Ball til I Fall

Shot hoops at 7:00 to 7:45 this morning. By myself.  Felt good.

The final stretch I told myself I needed to hit three of five shots. I hit the first three so I took ten shots...hitting eight. All mid-range jumpers.

Felt pretty good about my game. Tell you what, chasing down your own rebounds for 45 minutes is a great workout.

It's supposed to t-storm tomorrow so I hope I'm able to get out there and shoot.

Time to head home to take Nathan out.

Random Thoughts: Caught and Published

This post is going to be about random thoughts I have while walking home.

- What the fuck is this guy wearing?!?

- Who eats a bagel at 6 o'clock at night?

- Damn it feels good to be a gangster.

- How do Asian people understand what they're saying? They talk so fast.

- Maybe I'll get Nathan a gift at Popcorn Pawz for being a great, protective big brother.

- Pigeons sure are fearless.

- I wonder what's for dinner.

- People probably think I'm crazy talking into my phone. They'd be right. I am.

- Can't wait to see Lindsay, Nolan, and Nathan.

- This sun sure is shining bright.

- I haven't looked up in like 10 minutes. I guess I've mastered this walk.

- Sorry kid, didn't see you there.

OK, time to keep my eyes up and finish my trek.

Stopped at Metate, new Mexican restaurant. Picked up a takeout menu. Damn I love their cuisine.

Day One in the BX; Sightings

Day One in the BX
And there was little sleep to be had.  It seemed that every hour (as opposed to every two-and-a-half to three in the hospital) Nolan wanted to cry bloody murder and eat.  Kind of weird, but what the hell do I know - I've never gone through this before, so I'm not sure of the protocol.

We got home around 1-ish and it was pretty smooth sailing.  Jesse and Julia came over and brought us some food - we wound up eating the food they made with them last night.

Today I came in to work.  My main man Milos did me a huge solid by restacking the little bleachers.  I asked Ruiz (the other assistant baseball coach) if they were still out (for the Coaches Clinic in the gym on Saturday) and he didn't even know.  Derf!  So thanks Milos, you're the man.

Everyone is wishing me congratulations, and I thank them all.  Lindsay is home with Nolan and I'll be back there around 11:15 to take Nathan out and then head to the doctor for Nolan.

I'm sitting in sports info with Joe Brackets listening to music and posting.  We got practice at 3:15 this afternoon and Lindsay's aunt is coming down this afternoon with her two daughters (Julia loves Nathan) to see Momma D and Nolan.

I am going to get something to eat before I pass out.  I totally forgot to eat this morning, but at least I got to shower.

Sightings
Not sure how this one slipped through the cracks in my last "Sightings" post, but it bears mentioning.

- As I was walking out the front doors of our building on Sunday afternoon to head back to the hospital, who did I see?  A clown standing out front, smoking a cigarette.  It covered every weird/scary/creepy clown stereotype and it was hilarious.  I offered him a pound, but he didn't reciprocate.  What a dick!  I hope his show bombs and word spreads that this clown's a douche.

Later clowns!

15 Minutes Is All I Needed

Just took Nathan to the dog park and I want to try, try, to describe the sights and sounds we witnessed.  I am a pretty easy going person, and have a hard time holding back laughter - even if it is right in front of someone's face.  What a worthwhile trip outside though.  Here goes:

1st - There was a softball practice going on - not the Giants - but the girl batting was wearing a long denim skirt.  Actually, there were several girls wearing denim skirts, I think it might be a Jewish thing or something like that.  Or Amish?  I'm not sure.

2nd - There's a kid who has something wrong with him - seriously - and walks his dog named Diesel.  Only thing is, this kid yells the entire time - at his dog, at other dogs, and people.  Kind of sad/funny at the same time.  There was a baseball game going on on the field, and he randomly shouted out "Nice catch!" and then almost simultaneously shouted "DROP IT!" to a dog that was not his (he wanted someone else's dog to drop a ball that belonged to the dog).  Then he asked me if I needed to know the time and shoved his watch in my face.  I thanked him and we left.

3rd - I missed the photo op of a lifetime.  I saw Jimmy Johnson walking on the sidewalk and just froze.  Oh wait, it was a 70-something year old woman who had the exact same hair-do.  Like I'm not even kidding - it was scary.

4th - We were walking down the ramp walkway to our building and out comes this seven-year-old girls announcing to everyone walking past "My big boobies!" as she held her hands next to her ribs.  I laughed immediately without restraint. Her mom was a foreign-looking woman, who had on a lot of makeup, but was probably good looking - 10 years ago - prior to her enhancements.  Maybe she was a mail-order type, who knows.

Gotta get ready to go to dinner.  I told Jesse and Julia we'd pick them up at 6:30.  Driving to dinner - Cilantro - Columbus and 83rd.  Some southwestern cuisine - they got real good guacamole (almost as good as mine).  I figure it'd be better to drive in case anything happens - like Baby D wanting to make an early appearance.

Shower time, to wash my big boobies!

Boilers Win; Vols/Cats Get it Going; Wind Storm in the BX

Purdue
Purdue shot a lot of free throws.  Indiana did not.  Purdue coasted to an easy victory over Indiana, 67-53.

They held the Hoosiers to 33% from the floor, including 2-14 from three (that's 14%), and 7-7 from the stripe.  Hard to win when you get out-shot by 21 free throw attempts.  Purdue managed only 38% from the floor, 4-14 from three, and 21 of 28 at the stripe. 

