Soggy Day

Today was the legal holiday for New Years Day in this the United States which means there were no postal delivery, the stock market was closed and some school districts did not have school. Today was the first time in 50 years it had rained on the Tournament of Roses Parade which is held in Pasadena California. I reside about 70 miles southeast from Pasadena and it was a very wet and windy day. My wife raced outside this morning to pick-up all of the Christmas decorations so they wouldn't blow away while I laid in bed with my head cold.

I don't normally get sick but I have noticed in the past year or so I am getting more and more colds. I know it has to do with stress and no matter how many stress relivers I have in my life I still have a great deal of uncertainty surrounding me. I know only viruses can cause colds and I am usually over the colds within a few days but it is no fun being sick; however; today being wet and windy day it really was the perfect day to lay around and do nothing.

One of the good things about living in Southern California is the weather and we rarely get days like today so I took and the family took full advantage. Today also marked the day in which many of the college football bowl games were played and in a previous life I really loved this day. I know now it was a ridiculous fantasy of mine and looking back at the last few years; even though there were five or six college football games played I had more action going on the following Saturday with college basketball.

The bowl games didn't have quite the allure they once had for me since I decided to go "crazy" into sports betting. It really was just another day but what I didn't realize at the time I was a "prisoner" of my own addiction. I did the same stupid things over and over again and I would win some but mainly lose most yet I continued the insanity. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I was certifiably insane for the past 20 plus years. I am so glad the insanity has stopped and I know how to attack my addiction. I know I have a problem and am finally doing something about it and it feels great.

I did watch a few minutes of some of the games and I am so happy the old gambling pangs were not there. I watched the games as a fan for the first time in I can't remember how long. When I was a kid before gambling took hold of me I loved sports both watching and playing it. I dreamed of being a sports broadcaster. I don't know what happened but by the time I went to college the dream of being a sports broadcaster had vanished because of the sports betting.

I remember doing a project in 8th grade English Class where I created an all sports newspaper. I think I got a B on the project but I was so very proud of the accomplishment. I believe a few years later one of the writers from Sports Illustrated developed an all sports newspaper called the "National" but I think it only survived one or two years. I remember buying that newspaper when I was in college so I could "study" who would win the night's games. Yes, that dream has vanished but there is so much more to my life and I am very excited to see what "God has in store for me".