first ladder match to determine the WWE World Heavyweight Championship when that match was CREATED in a ladder match?

8:06 - So I guess it was pretty obvious to the live audience, huh?

8:02 - Always on the cusp of the latest entertainment happenings, JBL uses Jay Z and Beyonce and the President and First Lady as the "Power Couple" examples.....just weeks after Kanye West and Kim Kardashian get married.

7:55 - Alright, we're back with some LIVE Raw thoughts.  What will become of the WWE World Heavyweight Title?  What will be the fallout of the Shield breakup?  Check back in about 5 minutes to find out!

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LIVE Payback thoughts - June 1, 2014

10:56 - WOW!  Shocked -- but not disappointed -- to see the Shield take a clean sweep of this match.  Two PPV's in a row they not only win, but they win decisively!  It was a really great match and, again, I think made all three members of the Shield look great.  Very effective booking.

10:52 - I'm actually pretty surprised to see Batista eliminated first.  I thought they'd throw us for a curve and have Orton eliminated first.

10:36 - It looks like Ambrose might be the first to go, which would be a mistake in my opinion.  Since he's the least face-like of the group, putting him in a dire situation would only get him more over.

I love that Bluetista is getting so much attention.

10:24 - I hope that WWE resists the temptation to go with Reigns (or Triple H, for that matter) as the sole survivor.  There are so many talents in this match, particularly on the face side, so there's no reason why they can't make NUMEROUS stars in this match.

10:21 - You know what?  I'll commend Batista here.  I admire any guy that doesn't fall into that "black trunks" main eventer trap.  Not the BEST look in the world, but it's fine.  Also, disappointed to see Randy the beard.

And for the first time all night, I'm having some visual issues with the show.  It's been kinda choppy/pixelated since the end of the Divas match.

10:18 - No AJ return, which is disappointing.  But let's hope that the Shield bring back their skull masks, at least.

10:06 - Guessing/hoping Paige wins here.  REALLY hoping new Chicago resident AJ Lee makes a return post match.

10:00 - Brutal match and enjoyable....and I don't have an issue with Cena winning.  However, I just never truly got emotionally invested in this feud, so it lacked a bit of luster for me.  Nice to see the Usos get spotlighted, though.

9:49 - I'll admit it....that step throwing spot was pretty damn cool.

9:34 - I wonder if the Usos slyly mentioned "hey, we've got shorts the same color scheme as Cena's new shirt...." to somebody in creative to warrant this (well deserved) semi-main event push.

9:22 - This segment is doing a whole lot to make Brie look like a real bad ass.  And Daniel Bryan is there too.

9:19 - Wow, two explicit references to CM Punk.  I guess they decided to face this matter head on.  And since his contract (I believe) is about to expire anyway, I guess they figure he's not coming back.

9:14 - Sorry Steph, but you can't deliver "FIRRRRED" like your old man.

9:09 - I'm somewhat surprised by how many people Barrett has gone over cleanly.  I'm also surprised by how many people "lower" than him on the card that RVD has put over.  Has RVD won ANY feud since his series of returns?  Nonetheless, the right person won.

9:07 - Jerry Lawler is beyond painful on commentary now.

8:53 - Okay, that was fine.

8:48 - LOVE Kofi's Flash-inspired gear, but he is WAY too good to be jobbing out to Bo Dallas.

8:45 - This match has sorta shown how far Big E has fallen, hasn't it?  Rusev won cleanly and decisively, through submission no less.  And not too long ago, Big E was seemingly getting the super push.

8:40 - I like Big E's American-ized version of his ring gear.

8:39 - Who waves a flag like that?

8:37 - I still cannot get into this Lana/Rusev act.

8:25 - Has there ever been a losing streak storyline that REALLY worked out for the person losing?  I'm okay with them breaking up the Brotherhood, but only if they have an actual long-term plan for Cody.  I don't want to see them to lose interest in pushing him and just having him flounder, when he and Goldust (when pushed) had a great thing going.

