Christmas Vacation: Day 3

The third and final full day was spent in New York City. We woke up around 7:30 and I could have slept another two hours. Maybe that's because it took two hours for me to fall asleep. It just takes me so long to fall asleep on a mattress I'm not used to. It's like I have to date mattresses for a night or two to find out which ones I'm compatible with. I guess this was just a weekend fling.

We headed to the Metuchen train station and Mom and I had to stop for some good bagels. We both got sandwiches, mine with sausage and Mom's with bacon. And it was so refreshing to see the eggs get cooked on a flat grill. Every place I've been to in Chicago, they pour the egg from a carton into a Tupperware, and microwave the thing up. On a poppy bagel along with gooey, melting American cheese, this sandwich just tasted so real for a change.

So after a 40 minute train ride into Penn Station, we took three subways up to 86th St in Manhattan. From there, we walked five blocks in a steady rain to the Guggenheim museum on the Upper East Side. As we approached the building, we realized what we were in for. The line was already at least 150 people out the door, not moving at all, and the museum had already been open 20 minutes.

After 15 minutes or so of not moving, Mom came up with a brainstorm. She walked around the corner toward the main entrance and got us into another line and there were only about 20 people ahead of us. So we thought we were in good shape. We had no way of knowing, but we were standing in the line for pre-paid and members admissions. Nobody told anyone in line that there were separate lines, but when we reached the fromt, we were were told we would have to go back in the GA line. We all thought their approach was very unprofessional and inconsiderate. Not willing to wait another hour, we decided to take off. So we walked down 5th Avenue, the Museum Mile, and found the Met Museum of Art. I'm not the biggest art guy, but I thought it was neat. We explored Egyptian artifacts, South American gold, and Midieval armors. I particularly liked the American paintings gallery from the 1700's and 1800's as well as the Roman and Greek sculptures. There were some cool works in the Modern section, particularly the "5" painting. Paul Klee's works also caught my eye. We wound up spending two hours in the building. As we walked out, we barely had room to move. Seems the Mets was the place to be.

Then with the rain pouring down, we hitched a cab to take us to Pig Heaven, which is a pretty well-known Chinese restaurant. Dad had been there maybe ten years prior. This place is apparently known for Peking duck and BBQ pork butt. Not tofu. The place was essentially empty at 2 p.m. but it certainly wasn't because of the quality. It was a tiny little place with maybe 12 tables, though I think there was more space around a curtain that was closed off at that time. We ordered fried shrimp rolls and pork dumplings to start and they were gone in minutes. The shrimp rolls came with a hoisin/Asian BBQ sauce that had a little smoke and sweetness to it. It was quite unique. We then got General Tso's chicken, one of my favorites. The meat was tender, crisp, and very spicy and came served with bell peppers. I think I made a good call suggesting that one. We all agreed had to get duck, but we went with the cheaper Cantonese roast duck option which was $16 as opposed to the $36 Peking duck. The meat came pre-sliced in small chunks. The meat was incredibly flavorful and juicy and the skin was very crisp. I have not eaten much duck in my life, but that was the way it should be cooked. We also got BBQ spareribs, which were loaded with meat and had a sweet Asian BBQ sauce. Excellent stuff. I also ordered crisp pan fried noodles with meats and veggies with the brown sauce you spoon over the noodles. The sauce was remarkable and big chunks of broccoli, onion, mushroom, etc. were a great complement for the meat. Unfortunately, they don't serve fortune cookies. And with fresh pineapple costing $5.50, we took a pass on dessert.

So then with the rain not letting up, we took a cab from 86th and 2nd to 31st and 7th (Penn Station). I got a good laugh when we passed right by a huge Turkish restaurant and I had to think about J-Schu. We took a 2:55 train back and a mom with four kids sat down right next to me. She had pizza slices for each of them and was doing her best to give them out, but mroe than that, just keep them under control. I hope those kids have a dad that they know.

So we went home and watched Julie and Julia. Yeah, it was a cute little story that Mom might to be able to use on her bus tours where the clientele is all over 60 years old. And Meryl Streep is just a tremendous actress, no question about it. But I was bored for most of the film. For a movie that advertises itself as a comedy, the one and only time I laughed was when they showed an old SNL parody of Julia Child slicing her hand open and the blood spilling everywhere. All over the poultry, all over the cutting boards, all over her clothes.

Not wanting to go out again, we ordered some LaRosa's pizzam which was phenomenal as always. Mom was breaking down how she liked it a lot, but she wanted just a little more crunch in the crust as opposed to chew. I argues that Chicgao doesn't know the first thing about shew in a pizza crust. Because the fact is whether you order thin crust or deep dish, you're biting into a hard crust.

Got the pizza delivered just in time for the beginning of the Rangers-Islanders game at the Garden. I was thrilled when the Blueshirts tied the game in the final minute and disgusted when Okposo won it with a fluke in overtime. It was 9:45 at this point and I knew I'd be waking up around 3:00 AM to head to the airport. So I retired to the bedroom.

