Well another year is about gone. I hear comedian Lewis Black, who I'm not a big fan of, say 2006 was such a bad year in general, you could have spent it in a coma and it would have been good compared to other people.
I can't say it was that bad, but after reviewing my posts over the last 12 months, I've made a few observations. So here is my list of the Top 10 Notable Moments in my personal 2006.
1) Papa passing away
It happened in the middle of January, I can't remember the exact date, I know it was a Satuday morning. Dad lived downstairs from him now. He opened the door to the house and found him in his bedroom. Heart attack, they say. I don't agree. It was broken. It broke when his wife, Madeline got Alzheimer's and had to live in a nursing home. I flew to Brooklyn and after some plane and car issues, got there just in time for the visitation. I even got to read Scripture at the service in the church where he attended mass every week. And now he's gone. I wished I could have had the chance to say goodbye. But he was a good grandfather and I'll always have that in me. Went back to the house where my dad grew up in the 50's and 60's. It was so much smaller than I remembered. Four people, one bathroom which was painted flamingo pink! But I miss that house and seeing my grandparents together.
2) Ecclesia continuing on.
It's done wonders for my social life and given me something to look forward to each week. The related Wednesday night group is not easy like it was when I first started going in August. I feel like an outcast sometimes there. I know I say things sometimes that don't make sense, but I wish they could look past that. Then agin, so do I.
3) Mom's foot issues.
It's been brutal. She's been out of work since September of 05 and we've been living on my meager wages and disability checks. Four foot surgeries later and only recently could she find shoes that fir on her swollen left foot. Our hope is she'll be back to work at O'Hare by April. For the money and her state of mind, I hope so.
4) Disc golf
Played it in Lombard for the first time this past May. It was me, Chris McElwee, and Ryan Culp. Now I claimed to be the world's worst frisbee thrower. And a lot of my first throws were terrible. But I kept playing nearly every week through the fall and had rounds as good as nine over par. The discs are in the trunk of my car and I'll be ready to fling them again as soon as the weather warms up.
5) Winning my first Willow Creek Church sports title in volleyball
Six lost seasons and I get my vindication. Here's the post I wrote on this in April, one week to the day after watching Wrestlemania live at the All State Arena.
6) Working with Katrina victims in Mississippi and Louisiana
One of the most meaningful experiences in my life. The journal is posted in the June o6 section. Incredible people both on my team and in the area. I've seen a few of them since the trip, but I miss those guys.
7) Trip to Baltimore
My father and I spent a weekend in Baltimore, MD. Working as much as I am, I don't really get to travel like I used to. Because of that, maybe I appreciate those times more now. We went to place like the Babe Ruth Museum (a must for any baseball fan), Camden Yards (where we saw the Orioles win in two blowouts over Tonronto and ate incredible sandwiches at Boog Powell's BBQ), Fell's Point (a watertown neighborhood that reminds me of New England with the cobblestone streets), the World Trade Center (Really just a shorter observatory tower, but is like the Hancock Building with its panoramic view of the city), and the Inner Harbor with its historical ships and aquarium (I'm sure it was nice, but not worth spending 40 dollars to go to). And may I mention Fleming's? They have the absolute best peach cobbler in the world.
We're going to try to take a trip once each year. Let's see where this one takes us.
8) Getting a new job at CEC in finacial aid.
Very sudden and I'm not sure what I'll be thinking about a year from now. Considering I was contacted, interviewed, and accepted in about 24 hours on a Friday afternoon, it was not the easiest way to leave Houghton Mifflin, a place I had grown to like. But I had no choice. The money was bad, jobs were iffy, and there was not much hope for an expanded role, so I had to take the chance. Three months later, I've had some good days and bad days. I'm not overjoyed with my bosses, but I have to deal with that. That just happens. I feel sometimes that if I'm doing this type of work in five years, I will question myself and if I'm wasting what I'm good at? Or maybe this is something I should be doing right now. Or it's a long term investment. I don't know.
9) The Mets great run coming up short
Joy and heartache. My boys dominated the NL like a pack of dogs on a three-legged cat. Think of the memories. Getting Billy Wagner and Carlos Delgado for this season. Jose Reyes becoming just about the best leadoff man in baseball. Paul LoDuca excels in the No. 2 spot. Jose Valentin dominates Milwaukee at the only game I saw live this year. Pedro Feliciano, Chad Bradford, and Darren Oliver dominating in middle relief. Endy Chavez emerges. Cliff Foyd's injuries. Lastings Milledge's attitude. Pedro's injured. Acquiring El Duque. Duaner Sanchez also dominates out of the pen before his car crash in Miami that fateful July night. Trading Xavier Nady for Roberto Hernandez and Oliver Perez and later acquring a faded Shawn Green in response. David Wright has an MVP caliber first half, does great in the home run derby, and fades in the second half. The amazing double play he started in Philly to beat the Phillies and essentially knock them out of the NL East race. John Maine emerging from out of nowhere. Two grand slams in the same inning in Wrigley Field. (I love that one!). Being down 7-1 to St. Louis and rallying for a walk-off win. The 20th anniversary and reunion of the 1986 World Series champions. Plans for a new ballpark. Tied for the most wins in baseball. A 3-0 sweep over the Dodgers in the first round. And pure misery after a Game 7 loss at home to a team that had no business making it to a sixth game against us.
