HORNETS-CHICKEN NUGGETS GAME 2. 

A full running diary to come after the game. Get excited.  

THE TINA CURSING CORNER  

The magnolia tree in our backyard came down today. And oh what a site it was to behold. I hope you'll join me tomorrow for a photo essay of the Earth Day destruction. My mom is glad to have it gone. "Dad told me there's a Louisiana law that says if you cut down a magnolia, you have to plant another one. That's bullshit." 

Later in the afternoon, I asked mom if the tree people were done. "No. They out there (in the front) bullshitting." When the crew left, there was a mess to clean up. "The shit is everywhere." 

Mom encourages me to move into a house two doors down. "All you got to do is give that guy $20,000, knock down that crap, hire a contractor and have him build a house the way you like it because it's your fucking land."

We watched the first disc of Season 3 of Lost. 

-- On the first scene of the season: "They were waiting on that fucking plane." 

-- On the way the others know to get off the island: "Probably takes you right off the fucking island. Probably takes you right into the fucking city." 

-- On the con the others pulled: "What the fuck did they do to Sawyer?"

There were also two "shits" Wednesday. 

FOUR CORNERS

A closer look at The Gene Pool World. 

-- On Sunday, I was standing at the back of Church when an usher approached me. "Son, can you help me out with something?" Sure. He wanted me to go by the collection sheet and write down the total as each usher returned with their stash. 

Sweet, I thought. Let's see the money this place is raking in. 

4 p.m. Saturday: $298.

9:30 a.m. Sunday: $275.

11:30 a.m. Sunday: $407. (No. I didn't fudge the numbers in my addition.)

Here's the process of how I wrote down the totals. 1) The usher comes to the back. 2) As he dumps the money from the basket into the bag, he tells the head usher the total. 3) The head usher then turns and says the total to me (even though I just heard the number.) 4) I write down the figure and add them up at the end. 

My question: Why not have each usher write his total next to his name and then have the head usher add them up at the end? I mean really. Was my assistance really needed? Really? I am excited, though, about the prospect of being the official collection adder upper. 

-- On Monday, I received this breaking news alert in my e-mail: "Ur girlfriend is cheating on u." Thanks for the update, buddy. Looks like I got to dump the bitch. 

-- The NBA playoffs take forever, but I love them anyway. The last five minutes of the first two Celtics-Bulls games (plus the overtime) are as good as it gets. Back and forth. Big shot after big shot. I've always thought Ben Gordon would be a big star in the league. 

On Tuesday, I had everyone at work not tell me the score of the Rockets-Blazers game. It was on NBA TV, so we couldn't watch it. Plus, it was ending too late to make the paper. To their credit, no one at work mentioned anything about the game, and I made it home and watched the whole game (damn you, Brandon Roy) without knowing the result. An amazing feat considering. 

-- On Tuesday at work, D and I arranged a run to McHardy's for some fried chicken. I hadn't had good fried chicken (Popeye's doesn't count) since a Saints Monday Night Football party in October. That is far too long. And McHardy's hit the spot. A couple of times. 

We had five people put in four bucks, and we got 25 pieces, which would cost about $35 to $40 at Popeye's. I had six pieces: three legs, two thighs and a breast. I had a coke and a bag of chips as well. That cost $2. 

PARTING SHOT

D gets upset Tuesday night and goes on a rant with several "f" bombs. 

JRap: Good, D. I like what I'm hearing over there.

D: You didn't know I was bilingual, huh?

THE DAILY TOP LIST

My favorite five first names as relates to TV. To qualify, I must like three characters with that first name. I tried to get one female name in here but couldn't get to three with one name. (Also-rans: George, Ted, Fred, Barney, Jerry, Sam).

5) Michael.

Scott (Office), Bluth (Arrested Development), Ian Black (Stella).

4) John.

Dorian (Scrubs), Locke (Lost), Casey (Chuck).

3) Peter.

Griffin (Family Guy), Petrelli (Heroes), Brady (Bunch).

2) Jim.

Halpert (Office), Ignatowski (Taxi), Dangle (Reno 911!).

1) Jack.

Bauer (24), Shepherd (Lost), Donaghy (30 Rock), Tripper (Three's Company.)