Well, sleep did not come easily again. And this was the first night I did not read a book or play my Ipod. And though there is always some noise around Dad's neighborhood, the outside distractions on this night just never seemed to go away. Ambulances and fire trucks seemed to flying right outside our window all night long. After a ton of tossing and turning, I think I fell sound asleep somewhere around 11. Unfortunately, I woke up at least four times between 11 and 3:30 a.m. and kept checking the clock. I think I saw 1:15, 2:10, 2:45. It was a pretty tough night.

But we woke up and got to the airport around 4:15 AM. We made it onto the 6:25 flight without a problem, and got into Chicago by 8, thanks to a good tailwind. Then came a visit to Wheaton Bible Church (saw a ton of old friends) there and finally, we made it home around 11:30 and unpacked. Then Week 16 of the NFL was set to kick off...

Christmas Vacation: Day 2

And so Christmas Day arrived. We woke up and played three games of Rummikub. Mom won all three. And I love how she acts all surprised when she wins. She knows what she's doing the whole time. The wild cards always seem to fall right into her hands. Luck may have something to do with it. But I doubt it.

So we grabbed breakfast at Skylark Diner, featured on DDD. Mom got one of my favorites, the banana fosters waffle. I went with pumpkin pancakes with sausage. I was quite impressed Dad went with just sausage and a toasted bagel with jelly. I wound up eating half the waffle, but gave Mom one of my two pancakes. Throw in the fresh OJ, and that was an outstanding way to start the day. But with a special dinner coming later that night, I was just hoping I hadn't overeaten.

I noticed the roads were a little bit crowded for Christmas. Very few places were open, but people still seemed to have somewhere to go. We left for the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, PA around 2 PM, taking Rt 78 about 75 minutes west. Christmas in a casino. Bethlehem, is a town filled with steel mills, and I was wondering how a hotel/casino got in there. The hotel is not done and there is very little shopping available right now; I found out those and other amenities, like loft apartments and a performing arts center, are coming later on. But we walked into the casino and I was struck by a few things. The casino reminded me of Vegas in terms of the machines, but there was much more room to walk around. The Cobalt and Infusion bars in the middle radiated with ice blue and lava red light, respectively. The ceiling has a very industrial look to it, it reminds me of a fancy warehouse, if such a thing could possibly exist. And it was one large rectangular-shaped room with the restaurants located on the outside against the walls. I also liked there were non-smoking sections as well. One whiff of one dude's cigar and I was ready to run for the hills.

Now dinner was supposed to be at Emeril's Chophouse. I was very excited to go. But Dad wanted prime rib and the only place to get it was at an Irish pub. So we went there, and while I enjoyed my leg of lamb, mashed potatoes, and asparagus, it felt like a good meal that I could get in other places.

But I did get to Burgers and More, Emeril's other eatery in the Sands, for dessert. Mom and Dad were already stuffed, so they got coffee. I ordered a bananas foster shake. The shake came out nice and thick with a strong banana flavor. Excellent. Not sure if there was any rum in there, but...

Oh and I lost $40 playing poker in 20 minutes.

On the ride up, I played Christmas music. Going home, it was a lot more 80's and 90's music that Dad likes. For Mom, I did do a pretty soulful rendition of "Tired of Being Alone." Maybe I will do it publicly one day...

Then came more board games. Sequence" Mom won three, Dad one won, and I somehow won one, though the game went right down to the last card. Pulling that off was like a tooth extraction. We played one more game of Phase 10 and I finished so far behind Mom (what a shock!), it was scary. To close it off, I played "I'm a Loser" by the Beatles. It got a pretty good laugh. I wasn't that upset, but my lack of luck became ridiculous after a while.

We closed the night with all of us watching two episodes of "Law and Order-Criminal Intent." It was Dad's first time watching the show and I think he has another show that he will soon be hooked on.

Christmas Vacation: Day 1

Before I start writing about Christmas, I want to throw in an intro, a preamble of sorts. The day before Christmas Eve had enough adventure of its own. Half a day at work. A fun CEC holiday party where the bowling got cut off way too soon. Thanks Pinstripes. then again, I had bowled six 9's in nine frames, so I wasn't exactly lighting the alley on fire. Driving through a blizzard to get to the gym. Driving through a blizzard to get to Portillo's for some charbroiled chicken. Driving through a blizzard to get to Matt and Court's place. And driving through a ton of ice to get home so I could work another night for the newspaper.

For Christmas Eve, I woke up around 10 a.m. And it was kind of a lazy morning, but before I could make any plans, we wound up changing our flight plans. Instead of leaving Friday morning, we took off Thursday afternoon around 1 p.m. The bad thing was we had to cancel our service at Willow Creek Church. I was not happy about it, but I kind of understood if it helped us get out of Chicago easier. With so many weather problems around the country, that kind of issue cannot be ignored. So our flight was scheduled to leave at 1:10. We boarded, left the gate, and headed towards the runway. Then all of a sudden, we were not moving. Thanks to a failed heating gauge, we stayed on the plane. Around 3:30, they took us back to the gate and we got off the plane. The thing is the flight was going to JFK, which has a lot of international flights. So unlike us, most people were in serious danger of missing their connecting flights. I would guess about 30 people got off the plane and rebooked. They put us on another plane and that left around 4:40. Now we hadn't eaten all day, so we upgraded to first class. Turned out there was no catering on the new flight. So I loaded up on Coke and hot roasted nuts. Oh, and sitting across from me was R&B singer Keyshia Cole. I found that info out later, as I had no idea who she was. She was just very quiet. Anyway, we arrived in New York around 8 p.m. tired and hungry.

