On to Phase 2; Lindsay's Night Out; Tiny Zoo; Pickup Football

On to Phase 2
With us having completed the regular season in the MAAC and finishing as the #1 seed for next weeks MAAC Tournament in Trenton, NJ (at the home of Yankees' AA affiliate Trenton Thunder), today is a day off.  I can't really say it's much needed since the rain earlier in the week coupled with commencement setup in the gym meant that we had two days off from practice (Monday, Tuesday) but it certainly isn't something I'm complaining about.

We had a game Friday and two Saturday with Iona, who always plays us tough, but took care of business and hopefully built up some momentum going into the four team playoff.  With the sweep, our regular season record is 21-2 in MAAC games (31-17 overall).  A pretty good year by any standards, but it really means nothing without some hardware at the end.

And that hardware is the MAAC Championship ring. 

The dogpile after the final out is recorded in the clinching game - that feeling (although I never experienced it as a player since our teams were slightly above average with talent and champions of boozing) was something I cannot explain.  It makes all the shitty practices at 6am in January with snow on the ground worth it.  It makes taking out and putting up the outfield fence (yes, we might be the only team in DI baseball that does this) worth it.  It makes not having music or a National Anthem (definitely the only school in the country not allowed to play it because the parks woman in charge is a complete piece of shit bitch) a little more tolerable.  But more importantly, it's something the players will never, ever forget.
We have a solid core of seniors, and for them, this is everything.  I just hope the rest of the guys realize what these four seniors have done for this program (almost 1,000 hits combined in 4 years) and play with a little pride for them (and themselves).  The most important thing though, is staying loose.  Remain focused on what it is we're there to do - win the whole fucking thing! (to quote the legendary Jake Taylor from Major League).  But we gotta stay loose, play loose, have fun, and just do what we've managed to do all year - win.

We just gotta go out there and do it.  Believe in ourselves. Trust one another.  And throw strikes and get good performances from our starting pitching.  When we go to the bullpen, we need tough SOB's coming into the game to get outs.  We need to scratch across runs anyway possible.  Solid defense needs to be paramount as well.

I can wax poetic about this and that and what everyone needs to do but in the end it comes down to one thing:  who wants it the most?

I'd like to think it's us.

Lindsay's Night Out
Last night was her first away from Nolan.  With me at a doubleheader until 5:30pm, my parents were nice enough to come in and help look after N & N while Lindsay got ready to go out for her friend Rosie's bachelorette party. 

She opted for the dinner portion of the party so she drove into the city to meet up with the girls.  She had some champagne and a glass of vino at dinner (at some Greek place on 60th) and got back to the apartment around 10:30pm. 

She had hangar steak, something I don't think I've ever seen her order at any point since we've known one another.  She never gets steak, but hey, I guess a baby makes you crave different things.

Overall she said she had a great time seeing everyone.  The next time we'll see them all is at the wedding in Syracuse sometime in June.  Jesse and Julia will be traveling with us to take care of the little man while we head to the wedding. 

Should be a cramped 5-hour ride to the Cuse.

Tiny Zoo (for iPad)
This game is seriously a safe version of crack.  The premise is simple - build the best virtual zoo ever!

And I am well on my way.  Call me a loser, go ahead - but you're a loser too because you're definitely checking it out right now.

I've got African elephants, jackrabbits, black bears, chimps, Indian rhino, red panda, an ocelot, cheetah, butterflies, and even a mustang.  I got plenty of shops and food vendors to keep my loyal customers happy.

I am currently waiting for the second expansion of my zoo to be completed (ETA 17h 50m) before I can add some more badass animals.
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=9171629383088672152
Seriously though, this game is like crack.  Remember FarmVille for Facebook?  This is that times 1,285.  At least.

Pickup Football
There's a park behind my building where all sorts of crazy shit goes on (see previous posts about boy's softball) but right now, there's a pantheon of men (some young, some with a full head of white hair) playing pickup football.  Maybe they're hoping to get picked up if the NFL is looking for replacement players.  They scream, hoot, and holler - and part of me wants to join the game, but I think I'd be a little too intense for the older guys out there.  I might be compelled to put on on his ass (yes, even though it is two-hand touch).

