Making It Up As I Go Along #376

Greatest of All Time
We are always ranking things. Quite often, when I’m not sure what to write about, the first thoughts through my head are things like “best sport of all time”... or “greatest vacation I ever had”.

I usually skip over such thoughts and move on to something else. After all, why does it really matter what one person ranks any given issue, thing or event. But since I proclaim this week (on Saturday to be precise) that while at Sam’s I had “the best steak of all time” it seems a good time to go into this issue.

First off, talk is often cheap when it comes to high ranking matters. You’ll often see it on TV commercials. Claims that you’ll never own a better knife or that $19.99 for paper towel supplements will be the greatest value you’ll ever have.

This is now the “best” time to own a GM vehicle. I can’t help but think these latest commercials are the most desperate the North American companies have ever been for our business. So in fact, their high claims bring on my thoughts of their even higher ranking desperation... and the cycle continues.

People often claim that their favourite anything is, in fact, the best. Nickleback is the greatest band of all time (a sentence I would never write is any sincerity). In fact, Nickleback has been called both the greatest band of all time and the worst band of all time. In likelihood, they probably don’t belong on either end of the spectrum... but I sure know which end they’re closer to! And, for the record... Wilco is the greatest band presently. Although the best album they ever made was now four albums ago... leaving one to wonder if their peak has past. And the best album I’ve ever heard is Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea”.

Some things seem universally agreed on. Stephan Harper may have many supporters, but I’ve never heard anybody claim him to be the greatest Prime Minister Canada has ever seen.

On the other hand, quite a few people have made the claim that George W. Bush is in fact the worst President in the history of the United States. Sure, it’s by no means a universally agreed upon fact... but it is quite a lot of people making the claim.

Tiger Woods has been called the greatest athlete in the world... but I would like to see him win an Iron Man or Decathlon. So here we have trouble with the definition of great athlete. Best in their sport? Or able to do the most athletic things?

You have things like best time of day to be productive in your work. Some say first thing in the morning... and I often see crazy people walking into our office at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning. I believe they are confused and think they’re heading in to milk cows or some such thing... but they keep making the same mistake and return each day at the same crazy hour.

Others are more civilized in their productivity. They are at their best at around 3:00 or 4:00 PM. I think such people are very intelligent.

In reality, I have since read that the most productive time for people ranges from 10:30 AM to around 2:00 PM. It all depends on if you’re more of a morning person or night person.

So there are many differences of opinions when it comes to best and worst of anything. Either we’re just all really geared quite differently. Or I am in fact, the smartest man in the world! Knowing what is right and wrong better than anyone else. And, with that claim, another ranking list is born.


WEDNESDAY...
— Alone at work. Pretty busy but it goes fine. A bit of sleep does help. I wish I could get the five or six hours before every day shift instead of the regular 3.5 to 4.

THURSDAY...
— Work most of the day alone, Phil is in for the afternoon. I’m tired.
— Ball after work. A spare for another slow pitch team. I have a hard time getting used to the much bigger field with softer sand... but I hit plenty and have some fun.

FRIDAY...
— Blue Jays time. Drive with Janice to Toronto. Meet Laura there... we all go to meet Sam for supper and the ball game and then do a drink after. Janice, Laura and I Go Train it back to Laura’s to end the night.

SATURDAY...
— Hockey Hall of Fame. Go with Laura and Janice and we hang out there for a few hours before getting lunch downtown and going back to Laura’s. She’s off to work and Janice and I go back into Toronto a few hours later for BBQ at Sam and Jenn’s. Best steak of all time. Back to Laura’s for the night.

SUNDAY...
— I see Laura off at about 6:30 in the morning. That is to say I’m there on the couch when she comes in after night shift and we chat a bit before she heads to bed. Janice and I leave for Ottawa by about 10:45. I’m home around 4:00 and get very lazy for the rest of the evening. A good trip to Toronto. Great to see Sam and Laura and some fun times all around.

MONDAY...
— Lose in ball today. First loss in a while, breaking our 7 game win streak. I homer but it’s not enough... 10-8.

TUESDAY...
— Quiet day. My heel is sore and I rest it up. By about supper time, it’s doing alright again.
— To the movies with some of the work crew. Bruno is funny in spots and stupid in others... typical hit and miss.