Dad picked us up and we drove to Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. We drove down Ocean Avenue past Rollin' Roaster (one of my favorite places in the world) for Randazzo's Clam Bar. This is a classic, little Italian place that serves tons of great seafood and they also serve beer and wine in plastic cups. Dad used to go there with his friends back when he was a kid, I guess through the 1960's and early 70's. We loaded up on baked clams and fried calamari to start. I then enjoyed a delicious dish of linguini with lobster sauce. The lobster was cut into tiny chunks and the tomato sauce had just a hint of spice. A great pasta dish for $18.00. The flavor of Mom's shrimp francese was remarkable though. Dad went with the spice as he ordered the Seafood Fra Diavolo. We left around 9:30 and got in around 10:30. We played one game of Phase 10 and Mom, who had never played the game, naturally whipped Dad and I into submission. Bedtime at 11:45.

Now it's win and in

I woke up at 2 am. and my first thought was not excitement about the Jets' daunting task of beat the undefeated Colts in Indianapolis. After landing in Chicago around 8 am and attending Wheaton Bible Church, and unpacking I headed over to Rookie's. From 12:45 on, I watched intently as every 12:00 game went the Jets way. New England hammered Jacksonville, the Texans held on to beat Miami, and Pittsburgh edged Baltimore. So at this point, destiny had fallen right into the anxious arms of Gang Green. I knew the Jets would make the playoffs if they won both of their remaining two games. But if they lost one, they were done; either Miami or Pittsburgh will pass them since they play each other next week.

As I sat surrounded by Packers and Broncos fans, I had no reason to feel confident. The Jets had lost a horrible game the previous week. The offense was sputtering, though the Indy defense was vulnerable. But most of all, I felt as long as the game was close, the Colts starters would remain in the game. On their second possession, the Colts drove 54 yards in four minutes. They converted a 4th and 1, thanks to a tripping penalty on Bart Scott. Two plays later, Addai busts up the middle for 21 yards, touchdown Colts. But on the PAT, Bryan Thomas blocks the kick and it's only a 6-0 deficit. That proved to be a big play. Despite the TD, the Jets were still playing hard.

The Jets then get first downs and have the ball on the Indy 45. They then do a reverse to David Clowney that loses 14 yards! The Jets punt and Indy gets the ball to the Jets 4. But the defense holds them and Adam Vinatieri kicks a short field goal.

Now the Jets offense had done nothing to this point. But the one good thing is they were not turning the ball over. As the second quarter went on, the Jets began to run the ball better. And that came once Shone Greene entered the game. A 21-yard run by the Iowa rookie led to a 35-yard Jay Feely field goal late in the first half. Unfortunately the drive was limited when Dwight Freeney sacked Mark Sanchez for a 10-yard loss. And no one was blocking the great defensive end. Amazingly, it was not the last time Freeney would rush Sanchez without a blocker to impede him.

I guarantee no Jets fan could have imagined what would happen on the opening kickoff of the second half. Brad Smith, can run, but he is no speed demon. He takes the ball and streaks down the right sideline and the Jets are leading 10-9!. The Colts take the ball and thanks to some shoddy tackling, Donald Brown extends the lead to 15-10, as they missed the two-point conversion. They would not have needed those two points if they made the earlier PAT.

After the Jets punt, Indy takes the ball on their own 10. And out goes Peyton Manning, the best QB I have ever seen. In comes rookie Curtis Painter. Out go Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne.
And I cannot thank Colts coach Jim Caldwell enough. The D forces a 3 and out. Greene picks up 16 yards on two carries and the drive stalls, Jets punt.

And then comes the play of the game. Painter drops back to pass from his own 20. Calvin Pace, rushing against a backup tight end, whacks Painter's right arm and the ball pops loose. Mike Devito knocks it forward and Marques Douglas falls on the ball in the end zone. I had been very quiet most of the game. But by now, I am pumping my fists Jets score and following the two-point reception by Dustin Keller, they lead 18-15!

The D forces yet another 3 and out and the offense gets the ball with excellent field position at the Indy 45. They get one first down, but have to settle for another field goal. The scoring is good, but I'm getting aggravated that this offense still cannot score a TD. The D gets another 3 and out (the 4th straight possession Indy has not picked up a first down) as the Indy fans are booing mercilessly. And their boos are directed right at their coach for yanking the starters.

