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.

Opening Day; iPad Games, Play Ball!

Opening Day

It's finally here - MLB Opening Day.  There are only six games on the docket today, but that's fine with me.  A glorious day indeed, for any baseball fan - ah hell, any American.  It should be a national holiday, but they've yet to acknowledge it as one.  Maybe when all 30 teams play on the same day they've officially recognize this day.

The Yankees host the Tigers at 1:05pm, but this shitty weather may push that game back a bit.  It's already raining by me, and I am a measly five minutes from Yankee Stadium.  Verlander vs. Sabathia.  Two monsters on the mound.  Given the chill in the air, the rainy forecase, and two stud pitchers, this one is looking like a pitcher's duel on paper. 

Atlanta and Washington also starts at 1:05pm - not a lot of hub-bub to this one with Strasburg on the DL.  Derek Lowe and Livan Hernandez.  Both seasoned veterans on the bump, one of the ground ball specialist variety and the other of the head-scratching, "how's he keep doing this?" variety.  The game also marks the official beginning of a new regime in ATL, the Fredi Gonzalez era.  (Cox may be at the game, although it is in DC).

Milwaukee and Cincinnati begins at 2:10pm.  Prized off-season coup Zack Greinke is not ready to go, so Yovanni Gallardo opposes Edison Volquez in a matchup of two rising stars on two relatively obscure teams.  I think the Brew-Crew has a very good shot at that NL Central crown this year, but it all starts today with an inner-division tilt with the Reds.

Angels/Royals at 4:10pm.  Jered Weaver and Luke Hochever.  The cerebral Angels look to start the year off right with the doormat Royals in the other dugout.  Hochevar is no Greinke and although maybe not today, the Royals will find this out the hard way.  Weaver will begin his defense of the majors' 2010 strikeout leader (233).  It's also the 50th Anniversary of the Angels organization.  Congrats!!  (Sorry MJ, for the Angels fan in your house!)

Pads and Redbirds at 4:15pm.  Former Richmond Spider Tim Stauffer (no, not the mac 'n cheese guy) takes the mound for SD while the always dominant Chris Carpenter takes the mound for the home team.  Stauffer is coming off a great year, albeit a short one - one in which he was 6-5 with a 1.85 ERA in 82.2 innings.  Carpenter is always tough at home - to the tune of 12-4 with a 2.81 ERA last year.  A pitcher's duel in the making?  Possibly.  Oh wait, there's that guy at 1B for the Cardinals, Pujols.  Sorry Timmy!

The World Series Champion SF Giants travel south the face "Donny Baseball"'s Dodgers tonight in primetime, 8:00pm.  Speaking of electric young arms, Time Lincecum and Clayton Kershaw.  Are you kidding me?  No wonder this is a pitchers division.  And with "The Beard" lurking in the 9th (or 8th), the Dodgers had better get to Lincecum early.  It's always a grudge match between these two NL West rivals.  I'll be tuned in to this one tonight, no doubt!

iPad Games
I am still enamored with my iPad - probably the coolest gift I've ever recieved, and there are always new things coming out for it (not the iPad 2).  I will never, ever get into a pissing match with electronics people, because once one thing comes out, the next one is not far after.  So trying to keep up with the Jones' is impossible, unless you wanna go broke.


