Doing the exact opposite of what a card blogger should be doing

I've been out of town the last few days as it was my folks' 50th wedding anniversary over the weekend, and in the process, I neglected just about every aspect of being a respectable card blogger and sports fan.

Let's relive, shall we?:

1. I was in Buffalo on a Sunday in the fall and did not do what was required. Anyone who finds themselves in this situation -- sports fan or no -- must watch the Bills. It is imperative if you are to stay in the city. I watched on TV for a little bit, saw them fall behind, then got distracted by the lake effect rain outside (yes, lake effect RAIN, I said I was in Buffalo) and left the game so I could travel out of a lake-enhanced monsoon. Punishment? The Bills came back and won while I was in bat-out-of-hell mode.

2. I missed a card show. Yes, one of the four card shows that I get to go to -- I missed it. This card show used to be at the end of every October. Three years ago or so, they moved it to the beginning, and it's been a hassle to make ever since. Last year, I stayed up all night to go to it. This year, I tried every which way to find even an hour to drop by the show. But the three-day party killed that. Guess I shouldn't complain. Three-day party, you know.

3. I missed Eric Hosmer's 11th inning blast to smite the Angels. Because -- get this -- I WENT TO BED EARLY. I HAD TO GET UP EARLY SO I WENT TO BED EARLY. DURING THE PLAYOFFS. WHAT IS WRONG WITH NIGHT OWL?????

4. I bailed on the Dodgers literally one at-bat too soon. I was so disgusted by the theme of Saturday's playoffs -- take out your starting pitcher who is going super fantastically because what could possibly go wrong? -- that when the Cardinals rallied to tie Game 2 Saturday, I shut off all media connections. I shut them off just as Matt Kemp was coming to the plate. And you know what happened there. The way things are going, this is the last Dodger HR of the playoffs.

5. I didn't even watch the Dodgers this weekend. Fox isn't helping in this area by burying the NLDS on Fox Sports 1 so they can show college football or ultimate fighting or I DON'T KNOW, PICK ANOTHER THING THAT I'LL NEVER WATCH UNLESS YOU PAY ME. But because I was in another town and unfamiliar with the cable set-up (and had minimal internet), it took me until Game 2 to realize that the cable system I was watching did in fact show Game 1. However, when I turned to that channel for Game 2, the Nationals-Giants epic 18-inning game was on instead. Not once during that game did Fox Sports 1 bother to tell anyone how the Dodgers and Cardinals were doing. They did advertise the upcoming UFC bout approximately 78 times. Part of the reason I sat through a horrifying Giants victory for that long was to see if Fox would ever admit to there being another playoff game taking place. I still don't know what channel aired the Dodgers-Cardinals Game 2. Was it the MLB Network?

6. I let my blog waste away for three days. The previous most recent post is now out of date because the Tigers have been eliminated already. This is why I try not to skip posting for more than one day in a row. I apologize profusely.

7. I am so behind on getting out card packages. I've had the same three packages bundled up and sitting waiting to be mailed for two weeks now. I apologize for any mold that has to be brushed off of future mailings. First, lack of money and now lack of time. Hopefully, those three packages and a few others will head out the door at some point this week.

OK, enough about me and how I'm screwing up.

Let's discuss someone doing something right.

Mark of Collector's Crack recently arranged a trade between the two of us. The cards he sent to me showed up maybe two weeks ago. The card I'm sending him are sitting 10 feet behind me --- helllloooooooooo, cards, I promise I'll send you way up north someday!

Mark sent me the Buffalo Bills card up at the top of the post that started the earlier rant (by the way, it's very odd what they are doing with football cards these days). He also sent these two Chrome Dodgers.

Both of Puig and Ramirez are being bullied by the Cardinals again with up-and-in pitches. I think the Dodgers need to play it a little more cool than they are. Be a professional and drill the ball back up the box or launch it out of the park. Either that or pitch that way to Yadier Molina, who is obviously orchestrating all of this.

Paul Lo Duca never made the playoffs with the Dodgers. But he DID tag out two Dodgers at home on the same play while a member of the Mets during the 2006 playoffs.

This post is just filled with cheery good news.

This is my 29th card of Chin-Feng Chen. He played exactly 19 games with the Dodgers.

But I don't feel guilty about this.

Instead, for the first time all weekend, I now feel like I'm doing exactly what I should be doing as a card blogger -- collecting exorbitant amounts of cards of players that no one except card bloggers even remembers.

Thanks Chin-Feng Chen.

Thanks, Collector's Crack.

I think I'm back now.

Look, the Royals and Angels are on my TV right now. I can see it and even know the score and everything!