The Jets then run a six-minute drive highlighted by a 29-yard run by TJ that takes the pigskin to the 1. TJ runs it in on third down, Braylon catches the two-pointer, 29-15. After Painter completed two passes, Dwight Lowery picks him off with four minutes left and that was essentially the end.

Now it comes down to one game. One task. One mission. The Jets have to beat the AFC North champion Bengals at home next week. A win clinches a playoff berth and first round game against either New England or Cincinnati. Coach Rex Ryan, I salute you.

41 years and counting

I willl try to be positive.

1) I believe in Rex Ryan

2) Kerry Rhodes played his best game of the season.

3) Darrelle Revis is the best CB in football.

4) Braylon Edwards did not drop a pass.

Now, let me count the ways why I want to die right now after this 10-7 embarrassment of a loss to the stinky Falcons that officially kills any hopes the Jets had to make the playoffs this year.

1. Three missed field goals that were completely makable: a block, a horrible hold, and wide right.

2. Jim Leonhard dropping an interception that would have been returned for a TD

3. Lito Sheppard dropping an interception

4. Darrelle Revis dropping an interception on the last drive

5. Alan Faneca's incomprehensible personal foul

6. The defense ignoring Tony Gonzalez on a game-deciding 4th and goal.

7. This defense had not allowed a TD in 34 possessions. Streak over. Terminated. They're a great defense unless the game is on the line with under three minutes to go. That said, they are not to blame for this loss.

8. A putrid 2-minute drive after blowing the lead where they couldn't even get the ball to their own 40 yard line.

9. Mark Sanchez with another abysmal three-interception performance

10. Brian Schottenheimer has no clue how or when to call offensive plays.

11. Jacksonville and Miami lost and the Jets would have moved past them in the playoff standings.

So another season is dead. The future may be bright. But the fact remains. I have one day in the sun in my life: June 14, 1994 and that is it! That's it! The rest has been teases and garbage. It's another lost season.

Early Sunday

I just finished work for the evening. I feel like playing some sad music right now. At this rate, I'm probably going to bed around 2 am and that's still a 90 minute improvement over last week. Feel like laying down a few bullet points right now, so here they are.

1) KL: Two months just wasn't enough time.

2) Had a ton of fun making and decorating cookies. Frosting and sprinkling the gingerbread men was the best part. I liked the chance to be creative and make all kinds of crazy designs on the different Christmas-shaped cookies.

3) The Knicks have won four straight games and are two games out of a playoff spot. I actually considered for five minutes buying a ticket for their game in Chicago next week. This causes for a moment of self-analysis. Are my teams so bad, that I am actually getting hopeful about the Knicks? That's a bad sign.

4) I read that ginger juice, walnuts, and black sesame seeds help reverse hair from graying. Uh, OK. Guess I'd better hit PF Chang's before too long.

5) What a miserable performance I had to watch live on Wednesday by New York in Chicago. One shot on goal in the third period. 2-1 OT loss, after leading for 45 minutes. No heart, no effort (aside from the 4th line and goalie), no hope, no kidding. But being Mr. Positive, I have one good memory. I parked my car for free.

Song pick: In light of what I wrote earlier, it's "Atlanta Blue" by the Statler Brothers. Harold Reid has such a great bass voice. Except I guess in this case, it applies to New Hampshire and Cape Cod instead of Georgia.

11:30 and winding down

1) I can't go to bed since I have to work another 15 minutes. My head is pounding, but my stomach feels darn good after that pumpkin cream cheese pie. Thanks Claim Jumper. Considering how large the portions are, the price isn't too insane.

2) I checked my facebook news feed around 10 p.m. and it was the absolute mushiest it has ever been.

3) Watched Goldfinger, Casablanca, and the Green Mile in a 24 hour stretch. And a few minutes of Lethal Weapons 2 and 3 when I was at the gym for good measure. That's a pretty good run of movies.

4) Mom is gone for a week. Only 14 people on this tour. They better tip her generously. Unfortunately, no more tours for her until March.

5) I want to be excited for Sunday night, but I don't know what to expect. After last time, I'm not sure what to feel anymore. Lord knows I won't be able to attend the next event. But most everyone will be there, so it should be cool and all. Even Lamar says she is likely to attend. Are you kidding? I thought it was Groundhog's Day when I read that jazz.

6) The Rangers are rebuilding. Rebuilding. But losing two games by a combined score of 13-4 in Tampa and Pittsburgh is an absolute embarrassment. They really are two years away from contending again with such a young defense and so many mediocre forwards. The scary question is how good will Gaborik and Lundqvist still be by then. It scares me a little.

7) One week till ROH comes back to Chicago Ridge. Doesn't seem that close. No Bryan, No Nigel, No Davey. I need something to really get excited about it...

8) Five days till Guy Fieri in Rosemont. The question is will I go to Smoque or Kuma's before the show for dinner. And I can even go to Kuma's afterward, they are open till 2 a.m. Great job by them. Of course I have to work Friday, but it's nothing a few cherry Cokes won't fix.

