another relapse...

I love ripping packs of cards! I think anyone who might be reading this does, too. I get into trouble doing it. I’ll leave the house with a twenty dollar bill to pick up a few essentials at the grocery store and get sidetracked and blow the bill on packs of cards, its happened often. All I have to do is open one pack and I have the fever. I need to finish the set; I need to check out different sets. I know this about myself and I know my money is slim right now. I am not making the money I was making a year ago. The economy blows and everyone is suffering and the “little extras” have to be eliminated from our lives. With the money tight thing being said, I started listing cards, from the many long white boxes that are stacked all around my house, on e-bay. I’ve been sorting cards, making lists, putting things together in lots and posting them up for bid. This has been pretty painful. It’s not that I mind getting rid of cards. Most are doubles anyway, or insignificant to me. I would much rather have something in the hands of someone who really appreciates it, than to be cluttering my floor and waiting for the day when my cat pukes all over it and ruins it. That said, sorting cards gives you that fever, it makes you want more cards to sort. New cards. The cards you buy in packs at that evil card shop that wants to suck up all of your money and leave you destitute and out on the streets…
I remember the last pack of cards I had opened. It was my birthday, the last day of 2008, five months ago. That’s a long time to go without ripping a pack, especially when you are addict who doesn’t wanna be in recovery.
Well, the cards listed on e-bay are selling slowly, the light bill is paid and I transfer all of the PayPal money to my checking account and go to the grocery store because our fridge is empty sparing the near empty bottle of mustard, a jar of capers, a lone 16 ounce can of Miller High Life and a partially eaten birthday cake of unknown origin. We really need to buy some food. I grudgingly tread out to Wal Mart (I really don’t like shopping there, but I need to stretch my dollars) and start filling my cart. I’m snatching up bargain after bargain and when everything is scratched off of my list, I feel like I am under budget. I creep toward the sports card aisle. I haven’t been there in a long, long time. I start to sweat a little and wonder if I can abandon my cart and just grab a few boxes! I start to poke around and decide I’d rather eat, their selection stinks! Topps Heritage baseball is my drug of choice and they have none. I’m disappointed, but proud of myself for battling the shakes and not giving in. Still, I can’t leave empty handed, so I grab a $1.99 pack of 2009 Topps Series 1 baseball.
The checkout line was a million miles long, the cashier looked like she was seriously contemplating suicide and the bill took all but 38 cents of hard earned PayPal money, but I did get all on my shopping list, go me! I rushed home to get everything put away and marveled at how different the kitchen looked with stuff in it. I set the pack of cards on a table and decided I would wait till my wife got home and we would open them together. I am an addict, but I am trying not to revisit the days of ripping wax alone in the dark and hiding the cards under my bed… I asked her if she was excited about opening the pack, she said she would be more excited if it was Heritage. You and me both, sister!
She documented the whole ride in pictures, it’s not often you open your first pack in 5 months…
Pack is open, what do we have here?
Great, I waited 5 months to pull the same stupid “Stay in School” David Wright card that has been littering packs for years now? And it has a big anti-theft strip on it; glad I didn’t try and steal them. I could add incarceration to disappointment.
It does get better, but not much… Next is a horribly composed and unflattering card of Brewers prospect Mat Gamel. Poor guy. I'm sure he is not actually filling his pants, but it does look like it...
Next is Ken Griffey Jr. I can remember when pulling a KGJ card was exciting. Now, it’s just really weird to see him in White Sox uniform. Looks like Grif is taking a curtain call, perhaps after one of the many game winning home runs he hit for the Sox...Jason Michaels, Mark Teahen, Geoff Jenkins, Doug Mienkiewicz, John Lackey, Kila Ka’aihue, not very exciting…
Ooh, a gold card, Brandon Inge, very deep in thought, perhaps considering taking a sip of Gatorade and removing that silly chest protector and trotting back to 3rd base.
Next up, it's Manny… You would think that pulling 2 cards of 500 home run club sluggers would be thrilling. Its not. I had read a newspaper article about his suspension earlier in the day. It was a half page long and said absolutely nothing; my head still hurts from attempting to read it. I guess the important thing is he is suspended…Last card! It’s actually a cool shot, wow! Reggie Abercrombie in a home plate collision. I like Reggie. He was a high school star in Lake City, Florida, he got drafted in the 23rd round by the Dodgers and he’s been bumping around the minors for the last 9 years. He hit .309 in 34 games for the Astros last year, pretty promising, but not promising enough to hang with the big club, he’s back in Round Rock in AAA. At least he’s got a cool card.
Just transferred a few bucks from the old PayPal account, wonder what tomorrow will bring? Actually, I know what tomorrow will bring. It will bring me driving around until I find a place to buy some freaking Topps Heritage cards cuz I still have the shakes!!!!!