The line was Purdue (-14) and wound up +14 at the line and +14 for the game. 

There was the difference right there.  Purdue held on and will probably not benefit in the polls unless the teams ahead of them lose - after all, Indiana is under .500 (12-13, 3-9 Big Ten). 

Purdue got this Rivalry Week win but head to Hoosierville February 23rd.  Indiana will be sure to have payback on their mind.  Spoiler alert?

Tennessee/Kentucky
Tennessee and Kentucky are in the early stages of this one, 15:58 and the first media timeout.  5-5.  Boooooring!  Both teams are too tight but once they loosen up, it's on.  Coach Cal will get these boys rolling.  Bruce Pearl will sweat through his orange blazer.  Just flipped on the game - 14-7 now and Pearl's blazer is as hideous as ever.  Maybe I'll see him when we head down there in March so I can tell him it looks terrible on television.

Wind Storm
There is some sort of wind storm going on here in the Bronx.  It's been howling since this afternoon and it's a frigid wind.  I guess it could be worse, it could be snow.  I have to take Nathan out one more time, probably in 2 minutes, and then it's bed time.  Another early practice tomorrow. 

I am going to bring my Flip Video one of these days and record a walk in and post it here.  It's a dark, scary walk in at 4:45 am.  Hold me to it - I will even add commentary as I walk.

Later dudes and dudettes!  Hang 10! (I have never surfed in my life)

White Stuff Falls; Hard Ball

We got around 8" of snow here in the Bronx overnight and the sun is shining right now, at 11:13am.  The roads are clear (the corners are dirty snow) and traffic is moving.  Alternate side parking is suspended today and tomorrow, so luckily I won't have to move my car out of the Wednesday spot behind my building.  They say suspending alternate side facilitates snow removal, which I can't figure out.

Just a lazy day in the Bronx today.  Lindsay whipped up some pancakes for breakfast and is currently in a press conference delay, keeping her from watching The View. 

I'm sorry to all the NYC school teachers - Bloomberg didn't cancel classes.  The way they were talking about this storm, I figured it'd be snowing when I woke up.  Such was not the case.  It was a lot of snow, but it was light snow.  Powder I think is the correct term.  Nathan loved it.  He'll get another crack at it around noon, when we head out for his afternoon stroll and run in the dog park.

All this white snow makes me think of making snowballs, which, you guessed it, reminds me of baseball.

Yankees baseball.

Rumor has it the Yanks are in talks with super-agent Scott Boras about adding OF Andruw Jones for the 2011 season.  The same one who played at Yankee Stadium as a teenager playing in the World Series for the Braves.  Now 33 years-old, he hit .230 with 19 jacks for the White Sox last year.  They better not overpay for this guy, but he does have some tools.

Also rumblings out of the Bronx indicate the Bombers are looking to add former A's stud but recently injury-prone P Justin Duchscherer.  He's only been healthy for 28+ innings the past two seasons, but what got him noticed was back in 2004-2006 when he put up some gaudy numbers coming out of the pen.  In 2008, his last healthy season, he was 10-8 with a 2.54 ERA in 141 innings pitched (he started all 22 appearances).  Would be a nice addition to the Yankees, seeing how the pitching staff has been the downfall of late.  Bring in the DUKE!

Andy Pettitte, a fan favorite in the Bronx, is still unsure of his future.  I really hope he comes back for one more year.  It's not like he's hanging on for another paycheck, I honestly think he's still got something left in the tank.  Dude was 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA last year and threw two gems in the postseason.  Sure, he was on the shelf for all of August.  Sure, he's 38 years-old.  Bring it back for one more year Andy.

Time to take Nathan out.  Jerry Springer is on.  Can't believe he's still on TV.  Or that we're watching it.  It's comic relief and makes you realize how good you actually have it, compared to these honky-tonks.

Here we come snow!

Another Christmas Miracle

Just had another Christmas gift exchange. You know what I got? A tool box and plenty of tools. Now lies the rub - how the hell to use some of them.

Hammer. I know what to do with you. Power drill. Check. Tape measure, Mag-Lite, ratchet set - got it. Right angle looking level thing, not so sure how you're gonna help me. If I ever need a right-angle, you're my tool.

I sensed a theme right off the bat, as soon as I opened the tool box. I'm not complaining seeing how I needed a tool box. I have tools randomly scattered about our apartment, but can never locate them when needed. The toolbox will be utilized whenever I need to do some handy work. Jesse is still the handy one but I may be running a close second (pretty easy seeing how there's only two of us). I'll get there though.

Syracuse is on the television. It finally got fixed. I asked the doorman what the deal was earlier today. He said the repairman was coming today. I guess he earned his money.

I've had about five Amstel Light and four other beers from Martha's Vineard. Last time I drank the Offshore Ale, it was lights out for this guy. Blackout potion. Doing OK now though.

Gonna sign off. I'm being a bit anti-social. Later dudes!

Bronx = Power Outage

Made it back to the Bronx last night.  Don't ask how, seeing how every Tom, Dick, and Harry were speeding on the snow-covered roads, whipping around turns.  A**holes.

We had a lot of Christmas goodies to get upstairs, not to mention Nathan.  It seemed like a lot more in the car than when we unloaded it all.  It was still a hefty bounty.