9) How did Tommy Bahama have 60 percent off select merchandise at Carson's today and I didn't buy anything? And as beautiful as it was, how can a t-shirt cost $78.00? I would not pay $78.00 for a t-shirt if Ali Larter was wearing it.

10) I love this new office chair that I not only brought, but managed to assemble. Gotta love that soft chestnut leather and extra lumbar support.

Song pick: "How's the World Treating You?" James Taylor and Alison Krauss

The day of thanks has arrived

Thanksgiving is officially here as I start writing this post. I must say I got up at 5:15, worked 7-4, drove into the city for two hours (the traffic was horrendous all the way down the Kennedy), grabbed dinner at the Flat Top Grill and made it to the Addams Family show at 7:30 with a few minutes to spare. Crawled through the front door around 11:30 p.m. I should be asleep.

Now I don't have a perfect life. I certainly don't have a perfect family. And during the holiday season, it's that much tougher since death and distance get in the way. That's just the truth of the matter. But I thought I would take a different route in this post. I am going to write a list of 50 things I am thankful for in 2009. This is not pre-planned. I'm basically writing the first 50 decent things that come to mind.

1) Friends I can trust at CT (although I have been slightly betrayed with the date of this progressive dinner)
2) A good relationship that I learned a lot from
3) Feed My Starving Children
4) My new car
5) Electric blanket on my bed
6) Space heater in the basement
7) Friends I used to have
8) Jeremiah Weed sweet tea vodka
9) Vince Lombardi's legacy
10) The toughness of Chad Pennington
11) The greatness of Henrik Lundqvist
12) Two jobs
13) Free gym membership
14) Elliptical runners
15) The locker room renovations are finally done
16) Ring of Honor
17) Bryan Danielson
18) Rosa's and everyone I hang with after the shows
19) The ability to eat a two-pound burger
20) NY bagels
21) Parents (usually, anyway)
22) Meeting John Ortberg
23) Finished another Donald Miller book
24) Trip to Las Vegas
25) Banana cream pie at Emeril's Delmonico
26) Bar blackjack, because that's the only place I won money
27) Hoover Dam
28) The woman who hit on me at the Barry Manilow concert
29) Omir Santos' home run off Jonathan Papelbon
30) Mama's of Corona
31) Downtown jury duty (enjoy your 10 years Stephen)
32) Sally
33) Garrett's cashew caramel corn
34) Ben and Jack's steaks
35) Road trip through eastern half of US
36) Amish Country
37) Flight 93 Memorial
38) Festival of the Vine
39) The Stingrays
40) Wii games
41) Garbage plates at Frankie's Diner
42) Brian Coffey sermons
43) Resolved insurance issues that lasted five months
44) Courage to sing "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" with Q on karaoke
45) Softball with First Baptist
46) Wheaton Academy 10-year reunion
47) Reminiscing while looking forward
48) Wildfire prime rib and Jeff Dunham live on my birthday
49) So much great new music
50) I'm not dead

SOJ SOJ SOJ SOJ SOJ

Same old Jets. The year is finished as they drop to 4-5, losing to the Jaguars at home 24-22. I am embarrassed yet again as an isolated Jets fan living in Chicago. Because no one around me can understand the pain and anguish I have to suffer through. One guy said to me at the bar "You could have been a Bears fan." I don't know how many shots were in him, but that may be the most illogical thing I have ever heard.

Analysis: As soon as Sanchez' first pass was picked, I knew they were in trouble. In the third quarter, he then threw one of the worst interceptions I have ever seen right into the linebacker ala Richard Todd in the playoffs. It was a miracle the Jets forced a turnover to keep Jacksonville out of the end zone. While Thomas Jones ripped off big chunks every time he ran the ball, there seemed no sustained inclination to run the ball down the defense’s throat—again. That is on OC Brian Schottenheimer. He can pack his bags. And Braylon Edwards is garbage. Nice drop on that 2-point conversion. That allowed Jacksonville to win the game with a 20-yard field goal instead of tying the game.

Likewise, Kerry Rhodes should just go to Hollywood and become a media star. He has made Sam Garnes look like Rod Woodson. No one has disappointed me on this team more than him. Carl Banks said on Friday that Rhodes has settled for just being an average safety when he is capable of being great. #58 is exactly right. Broken Rhodes has not made one impact play all year. As a whole, this defense made David Garrard look like Joe Montana, as he floated down the field on that final drive. The defense hadn’t given up a first down in the entire second half. All they needed was one more three and out and it would have been over. Did the defense have another three and out in their bag? Nope. On a key play, not yet in field goal range, Broken Rhodes blew a coverage and the Jags completed a pass over the middle that put them in range to win. That would led to the shortest game-winning field goal in history, high school games included. The defensive front 7 looks like they are allergic to the QB, they cannot get near one unless six guys are blitzing. There's very little else to say.

Rex, have another donut.

Mets off-season

We are one hundred days until pitchers and catchers and after losing over 90 games in 1009, it cannot came soon enough for the New York Mets. Following two collapses and a complete washout in the last three years, 2010 will be a landmark year for this franchise. And Mr. Full Autonomy knows he will be fired if he doesn't fix this situation. Same for Uhhhhhhhhhh...