10) Wisconsin Dells
Wanna get away? I know I needed to. And 3 days in the Dells was just what the doctor ordered.
Part 1 and Part 2
So that's a few highlights and lowlights from 2006 A.D. Let's see what happens over the next 12 months.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Now who do we get?
I haven't written a thing about the Mets (the best team in baseball in 2006) since December 12. Now after what I've just heard. I'm ready. Barry Zito, the pitcher we wanted, the pitcher we needed, the pitcher all of baseball assumed was coming to us, signs with San Francisco for a guaranteed 7 years and 126 million dollars. It could go to 8 for over 150 million. I am ready to throw up. So let's see. Our rotation is now still Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez (both old and the latter of whom I think invented baseball back in the 19th century), two good, young, question marks in John Maine and Oliver Perez, and two youngsters in Mike Pelfrey and Phillip Humber. Both are projected to be great future stars, but are they ready now? Now one of them is needed.
The Mets have the lineup, the speed, the power, the average, though they are aging. They have a pretty decent bullpen assuming someone steps in to fill Bradford's spot. But we needed that young innings-eating starting pitcher and now all that's really available are Jeff Weaver (ugh), Steve Trachsel (been here, done that), Joel Piniero (more of a swing man), Tomo Ohka (coming off surgery, but an Omar favorite), Tony Armas (intriguing but inconsistent), Mark Redman (the infamous All-Star in KC last year, but decent), and an injured Mark Mulder (Very disappointing since coming to the National League). This is not exactly exciting me.
I know I can be the biggest pessimist in the world. I can be the most emotional too. Most of you know that. But I think if things stay the same, 2006 is going to be a mirage in the long run. If nothing else changes on this roster or unless some young unexpected player emerges, we are going to have a load of 7-5 type games (high scoring) and probably win about 80-85 games and miss the playoffs.
More heartbreak for the team that should have won it all last year, the New York Metropolitans.
The Mets have the lineup, the speed, the power, the average, though they are aging. They have a pretty decent bullpen assuming someone steps in to fill Bradford's spot. But we needed that young innings-eating starting pitcher and now all that's really available are Jeff Weaver (ugh), Steve Trachsel (been here, done that), Joel Piniero (more of a swing man), Tomo Ohka (coming off surgery, but an Omar favorite), Tony Armas (intriguing but inconsistent), Mark Redman (the infamous All-Star in KC last year, but decent), and an injured Mark Mulder (Very disappointing since coming to the National League). This is not exactly exciting me.
I know I can be the biggest pessimist in the world. I can be the most emotional too. Most of you know that. But I think if things stay the same, 2006 is going to be a mirage in the long run. If nothing else changes on this roster or unless some young unexpected player emerges, we are going to have a load of 7-5 type games (high scoring) and probably win about 80-85 games and miss the playoffs.
More heartbreak for the team that should have won it all last year, the New York Metropolitans.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
I figured I would be busy!
But after 2 and a half hours of work, I've wiped out everything I had piled up over Christmas weekend. Now everyone say it with me now!
J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!!!
Oh Chicago, you can keep your Bears! You knew you were going to be great. But the upstarts of Gang Green travel down to the mud of Miami on Christmas night and defeated the Dolphins on a late field goal 13-10. Win against the hapless Raiders at home next weekend and we are in the playoffs! Mangini, Pennington, Leon, Coles, Jerricho, Mangold, D-Rob, Vilma, Bryan, Kerry, Nugent, Graham. Considering most thought this team would win 6 games or so at the start of the season, this is one great surprise.
As for the Giants who got thrashed by New Orleans, well, I'm out of words describing how lackadaisical and non existent their effort is week in and week out. Here's what Paul Zimmerman of CNN/SI had to say.
"They came into Giants Stadium and offered the game to the home team. "Here, you want it?" They proved it by dropping 10 passes. The Giants said no thank you, it would just confuse our fans. So the Saints walked away with the 30-7 win, and here's my favorite stat, the likes of which I have never seen before: New Orleans ran 54 plays in Giants' territory. And how many plays did New York run on the Saints' side? Zero."
And that's essentially how the Rangers have played hockey for the last two weeks as well. I'm convinced the same players perform for both teams.
J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!!!
Oh Chicago, you can keep your Bears! You knew you were going to be great. But the upstarts of Gang Green travel down to the mud of Miami on Christmas night and defeated the Dolphins on a late field goal 13-10. Win against the hapless Raiders at home next weekend and we are in the playoffs! Mangini, Pennington, Leon, Coles, Jerricho, Mangold, D-Rob, Vilma, Bryan, Kerry, Nugent, Graham. Considering most thought this team would win 6 games or so at the start of the season, this is one great surprise.
As for the Giants who got thrashed by New Orleans, well, I'm out of words describing how lackadaisical and non existent their effort is week in and week out. Here's what Paul Zimmerman of CNN/SI had to say.
