I had one of the busiest weekends I can remember as far as the sheer amount of crap being shoveled my way. I’ll spare you the gritty details on most of it, and just give you the round-up:

Divorce: It’s a nasty word, and I found out it’s hitting my (extended) family again. Ugh.

Engagements: One friend (the Mizzi) got engaged. Another (Roman) is about to. They’re dropping like flies. BnFnH.

Breaking up/making up: Another girl I know seems determined to stay in a situation that is clearly unhealthy. I know how it can feel to lose someone you love and I know how all you want to do is hope that things can get better, but the guy seems resolute in his disdain for her, as is evidenced here. I just don’t understand how a) she can believe all the horrible things he says about her and b) she can think that without him and his abuse, her life is incomplete. He tells her right out that she’s weak, that he owns her, and she laps it up like a cat with a saucer of milk.

I have been through this garbage, I have been the one who was cut down, made to feel like they were less of a person, and I’ve come out on the other side of it to see what it is: the other person’s need to control you. Sometimes I think this girl is like a retarded version of Pavlov’s dog. He keeps smacking her across the face, and yet she doesn’t learn from the overwhelming amount of negative reinforcement.

This girl is better than that though, she’s smarter than that, and she deserves better than that. I’m sorry about the Pavlov’s dog comment, because she’s most certainly not retarded. She knows that this guy is going to mistreat her, she tells me all the time. Yet she would rather live a life being abused by him than taking a chance at being happy alone. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve done all I can. Ashley, my friend, you’re on your own.

Blondie: I had an amazing time with her Friday at the ADB show and it got me thinking, “Why the hell am I not making more of an effort to see this girl more often?” I called her Sunday and long story short, she’s coming to my hockey game this evening. Hooray!

Hockey: As I said Friday, my team stunk the joint up. My brother’s team lost yesterday too. They had no business being in that game for most of it, yet they almost came in and stole a game from what should be shape up to be the best team in the league. I’m so impressed with my brother’s team right now.

Live music: We saw A Darker Broadcast at Alvin’s Friday night and they continue to impress. Howie doesn’t even do the silly dance where he hops up on his toes and tries to walk around like Elvis anymore.

Cards: I played in a game I had no business being in. I was invited by a guy I work with to a cash game Saturday night and I’m damn lucky I escaped with $15 in my pocket (which put me $25 down for the night.) Sitting around the table were myself, a former co-worker who didn’t seem to know much about the game, a physics professor from the University of Michigan, a two-day Jeopardy champion, a retired Detroit Free Press editor, a co-worker of mine who I had no idea was a card shark and another co-worker whose good luck charm to cover his cards was a picture of himself and Doyle Brunson from when they were both in their 20s back in West Texas. Suffice it to say, I was a fish out of water.

Football: I picked all four games incorrectly this weekend. Thank goodness I didn’t put any money down. It just proves now that my 10-year-old cousin Douglas knows more about football than I do. I was all worried when I saw the kid playing Magic: the Gathering all the freaking time. I’m glad we have him back in the fold. He’s a great kid, he’s just a bit of a dork. It’s like If he applies his knowledge of sports, maybe he stands a chance of not getting his ass kicked in high school all the time.

Finding out he’s a sports geek was kind of like the first time I saw my brother wearing a Suicide Machines t-shirt and a studded belt after he spent nine months in his “raver” period. The only other person I know who played Magic — young Ian — had a rough go if it in his high school years. Eventually he traded the bullies in high school for a wife, who I’m sure is no easier on him than the guys from the Milford High School football team were back in 1998. Hopefully Douglas can avoid the same pitfalls our Harry Potter-looking friend did.