So here's my breakdown of the Mets' biggest needs and what I want to see:

Starting pitcher: The Mets hit under 100 home runs for the year, yet I see their biggest need as pitching, which says a lot about the sorry state of this team right now. Johan is our #1 and he's coming off elbow surgery. I will go on the belief that he will be ok. Mike Pelfrey was one of the biggest disappointments in baseball last year. It started on Opening Day, when he allowed Jody Gerut to homer in the first at-bat in CitiField history. Falling off the mound, licking his hands, it was terrible. I can't view him as more than a #3. John Maine and Oliver Perez have been tremendous disappointments. Jon Niese was looking really good until he tore his hamstring on the mound. Fernando Nieve, same story, except he was running the bases. Tragically, I just realized I still had that game on my DVR. Why I did not delete it that night, I will never know. Pat Misch and Nelson Figueroa should be in the bullpen, if not in Buffalo.

So in a ballpark built for pitching, this team still needs that legitimate #2 starter. Roy Halladay is available in trade talks. To acquire a second pitcher of his talent would be amazing. His contract does expire after one year though. With a mediocre farm system, I don't want to trade my top four prospects for a guy who may bolt after one year. If they sign Doc to an extension, maybe.

My top free agent hope is John Lackey. He is an absolute bulldog. He has pitched big games, he wants the baseball in a big spot. My one concern is he has been injured the last two years. And don't want to read that he wants pitch in Texas. CC Sabathia wanted to pitch in California. And how did that work out? The alternatives are not pretty. Jason Marquis, Rich Harden, Randy Wolf, and Jon Garland are nice, but we have enough back of the rotation starters as is. I want Hallday or Lackey in the Mets rotation next year.

Left field: Almost every expert I have heard or read wants the Mets to get an elite player here. Matt Holiday and Jason Bay are the two big names. My feeling is this: I can live with the Mets not hitting a lot of home runs again. What I cannot accept is the terrible defense, bad baserunning, and poor fundamental play that plagued the Mets from April through September. And neither of these guys are particularly good on defense or quick. I would prefer Holliday since he is younger and known for being great in the clubhouse, but he does not deserve a 10-year, $200 million contract ala Mark Teixeira.

If they can trade for Carl Crawford, who wants out of Tampa, the 1-2 punch that would give the Mets along with Reyes would be amazing. I don't know how much Tampa would want. But I would pursue Crawford hard. BJ Upton would also be nice, but I doubt he is getting moved off a down year.

Second base: Luis Castillo must be traded. I don't care how good his stats were. He's 34 with bad knees, and is only going to deteriorate. His defense is no longer the same, and I'm tired of seeing him bunt on half his at-bats. Orlando Hudson has begged to be a Met. If he doesn't come, I'd like Felipe Lopez who can play almost any position. Brandon Phillips is apparently on the trading block, and I would be thrilled to pry him out of Cincinnati. Chone Figgins would be good but signing a 32-year old who relies on his legs? Not too sure I would give him $10 million a year for 4 years.

First base: I am guessing Adrian Gonzalez will cost too much to acquire in a trade. Carlos Delgado cannot come back. Prospect Ike Davis may be ready in 2010, but Omar can't afford to wait until 2010 for a prospect. And unlike the Pope, I am willing to give Daniel Murphy another chance at first base, but only as a platoon player. I believe Omar needs to bring in a solid right-handed veteran who has leadership skills and is known for playing with toughness and grit. If Xavier Nady was healthy, I would grab him, but he may not be going into 2010. Other options include Mark DeRosa, Kevin Millar, and Hank Blalock. Would Troy Glaus be interested? And if they want to go with a lefty and relegate Murph to the bench, Aubrey Huff and Nick Johnson would be fine.

Catcher: Thank God Brian Schneider is gone. Josh Thole should play in Buffalo this year. And I think Omir Santos is a more than capable backup. Benjie Molina is a fine hitter, but 36 years old is too much. And I think my grandmother could outrun him now. Ramon Hernandez, Rod Barajas, Yorvit Torrealba, and Miguel Olivo would all be fine for me.

Other moves: I would bring in Mark Loretta as a backup infielder, though if Alex Cora came back, I would be ok with it. Some possible bullpen additions could be Joe Nelson, Chad Bradford, Matt Herges, Rafael Soriano, and Takashi Saito.

Bottom line: If the Mets open 2010 with a #2 starter, and three solid additions to the starting lineup (with at least one having good speed), I will get somewhat optimistic. I just don't think this many holes can be plugged in one off-season.

More of the same

1) Watched "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" last night. Excellent film. I agree with Quentin Tarantino, this may be the best directed film ever. The close-ups transitioning to the wide-panned shots, the build-up and anticipation of the final scene. Very compelling.

2) I'd like to play Whirlyball again.

3) Just got two more books that I have to start on. Let's see, I finished the Hulk Hogan book last night. And I have three more on my nightstand I am partially finished with.