Sunday mornings year round is football in Riverdale.  There's some yarmulkes (pronouced:  YAH-ma-ka) out there too - I think they know they'll never make it the NFL as a player (however, as an owner, they might have their day). NY Giants QB Sage Rosenfels gives them a little glimmer of hope, though.  After doing a but of research - read: Googling "Jews in the NFL", the results indicate there are quite a few Jews in the NFL (here's a list).  Pretty surprising names on this list - and a lot don't even sound Jewish.  I mean San Diego's long snapper David Binn (apparently Jewish) used to date Pamela Anderson for shit's sake!  Binn there, done that - like most of Hollywood.

Mazel tov!

OK.  Nolan's been sleeping in his lamb swing while I've been sitting next to him writing this post and he's finally starting to stir, so I am gonna get going.  Lindsay is feeling a little worn down lately, so she's still in bed (it's 9:33am, practically a hibernation on a baby's clock) so she is trying to recuperate a little bit.  It wears me out so I can imagine how it must kick her ass - home all day with the dog and the baby.  She enjoys it immensely, I know she does - but that doesn't mean she doesn't get worn out.  I am sure she'll read this when she wakes up - hopefully feeling a little better.

Til next time knuckleheads.

Frosted Mini Wheats; Nolan Rules!; Sunday Night; 30

Frosted Mini Wheats
Now here's a cereal I absolutely enjoy.   Sure, they can get a little dry at times, but damn they fill me up.  Normally, two bowls (and maybe a little into the third) will do it for a normal cereal, but this heavyweight puts me in the comfort zone after a bowl, bowl and a half.

My only complaint is that every one of those rectangular little edible Brillo pads isn't coated with a thick layer of frosting.  Maybe it's the kid in me, but the best Mini Wheats are the ones at the end of the bowl that still have that awesome white, sugary coat on them.  Milk be damned, you cannot wash this coat away.

So Kellogg's, maybe you wanna get on that one.  I mean it's not stopping me from purchasing them - I actually just got the Frosted Mini Wheats Big Ones and the new fruit filled ones - but it's something I certainly wouldn't complain about.

I'm sure other cereal aficionados will agree.

Nolan Rules!
The kid is a stud.  Although he's very unwilling at time to pose for photographs, there's still some shots I can get when he's awake and alert.  His hair is pretty neat too (he's got more than me).

We've got to start bathing him more, but tonight he was pretty good in the bath.  He cried a little early on, but once he was covered in water (no, not his head) he kinda enjoyed himself.

Here's a few photos of our little man:

Fresh out the bath tub - so fresh and so clean!

Chillen' in my tiger outfit

Me (looking tired) and Nolan in the dog run (Nathan not pictured)

Hanging on the Boppy,

Tattoo
When we went out to LI the other week to get Lindsay's push present - another of her wedding band - I was tempted to get a new tattoo, in honor of Nolan.  I did not, however.

I plan on getting a new stain eventually (read: within the next two months) it's just a matter of what I will get.  I have several ideas as to what I wanna get, but I haven't really sat down and thought about it.

Any suggestions you all have, feel free to say them aloud (or type them).

Sunday Night
Right now, everyone is sleeping but me.  Lindsay seems to have passed out in bed with Nolan (who'll move into that crib shortly) and Nathan is at the foot of the bed.

I am out here watching the new Iron Chef America, where it's Battle Mussels.  @bflay is the Iron Chef and I'll be honest, I really haven't paid much attention since I've decided to post.

When I'm done here, I'll key in a little more.

30
I will be 30 on June 1st, and am rather indifferent about it.  I have never been one to make a huge deal out of birthdays (except Lindsay's) but I guess it's a milestone in a persons life - 30 years old.

I am not yet over the hill.  I think those start on your 40th and occur again every ten years.

I'm already legal to drink - 21 was nine years ago.  Holy shit, now that I look at it that way, that was way long ago.

I'm going to pass out out here to ICA.

Be back soon blog-osphere!

Sightings (and Listening's?); WWTBAM; Costco

We went over to the Cross County Shopping Center to get me a pair of decent basketball sneakers since I'm a baller now (pause for laughter) and stopped in Applebee's for a quick dinner (pause for a quick gasp).  Here's a photo of the kicks (and I shot the ball a whole lot better today with the new sneaks - it's gotta be the shoes!):

At Applebee's, Lucy was our waitress, or was it Lisa - me and Lindsay had conflicting opinions since the girl mumbled so neither of us could comprehend.  Her name came to us via the receipt - Lucirene.  Not sure what that name means and I doubt I ever will since I can't even find an answer on the internet.