Also, good to see Rybaxel actually matching their gear now.  They had Ryback in yellow and red and Axel in yellow and black.  Now it looks like they're matching in black and red.

8:22 - Not surprised to see Sheamus retain here.  Both guys looked good and Sheamus' win seemed almost like a fluke.

8:05 - For the second PPV Kickoff show in a row, El Torito and Hornswoggle provided a shockingly entertaining match.  We're beginning the PPV with Sheamus/Cesaro in a United States Championship match.  I find it interesting that the latest online report is that WWE didn't have him win the Intercontinental Championship because they worried it would hurt him, but then they threw him into a United States Championship feud.  Does that mean they view the US title as more prestigious?  Or they just perceive Sheamus as being higher up the ladder than Big E?

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Summer of Excitement: Memorial Day Weekend - [a case of the summer]

As promised, for the third year in a row, I'll be doing my Summer of Excitement installment!  I thought the first year was a huge success and the second year was a bit lame.  So how can I fix that?  Well, I'm basically just going to talk about the most exciting thing that week, instead of actively trying to do something and having it fall short.  Which is ironic, because the intent of the Summer of Excitement WAS to actively try to do things.

And the summer, of course, starts with Memorial Day Weekend!  And, despite each day being absolutely exhausting, I CAN say that I went out each night, with drastically different people, doing drastically different things.  And in fact, it ended up being a reverse journey through my life.  Friday night focused on the current stage of my life, as I spontaneously ended up meeting up with a work friend of mine and her sister.  This was pretty significant as I had woken up at four in the morning to travel home from Texas.  But I still made the trek to meet up and it ended up being a really enjoyable time.

Saturday night I ended up going to Rutgers to meet up with a college friend (the portion of my life prior to my work life) for some dinner and some drinks.  We even ended up going to our old hang out spot, and the manager of the bar remembered us!  Very cool, especially since it's been ten years.  Along with that, the bar has a skeeball now, and we totally got roped into playing the bartender and his friend, and we got absolutely killed.  That cost us four shots.  And, again, this was a pretty significant thing since I had a marathon shopping session that morning (not for fun reasons).  Five hours at the mall is NOT a good time.

Sunday night, I hung out with a high school friend (my life before college) and his girlfriend, along with their friends, and we traveled all around New York.  We originally went to Brooklyn in an attempt to go to a Mister Sunday party, but the line was so long that we opted against it.  Instead, we went to the pier and enjoyed a couple drinks as the sun set.  We then returned to Manhattan, where we went out for some more dinner and drinks (and got in trouble for doing a Saki bomb, not realizing that it wasn't allowed) before meeting up with a few others people he knows.  My friend and I ended up having to go separate buses home, as we were going in different directions.  Well, his bus came pretty much right away.  I, on the other hand, had to go all the way downstairs since our bus was actually going to an entirely different gate.  Then I had to wait nearly an hour for it to arrive.  And during that time, there were several REALLY drunk marines who made complete asses of themselves.  They were arguing, cursing, and physically fighting with each other.  It was REALLY unfortunate to watch.  And they were also EXTREMELY obnoxious when people told them to calm down.  And, of course, they ended up getting off at the stop right before mine.  And one was so drunk that he literally had to be carried off of the bus.  I appreciate their service, I truly do.  But that doesn't excuse disrespectful and obnoxious behavior.

And finally, on Monday I spent the day with my family -- the part of my life before high school, college, or work was even a thing!  We went to my aunt's house for a BBQ/pool party (although nobody went in the pool) and it was a really great time.

And honorable mention goes to my work trip to Austin, Texas!  I can't count it as a Summer of Excitement activity because it happened before summer officially started, but it was awesome!  I went with one of my favorite co-workers, and practically every second of the trip was full of SOMETHING fun and exciting.  An incredible time.....just awfully tiring.  The trip began Tuesday at 4:00 AM and ended on Friday at 4:00 AM.  Terribly, terribly exhausting.

Okay, now just check back in a minute or two for my LIVE Payback thoughts...