4) Why does Itunes have so many tracks that are only available by purchasing the entire album? A new Eddie Rabbitt record just came out with 18 songs. I own 16 already. On of the other two is a song I have wanted for years. Now it is finally available for download, but only with the entire record. Disgraciad!

5) I have nothing to do on a Saturday. And I'm not really sure I want to go anywhere. I could go to the gym, get food, do some shopping. I've been awake two hours and I have not gotten out of the basement. Oh, another Rangers disaster begins in three hours.

Extra bullet points-live ammunition

With some extra time on my hands, here are a few things I've had on my mind.

1) Wheaton Academy closed last week for two days due to swine flu. That's a scary thought. St. Charles East, which is a mile from my house, had to close too.

2) If you're going to wear a cowboy hat in heavy wind, wear a neck strap so the wind does not blow the hat into the next zip code.

3) I won a $5.00 gift card to Target for my bartending role for the Halloween contest at work. Dollar rack, I will be on the lookout.

4) I have five books on my night stand right now that I'm in the process of reading. I don't know if I can bear to finish Marley and Me.

5) These Cubs fans are fondling themselves because they now have an owner who sympathizes with their pain. And now a lot of them are confident they will in a World Series with new ownership. Spare me. The Cubs are the lovable losers. People have sympathy for that franchise. I, on the other hand, root for teams that absolutely blow and I ain't getting any sympathy around here.

6) By the way, would they trade Derrek Lee for Luis Castillo? They can have Murphy or Ollie P too. I'll throw them in. Maybe we can work something out.

7) Billy Graham said our checkbook is like a holy register. It shows what is most important to us. In my case, I guess that means it's gasoline and maintenance bills.

8) Now I'm going to lament. I knew I got my hopes up too much. I screwed up any chance I may have had. And on a note from tonight, the pressure on me to put on a legendary performance in Quelf was too much. No wonder I withdrew. And that screwed everything up. Then again, there may not have been anything to screw up. It may not have existed in the first place. God help me, I couldn't even eat.

9) It's time like this I want to retreat in my work. And that's when I seem to enjoy what I'm doing in the office the most. It acts as a buffer, a distraction, a misdirection for what's really bothering me.

10) Oh, and the Rangers suck too. 1-2 on this road trip.

Song pick: "I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You" Hank Williams

NYC recap-November arrives

Every time I have visited Dad, he always woke up before me. That was not the case this morning. I was up by 6:30 and could not get back to sleep. I realized that the window was slightly cracked, bringing the 30 degree chill into my room all night long. And I was just sleeping with one sheet, since he only has one blanket in the house. I decided not to make too big a deal of it, but at least I was able to get a flannel sheet for the following night.

We headed for the Metuchen train station. The weather was around 60 degrees with a fair breeze. All in all, quite comfortable for fall in NYC. We got to the Stage Door deli about 10 minutes before Brian arrived. And with the marathon going on, the Verrazano Bridge was closed. So he had to drive into New Jersey from Staten Island and then drive through the Holland Tunnel. He looks pretty good. I guess his next big treatment is in about six weeks.

I hate to say it, but our waitress was terrible. Once I got my sandwich, it took another five minutes to get mustard and pickles. This is a freaking deli! Those items are as essential to the table as salt and pepper. The heavyweight (corned beef, pastrami, turkey, Swiss cheese) was very good, though I probably could have eaten more. Then we headed into Border's, right outside the Garden. Brian bought Susan the latest Rod Stewart record. I looked at the price of one CD, remembered how much Border's charges for everything, and left.

Then into the Garden, the World's Most Famous Arena. I sat between Dad and Brian. First, Brian has a remarkable level of hatred with Wade Redden. And considering the 6-year, $39 million contract, I can't blame him. And I now find it ironic that Dad tells me I should be more positive with my teams. He must have ripped 15 players on the team. And that was just during warmups! Anyway, the Rangers won 1-0. The returning Marian Gaborik scored the game's only goal in the second period. And I was getting text updates for the NFL. The Jets still suck. Same old Jets.

And Dayna must be a prophet. The last Scripture she sent me before I left was Isiah 33:17:
"Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar." Well, I didn't make it to church on Sunday. But I shared this verse with Dad and Brian and it came to fruition. The King, Henrik Lundqvist, recorded the shutout in goal, and was named the #1 star of the game. So I saw him in his glory. I just wonder what is the land that stretches afar. I hope that refers to the promise land of a Stanley Cup.

On the train ride home, we had a 45-minute delay.Apparently Barack Obama was in Newark to lend support Jon Corzine in his bid to remain the governor of New Jersey. Great job again Barack, he lost to Chris Christie. Dinner was at Outback. Great lamb and bloomin' onion.

NYC recap-Halloween

I'm taking the Mindy Smith approach to this blog. I don't write for weeks, then I come back and bang out three entries in 18 hours. Onto the action.