Listening's
A table away, a perky male waiter was asking two ladies what they wanted.  He proceeded to call them ladies at the end of every sentence, in case they themselves had forgotten who they were.  Then he floated on over to another table he was helping and called a woman "mami" - as in the spanish slang for sexy baby.  That must have earned him a killer tip.  He's lucky the guy she was with (who looked flamboyant) wasn't dating her, or he woulda got TKO'd.

Sightings
I got home the other day and our building was getting a UPS delivery.  Day in, day out I see these (along with FedEx, PeaPod, and the ever present Kosher.com trucks) getting tickets courtesy of the NYPD traffic cops in their dark blue cars.  It pisses me off to no end that they help meet their quota by ticketing these trucks - it's NYC dingleberries, where the fuck is a giant brown truck going to find a parking space?

I know the driver isn't paying, but poor UPS gets bent over day after day.  What are their drivers supposed to do, drive around for hours waiting for someone to pull out of a parking space? 

Give me a break, so get the people who roll through stop signs or speed down the road behind our building - the same one people walk across with their kids, dogs, or old family members.

WWTBAM
Who Wants to be a Millionaire is on right now, and I'd like to think that if I was lucky enough to get on that show, I'd make some pretty good money - and then immediately get smooshed by the government because I'd take myself to a whole new tax bracket.

I really commend them for changing the game play - random categories and random prize amounts until the final four questions.  Brilliant.

Costco
Going to head up to wholesale giant Costco in a few to get some food in bulk so that when I'm away, Lindsay can eat normal meals (instead of cereal and Easter candy).  After all, she needs to nourish our little boy.

We don't really have a shopping list, but she is good at curbing me from buying shit we don't need.


OK, time to take Nathan out and head to the store.

I'm on a Bus; Random Thoughts

I'm on a Bus
It feels like I'm experiencing deja vu all over again as we head out to NY Tech on Long Island for a 3:30pm game today.

We just crossed over the beautiful Throgs Neck Bridge and are officially in Queens.  What a drive.

Random Thoughts
I saw a lady earlier smoking on a cancer stick while walking her baby. Seems like a good idea no? Oh wait, not at all.

I brought my sunblock, yes! Score one for Mr. Forgetful over here. The sun is out in full force, so to prevent my ears from frying I'll break out the SPF30.

Ginger Ale and Sierra Mist are my two favorite carbonated beverages. (& Boylan's Birch Beer).

Shots are awful (except the Patron shots we stopped off for after our wedding ceremony).

I read UsWeekly - so what. It's right on the line of material that's interesting and easy to read (for a slow reader like myself).

People who drive with their blinker on for more than 2 miles should get a ticket. There should be a number you can call and have them busted.

Almost at the field, so I'll bid you farewell.

Nolan, Nathan, & Lindsay are enjoying this glorious day without me. I'll see them later (after I pick up PB and English Muffins for Lindsay).

Happy Easter; Ballin'; NHL Playoffs

Happy Easter
Happy Easter to all who celebrate!  So far, we've gotten roughly four baskets (mostly because of Nolan) but that's cool.  We (Lindsay and I) are pretty much self-diagnosed candy junkies.  The surprising part is I only have one cavity.  Yep, 29+ years on this Earth and only one cavity.

Nolan is a handful - albeit an awesome, handsome, cool handful.  (Knock on wood) he's been sleeping pretty well.  Around 3 hours at a clip overnight - last night he slept from 2:30am all the way to 6:25pm.  Almost four full hours!  Thatta boy, Nolan!  Nathan gets up every time Nolan does too, probably because of the crying.  Nathan gets up and whimpers because he thinks something is wrong - he's a pretty solid big bro.

Overall, things are going rather smooth(ly?) since we've been home.  Here's to things continuing to go well.  One thing is for certain - Nolan and Nathan are awesome together.  A killer combo.

Ballin'
Maybe it was the lights out shooting performance I pulled off yesterday while waiting for lunch in the gym (15-30 from the 3-point line), but I suddenly have the urge to go to Target and get a basketball to use outside at the courts behind our building.

I figure it'd be good for everyone - we could get Nolan outside with Lindsay, Nathan, and I and also it'd be a good workout for my fat ass.  It's a win-win.