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LIVE Raw thoughts - May 26, 2014

11:11 - Fine enough show.  Didn't necessarily make me look more forward to Payback, but since I have the Network I will probably watch it.  No problem with Evolution standing tall since Shield has been so dominant in this feud.

11:01 - I really miss those skull face masks the Shield started wearing during their entrance following WrestleMania.  Those were bad ass.

10:55 - Alberto Del Rio is Raw fodder for a Cesaro PPV match.  I guess not everything is bad.

10:42 - If any two titles needed to be unified, it's the Intercontinental and United States championships.  I really hope this happens by Night of Champions.

10:30 - With Miz filming a movie, I guess Hornswoggle has officially taken his spot as the go-to pre-show match guy.

In more interesting news -- I just did a home experiment and discovered that if you're applying both to the same side of the bread, the peanut butter should always go on before the jelly.

10:22 - This act was better when Chris Jericho did it in WCW.

10:10 - Glad to see Bryan holding onto the championship.  But they do realize that most of the fans aren't particularly fond of the Bellas, right?  Sure, Brie is the more likable of the two, but surely creating a situation where Bryan might have to relinquish the championship he worked so hard to earn (the fans fought so hard to see) in order to save her job won't win her any new fans.

10:02 - Wow, he actually is here.  I figured they were lying.  By the way, also not sure how I feel about the fact that the Authority feud with Bryan has been transferred from Triple H to Stephanie.

9:50 - One of my least favorite trends of the current WWE era (alongside having a champion lose a non-title match to create a new challenger) is having the SAME EXACT match for weeks when a new Superstar debuts.  Considering the amount of people on the roster -- and the amount of people they're willing to job out -- they couldn't have given Bo Dallas a new opponent?

9:30 - Still love that hooded, long Goldust vest.

9:09 - That didn't make Cena look all too heroic.  He waited an AWFUL long time to come to Lawler's aid.

9:05 - I'm a total sucker for those moments when the heel color commentator does something to stick up for the defenseless face announcer.  Lawler punching Tazz when he got in JR's face was one of the most memorable announcer moments of this era.  JBL's moment just then was great as well.

8:59 - So far, Payback seems to have more Extreme Rules matches than Extreme Rules did.

8:48 - I get it.  Midgets get a reaction.  But has ANY feud been drawn out longer than this 3MB/Los Matadores one?

8:44 - Surprisingly fun segment between Evolution and the Brotherhood.

8:38 - Is there ANY reason to like Eva Marie (and to a lesser extent, Nikki Bella) other than the fact that she's being booked against heels instead of faces now?

8:23 - Considering how often WWE still says "Pay Per View" -- and the fact that it pops up all over the place on their website -- can cynical wrestling fans PLEASE stop with their sassy "special" comments now?  Please?

8:13 - I actually like Brad Maddox as a TV character (reminds me a bit of Eric Bischoff) but his role is beyond useless now that the brand extension is over and the Authority exists.  Vickie Guerrero, as a GM, should be removed as well.  Pair her up with someone who is floundering a bit.

7:17 - I know, I know, it's been, like, forever since I've updated the blog.  Things have been pretty active and busy for me this past month, and I'll explain everything this week.  Don't worry, the blog isn't going anywhere and my usual [a case of the summer] activities will be happening.

Anyway, we have a fair amount going on over in WWE land.  I won't discuss the stock stuff in detail, but I will discuss the Daniel Bryan injury and what this means for the WWE Championship.  My hope is that Steph and Triple H will attempt to strip Bryan of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship but Vince McMahon will make a surprise return and will stop them from doing so.  I know, nobody wants another rehash of McMahon vs. McMahon, but this (a) gives them that ratings boost they need, and (b) keeps the championship on Bryan while he's out on injury.