The snow caused chaos on the streets of the Boogie Down.  People were parked perpendicular into parking spots.  There was no sign of an open spot until Lindsay (we'll call her Hawk Eye for the sake of this post) spotted one in front of the building - a Monday spot no less.

We each grabbed a few things and headed up.  In order to get the rest of the booty upstairs, I had to forfeit my spot and go around the back to unload (they give us rolling carts to make it easy).  Hawk Eye met me back there, cart in hand.  We unloaded the car onto the cart, I raced to put the laundry upstairs, raced back down, and Hawk Eye then went up with the cart.  I headed back around the building to the spot I had just given up, praying (and cursing) that it was still there.  Ho Ho Ho!!!  I got it back.

Fast forward a few minutes.

Unpacked some things, turned on the idiot box, no picture.  Turn on my iPad, no service.  Turn on my computer, no service.  Our building was a blackout zone.  I called Linksys (router company) and asked if something was wrong, they asked me to call my cable provider.  There was a few other things said, I got impatient, and they hung up on me.  I called back, but as I was pressing 1 for English, I couldn't recall the guys name - probably because it was a name of Indian decent, and certainly one I couldn't remember or understand.

I saw a guy walking out of his apartment and asked him if it was my apartment or was cable out, and he vehemently shook his head back and forth.  I wasn't sure what he meant, so I asked again - do you have television service?  "No."  A man of few words.  I saved myself the headache of trying to fix my router or television or cable box - this was something out of my control.  So be it. 

You win this one Mother Nature.

Now, for the next two days (which are supposed to be off days seeing how I work at a college), there's high school and CYO basketball in the gym.  Of course I'm required to be there.  Luckily, Jesse will be filling in for me - he's always game for making a few extra bucks. 

OK, gotta go get water for these ingrate bastards.  At least the sun is out!

Delay of Game

  Some serious lightning is delaying the start of the game Brett Favre says he'll be "lights out".  OK Brett, but it wasn't a slow week in the sports pages here in NY - Yankees ALDS began (and ended) vs. the Twins; hockey season kicked off (the Islanders are 1-0-1); the Giants proved to the rest of the league that they're for real; and Brett Favre still managed to hog the headlines.

  Apparently, he sent text messages to sideline beaut Jenn Sterger.  Is there any length Brett will not go to to get his mug on the front cover of newspapers?  Narcissistic old bastard.  Perverted  pictures?  Really?  Get a grip man.  I am wasting no more time on you nor will I pay attention.  You need to hand the ball off to the best RB in the NFL and maybe, on occasion, fire the pigskin Randy Moss' way.  He's going to make you look good again.  Big Randy Moss fan. 

  Watching the Giants/Braves on TBS - thank God Chip Caray isn't doing these games.  He was one of the worst in the business.  Along with Joe Morgan.

  SNL just did a skit on NBC Sunday Night Football - pretty funny stuff.  Check it out here:  SNL's NBC Sunday Night Football. 

  Now I have to figure out where to get a MetroCard at 9:00pm on Columbus Day so that we can ride the bus into the city tomorrow.  I may have to wake up and take a stroll early in the morning.  Probably going to get a little lift in anyway, try to make myself feel a little better.

  The day off today was a real nice treat - seems like days off don't really exist because there is always something else going on - sporting events, outside groups coming in - and I really never have a day off.  Today was the first day since school started that I didn't have to do a thing related to work.  Outstanding. 

  Getting a little hot in here, lightning is still striking outside.  Going to try to get a few more photos and then hit the hay.  First, I gotta take the little guy out so he don't pee in the apartment.  Dodging bolts.

  Speaking of bolts, the OAKLAND RAIDERS beat the Chargers for the first time in seven years.  The Raiders are a respectable 2-3, but have to travel to nearby San Fran to take on the hapless 49ers.  Looks like a trap game to me.  Hell, 2-3 ain't bad - took them 6 weeks to get W #2 last year.  Looks like there's some improvement going on in Raider Nation.

  Bye!

New Stain; Lotta Rain

  In accordance with my father's birthday gift - a family crest tattoo - I added to my stains as well.  His appointment was at 6 down at Lone Wolf in Bellmore.  Jelena did the work on my father while Ron (the owner) took me in as a walk-in at 8.  He was nice enough to stay open a little after closing to finish me up, and the work was sick.  I will post a picture when it's good and healed up, but shit man, the thing looks awesome.

  Chances are, it's not going to be my last visit to Lone Wolf.  The shop was pretty cozy, but everyone in there was a good shit.  There wasn't any douche bag, I'm-better-than-you people around.  There was a guy from Noway, who lives and works out in California visiting.

  Rainy here in the Bronx.  Shitty.

Target sells what!?!

  As I walked around our local Target store on 225th St. yesterday afternoon, I came across this jewel and couldn't resist taking a picture, which speaks for itself:

Strasburg back on the shelf; Ohio St. pays top dollar

  Golden Boy Stephen Strasburg is once again on the DL.  Another MRI is being done for his strained tendon in the forearm.  Poor kid.  Hey, you know what, at least he has his money.  His health is in question but damn, that money ain't going anywhere. 