Nathan just threw up.  Looks like a puke and rally, he's back in action.

NHL Playoffs
I know I'm not the only one who is totally engulfed by the NHL Playoffs.  It is pretty damn addicting, I cannot get enough.  Honestly, I didn't watch a single minute of a single game during the regular season but have not stopped watching these playoffs.

The Capitals (and Alexander Ovechkin) dismantled the Rangers, 4-1 (although that was no shocker since the Rangers lack a top flight scorer).

My Flyers need a road win in Buffalo to avoid being upset by the Sabres.

The 2010 Stanley Cup champs Blackhawks are the #8 seed and trail the Canucks three games to two.

The Bruins/Canadiens series is awesome too - I feel as if I've seen every one of those games and every one is great.

Sid the Kid and the Pens lead the Lightning 3-2. but after an 8-2 ass-whooping, the 'Ning might have some steam.  Watch this series. 

There's only three games today, all have elimination implications - Flyers, Blackhawks, and Ducks all trail 3-2 (only the Hawks play at home).

Time to clean a bit before my parents get here.  Nolan is assed out, but when he wakes up he'll get changed, and a bath.  First one, I'm sure he'll love it.  Ha!

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!

Wednesday-ness

Lindsay has a little afternoon to herself - well, I guess she does everyday now that she's on maternity leave.  She took Nathan to get groomed at PetSmart and went to see a matinee.  She said she's the only person seeing this particular movie - kinda weird, kinda cool.

I wouldn't mind that I don't think.  She went because Carrie Underwood is in the movie.  Not sure how good the movie is, but she can care less, she just wants to see Carrie act.  Just got a text - some dude just walked into the theater by himself - I told her to be careful, he's probably a perv.

There's a press conference today in the gym to announce the new men's basketball coach - a guy who was an assistant here years ago, then moved on to Tulane, then most recently an assistant under Rick Pitino at Louisville.  We've got the honor of setting up 110 chairs and staging for this "meet and greet", but unfortunately we can't stay because we head on down to 218th St. to take on Columbia.

They're hitting the ball well and pitching pretty well too.  And the best part is we're taking the subway down there - four stops.  I went down to the station to get 30 MetroCards at $4.50 each, so I better God damn get reimbursed.

The weather is an issue, it's misting a little but they have turf so I'm hoping it's not an issue.

Full slate on the baseball tip tonight - 15 games.  We'll see how it goes tonight when I get home - if we win, I'll probably want to take in a little more baseball.  If we lose, I shut baseball down for the day.

Have a great day and I hope the rain doesn't damper your spirits.

Good Start

It's always nice to start off well, but it's all about how you finish.  Got more good pitching and a timely hit to take game three 3-1.  A crisp two hours and nine minute game, excellent.

Almost home, on the GWB now. May head to our favorite Sunday spot for food. But only if the "Bros n White Racks" marathon is over. It's her call, haha.

I am starving. All I had was a half bag of sunflower seeds throughout the game and an egg sandwich this morning.

After food I'll probably blog again from our terrace. With beer. And music. And Nathan running in and out. While wifester relaxes.

Nice little Sunday Funday. Or what's left of it.

Game Day

Headed down to the field to see what the damage is from last nights rain - if it rained.

I know I went outside this morning to walk Nathan and it was overcast but warm.  Within 30 seconds, it started raining a little bit.

LIU heads over to our friendly, music-less confines for a 3:30pm game.  I hope the sun keeps peeking out and gets rid of the rain.

Lindsay is at the doctor.  Nathan is in his crate sleeping.

Oh, and last night for dinner, I had sweetbreads - the sweetbread of choice last night was calf brain.  And I will tell you this, it was freaking delicious.  A little soft as far as texture goes, but it was awesome - with crispy bacon and honeyed onions - oh man, I'd get them again.

Down to the field.

Glider; Tuesday Letter; ; Wichita (St.)

Glider
The other day, Lindsay was mentioning how she wanted a glider for when Baby D gets here.  I immediately went online and began researching different gliders and their reviews and color and comfort and price.  And let me tell you, the prices on these things are incredibly high.  I paid $439 and found a $20 off online promo code, free shipping and no tax, so $419 for this chair and ottoman (except hers is a dark cherry wooden finish).  I just assembled it, and she hasn't been out of it since it's been together.  It's sitting in the middle of our apartment - like directly in the middle.