If they do strip him of the title, what's the best way to go and who's the best person to hand the title to?  I don't like the idea of transforming the Money in the Bank Ladder Match into a title match, because, for one, the MITB stipulation is a great "reset" button for WWE and really does a great job of building interest in the title situation over the summer.  And secondly, it's just a standard ladder match then, not a Money in the Bank one.  I DEFINITELY wouldn't go with a battle royal, either.  I think a 16 person tournament is the best way to go:

1) John Cena
2) Bray Wyatt
3) Triple H
4) Batista
5) Randy Orton
6) Seth Rollins
7) Dean Ambrose
8) Roman Reigns
9) Sheamus
10) Alberto Del Rio
11) Dolph Ziggler
12) Kane
13) Bad News Barrett
14) Rusev
15) Big E
16) RVD

Of course, some of those names can be swapped out with people of equitable status.  Of those names, I would NOT go with Orton, since he just had the title for forever.  It would be a waste to kickstart somebody's first title reign (like anyone from Shield or Wyatt) because they may just be a placeholder for Daniel Bryan.  Batista, in my view, could work....but he's apparently leaving again in a bit.  So, unfortunately, Triple H or John Cena MAY be the best way to go.  Sorry, folks.

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LIVE Extreme Rules thoughts - May 4, 2014

10:44 - A fun match that picked up in the latter half.  The post-match stuff almost seems to imply that this feud is continuing, which is a bit surprising.  Wasn't match of the night (that goes to Shield/Evolution) but I'm glad it went on last.  Let's hope that's the trend for Bryan's reign.

10:37 - Zack Ryder couldn't change a tire.  Daniel Bryan knows how to work a friggin forklift.

10:20 - I wonder what the thought process was when Bryan decided he was going to wear the World Heavyweight Championship and hold the WWE Championship.

10:05 - By the way, I love how they came up with new, wittier names for the midget announcers halfway through the WeeLC match.

9:57 - Well, I'll be having nightmares forever.

Also, not an enjoyable match.

9:27 - Nice, they ARE going to let Bryan/Kane close the show.  By the way, I'm surprised that two of the three highlighted matches will be over by the final hour.  What does that leave?  Bryan/Kane and the Divas match?

9:23 - Incredibly fun match!  I'm surprised by the result, as well as the person who ate the pin (whatever happened to these reports that Batista didn't come back to job to everyone?)  But really, really fun.

9:20 - I really do love watching the Shield lately.  And WWE has done a phenomenal job of highlighting each one in their own way.  Yes, there seems to be a bigger end game for Roman Reigns, but it's certainly not "Roman Reigns and two other guys" now.

9:01 - I'm disappointed that the Shield has already ditched those awesome skull masks that they wore during their entrance following WrestleMania.  Those were cool!

8:58 - Surprised to see this match so early in the show.  Perhaps that means that Daniel Bryan will close the show?  I'm guessing it's either him or Cena.  Also, new red gear for Batista.  I'm guessing he'll be the only one not in black in this match.

8:52 - Pretty remarkable how Curtis Axel and Big E both got Intercontinental title reigns as a culmination of what was to be a big push....only for them to do absolutely nothing as champion.  Here's hoping that Barrett has more luck than they did.

8:40 - I'm surprised they haven't replaced "God Saves the Queen" with "I'm afraid I've got bad news" prior to his theme music playing.

8:37 - Fun fact:  Through my firm, I'm actually volunteering at the Special Olympics next month.  I wonder if I'll see any WWE Superstars.

8:29 - There's still something about these characters that I just can't get into.

8:17 - Awkward when your announcers don't even remember that it's an elimination match.

8:06 - New black and red gear for Swagger, replacing the black and yellow color scheme he had been sporting for the past few months.

8:04 - Is it sad that I'm just happy that the Daniel Bryan match was even included in the opening video?

7:53 - Wow....that was actually A LOT more extreme than I anticipated.  Respect to all involved.

7:37 - Well, since I have the WWE Network and I can watch all of the PPV's for "free," I thought I'd do my LIVE thoughts of Extreme Rules (A PPV I never would have purchased for $40).  First observation for today:  Los Matadores have completed their transformation into the El Matador.

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