Today, at 2pm, Ernie Grunfeld, team president of the Washington Wizards will be meeting with members of the media. He will be discussing the season ahead for the Wizards, personnel moves that were made in the off season, and his personal expectations. These types of press conferences typically involve lots of cryptic, obtuse answers, and the media is left to put their own spin and/or opinion on what was said. Its a cat and mouse game that you get used to playing after awhile, and to be honest, its a game I enjoy immensely. But its a game I won't be playing today, and I'm pissed off about it.

My co-worker has to attend a funeral today, so he took off work, and I totally understand that. But for the second time this week, work has interfered with me attending a Wizards related press conference and I am totally and completely verklempt. Press conferences prior to the season like this one, allow me to get back into the swing of things... Hobnobbing with other journalists, smelling the bowels of the Verizon Center, getting nervous before I ask pointed questions, fumbling with my recording device, and then transcribing the audio, so I can write an article on Hoops Addict. These are all things I thrive on and enjoy. And with the season starting in a month, I need to work myself back up into a basketball related lather..but my paying job prevents from me doing so sometimes..like this week.

Now don't get me wrong. I respect and love my paying job. It bought me these glasses that enable me to see the screen, it enables me to pay rent, watch 793 cable channels, and maintain the lifestyle of my high maintenance diva girlfriend (kidding). But working at my paying job does not match the rush of adrenaline I get covering a basketball game, and you know what, that's fine. The balance of the two keep me sane. But this week, the scales have been tipped in favor of my paying job, and the side gig is suffering, so I am imbalanced and angry about it. I don't want to take my anger out on anyone, so I am writing (without editing I might add).

This job related anger is totally upstaging the fact that I got a haircut early this morning, and I was successfully able to dodge my usual negligent barber, for the newer one who makes my hair come alive. My normal barber comes in at 9, I was in and out of the shop by 8:30, and no one got hurt, unless one of the barbers snitches, which is entirely possible. Still for now I will attempt to put aside my job related anger, and celebrate my mini barber coup.