"They came into Giants Stadium and offered the game to the home team. "Here, you want it?" They proved it by dropping 10 passes. The Giants said no thank you, it would just confuse our fans. So the Saints walked away with the 30-7 win, and here's my favorite stat, the likes of which I have never seen before: New Orleans ran 54 plays in Giants' territory. And how many plays did New York run on the Saints' side? Zero."
And that's essentially how the Rangers have played hockey for the last two weeks as well. I'm convinced the same players perform for both teams.
Monday, December 25, 2006
4 days free
Been quite a Christmas so far. First, I was mighty sad Saturday night as Bryan Danielson lost the ROH World title to Homicide. I knew it was inevitable but he needs to repair several torn tendons in his shoulder. Come back strong, American Dragon.
Had an awesome dinner. I made prime rib (the key is to make slits in the heart of the meat, and stuff cloves of garlic inside), a sautee of spinach and musrooms, asparagus, and a mashed potato casserole. It's pretty easy to cook (and do dishes) when there are only two people in the house. There was one part of the meat that was a little overdone, so Mom gave it to Hogan who was begging for some food off the table as he always does. We gave him 10 or 12 good sized pieces of prime rib. It took him no more than 30 seconds to wipe that plate clean! It was incredible.
Then I took my new golf game (the Tiger Woods game) on the computer and made a replica of myself. The customizing features on this thing are incredible. You can change everything from space in between the eyes to the skull size, to their sock style, to their tattoos, to their food, to the width of their feet. I actually almost gave myself a purple Afro! Thought better of that one though. And my mom came downstairs and asked if I could make a golfer that looked like her. Well after I made her look 66 years old, uh, let's just say we laughed and laughed hard.
Going to see Rocky Balboa tomorrow. I'll have a review in the next few days.
Watching the Jets play a huge game in Miami right now. 0-0 late in the second quarter. Great defense by both sides, but the offenses are brutal with the rain that's pouring down. I get omens about these things but I'm not feeling one way or another about this right now.
Had an awesome dinner. I made prime rib (the key is to make slits in the heart of the meat, and stuff cloves of garlic inside), a sautee of spinach and musrooms, asparagus, and a mashed potato casserole. It's pretty easy to cook (and do dishes) when there are only two people in the house. There was one part of the meat that was a little overdone, so Mom gave it to Hogan who was begging for some food off the table as he always does. We gave him 10 or 12 good sized pieces of prime rib. It took him no more than 30 seconds to wipe that plate clean! It was incredible.
Then I took my new golf game (the Tiger Woods game) on the computer and made a replica of myself. The customizing features on this thing are incredible. You can change everything from space in between the eyes to the skull size, to their sock style, to their tattoos, to their food, to the width of their feet. I actually almost gave myself a purple Afro! Thought better of that one though. And my mom came downstairs and asked if I could make a golfer that looked like her. Well after I made her look 66 years old, uh, let's just say we laughed and laughed hard.
Going to see Rocky Balboa tomorrow. I'll have a review in the next few days.
Watching the Jets play a huge game in Miami right now. 0-0 late in the second quarter. Great defense by both sides, but the offenses are brutal with the rain that's pouring down. I get omens about these things but I'm not feeling one way or another about this right now.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
D-Rob is a beast!
Apparently, it takes five Vikings offensive linemen to block Dewayne Robertson, the Jets No. 1 draft choice from 4 years ago. Man it would have been funny if he got the sack. One of three things happened. Either...1) The Jets were playing the pass.
2) His teammates hate him
3) He farted.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
More food news
Wilson meats has recalled 114 TONS of hot dogs because they say they were undercooked. The company said eating one of these hot dogs can make you feel nauseated, vomit, and give you diarrhea. My response: All hot dogs do that!
For the record, I hate skim milk!
I saw this on CNN. In Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, the Four Seasons hotel is now selling a $110.00 hamburger. This burger is made of Kobe beef with foie gras, Portobello mushrooms and Korean pears and served with french fries. The hotel says it has sold 20 of the 1 million rupiah hamburgers since they were launched this month.
The head of the restaurant explained the calves in Kobe, Japan get special treatment. They drink beer mixed with milk, vitamins and eat pesticide-free grass. They then add foie gras and Korean pears and it's the combination of those fresh ingredients that make it expensive. Indeed Kobe beef is some of the finest in the world. I don't know if the basketball player on the Lakers was named after it though.
To put this in persective, the minimum wage in most parts of Indonesia (which has a population of 220 million) is as low as around $40 a month. A month! Now let me tell you, it's a very small number of Indonesians who are among the richest people in Asia, while millions live in serious poverty in slums or shanty towns in the countryside. So let's be fair and move one step up on the socio-economic level. For most Indonesians, that's about 2 months of working to buy one of these burgers.
Makes you realize how fortunate you are, doesn't it?
For the record, I hate skim milk!
I saw this on CNN. In Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, the Four Seasons hotel is now selling a $110.00 hamburger. This burger is made of Kobe beef with foie gras, Portobello mushrooms and Korean pears and served with french fries. The hotel says it has sold 20 of the 1 million rupiah hamburgers since they were launched this month.