Our plan is to move it into the bedroom (yes, the one bedroom) and rearrange the other stuff in there.  Crib, changing table, and glider all in our bedroom.  Along with our bed, a dresser, two nightstands, and a little armoire that I use.

Needless to say, it was a wise investment as she seems extremely relaxed and at ease in the glider.  Nathan is now laying on the glider.

Tuesday Letter
This will serve as my Tuesday Letter today.

She's been awesome throughout this whole pregnancy.  Not once (OK, maybe a few times) has she complained.  She's never asked me to run out at 2 am for some crazy craving.  She's been a trooper.  Besides fake crying about me not being able to carry her because she's "fat" (read: 8+ months pregnant), she's acted normal.  I got a lucky one, not sure how, but I did.

She's back to getting tired again, which is fine, because being outside for baseball in the windy cold kicks my ass pretty good too.

I've been trying to go to every appointment with her (once a week now that she's 'full-term') but it's an easy shot into the city - BxM1 to the East Side of Manhattan.  Baby D's head is down but it's still high, so it's not looking like we're gonna be parents this week.  But hey, you never know!

Pause to Pee
An unplanned trip outside is needed to let Nathan take a pee before we turn in.

Wichita (St.)
Just finished watching the Wichita St./Washington St. NIT semi-final game on ESPN2.  The Shockers took the Cougs to the woodshed, crushing their (and our volleyball coach's) hopes at an NIT Title.  Final score - Wichita St. 75, Washington St. 44.  Wichita St. is now 28-8 on the year, and has beaten Nebraska, Virginia Tech, College of Charleston, and now Washington St. on their way to the title game.  They'll face either Alabama or Colorado at MSG.  Not sure when the final is but I doubt I'll watch.

I read from time to time, and besides their baseball team (Wichita St. that is) I have never heard of Wichita before reading Inside the Mind of BTK - also known as Denis Rader.  Sick bastard, but it was a pretty interesting book.  This guy was an absolute cold-blooded killer and I've seen snippets of an HBO special done on him, and he spoke about the killings in the most gentle, even tone - I mean he had details about the details and was so straight-faced the entire time.

Anyway, thanks to the WSU Shockers hoopsters for lightening my opinion of Wichita.

Time to turn in.  Later yo!

Knoxville Bound

Headed down to Knoxville, better known as Rocky Top, this weekend.  ETA for departure is about 1:30pm - courtesy of good ol' Coach USA.

Another 12 hour trip crammed in a moving vessel with no windows to open.  And it's raining to boot, meaning it will be that much more uncomfortable and muggy on the bus.  Oh, and we're not traveling with 28 players - oh no - we're bringing everyone on this trip - 32 guys plus four coaches.  Luckily for me, I won't have to share a seat for 12 hours.

I've got a few movies lined up - The Kingdom, Inception, and Boiler Room.  Actually, Boiler Room just came in from eBay yesterday afternoon - $3.00 Buy It Now and $2.99 shipping - can't beat that.  And although I've seen it probably 50 times, I will certainly watch it another fifty times - great movie.  ACT AS IF!

It's a mantra to live by.

Next week is spring break for the students, so regardless of what time we get back on Monday (I hope it's early) we shouldn't get scolded for missing classes.

Lindsay's mother is coming in from Martha's Vineyard for the weekend, so at least I know she will have someone there to help her out.  It's a helpless feeling when it's raining (as it is today) knowing that she has to take Nathan out when it's pouring out.  So I can rest a little easier.  On the bright side, this is the last real long road trip I'll take before Baby D arrives - next weekend is Philly, then Albany.

OK, time to check some emails.  Talk to you next time from the road.

Trending Now; THE Ohio St. Loses, Again; Duke at 7:45; Shower Success

Trending Now
As per my (randomly) recurring post topic, I will review the topics being trended  upon on BING.com. 

1. Daytona 500 - 500 mile NASCAR race.  Generally regarded as the race, the Daytona 500 is a long and grueling race.  It is close to being over, but I have not watched one lap of it.  Typically, I don't watch.  David Ragan is in the lead, but they're on Lap 204 of 200 since they're racing under a yellow flag (caution laps).  Stay tuned, unless you're me.