  In NCAA Football news, according to the AP, Ohio State will pay the Colorado Buffaloes $1.4 million to play the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in 2011.  Absolutely unheard of.  Since when does a major school pay another major school (albeit mediocre) $1.4 million to play a regular season game?  It's a joke.  Compared to the $300,000 to $700,000 Ohio State normally pays for an out-of-conference home game, I guess they think finally playing a legit (read: mediocre) school and winning will be better for them than playing the likes of Akron or Toledo.

  In 2009, Ohio State OOC included Navy (W 31-27), #3 USC (L 18-15), @Toledo (W 38-0), and New Mexico State (W 45-0).  Total score:  Ohio State 129, Opponent 45.  Record:  3-1.  Three cupcakes and a powerhouse.  In 2008, Ohio State entertained Youngstown St. (W 43-0), Ohio (W 26-14), @#1 USC (L 35-3) and Troy (W 28-10).  Total score:  Ohio State 100, Opponents 59.  Record 3-1.  Three cupcakes and a powerhouse.

  Here's an idea, schedule some better teams (a la Colorado in 2011, #13 Miami in 2010).  They play Eastern Michigan this year, who didn't win a game in 2009.  I guess they'll get at least one win.

  Weather sucks.  Gotta drop off my DirecTV shit.  Maybe whip up some dinner.  Get a picture of Nathan printed out so I can get this process moved along getting into our new place.  Damn will I be exponentially happier in a nice apartment instead of the dregs we live now.

  Adios!!

The Bronx is Burned

  The Bronx was once "Burning", but now it's officially burned. 

  The Yankees just finished a 4-game split with the Royals, cutting their lead over 2nd-place Tampa to 1 game.  The race remaining tight so whenever Pettitte is ready to come back won't be a day too soon.  As much as I like seeing Dustin Moseley have moments of brilliance, I still am about as comfortable with him as I am Sergio Mitre.  They need to win series' from here on out and take care of "the easy part of their schedule" as they keep saying on ESPN Radio.  Detroit (57-60) for 4 and Seattle(46-72) for 3 at the Stadium.  Then they go to Toronto (62-55) and Chicago (65-63) for 3-gamers.  Toronto   Following that, a 10-game homestand versus Oakland(57-59), Toronto, and Baltimore(41-77).  Buck has those boys in Baltimore playing well now though, so that may not be a walk in the park.  They do need to take care of business at home though against the weaker teams in the AL.  The AL (b)East and the NL West are the only two dvisions with four teams over .500.  That's a pretty astounding number.  The AL Central has two (MIN, CWS), AL West has two (TEX, LAA), NL East has two (ATL, PHI) and the NL Central has two (CIN, STL).  Winning either one of those two division ain't gonna be easy for the Yankees and Padres.  The Pads have a 3.5 game lead over the Giants and are showing no signs of slowing down.  Just hope their arms stay healthy.

  I returned Sunday night from a 3-day hiatus from this borough only to find my television not working - turns out the neighbor took it upon himself to take my DirecTV dish down.  I am going to cancel their ass, the service they've given sucks and God forbid it rains heavy or snows - service is spotty.  I guess I have no one to blame but myself so I can't be too angry.  I told them when they installed it that where they were going to place the dish was on my neighbor's yard.  This shmuck was sold on the fact that because the wall to the garage was facing my yard, it was OK.  Now take into consideration I'm renting, so whatever's whatever.  Neighbor comes around the block, tells me to move it, I relay the message to DirecTV, no luck.  They keep telling me it's fine.  Next time I need service, they come out, adjust the dish, I tell them it needs to move, they say it's fine.  Now it's sitting next to my house near the garbage pails.  Nice job DirecTV.

  We're looking for a new apartment, and had two in mind and were anxious to start somewhere new.  Broker called me today and both are rented - within the last 48 hours.  Keeping on with my hunt.

  There was a independent photo shoot on the side of the house, affectionately known as the "jungle" because of my landlords refusal to give a shit about what the yard looks like.  Sorry, it's not a yard, it's an empty lot.  Some dude was  on a motorcycle riding around in the side lot - it's a shame he wasn't able to use a lawnmower instead to cut some of those damn weeds.

  School starts in a few days, some of the athletes are back (volleyball, soccer) and the rest of the plebes come back soon.  Looking forward to another year - of baseball.  Summer is such a tranquil time of year here on campus except when the GYLC's are here.  Kids from all over the world come in and take over the dorms, forge new friendships, partake in summer love, and speak in foreign languages so that no one here can understand them.  Their invasion lasts about a week each, with 6 sets of GYLC's coming in throughout the summer.  It's over, they're out, thank God.

  Nathan had some shots the other day, one of which turned him from a dachshund into a shar pei.  His face turned into a giant swollen mess.  We raced back to the vet to get some benedryl for the swelling.  He's back to normal now, just have to keep medicating him twice daily for another 4 days.  It kind of knocks him out, so he's out of it.

  I am literally sweating my cojones off.  I have a little to nothing left to do today except see the apartment this afternoon.

  Adios kimosabe.

Hot, Hazy, Humid, Hell

   Today started with a pounding headache and a swollen throat.  After generously pouring this crap down my throat (OK, 2 cap fulls), I asked LMD when it expired.  I felt like we've had that thing for years - luckily, JAN11 was stamped on the bottle.  Crisis averted.

   Took the fur-kid out at around 5:48 am, basically sleep-walking around the mean streets of the Bronx, he did his business, and we went back in to the AC to cool it down for another two hours before physically removing myself from bed for the day.