The head of the restaurant explained the calves in Kobe, Japan get special treatment. They drink beer mixed with milk, vitamins and eat pesticide-free grass. They then add foie gras and Korean pears and it's the combination of those fresh ingredients that make it expensive. Indeed Kobe beef is some of the finest in the world. I don't know if the basketball player on the Lakers was named after it though.
To put this in persective, the minimum wage in most parts of Indonesia (which has a population of 220 million) is as low as around $40 a month. A month! Now let me tell you, it's a very small number of Indonesians who are among the richest people in Asia, while millions live in serious poverty in slums or shanty towns in the countryside. So let's be fair and move one step up on the socio-economic level. For most Indonesians, that's about 2 months of working to buy one of these burgers.
Makes you realize how fortunate you are, doesn't it?
Monday, December 18, 2006
A fair warning
Never leave all your keys in your car even if it's safe inside your garage. Of course, to tell you that, I must have a story behind it. Very perceptive of you. Here goes.
I got home Saturday night at around 11 p.m. from work. Left everything inside, my keys, cell phone, CD's, wallet. The next day, I got up to drive to Rookie's to watch what would be a victory by my New York Jets and the greatest quarterback in football, Chad Pennington. The driver's side is locked. I thought that was odd and began to feel my palms start to sweat a little. I ran over to the passenger side. Locked. And I knew both my sets of keys were inside the car. I was trapped.
Apparently this thing just locked itself. I'm thinking it was probably that anti-theft chip that just locked the car for no apparent reason. So I somehow convinced my next door neighbor to let me borrow her Toyota Corrolla mini-van to drive to Wheaton so I could go to Ecclesia. She obviously has never seen my driving record. Seriously though, that is one generous spirit.
And after taking a few estimates from locksmiths this morning, I arranged for a generic key to be made at the Honda dealership, which should cost about 10 bucks, that will open the door. So I think I got out of that okay.
The Rangers get outscored by Toronto and New Jersey 15-3 this weekend. Embarrassing.
If the NFL season ended today, the Giants would make the playoffs. Never has there been a less deserving team.
Great job by the Jets to hang in the playoff race this long. I'm surprised they handled Minnesota on the road so easily. Now can I celebrate a Merry Christmas by beating the Dolphins on Christmas night?
My fantasy basketball teams just died in December. I have Carmelo Anthony in both of my leagues and he gets suspended 15 games in that embarrassment of a game in Madison Square Garden. Memo to the owner of MSG, Jim "Son of Cablevision" Dolan. Fire Isiah Thomas as coach and GM immediately, sell the Garden, lose some weight, and get your fat, useless carcass away from my teams.
Back to work...
I got home Saturday night at around 11 p.m. from work. Left everything inside, my keys, cell phone, CD's, wallet. The next day, I got up to drive to Rookie's to watch what would be a victory by my New York Jets and the greatest quarterback in football, Chad Pennington. The driver's side is locked. I thought that was odd and began to feel my palms start to sweat a little. I ran over to the passenger side. Locked. And I knew both my sets of keys were inside the car. I was trapped.
Apparently this thing just locked itself. I'm thinking it was probably that anti-theft chip that just locked the car for no apparent reason. So I somehow convinced my next door neighbor to let me borrow her Toyota Corrolla mini-van to drive to Wheaton so I could go to Ecclesia. She obviously has never seen my driving record. Seriously though, that is one generous spirit.
And after taking a few estimates from locksmiths this morning, I arranged for a generic key to be made at the Honda dealership, which should cost about 10 bucks, that will open the door. So I think I got out of that okay.
The Rangers get outscored by Toronto and New Jersey 15-3 this weekend. Embarrassing.
If the NFL season ended today, the Giants would make the playoffs. Never has there been a less deserving team.
Great job by the Jets to hang in the playoff race this long. I'm surprised they handled Minnesota on the road so easily. Now can I celebrate a Merry Christmas by beating the Dolphins on Christmas night?
My fantasy basketball teams just died in December. I have Carmelo Anthony in both of my leagues and he gets suspended 15 games in that embarrassment of a game in Madison Square Garden. Memo to the owner of MSG, Jim "Son of Cablevision" Dolan. Fire Isiah Thomas as coach and GM immediately, sell the Garden, lose some weight, and get your fat, useless carcass away from my teams.
Back to work...
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Are these 7 hour or 8 hour days?
Seems like more and more, my manager and supervisor both leave work at 4 and I have an hour I have to be here with basically nothing to do. Except surf the Net and blog.
Hopefully, they don't have any of those Internet scanning tools on their computer to let them know how much time we spend on here!
Just ate a Maxwell Street polish sausage sandwich for the first time. That's a big Chicago food, but I'd never had it in 10 years. Went to Portillo's in Hanover Park and I'll rate the sandwich as okay. I ate it, but I could have used a bit more mustard and the grilled onions were a little limp. The bread was incredible as always. I liked the theme of this Portillo's though. I'm used to the 1920's theme with Al Capone and all that. This was a 50's diner feel and it was a lighter, more upbeat atmosphere. Good change.