2. Blake Griffin - NBA star and Dunk Contest champion.  Last night was the Dunk Competition (which I did not watch) and Blake - a man-child - won it.  No one really doubted the fact that he'd win.  His last dunk was impressive, although everyone who watched said it wasn't his best - dude jumped over a car to dunk (a Kia).  If you haven't watched this guy or watched ESPN, it's time to check him out.  As much as I despise the NBA, this guy is gold.

3. Alex Pettyfer - English actor and model.  The "I Am Number Four" star apparently broke up with his girlfriend and co-star, Dianna Agron.  This guy might be a little fruity - just saying - it wouldn't surprise me.  That's enough about this shlep.

4. Brooke Ann Coats - Bullrider.  This is a sad story.  16-year old Brooke Ann Coats was thrown from a bull and kicked in the chest during a rodeo in Tampa, Florida.  She walked away from the scene, but later on had trouble breathing and collapsed.  Everyone involved understand the risk involved in bullriding - you're messing with a large, mean animal.  Here is a link to her GuestBook - I dropped a line on this.  No one deserves this.  Very unfortunate.  But if she was doing what she loved, I am sure she had no regrets.

That's the range of topics being searched.  Personally, I had only heard of two of the four prior to doing a little research for this post. 

THE Ohio St. Loses, Again
For the second time in three games, THE Ohio State University lost in men's hoops.  They were number one - briefly - and no one thought they could be caught in the Big Ten.  Purdue had other ideas.  They avenged their earlier 23-point loss to the Buckeyes in Columbus.  Ohio St. now holds a one game lead in the standings, over a hot-and-cold Purdue team.  They look like world beaters some days (read: at home) and others decide not to show up (read: on the road).  The Big Ten is a great conference, probably running second to the Big East.

Ohio St. finishes the season at home against Wisconsin.  Purdue has three of their last four on the road.  They had better learn to win away from Keady Court or they have no chance to win the Big Ten regular season.

Duke at 7:45
The Duke Blue Devils are home (and 20.5 point favorites) against Georgia Tech at 6:45 tonight.  GT is 11-14 overall and have only played one ranked team (at the time of the game), #9 Syracuse and only lost by four.  They had a pretty easy tune-up last game, beating Chattanooga by nine.

I am guessing Duke wins, but underestimates a Georgia Tech team that always seems to give them trouble.  Hopefully the Cameron Crazies get loud and crazy.  86-71 Duke.  Why not?

Shower Success
The baby shower yesterday was great.  Lindsay had an awesome time and based on the look of our apartment, this baby has more stuff than either one of us.  There's diaper cakes (diapers formed to look like a giant cake), a changing table I still have to assemble, a stroller, clothes, rattles, more clothes, bibs, socks, and a Diaper Genie II, among a lot of other things.  Nathan seems to be put off by all the gifts - I hope he isn't the jealous type.  If he is, he might find himself a new residence in LI with my parents.

Just wanted to thank everyone who attended (and those who didn't) for their generosity.  Baby D will never be short on stuff.

I'm done.  Going to help Lindsay get some of it away before the Duke game.

Jers-day; Surprise

I still have to watch the episode of Jersey Shore from last week before I take to it tonight at 10 o'clock.  I am holpeful I am able to stay up tonight, but we do have another 6 am practice tomorrow.  Yuck.  Tomorrow, however, is one week until our first game down in Cullowhee, NC

I slept in a bit today, and am still at home.  As you know, this weekend (Friday to Monday), I spent approximately 50 hours in the gym, so I figured I needed to catch up on some much needed sleep.  Mission accomplished.

It's just me and Nathan hanging out.

I plan on going in at around 1:30 or so today to move some bleachers in the back so that recreation can go off without a hitch tonight.  Big games of basketball tonight for the civilian students.

On a lighter note, I got a text from Verizon this morning letting me know I am eligible for an upgrade - 7 months early!!  Pretty cool, not sure what I plan on doing  yet, but we all know I need a new phone.  If you recall, on January 12, I posted about wanting/needing a new used phone.  I got no help, so this text from Verizon was music to my ears.

I know they got the iPhone now, but I was checking out the Samsung Fascinate, and this thing looks pretty boss.  Gonna head to Central Ave. today to take a look at the Verizon store before I just order online on a whim.


Lindsay has a meeting with a guy they plan on hiring to help her in Academic Advising, and after that she's going to come pick me up to go to work.  For now, I will take Nathan out to the dog park to run with his peers.