   I went outside and it was relatively cool out this morning, probably about 15° cooler that the hell-hole apartment.  Still perplexed as to how in the hell the apartment gets so hot and muggy when it's cooler outside.  Made me angry.  So here I was, sick, sleep-walking, and angry.  A trifecta, all before 6:00 am.  Awesome.

   I guess it could be worse.  That's the way I seem to look at everything nowadays.  It could be worse.  I mean, I have my wife and dog and family and friends, but that's really all.  I still don't think the mantra I'm living by is healthy though.  It really grinds my gears.

   Moving on (quickly before I get agitated again), in MLB news, Brewers pitcher Chris Capuano got his first win since 2007 last night, a string of 13 straight losses with a myriad of ND's sprinkled in there.  In his 13 losing decisions, the Brewers scored only 38 runs (2.92 runs/game) for him.  I mean you gotta feel for the guy, he's had 2 Tommy John surgeries.  Most guys would have called it quits.  He's persistent, to say the least.  This is a guy who went 18-12 with a 3.99 ERA in 2005.  Not to mention he's a DUKE guy.  A real feel good story, similar to Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo (who still hasn't let up a hit to a LH batter this year) and also had to deal with numerous surgeries.

   The Yankees placed Andy Pettitte on the DL, giving Sergio Mitre a shot in the rotation, so says the NY Daily News.  It shouldn't really be a huge issue, so long as the front four can keep giving quality starts (AJ Burnett needs to have a quality start).  Pettitte has been on a tear all season long, so it's really a tough pill to swallow.  Every fifth day, you knew you had as good a shot at winning as there was, and now you have to hold your breath as you send Mitre out there.  We'll see how long it takes before the Yanks make a move and acquire another aging arm (Oswalt, Westbrook).  I'd rather see Carmona or Haren, but who knows what they're thinking.  Just gotta keep winning two of three, three of five and avoid a prolonged drought or losing streak.  Their offense should be able to carry them for a month or so.  No worries from Yankee-land.

   Health wise, I feel like crap again.  For some reason, my nose continues to run (maybe the humidity melts the mucus) and my head is beginning to ache, and my neck is beginning to get stiff.  I may be coming down with the (sic)ness. 

   I want a Harley Davidson too.  I was just thinking the other day about how bad-ass it would be to ride up to a field to recruit on a Harley with the loud pipes screaming.  Just a though, probably won't come to fruition, but it's good to dream. 

   OK, headed out.  Gotta go to Target, always find some neat stuff over there, not that I really need anything.

   Keep cool and try to keep your cool.  That's what I'm gonna try to do the rest of the day. 

   I'll leave you with this.  Good for the public school education in the Bronx.  They can't even get their 123's and ACB's? right:

   Siyanara suckers!

Relax!

   I'm talking to my readers, not referring to the Frankie Goes To Hollywood hit. (featured in Zoolander)

   I know more and more of you are probably having a tough time falling asleep at night without getting your daily fill on WRT, and for that I apologize.  I am on vacation and haven't had a chance to log on to post.  I just found the only spot in the whole place that has an internet connection (albeit a poor one), so I am sitting inside for a few with Nathan by my side.  LMD is out watching the third installment of the Twilight saga (Eclipse??)

   I have had a nice time thus far, beach is great (the water is frigid), the food is good (fresh seafood), and the living's easy.  It's vacation, isn't that what it's all about?

    4:00pm is rapidly approaching, which means one thing while down here in Sea Isle City - Dirty Martini's at McNutley's.  I tend to arrive around 4:15 to 4:30, but today I have to be early - it's my day to buy the first round of $3 Dirty's.  McNutley's is the prototypical dive-bar - frequented by no more than fifteen people at any given time.  The bartender works 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off.  The crowd is pro-Philadelphia sports, anti-New York Sports, though they are typically very civil when discussing the two cities. 

   The beach this morning was awesome - sun was shining without a cloud in the sky.  As soon as I began sweating, I took a dive in the frigid water.  I only lasted about 10 minutes before my extremities started tingling.  I did my best to try to eliminate this brutal farmer's tan, but it is still visible.  I guess I need to be out in the sun for longer than 90 minutes.  I used some Banana Boat SPF 50, as I have since the first time here when I was lobster-fied after Day 1, resulting in a miserable week-long vacation (three years ago).

   The Yankees have struggled against the piss-poor Mariners so far (Cliff Lee and Felix the Kid).  Let's hope they can salvage the home-series today as C.C. takes the mound against Ryan Rowland-Smith.  Looks like they're up 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth.  Cano teed another one up (his 16th HR) and Teixeira grounded out to SS in the 1st to score Jeter. 

   Cano is a beast.  He's 1-2 today but overall this season is hitting .354 with 16 HR and 54 RBI.  He's got 10 HR's off LHP's and only 6 against RHP's.  And as hitter-friendly as the new Yankee Stadium is, he's hitting 21 points higher away from the Bronx.  Stay hot Robbie.

   Time to get a shower in and mentally prepare for McNutley's.

   With July 4th right around the corner, I am very excited to see the Stars & Stripes hats come out.  Here's what they look like:

    Man, I love the Stars and Stripes.  Happy Fourth of July Weekend everyone, enjoy yourself.  

   USA!  USA!  USA!