Carol's still makes the best cookies. Last night it was the cinnamon swirl. Sure I add an inch on to my waistline every time I eat one, but who cares.
If Barack Obama runs for President, I seriously hope that no voter chooses his opponent because his last name sounds like Osama.
My mom has told me she has this need to watch the Today Show in the morning and the evening news at night. Me, I can barely stand to watch the news. It's so depressing every night that I can hardly stand to look at it anymore. We live a hard enough life already. Why come home and immerse yourself in something that can damper you down even more? Sorry, but I'd rather be uninformed on the Middle East and happy in general than knowledgeable about the affairs of the world.
OK enough randomness. Great win by the Giants on Sunday over Carolina. Big big game coming up against Philly on Sunday. If they win, they're all but in the playoffs. And to the contrary, a piss-poor performance by my Jets. To realistically make the playoffs, we need to win our last 3 games and hope Jacksonville or Cincinnati go 1-2, since I don't think we'll get any tiebreakers over them. But I'd almost rather we lose another game or two than just miss the playoffs. Because even if the Jets make it, they're not beating San Diego, Baltimore, Indy, or New England on the road. And considering the talent upgrade that is necessary for so many positions, I'd be happier with the better draft spot. Bears win again, what a shock (sarcasm).
Rangers have won 3 in a row and play Philly tonight. This will e a fun race with the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders occupying the top 3 spots in the Atlantic Division. Knicks actually were losing by 30 points to a Boston team that was missing two starters last night at home. Of course they rally to within 4 points, miss more free throws than a blind high school's JV team, and commit 3 crucial turnovers down the stretch to shoot themselves in the foot.
Mets lose out on Jason Jennings, who gets traded to Houston for Willy Tavares and two top pitching prospects. Fair enough, that's a huge price Houston paid and Jennings will be a free agent after this season anyway. I guess Omar is betting the house on Phillip Humber, Mike Pelfrey, and Lastings Milledge. As the days go by, I really don't know if we're getting Barry Zito now. It's obvious we're not going to offer the most money, Texas will. But Zito would rather play in the media-heavy area and pitcher's park like New York than in a quiet area and a hitter's park like Arlington. Plus I'm sure he could find more actresses and models to date as well. If Texas offers 6 years 105 million (17.5 per), I would think the Mets could get him with 5 years, 85 million (17 per) and an option for a sixth year. If we can't get him, maybe we can take a shot on a guy like Tony Armas or Tomo Ohka. Just please don't bring that bastard Jeff Suppan here.
Hopefully, they don't have any of those Internet scanning tools on their computer to let them know how much time we spend on here!
Just ate a Maxwell Street polish sausage sandwich for the first time. That's a big Chicago food, but I'd never had it in 10 years. Went to Portillo's in Hanover Park and I'll rate the sandwich as okay. I ate it, but I could have used a bit more mustard and the grilled onions were a little limp. The bread was incredible as always. I liked the theme of this Portillo's though. I'm used to the 1920's theme with Al Capone and all that. This was a 50's diner feel and it was a lighter, more upbeat atmosphere. Good change.
Carol's still makes the best cookies. Last night it was the cinnamon swirl. Sure I add an inch on to my waistline every time I eat one, but who cares.
If Barack Obama runs for President, I seriously hope that no voter chooses his opponent because his last name sounds like Osama.
My mom has told me she has this need to watch the Today Show in the morning and the evening news at night. Me, I can barely stand to watch the news. It's so depressing every night that I can hardly stand to look at it anymore. We live a hard enough life already. Why come home and immerse yourself in something that can damper you down even more? Sorry, but I'd rather be uninformed on the Middle East and happy in general than knowledgeable about the affairs of the world.
OK enough randomness. Great win by the Giants on Sunday over Carolina. Big big game coming up against Philly on Sunday. If they win, they're all but in the playoffs. And to the contrary, a piss-poor performance by my Jets. To realistically make the playoffs, we need to win our last 3 games and hope Jacksonville or Cincinnati go 1-2, since I don't think we'll get any tiebreakers over them. But I'd almost rather we lose another game or two than just miss the playoffs. Because even if the Jets make it, they're not beating San Diego, Baltimore, Indy, or New England on the road. And considering the talent upgrade that is necessary for so many positions, I'd be happier with the better draft spot. Bears win again, what a shock (sarcasm).
Rangers have won 3 in a row and play Philly tonight. This will e a fun race with the Rangers, Devils, and Islanders occupying the top 3 spots in the Atlantic Division. Knicks actually were losing by 30 points to a Boston team that was missing two starters last night at home. Of course they rally to within 4 points, miss more free throws than a blind high school's JV team, and commit 3 crucial turnovers down the stretch to shoot themselves in the foot.
Mets lose out on Jason Jennings, who gets traded to Houston for Willy Tavares and two top pitching prospects. Fair enough, that's a huge price Houston paid and Jennings will be a free agent after this season anyway. I guess Omar is betting the house on Phillip Humber, Mike Pelfrey, and Lastings Milledge. As the days go by, I really don't know if we're getting Barry Zito now. It's obvious we're not going to offer the most money, Texas will. But Zito would rather play in the media-heavy area and pitcher's park like New York than in a quiet area and a hitter's park like Arlington. Plus I'm sure he could find more actresses and models to date as well. If Texas offers 6 years 105 million (17.5 per), I would think the Mets could get him with 5 years, 85 million (17 per) and an option for a sixth year. If we can't get him, maybe we can take a shot on a guy like Tony Armas or Tomo Ohka. Just please don't bring that bastard Jeff Suppan here.
