Random Ridiculousness

It's that time again. Letting out what my mind keeps in.

+Gas prices are finally dropping back down again. It comes right in time for the holiday travel season -- I just hope they stay down at least until after the first of the year, since I'll be on the road again for the days right after Christmas.

+Thanksgiving takes on a new meaning this year as well. My brother, Brian, hits the trail for the Air Force in December, so Mom Hunt is making sure everyone can get together for the last time for probably at least a couple years.

Luckily, my boss allowed me to have the day before Thanksgiving off work so I can make it back to T-town and see my brother off. It will be the quickest trip I've taken in awhile, but definitely will be worth it. In addition, it looks like I should be able to make it back to Tiffin for the night before Thanksgiving bar celebration, which is always awesome, seeing high school friends you haven't seen in a long time.

+After nearly six months producing the 10 p.m. newscast, I've decided that the 2nd shift is probably the worst of the three you can work.

1st shift is obviously ideal, waking up at a fairly normal time, going to sleep at a fairly normal time, having time in the afternoon and evening to relax -- or, mostly importantly for someone who's new to an area, to meet people for a drink or dinner.

3rd shift might not be the best for sleeping, but if you can block out enough sun in your room it's fine. Some of my fellow producers who work that 3rd shift find it easier to sleep twice a day, which I would agree with doing. The thing about the 3rd shift is that you can tailor your schedule to allow yourself time to hang out or have dinner with people in the afternoons and evenings.

The 2nd shift, though, allows none of that. Waking up isn't the hard part - in fact, you wake up just about any time you really want to wake up. You spend the free time of your day making lunch, watching daytime television or running errands. If you try to get up early, you spend your workday just trying to make it to the end.

You finish working anywhere between 11 and midnight, giving you maybe two hours to meet friends out somewhere, but likely sending you home to finish off your day with a movie or late-night television show. 2nd shifts do not assist with meeting new people, getting together with the people you already know or dating anyone. OK, that's my rant.

+I'm thinking about trying to grow a playoff beard. It might have to be amended to be called a "postseason" beard, mainly because it looks like Notre Dame will have at least one extra game this year and the Browns will not. That means I MIGHT have some facial hair by the time ND plays in a bowl game. How I love being baby-faced.

+How crazy has it been to be a Cleveland Indians fan the last two years? In 2007, the team tied for the best record in baseball, led by pitcher CC Sabathia - their first Cy Young Award winner in years - and was a win away from the World Series.

This season, the Tribe finished at an even .500 (which, by the way, was just seven games out of first in the Central Division) and had two big winners on the field - Cliff Lee grabbed the AL Cy Young Award and Grady Sizemore won both a Golden Glove and the Silver Slugger Awards. And Cleveland traded away a guy who finished 5th in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

Despite what many believe, there was no way the Indians were going to re-sign CC Sabathia. If he didn't sign before the season, he was not staying in Cleveland after the season. For the Indians to get what they got out of Sabathia, it was a HUGE victory for the Tribe. It might have cost them a playoff run this year, but at least the Indians got something for Sabathia, unlike the same situations with guys like Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome, who left town with nothing coming in return.

+That's all I got. Go Browns. Need a Monday Night Football encore from the win over the Giants.