Anyway - When I signed off a little more than 4 months ago, I had the following goals.
1) Spend time with another hobby
2) Get my collection fully sorted
3) Pay a bunch of shit off.
4) Get some tattoos.
So how have I done?
1) I've been playing my guitar about an hour a day and can say with a good amount of certainty I've gotten back into the playing shape I was in from about 1999-2002 when I was consistently playing shows and writing tunes. I still can't find my writing sea legs yet, but who knows, maybe someday that will come back and I can bring more mediocrity to the world!
2) Collection is about 65% sorted. Getting there - 30 minutes a day about - slow and steady other than gettin burned out.
3) Car loan - Paid
Student Loans - Paid
You have no idea how good if feels to know that I don't have those loans anymore - Of course I still have the wife's car and student loans, but baby steps. The plan was to pay off wifey's car with taxes, but both cars need about $2500 worth of work between them, so that's not happening.
4) Got the Mount Friendmore tatoo started - This thing is a beast - across my formidable back - 2 more sessions to go. Story and pics will show up once its all complete.
So yeah - that's whats been happening. 24 has been setting new limits of suckitude so far as every story line where Jack is not involved has eaten rotten assholes. We can just hope that Lost can bring it all together.
I've bought 2 boxes of cards since I went away - 09 Updates and Highlights and 09 Heritage high Numbers. Both sucked.
I did also get 5 packs of the 2010 Topps from Target - and that is why I am writing today - and unimpressed.
I really think that the photography has taken a step back this year - too many shots of asses and really not a fan of the franchise history cards. I want manager cards! (for the record I never once thought that I would say that).
Below are some of the base cards of stars I pulled. I'm glad I got the Wright card, but really, I don't want to look at a baseball card and feel like I need to put a jacket on. This must the coldest dingiest day recorded on a baseball card from last season. These cards are supposed to break the doldrums of winter, not remind you what April in NY is really like.
Here we have some of this years inserts. The only ones of these that I like are the Peak Performance and Cards Your Mom Threw Out. The thing with the CTMYO is that haven't they been a bit overdone in the last few years? Yea, granted they were using new players on a bunch of old designs, but I don't know, the idea no longer seems fresh - I don't want shiny glossy vintage. These History and Tales inserts are ugly, and while a nice idea - poorly executed. The when they were young set is I think 58 cards? really? Gimme a break - hate these, remind me of the old Donruss Triple play cards.
Topps Town is Topps Town - good enough I guess.
I hate minis. Who wants em?
And finally a question for those of you who have busted a bit more of this stuff. This your Pujols MVP card - you will see everything makes sense - Listed as 1B - nothing really of note here except the best player of our era. 
But how come on the back is he listed as a outfielder? Are they all like this? Please let me know. 
So yeah - I will not be buying anymore packs or boxes of this garbage this year - I will go on the bay and but a complete set of the base and the 2 subsets that I care about for less than 2 blasters and then move on to hopefully better things.
I haven't done so yet, but once everything in my collection is collated I will get all my want lists in order and in turn really start looking at all of yours.
I wanted to give a shout out to Steve @ White Sox Cards who sent me an awesome package just as I shut my doors - about 25 sweet Robin Ventura cards, a lot from eras when I was not collecting. So Steve - Thank you very much!
I am not ready to come back here on a day to day basis, but until everything is sorted I might show up from time to time so you don't forget about me. Thanks for leaving me on your blog rolls, and here's hoping to a good collecting year for all of us.