Monday, December 11, 2006
I am a ROH-bot
That's what we call Ring of Honor fans. Well, I hooked Greg and I hooked James on the best wrestling in the world today. Saturday's show (Chicago Spectacular Night 2) was incredible. The turnout wasn't what I was used to, maybe 600-700, but that's really from having shows in the same building on back to back nights. That will make the crowds dwindle somewhat.
From Homicide's ghetto fork, to Matt Cross' shooting start press to the outside floors, to Delirious winning the elimination match, to Kikutaro's comedy, to the steel cage, to Samoa Joe's agility and power, to the match of the night, Davey Richards vs. Jay Briscoe, I got way more than 25 dollars worth.
Here's how good it was. They announced tickets were on sale for the next Chicago show at the Windy City Fieldhouse on the west side of Lincoln Park. I didn't even ask them if they wanted to come with me to buy a ticket and they came along with me and we brought FIVE tickets for the show!
Sarah, Jill, you missed out...
From Homicide's ghetto fork, to Matt Cross' shooting start press to the outside floors, to Delirious winning the elimination match, to Kikutaro's comedy, to the steel cage, to Samoa Joe's agility and power, to the match of the night, Davey Richards vs. Jay Briscoe, I got way more than 25 dollars worth.
Here's how good it was. They announced tickets were on sale for the next Chicago show at the Windy City Fieldhouse on the west side of Lincoln Park. I didn't even ask them if they wanted to come with me to buy a ticket and they came along with me and we brought FIVE tickets for the show!
Sarah, Jill, you missed out...
Friday, December 08, 2006
Getting through Friday
Well the service project I had hyped for Saturday is off. So if nothing else I get a little time to relax after today's grind. I did the math and I'm estimating I will be out of the house working for 17 hours. I left at 7, am at CEC now, will leave at 5, and drive down to Lombard. I'm grabbing some dimmer before I cover the basketball game. And I'll probably be home at 1 or so in the morning. Before I hit my bed tonight, I will do whatever it takes tonight to keep all the darkness inside my room. I will duct tape the blinds to the windows if I have to.
Maybe I'll be able to get some Christmas shopping done tomorrow morning. Thankfully, we're supposed to get some warmer weather which cannot come soon enough. It's to the point where you're grateful for a temperature above freezing.
I've got a couple of items reserved for me at the library. CD's include Los Lonely Boys-Sacred, ZZ Top-Rancho Texicano (gotta love a band who can rhyme the words much and tush!), and a few DVD's from the Ken Burns Baseball series.
It seems to me that the people who care about you are the ones who will take the time to point out your faults and out of compassion and care, help you deal with them. There are not enough people like that in the world. The truth is hard, but if we're not real honest with one another, how can we expect to develop real relationships. No I did not get that from Dr. Phil! That's after a rough experience Friday night at Houlihan's.
I wonder what will matter to God when my life is over. I'm sure there are a number of things he will ask of me, but what will stand out above all else? How I treated other people? What I did for him on earth? Did I discover a purpose I was called to go with?
Appreciate what you have today. Because you may not have it tomorrow. No, I didn't get this from a fortune cookie or a Hallmark card or anything, I just felt a need to write it.
And as I write this, It's 4 p.m. Which means It's 5 o' clock somewhere.
Maybe I'll be able to get some Christmas shopping done tomorrow morning. Thankfully, we're supposed to get some warmer weather which cannot come soon enough. It's to the point where you're grateful for a temperature above freezing.
I've got a couple of items reserved for me at the library. CD's include Los Lonely Boys-Sacred, ZZ Top-Rancho Texicano (gotta love a band who can rhyme the words much and tush!), and a few DVD's from the Ken Burns Baseball series.
It seems to me that the people who care about you are the ones who will take the time to point out your faults and out of compassion and care, help you deal with them. There are not enough people like that in the world. The truth is hard, but if we're not real honest with one another, how can we expect to develop real relationships. No I did not get that from Dr. Phil! That's after a rough experience Friday night at Houlihan's.
I wonder what will matter to God when my life is over. I'm sure there are a number of things he will ask of me, but what will stand out above all else? How I treated other people? What I did for him on earth? Did I discover a purpose I was called to go with?
Appreciate what you have today. Because you may not have it tomorrow. No, I didn't get this from a fortune cookie or a Hallmark card or anything, I just felt a need to write it.
And as I write this, It's 4 p.m. Which means It's 5 o' clock somewhere.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
One thing about the Northeast
It doesn't have that aggravating wind chill like the Midwest does. I have to hear from people in New York it's approaching 50 degrees some days while we've had a solid week of never hitting 40. Ah, what can you do.