Later on.

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)

Big Time Wednesday

I am going to give a brief run down of the day that was.

Worked out early this morning so I slept in until 7:00 - what a relief.  We had off from practice because of the ice problem here in the area - it made the roads tough to travel on - and the head coach lives 45 minutes north.

Lindsay had a doctor's appointment to check on Baby D's status.  Before the visit, we headed for a Restaurant Week lunch at Colicchio & Sons - Tap Room down in the Meatpacking District.  Probably the best  lunch we've had in quite some time, and all for $24.07 a person.  I had roasted bone marrow with truffle oil and drunk onions, the TC Burger with drunk onions, and an apple tatin for dessert.  Lindsay opted for the cauliflower soup as an appetizer, the tomato, mozzarella, and basil pizza, and the zeppole dessert with butterscotch sauce.

Oh yeah, and we each got $20.11 gift certificate's towards our next trip to C&S.  Nice gesture.

Oh, and we saw @Tom_Colicchio.  I wanted to say hello, but after I gathered up the courage, he headed to the bathroom - or so I thought.  I headed in too, because I had to go, but he wasn't there.  I actually hung out in there a little longer than I needed to, hoping he was going to head in there.  No luck.

We then walked a few blocks to the subway to head across town (to the East Side) to get to the doctor.  Took the L train to Union Square and hopped on the 6 train uptown.

Doctor visit lasted all of 5 minutes - baby was moving around a lot but looked OK.  It's heart was beating and it was swallowing pretty well.  Go baby, go!
We then walked across a snow-covered Central Park to get to the West Side, where we hopped on the 1 train at 72nd Street.  Saw a neat photo op of a wooden bridge with some snow on it.  Click!

Man oh man, did we hear some weird shit on that train ride home - specifically from two twenty-year-olds.

Here's a sampling of their conversation:
Male: Yeah, my mom doesn't like you too much, she's afraid if we hang out I'll start doing drugs
Female: Well , I do research on the drugs I do.
Male: That's cool.  I want to do cocaine as my last drug as I'm dying, because I figure it would kill me anyway.
Female: Yeah, I only do drugs that aren't bad for you.  I have never done cocaine but mushrooms are good.
Male: I saw Henry's friend at GameStop on 86th, he got a job because his girlfriend broke up with him or some shit
Female: Yeah, Damian right?  He wanted me to get this piercing (on her right cheek), so I did it.

Oh their poor, pathetic souls.  I truly feel for their parents - I think.

We got home, I took Nathan out, and we just flipped on the Syracuse/UConn game.  18-12 UConn leads.  Seems like an ugly game so far, but I'm hardly watching - blog takes precedent.  And Lindsay is in and out of sleep on the couch.

Duke is on the road at Maryland at 9:00.  They need a bounce back win after the embarrassing loss to St. John's.

The Middle (8:00) and Modern Family (9:00) are also on.  Yikes!

Looks like big decisions need to be made here in the Darcy apartment.  It really feels like it's midnight, and I have to be up at 4:45 am for practice tomorrow.

Good night.  Go Duke!  And my feet hurt.

Dear:

Behold the new weekly installment, Dear:, written every Wednesday on the Wednesday.  This is an idea that originally came from a novel written by Jason F. Wright called The Wednesday Letters.  I will let the website explain what the novel entails, but in short, it's a story of a husband who through the course of their marriage (39 years) wrote his wife a letter every Wednesday until the day he passed away.

I, in fact, do this very same thing with Lindsay, but we refer to it as the "Tuesday Letters" - she even has a wooden box with "Tuesday Letters" engraved on it for storage of said letters.  Every Tuesday (I try) to write her a little note - sometimes lengthy, sometimes just a few words - letting her know how I feel towards her.  Sometimes I just try to make her laugh, sometimes it's more serious, sometimes I pretend it's from Nathan.  Regardless, it makes her smile and it's just a little something I do for her (besides cook).

So later today, I will begin with the first installment of Dear:.  It isn't going to be a love letter - it'll be a letter to something totally random.  Plain and simple.  Just like me.  I hope you get a kick out of it, as I am sure I will have some fun writing these letters.  And maybe you don't read it, who am I to judge you.  Maybe you yourself will start your own version of my "Tuesday Letters".  Then again, maybe you won't.