Guac and Roll

Just got done making my self-proclaimed famous guacamole again tonight, hoping it is as good as it was last night when I made it for my father for Father's Day.

I really have no specific recipe, and I love limes, so it can get lime-y from time to time.  Jalapenos, plum tomatoes, some lemon juice, cilantro, salt, avocados.  Pretty basic, might start getting a little risky and adding in some other ingredients - mango, shrimp, corn- you know, mix it up a little. The one thing I leave out of my guacamole is onions.  I love raw onions, I just forget most of the time.

We got some sweet potato fries going in the oven, and the burgers are gonna go on pretty shortly. 

Guests are here.  Time for a bootleg BBQ in this bastard borough of the Bronx.

When they were picking out boroughs for the city of New York, they figured Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and we'll throw the shittiest one as far north as we can and call it the Bronx.  Dump.

Fooooooooood!!

All things offensive

1. The Yankees offense is offensive.  After getting owned by Takahashi Okanashi or whatever his name is last night, the Mets took game one, 4-0.  The Yankees have scored a measly FOUR runs in the past three games after lighting up Roy Halladay. 

Those starting pitchers have a combined ERA of 4.21 this season.  I mean that is pretty average by MLB standards.  It's not like they faced three big names either - Jamie (Abe Vigoda) Moyer, Kyle (Don't Call me Howie) Kendrick, and Hisanori Takahashi.  Had it been Cole Hamels, Johan Santana, and Mike Pelfrey, maybe, but those three stooges? 

I guess it really goes to show you how good these guys really are.  Even the guys who you think belong on a club team can beat anyone on any given day.  Rings true with the Yankees.  They get to hit against Mike Pelfrey today, so things aren't getting any easier.  They counter with Phil Hughes, who is having just as good a year as Pelfrey. (Both are 9-1 with a 2.39 and 3.11 ERA, respectively)

Trying to avoid dropping four straight today, and fourth straight to the Mutts.

2. USA World Cup Soccer Team.  This is supposed to be the 14th ranked team in the world, and all they can manage is a 2-2 draw with Slovenia (25th)?  I mean it seems to me that every time there's a World Cup, the US media tries to pump it up and make it a big deal, but the results are always the same.  As my buddy Ralph said to me on Facebook, "what a joke. Every four years its the same over-blown hype about nothing. why do they even bother playing this sport anymore?"

I suppose the USA is fortunate their remaining game in Group C is against Algeria (30th), but they need a point.  Their best match was against the best team they've played, England (8th). 

Truth be told, soccer is an international sport.  Not a national one.  We have our national pastime, BASEBALL.  And if you're looking for "America's Team", that'd be the Dallas Cowboys of the National FOOTBALL League.

3. The oppressively hot temperature in our apartment.  It's only 10:00 am and it's already starting to feel like a sauna in here.  Nathan is moping around because he's so damn hot in here.  Time to crank up the box fan - no we aren't poor, we have an air conditioner in the bedroom.  Immediate relief, although Nathan seems to think it's a good idea to sit behind the fan.  He's not the brightest dog.

The windows in this place allow cold air to pump in during winter, and don't keep the place cool in in the summer.  They might as well be made of clear cellophane.  I am not going to let the curtains and drapes block the windows, because then we'd get less of a breeze than we already get. 

I hate it here.

4. Wayne Knight's role in FOX's new show, The Good Guys.  Rumor has it, he is only going to be in one episode.  What?  Maybe he wanted it that way.  I ran in to him recently in Dallas in a CVS on Main St.  He even took his headphones out of his ears and had a little conversation with me.  Seemed like a really good dude.  I will post the picture in it's own post.

According to givememyremote.com, he plays a low-level clerk at the County Records office.  Read it yourself, I'm not plagiarizing.

Time to get in touch with my brother.  He answers his phone somewhere between very rarely and never.  I hope it's very rarely.

Baseball and Birthdays

Well, the Yankees almost pulled it off last night against the Phillies.  Brad Lidge's ERA went up from a 1.12 to a 2.00 and he made the game pretty interesting.  He's been pretty automatic since he's been healthy this season, so it was good that the Yanks showed a little fight.  I was on the flight back from Dallas, so I missed it.  We flew AirTran but I wish I would have gone JetBlue.  AirTran has some of the most cramped seating of any airline I've ever been on.  K, K, BB, 2B, 1B, K.  He struck out the side, but all the drama started with a two-out walk to Mark Teixeira and could have ended with a walk-off. 

The Rays are reeling (7-6 in June), the Yankees have been fairly steady (10-4 in June), as are the Sox (10-5 in June).  The Blue Jays have fallen back down to Earth and the O's are still looking for an answer.  Shaping up to be a three horse race again, for like the fifth straight season. 

I am going to the Yankees game tonight - and am just counting my blessings I don't have to suffer through a Jamie Moyer start.  Kyle Kendrick vs. Andy Pettitte.  Andy is going for win #201 as a Yankee and #238 overall.  He is putting up incredible numbers thus far, with his only real bad outing being against the Rays on May 20th (5 IP, 9 H, 7 R) in am 8-6 loss.  Looking forward to the game - it's always nice seeing a game at the Stadium, freaking thing is awesome.  It's really a sight to be seen.