I guess I was right on both counts as far as the NFL goes. Giants lose, Jets win. Actually the Jets annihilated the Packers so bad, it looked like Ohio St playing Illinois in the horseshoe. Giants vs. Panthers, Jets vs Bills. I pick a pair of New York wins.
The money being tossed around on the free agent market in baseball is outrageous to me. The demand is so great and the supply so limited that average pitchers (No. 4 or 5 starters) are earning 10 million a year. I was hoping the Mets could sign Barry Zito for something like 5 years and 86 or 87 million dollars. After seeing the contracts of Jason Schmidt and average pitchers like Randy Wolf, Adam Eaton, and Vincente Padilla, it will now likely take 6 years and 100 million to bring that looping curveball to Shea Stadium.
The upcoming weekend is looking busier by the day. Now it looks like I'll be covering the Montini-Marmion boys basketball game Friday night. That means instead of driving 30 minutes southwest home to St. Charles, I'm driving 40 minutes southeast to Lombard only to drive 30 more back to the office to write my story and do the whole scoreboard. So Saturday I'm doing my volunteer work with my small group in Lombard at a senior citizens house. Not a nursing home, but more like an apartment where several seniors live together and I'll be part of the morning crew that will be doing some painting. I figure that'll go from maybe 9-noon. I'll drive home, get cleaned up, go to work around 3, stay until 4, which is when I'll begin my drive to Downers Grove to have dinner with Greg and James at Portillo's. Chances are I will either have the Big beef with cheddar and hot peppers or a double cheeseburger. I know it sounds heavy, but hey, I gotta have some manly food before going to Ring of Honor! Sunday will probably be my day to collapse and stay home.
And after all that planning, to think it's still only Wednesday! And I'm sure they're not reading this, but happy birthdays to Ingrid, Bess, and Josh, three of my best friends from Gordon.
I guess I was right on both counts as far as the NFL goes. Giants lose, Jets win. Actually the Jets annihilated the Packers so bad, it looked like Ohio St playing Illinois in the horseshoe. Giants vs. Panthers, Jets vs Bills. I pick a pair of New York wins.
The money being tossed around on the free agent market in baseball is outrageous to me. The demand is so great and the supply so limited that average pitchers (No. 4 or 5 starters) are earning 10 million a year. I was hoping the Mets could sign Barry Zito for something like 5 years and 86 or 87 million dollars. After seeing the contracts of Jason Schmidt and average pitchers like Randy Wolf, Adam Eaton, and Vincente Padilla, it will now likely take 6 years and 100 million to bring that looping curveball to Shea Stadium.
The upcoming weekend is looking busier by the day. Now it looks like I'll be covering the Montini-Marmion boys basketball game Friday night. That means instead of driving 30 minutes southwest home to St. Charles, I'm driving 40 minutes southeast to Lombard only to drive 30 more back to the office to write my story and do the whole scoreboard. So Saturday I'm doing my volunteer work with my small group in Lombard at a senior citizens house. Not a nursing home, but more like an apartment where several seniors live together and I'll be part of the morning crew that will be doing some painting. I figure that'll go from maybe 9-noon. I'll drive home, get cleaned up, go to work around 3, stay until 4, which is when I'll begin my drive to Downers Grove to have dinner with Greg and James at Portillo's. Chances are I will either have the Big beef with cheddar and hot peppers or a double cheeseburger. I know it sounds heavy, but hey, I gotta have some manly food before going to Ring of Honor! Sunday will probably be my day to collapse and stay home.
And after all that planning, to think it's still only Wednesday! And I'm sure they're not reading this, but happy birthdays to Ingrid, Bess, and Josh, three of my best friends from Gordon.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Welcome to December
and to the first snowfall of the year. 6 inches for my morning commute to Hoffman Estates. I seriously have no idea how I drove to work without any problems. I passed at least 15 cars that were just stuck in the middle of the road. Driving was like playing a video game and trying to avoid the obstacles. I even gut stuck behind a big green garbage truck that got caught in some snow.
I made it to work around 8:30, a half hour late, but there was no need for me to be worried. About a third of the people on the floor showed up and the majority showed up after I did. The cool part was the company brought Lou Malnati's pizza for us. Very cool to get lunch, but I have to say as good as their pizza is, their sausage is downright horrible.
Meanwhile last Monday night, Seattle hosted Monday Night Football. It snowed throughout the whole game. The next day, I'm driving to work , listening to the radio, and hearing all the horror stories. People didn't get home from work until 2 or 3 in the morning. Some motorists actually left their car on the side of the road. It sounded very serious. Know how much snow accumulated? ONE INCH!!! How pathetic is that? If you're from that area, I'm sorry, but that is pathetic. One lousy inch of snow and you're leaving your car? In Chicago, we call that kind of weather the month of May! Have these people never heard of rock salt or plows or shovels or 4-wheel drive? They get rained on 350 days a year and they can't handle a little cold white dusting from high up above. I just don't get it. Enough of that. Let's move on.
If you're ever in Wisconsin, go to a good cheese shop, (I went to Market Square Cheese) and get some Butter Kase cheese. It's got a little more fat than most cheeses and it's a solid cheese, but it is so creamy and flavorful. I guess that's where the fat comes in.