There's plenty of cool apps, features and games - too many to name but here's a few:
BlogPress for keeping up to date with my blog postings
Stick Golf HD rules!  It's one of the most highly addicting games I've ever played.  It's like Bejeweled x 20.
Coin Dozer is way easier than the real-life version, where it's impossible to win any of the prizes by pushing coins off the ledge.  Lindsay is a Coin Dozer addict.  I am actually looking into rehabilitation options.
NPR focuses on news stories related to things I enjoy - News, Arts & Life, and Music.  Always up to date.
Cover Orange is like a newer Angry Birds.  The goal is to drop items in order to create a home for oranges before they get hit with what looks like acid raindrops.  Pretty cool and it requires some logic skills as well, to keep my bean thinking.
Friendly (Facebook) and the Twitter app also enable me to keep up with my social media life while traveling.
My iPad Keyboard Dock is outstanding as well - I even got the guy to preview it to prove it wasn't flimsy, as I'd heard.  Turns out it's sturdy and excellent for posting from a hotel on the road or even on the bus itself. 
Words With Friends is basically Scrabble.  Except for the pricetag - $2.99.  Scrabble is a whopping $9.99.  I'll save myself seven buck thank you very much.
Another word game I enjoy is Word Solitaire.  Totally worth the $0.  It's another challenging game that is fun to play and very, very addicting.  Sometimes it just pisses me off but I keep going back to it.
I'd love than MLB.com At Bat app, but I think I'll pass on the $14.99 pricetag and just track it online.

OK, time to get the day going.  I slept in a little bit because my  head felt like it was going to explode.  I am a human barometer - if my head hurts, there's probably a chance it'll rain or snow or sleet or hail.  Feeling a little better now, thanks for caring.  Be back later, hopefully on Digital Darcy Photography with a new picture.  (I know, I've been a slacker lately).

Oh, and Lindsay is officially 38 weeks today.  Two more weeks (we think) til our lives change forever and Baby D is here.  Yowza!

PLAY BALL!!

iPad Ideas

Can anyone recommend any apps that I might find amusing, entertaining, and time-consuming for my 13 hour bus trip down to Cullowhee, NC next weekend?

I have a few games - Word Solitaire, Cover Orange, Words With Friends (rdarcy22), and Coin Dozer (highly addicting).

I also have the BlogPress app for keeping my blogger-backers updated.  I've got the NPR app and ESPN ScoreCenter.  I love the Adobe PhotoShop Express.

Any other ideas?  Preferably free apps or anything under $1 or $2.

Duke Survives; Rutgers Shocks Villanova; Forgetfulness

Duke Survives
I try to prevent myself from getting too excited about some things - namely Duke basketball.  To say I get angry is a fair assessment.  Last night, I became irate at how they were playing and flipped it off when they went into the half down 14 points to a North Carolina team that seemed to have as good an inside presence as anyone in the country. 

For most of the second half, I checked the score on my ESPN ScoreCenter app on the iPad and saw that they kept creeping closer and closer.  Finally, I gave in and turned it on in bed.  And lo and behold, they pulled out a win - an emotional, hard fought win over a bitter rival.  Nolan Smith threw his name in the hat for National Player of the Year honors after his 34-point outburst helped seal the Blue Devils 79-73 win.  On the other hand, Kyle Singler shot a dreadful 3-17 from the floor - he needs to pick it up.  He did hit 3 huge FT's in the closing minute.  On a lighter note, Seth Curry scored 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting.  In order to be successful, non-traditional stars have to step up - as Curry did.

Duke dropped a 50 spot on the Heels in the second half, and their traditionally strong defense showed up over the last twenty minutes.  Thirty-three in a row at home is a pretty impressive number.  Duke travels to Miami (FL) on Sunday and a UVa on Wednesday before returning home for a matchup with a mediocre Georgia Tech team.

Good win, now on to the next one.

Rutgers Shocks Villanova
A last second 4-point play (on a very questionable call) game Rutgers a home win over #10 Villanova.  I watched only the replay, and it looked like the defender put his arm straight up, but a foul was still called.  IT takes a lot of nuts for a referee to make that call in the closing seconds of a game.

Forgetfulness
A random student just came in to the "office" and asked if anyone found his sweatpants from last night - I wasn't even here. Keep in mind that my "office" is shared with the entire student-athlete population seeing how the equipment room is attached to my "office" and the laundry pick-up is in the back of my "office".  This is not my issue.

It has been bitter cold out here in the NY, especially at night.  How the hell do you forget to put your sweatpants on before you leave the gym.  Did you forget it's 15° outside?  I forget where I put things quite often, but if it's cold, I won't just walk outside in a pair of shorts.  I told him I hadn't seen them, and apologized (as if it were my fault).  Stupid.