The Rays are on the docket too, as Big Game James Shields takes on Tim Hudson in Atlanta.  The Yanks could take over first place tonight.  Hudson has been nothing short of dominant this year (6-2, 2.43 ERA).  He's had some command issues (30 BB in 85.1 IP) but has pitched out of the jams for the most part.  His last outing was a 2-1 CG loss to the Twins (8 IP, 7 H, 2 K).  When he's on, he's tough to hit.  Let's go Timmy.

Party at the "Copacabana", Barry Manilow turns 64 years old today.  He's still knocking them dead - I mean he should be, he's probably had a lot of $$ pumped in and out of his face.  He's made quite the transformation - I mean normally, you go from left to right, he went the opposite direction.  Wrinkles be gone, poof!!  I am kind of glad he chose Barry Manilow, seeing how he was born Barry Alan Pincus.  He was raised in Williamsburg Brooklyn.  He started off writing jingles, and his most famous being State Farm Insurance ("Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there...") and Band-Aid's (I am stuck on Band-Aid, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me!").  Happy Birthday Barry, and thanks for taking on your mother's last name.

Back at work, gotta do some work.  Going to purchase some chain and lock it down at Gaelic.

Lock it up!

Hello, Newman.

Sorry for the lack of material this weekend - it's been pretty hectic - Saturday I was recruiting all day, Sunday was spent traveling.  Now it's Monday and I'm raring to go.  Got a lot of material to cover so let's hope you're ready to listen.

Saturday started with an 8:13am alarm clock, NIN's "Discipline" was the song of choice, as it is most days.  Some days, it's The Gaslight Anthem's "Boomboxes and Dictionaries", both solid choices to ease me into my day.

Let's start with the backbone of this blog - sports.

1.  Strasburg was dominant again, although he did walk as many guys (5) as he had in his previous 5 starts (1 MLB, 4 AAA).  He improved to 2-0 (Pirates and Indians) but let up his 2nd HR in as many starts, both to lefties, and both on a change up.  Either way, he's got 22 K in 12.1 IP.  The Nationals may make some noise after all.

2.  The Yankees completed a sweep of the Astros and in the process, moved into a tie atop the AL Beast with the Rays.  There's a World Series rematch series, beginning tonight in the Bronx, as CC Sabathia takes on Roy Halladay.  The Phillies are looking to regain their mo-jo (4-6 in their last 10 games) and crawl back into the NL Least race (3.5 behind 1st place Atlanta) while the Yanks look to distance themselves from the rest of baseball.  I hope I get a good pitching match up Thursday when I go with Lindsay and our fathers - I think it's looking like Moyer vs. Pettitte.

3.  Ted Lilly had a no-hit bid into the 9th against the White Sox, but settled for a 1-hitter and a 1-0 Cubs win.  We were in a bar here in Dallas, and there were a few Chicago fans - one guy, who everyone else refused to give pounds to regardless of how many times he tried - was the epitome of what a White Sox fan is (as told to me by another patron from Chicago).  Obnoxious.  A total jackass.  He was whining when they pinch-hit Juan Pierre to lead off the ninth, then after he broke up the no-no, he said he knew he was going to get a hit - douche.  This guy was shouting all night, almost fell off his stool several times, and was almost forcing his girlfriend (so it seemed) into making out with him - sloppy.

On Saturday, I was up at Blind Brook HS for a game after a showcase at Pace.  BBHS has quite possibly the nicest facilities for a high school I've ever seen.  Field turf abounds - football field, baseball field, soccer field, softball field - they might even have field turf in the hallways.  Almost like VCP.  Anyway, the thing that stuck out was a parent who was chirping the whole game.  Similar to a major league game, every pop up was a HR (or so he reacted), every ground ball was "just missed", and every strikeout looking was outside.  Anyway, same game, same guy - the 7 hitter snuck a dribbler between the first- and second-baseman, to which Super-Dad blurted out, "He squecked that one through there!"  Now, I'm no English major, but "squeaked" is a word.  Squecked, not a word.  #1 Dad.

Sunday was filled with air travel and ground transportation.  LaGuardia to Charlotte, Charlotte to Dallas-Ft. Worth.  The tail end of the trip was turbulent, to put it lightly.  I started getting sick from bouncing around in my seat.  Once we got below the clouds (all 3 minutes of it) and landed, it was great.  The landing was the smoothest part of the flights.  Got off the plane, went to find some "Shared Transportation" and got in.  There were 5 others in there, all going to right near where we were going.  The van was full, but the driver was convinced he may be able to pick up another passenger, so he drove around the airport (to every terminal) trying to find someone else to cram in.  Once he realized he had wasted over 25 minutes worth of gas, he decided to take to the roads, and eventually dropped us off at the hotel.  It was like riding on a wooden roller coaster with no seat belt - pretty scary.  Not quite sure if he was legal.

We strolled around Downtown Dallas a little, I of course snapped some photos, and then we went into CVS - the biggest CVS I have ever seen (I guess everything really is bigger in Texas).  While meandering through the aisles, Lindsay saw a guy and said "He looks like the guy from Jurassic Park" so I looked.  Wasn't sure who she meant, I mean it has been over ten years since I've seen the movie.  We were looking through the "Trial Size" stuff, and I saw the man again - NEWMAN!!  I wanted to be sure, so creepily stared at him for a few seconds.  Then I went up and asked if he was Wayne Knight, and that I was a huge fan (which is an exaggeration) but he is freakin' NEWMAN.  If you've never seen Seinfeld and are reading this, welcome to Earth.  Turns out he's in town shooting a show for FOX, The Good Guys.  I got him to take a picture with me - CVS was empty, so I didn't care.  Had it been full of patrons, I probably would have just taken a sneaky photo of him.  I will publish the photo when I get back to the BX.  How cool is that?