Onto sports. Tom Glavine is back with the Mets, 1 year with a player option and 10.5 million dollars. I am absolutely convinced he wanted to return to Atlanta to be with his family. I can;t really blame him for that, but the fact that the Mets gave him a no-trade clause and the Braves wouldn't, the Mets offered more money, that all tells me that he wanted to give Atlanta every chance to get him back. I am happy that he made his decision before the winter meetings begin next week. Now Omar Minaya needs to get Barry Zito, a relief pitcher (maybe an Octavio Dotel), and a second baseman (Mark Loretta, maybe Julio Lugo, please no Ronnie Belliard) and I'll be happy.
Onto football. After all the Giants have been through the last few weeks, I can't possibly imagine them beating Dallas, even if the game is in New York. Unfortunately, I can't watch the game live as I'll be playing in the volleyball playoffs, so I'll have to tape it. I think the Jets-Packers could go any number of ways. I do think if the Jets are going to win, they need to lead early. Pressure Brett Favre and make him hurry his throws, because that is when he turns the ball over. It's amazing we came so close to drafting Favre in 1991... And instead we wound up with the immortal Browning Nagle. I will watch the game at Rookie's in St. Charles and I'll say the Jets win.
There is no Knick player I want to see succeed more from a Knicks perspective than Eddy Curry. Not that he's the most likable guy in the world, he isn't. The way he looks on the floor sometimes, you wonder if he has a pulse. But for giving up 2 first rounders and Mike Sweetney for him? He's been looking better the last few games. The question is was that a mirage? If he can give 16 points, 9 rebounds per game, I'd be happy. And who would have thought this. The Knicks are tied for the most road wins in the NBA with 5 and are one game out of the Atlantic Division lead with the hardest month of the season behind them. How sad is it that there are only four teams in the Eastern Conference out of 15 with winning records?
Eight days from the Ring of Honor Chicago Spectacular! I know Greg and James are both pumped up for this as am I.
I made it to work around 8:30, a half hour late, but there was no need for me to be worried. About a third of the people on the floor showed up and the majority showed up after I did. The cool part was the company brought Lou Malnati's pizza for us. Very cool to get lunch, but I have to say as good as their pizza is, their sausage is downright horrible.
Meanwhile last Monday night, Seattle hosted Monday Night Football. It snowed throughout the whole game. The next day, I'm driving to work , listening to the radio, and hearing all the horror stories. People didn't get home from work until 2 or 3 in the morning. Some motorists actually left their car on the side of the road. It sounded very serious. Know how much snow accumulated? ONE INCH!!! How pathetic is that? If you're from that area, I'm sorry, but that is pathetic. One lousy inch of snow and you're leaving your car? In Chicago, we call that kind of weather the month of May! Have these people never heard of rock salt or plows or shovels or 4-wheel drive? They get rained on 350 days a year and they can't handle a little cold white dusting from high up above. I just don't get it. Enough of that. Let's move on.
If you're ever in Wisconsin, go to a good cheese shop, (I went to Market Square Cheese) and get some Butter Kase cheese. It's got a little more fat than most cheeses and it's a solid cheese, but it is so creamy and flavorful. I guess that's where the fat comes in.
Onto sports. Tom Glavine is back with the Mets, 1 year with a player option and 10.5 million dollars. I am absolutely convinced he wanted to return to Atlanta to be with his family. I can;t really blame him for that, but the fact that the Mets gave him a no-trade clause and the Braves wouldn't, the Mets offered more money, that all tells me that he wanted to give Atlanta every chance to get him back. I am happy that he made his decision before the winter meetings begin next week. Now Omar Minaya needs to get Barry Zito, a relief pitcher (maybe an Octavio Dotel), and a second baseman (Mark Loretta, maybe Julio Lugo, please no Ronnie Belliard) and I'll be happy.
Onto football. After all the Giants have been through the last few weeks, I can't possibly imagine them beating Dallas, even if the game is in New York. Unfortunately, I can't watch the game live as I'll be playing in the volleyball playoffs, so I'll have to tape it. I think the Jets-Packers could go any number of ways. I do think if the Jets are going to win, they need to lead early. Pressure Brett Favre and make him hurry his throws, because that is when he turns the ball over. It's amazing we came so close to drafting Favre in 1991... And instead we wound up with the immortal Browning Nagle. I will watch the game at Rookie's in St. Charles and I'll say the Jets win.
There is no Knick player I want to see succeed more from a Knicks perspective than Eddy Curry. Not that he's the most likable guy in the world, he isn't. The way he looks on the floor sometimes, you wonder if he has a pulse. But for giving up 2 first rounders and Mike Sweetney for him? He's been looking better the last few games. The question is was that a mirage? If he can give 16 points, 9 rebounds per game, I'd be happy. And who would have thought this. The Knicks are tied for the most road wins in the NBA with 5 and are one game out of the Atlantic Division lead with the hardest month of the season behind them. How sad is it that there are only four teams in the Eastern Conference out of 15 with winning records?
Eight days from the Ring of Honor Chicago Spectacular! I know Greg and James are both pumped up for this as am I.
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