Stay tuned!!

Isn't Sunday A Day Off?

Sunday's are generally an off day, right?  Not so fast.

The men's basketball team had a game on MSG at noon, so this guy had to be in at around 7:45am.  Not too pleased with that, but I guess whatever pays the bills, right?  The camera guys and TV crews were there around 5:00am, so it could be worse.  Granted, they probably make somewhere north of what I earn.  Met one guy, Pete, a Packer Backer - a grizzled older guy with long white hair underneath his GB beanie.  Oh yeah, and he had on a Packers vest.  He mentioned how he's worked a bunch of Sunday Night Football games.  I feel like I missed an opportunity to make a connection.  Damn it.

They lost in case you were wondering, to St. Peter's, 62-53.

I got home around 4:15pm with a bag of food for Nathan and caught the end of the Packers/Bears game.  It looked almost like the Packers were trying to give it away there towards the end.  I then whipped together some turkey burgers and roasted potato fries for dinner and realized I hadn't posted today.  And here I am now.  Here's something I always punish myself with - red onions.  I can't resist putting them on top of burgers or in pasta salads, but they give me the worst indigestion ever.  It's hasn't stopped me from eating them and I don't think it ever will, just thought I'd share my dietary issues with you all.

Steelers just went ahead of the Jets 7-0.  Haven't watched any of the game yet, but I'll bear down after this post.  I wished all my friends who are Jets fans good luck (like they're part of the team or something) and that was all.  I support NY sports (Yankees, Giants, Islanders mainly) so the Jets header is for New York, not necessarily the Jets.  Seeing how they were the only football team to make the playoffs, I felt compelled to show my support.  If they lose, it comes down tomorrow.

The weather here is frigid - low 20's seem to be the high lately.  I wear my Under Armour mask under my wool hat, and I think sometimes it scares the older people living in the building.  They look at me like I am a nut job.  I'm not, and they realize that once they see Nathan.  I can give a shit what I look like, I'm trying to stay warm.

I've been tweeting a lot lately, not that anyone on there gives a shit what I have to say, but you never know.  I still feel privileged to have all you people (my Blog Army) following my blog.  I hope I don't piss you off with the amount of posts that I put out.

OK, I need to get something to settle my stomach.  Damn you, red onions!

SNOW DAY!!; Wipeout

I awoke this morning to Nathan's paws tapping against the wood floor.

I saw the green light on my phone blinking - mail and/or text.  It was a text, from a five digit number - 79516 - the Manhattan College emergency number - informing us of the CLOSING of school.  Are you kidding me?  (Awesome)x5.

Hopped in the elevator, got downstairs, and proceeded to the dog park, which had a fresh coating of snow from last nights "storm" (5" of snow, maybe).  Nathan ran around for a while, did his business, and stopped moving.  He tends to do this when the snow starts accumulating on the hair underneath his belly - it turns into wee little snow balls.

After a plow tried like hell to douse us with snow, we made it across the street.

We headed back in and returned to the apartment where Nate got a bacon treat and I got back in bed.

Fast forward three hours.

Wake up #2.  Sun is shining and I am smirking at the school's  decision to close.  Not my decision, but the results isn't so bad.  The roads are clear and the grass is covered in snow.  No problems from the 10th floor.

Here's a a nice off day before a hectic weekend - three games (Sat. @2, Sun. @12, Mon. @7).  Not to mention classes start on Monday.

Baseball, well, we're gonna get it rocking and rolling on Friday.

One last thing - if you haven't seen Winter Wipeout (Thursday, 8pm, ABC), you're missing out on TV gold.  Just watch it, you'll thank me.

Snow, Ice, and Rain

That's the precipitation spectrum we got going on here in the Bronx. It was fine last night when I went to bed.

I woke up and took Nathan out and there was a layer of ice coating the snow that had preceded it. The roads were covered in ice. And to top it all off, now it's raining. RAIN! The worst part is that it's freezing on impact so the ground remains a skating rink.

I haven't seen the sun in a while either - I assume this is what it feels like to be live in Seattle.

We worked out this morning - albeit a little later than our usual 8:00 am workouts - and I wore my sneakers in. Bad idea seeing how the tops are mesh-like. Now my feet are a little cold and a little damn.

Headed to lunch. Not sure what's on the menu but we'll have to improvise.

The one certainty today is that this weather sucks!