FACT:  Dallas's Downtown shuts down on Sunday.  We found a neat little Mexican restaurant for lunch - Sol Irlandes - we didn't stay for the karaoke at night though.

Passed out several times after getting back from lunch, but managed to stay awake long enough to grab a bite at Press Box Grill.  That's where we were blessed with the Chicago fans.  Ate, had a drink, left as soon as Lilly let up the lone hit in the game, and came back to the hotel to pass out.

Today I will venture out and try to find a place to eat some breakfast.  Lindsay is at the conference so I will explore, maybe I'll bump into another celeb.  Probably not, but I can care less.  NEWMAN!

Hello Big D!

What You're $$ Gets You: WRT Style

We'll roll through this similar to the HGTV show "Bang For Your Buck".  We will pick a price point and compare similar characteristics for houses in different regions of the country.  For the sake of simplicity, we'll go with a crisp $250,000 price tag with at least 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

For the three cities we select, I will pull up a map of the USA and close my eyes and point to the computer screen (sorry, I can't find a globe).  Omaha, NE is city #1.  Lansing, MI is city #2.  Savannah, GA is city #3.  I am going to use http://www.realtor.com/ in order to search for homes. Here we go:

City #1:  Omaha, NE is the largest city in Nebraska, located right on the eastern edge of the state, bordering Iowa.  Over 438,000 people live in Omaha, and the home to the NCAA Baseball College World Series.  The median listing price of a home in Omaha is $150,000, so we are going way over the average here.

2,212 sq./ft. - 4 bedroom - 3 bathroom - 8 total rooms

Stone Exterior - Patio - Porch - Sprinkler System - Fenced Yard

Master Bedroom - 17' x 15'

Pretty nice looking house, interior looks ridiculous (kitchen anyway, which is my big thing).  Backyard lacks some usability, but it looks like a nice place to lounge - not a great place for kids.  I can deal with the lack of yard though, the interior makes up for it's shortcomings.  I would move here, yeah, only drawback is the neighbors right next to you.  No big deal though, growing up in Long Island is the same thing.

OVERALL: A- (better backyard makes this an A)

City #2:  Lansing, MI is located about 80 miles WNW of Detroit.  With just over 113,000 people calling Lansing home, it's the smallest city on our list today, but I'm sure you can get a lot for $250,000 (we'll go to $261,500 here due to lack of homes at our price point).  Lansing may be a little run-down, home prices average under $100,000.  Hmm, maybe I should have picked a different place - no worry, we're sticking with Lansing, home of the Lugnuts (Class A affiliate of the Blue Jays).  OK Lansing, whatta ya got?

1,845 sq./ft. - 4 bedroom - 3 bathroom - 9 total rooms

Basement - Detatched 2.5 car garage

All the bedrooms look small and the backyard is too wide open and there is no fence.  Looks pretty quiet though, no houses looming on top of you.  Not quite sure what there is to do in Lansing, seems like a pretty dead town.  I wouldn't want to move here, unless I was a huge MSU Spartans fan.

OVERALL:  C (not the ideal city, house needs exterior work)

City #3:  Savannah, GA is one of the most quaint cities in the South.  I've visited before and it's awesome.  I think I am biased towards this destination, but let's give it a look.  Very historic and scenic, Savannah has trollies running through town with easy on/easy off access.  There are 22 parklike squares scattered throughout Savannah, so grab a sweet tea and enjoy a moment of relaxation.  Average home price is about $113,000, but trust me, there are homes that go for millions as well.  The water walk is a great spot for an afternoon stroll, but let us visit (10 miles from downtown) Savannah (for $265,000).

2,868 sq./ft. - 4 bedroom - 3 bathroom

Hardwood Floors - Brick Exterior - 2 car garage

Minutes from the water

Backyard is again lacking but you are right near the water, just far enough from the bustling city, and located in a private subdivision.  You also have your own private walkway to the canal, for easy access to your boat (if you have one).  The brick exterior is sweet.  Entry way inside is nice, nice backyard deck.  Looks like a winner to me.

OVERALL:  A- (just outside of the city, backyard leads to water)

So there we have it, Omaha, Lansing, and Savannah.  I know my pick, but it'll cost you a little more than our $250,000 price point.  I think your money goes farthest with the Omaha home, and that house is very spacious, it's just land locked, and I like the water.  Lansing is a college town with a two hour drive to Lake Erie and hour and a half drive to Lake Michigan, but not much else happens up there.  The Savannah home is just outside beautiful downtown, a short walk to your boat slip, and a short drive to the Atlantic Ocean. 

VERDICT:  SAVANNAH, GA is the winner!  I would move there in a heartbeat.  Just would need to find a job.  maybe I can drive a trolley. 

Makes me a little (very) depressed knowing that I pay $1,400 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment that has 1 closet (in the hallway), a leaky roof, and a tiny bathroom.  Renting sucks.  Especially in the Bronx.  I'm going to shed a tear, someone pass me a tissue.