I have to set up for some luncheon thing, and I'm probably not even invited.  Thanks.   

Feeding the Blue Bird of Twitter; Workout Playlist

TWITTER
I figured out how to link my blog to my Twitter account and I couldn't be happier.  It shortens the URL for me using the simple shortener bit.ly to provide a Twitter friendly tweet.

Those 140 characters really get on you quick.  I am used to this type of forum where I can write and write and write and throw in the occasional photo.  Twitter limits you in that regard, but overall, it's a pretty dynamite service.  Awesome even.

I've still have my issues from time to time.  For example:  I have no idea how to retweet and quote the tweet.  On my iPad, it gives you the option to simply retweet or retweet with comment - I have yet to find that feature on the Twitter website on the computer.  Kind of pisses me off.

MUSIC
As I've stated, my workouts are going well.  To give you some insight into what motivates me during my workout, I will kindly provide you with links, YouTube video, and/or lyrics of the songs that I listened to this morning.  Keep in mind that this is a totally random playlist left up to my iPod Touch.

1. Deftones - "Lhabia"

2. GlassJaw - "Mu Empire"

3. Billy Currington - "That's How Country Boys Roll"

4. Green Day - "Basket Case"

5. Deftones - "976-EVIL"

6. Muse - "Plug In Baby"

7. Brand New - "Sink"

8. Lil Wayne - "On Fire"

9. Nine Inch Nails - "The Collector"

10. innerpartysystem - "Don't Stop"

Overall, a great listening experience for me.

Lunch time.  Toot toot!

iPad Rules!

The more I use my iPad the better I like it.  Here's my completely unofficial, amateur assessment of my iPad thus far.

+ Calendar.  I rarely find myself able to maintain a calendar or planner but this one I seem to have a handle on.  The only problem I  have with it is that I can't quite figure out how to sync it to my Gmail calendars I have online.  Something I'll have to look into.  Come to think of it, it's really pissing me off that I can't sync them up.  Oh well, it'll have to wait.

+ Words With Friends.  Same exact thing as Scrabble and it's a move at your own pace kind of game.  I love word games, crossword puzzles, etc., so this freebie is awesome.  I'm not sure if Scrabble keeps stats and W-L records, but for now, WWF works just fine for me.  I use Pass and Play at the apartment with Lindsay.  I have several games going at once, and the push notification lets me know when it's my turn.  Only problem is clearing out the completed games from the taskbar on the left.

+ Photo Uploader.  My mother uses the memory card upload attachment but she gave us the USB upload attachment.  It allows me to simply plug in my camera to the attachment, and boom, here come the photos.  I can pick and choose which ones I want to upload so that I don't have to go back and delete the ones I don't want.  No drawbacks to this feature, and as long as I have a USB cable, uploading photos to WRT is easy peasy.

+ Screen Orientation Lock.  Sometimes it seems the slightest movement changes the orientation, so a simple double-click of the button and scroll to the left allows you to click to lock in orientation.  I tend to use the horizontal when typing since the keyboard keys are a bit larger.  When I'm WWF, I use the standard orientation.  Sometimes I forget that I locked it and get pissed, then I figure it out.  Short term memory problems for me.

+ BlogPress.  This thing allows me to add pictures and links into posts I make for my loyal following.  It is easy enough to use Safari to look at and edit posts (I can't upload pictures through Safari), but this $2.99 app allows me to do everything else I need to blast out on the blogosphere.  I think it's the only paid application I have on my iPad, but it's $2.99 well spent.

Time to head to Target for a lock, unleash the Nate Dog on the dog park world, and head to Dinosaur BBQ for some dinner.  Lindsay is out getting a prenatal massage (a gift from me for Christmas) and is going to meet us at dinner.  Jesse and Julia are coming with, so it'll be a good time before we head out to The End for a stay-cation the remainder of the week.

So long.