Saturday, Oct 31: Woke up in Chicago at 3:45 am. This is the second time in three days I woke up st 4 am or earlier. As I write, I'm in bed/pull-out couch in Edison. The clock on the wall says 10:45 p.m. But we gain an hour tonight, I don't know if the clocks were adjusted, I have been up for at least 19 hours, I don't know what time it is!

The monorail from the parking lot Terminal 2 at O'Hare was like a theme park ride. Five minutes stopped at Terminal 5, a bumpy trip, and a lot of sudden starts and stops. I actually asked out loud "Is the driver drunk, what the hell?"

The airport was empty and I had no trouble getting on. 28 rows in the plane. Firt class was maybe 3/4 full. Coach was a different case. There were no more than 20 people. I had a whole row to myself, which was pretty good. Surprisingly, not too many customer service reps on board. Inside joke. And we were delayed 45 minutes thanks to a fuel leakage. But the flight got in 30 minutes ahead of schedule.

As I was walking past security in Newark, former ECW wrestler Balls Mahoney was there. I'm pretty sure it was him. But I think it's not wise to go up to a guy who's 6'3, 300 pounds, has more tattoos one arm than teeth in his mouth, and say "Hey Balls!"

We went to the Sprint store. In Illinois, we have one in every town. In NJ, it's one per county. So I signed the waiting list like I was waiting for the doctor. All I needed was a new belt clip for my case. I somehow found myself in a conversation with a black lady about politics. She was talking about property taxes, job issues, housing, and other major issues in New Jersey. We were two days from the governor election, so I guess it was big on a lot of people's minds. The kicker was when I said "At least Blagojevich is not your governor." Her face lit up and she smiled for one of the few times. "Oh, I love Blago! He's funny!" It was at that point, I realized we don't want our politicians to be corrupt. But if they are, we can accept it more if they entertain us in the process.

Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Appetizers: southern fried chicken sliders, and crispy artichoke hearts with lemon-garlic aioli. Dad had a beef stir-fry and I had some great jambalaya. Excellent stuff. We went home and played Phase 10 and Sequence with the Flyers and woeful Hurricanes playing in the background. For Dad's pride's sake, I will not divulge the results of those games. Dinner that night was Kona Grill, which I didn't really enjoy as much as I did when I went to the one in Lombard. Had some decent tuna. We left around 5:30 and it was already dark. For me, it felt like 10 p.m.

We came home and watched Toronto-Montreal. The Canadiens were wearing these horizontal-striped uniforms that should have some with their own airsick bags. Brutal. The game was close, at least. Also watched a little Knicks-Sixers which turned into a double OT loss. And the crows is so dead. Who can blame them?

Now I'm chilling with the lights off, shuffling my Ipod between Mindy, Dan Seals, and Randy Travis gospel music. Time to sleep.

End of the trail

All week long, I kept thinking how ordinary this week seemed after the previous week included Halloween and traveling east. If it was ordinary, then why I do feel extra tired?

1) Great to stop by the McElwee house for the first time in maybe two years. Dinner and Bible study. I almost forgot the little things about that place. Conversations about obscure movies and 80's pop culture where I either have to be completely quiet or nod my head repeatedly like I actually know what they're all talking about. And Chris continually engaging us with deep questions about the Scripture and really explaining how the message applies to us in this world. I miss that. that's something I'd like to bring to Come Thirsty and every Bible study I participate in. And I saw two of their kids. I find myself the same things I used to hate to hear. They're getting big. I just wish I could have petted Cubbie and Scott. But the way they were chewing on their marrow bones, they seemed quite content.

2) I'm really excited for Come Thirsty Fall Festival tomorrow. Matt keeps hyping my Qwelf debut. I just hope I can live up to the hype.

3) Next two Chi-town restaurants to try: Honky Tonk BBQ and Tufano's.

4) I drank two Dos Equis beers tonight. Does that mean I had Cuatro Equis?

5) I'm trying to limit sports in here. I'll just say this. Jimmy Rollins is a jackass. And I'd take him on the Mets today.

6) I am on a huge Marty Robbins trip right now, especially his live music. Pedal steel guitar, horns, Mexican acoustic guitars. Outstanding. It's shame he died about a year after I was born.

7) Isiah 33:17: The perfect verse at the perfect time. And the person who gave it to me has no idea why.

8) God bless whoever at Rosebud came up with the all-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatballs for $9.99 on Monday. Except those bowls are made with a pound of pasta. Maybe it should be God bless anyone who can eat two of those bowls. Sadly, after a chopped salad and half a bowl, I had no room left for dessert. And Mom was smart enough to ask for the check as quickly as she could.

9) I really wonder why I got excited about music award shows when I was a kid. They are so full of B.S. But none moreso than the Grammys.

10) OK, one more sports point. Still debating whether to get a Blackhawks-Devils ticket for New Year's Eve. If I do, I will definitely wear my Rangers jersey. Maybe I'll teach Chicago a little chant that goes like this... "Maaaaaaaaaar-teeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"

Song picks:
1. "Maybe You Should Know" Kenny Rogers
2. "Mr. Shorty" Marty Robbins

That really hurt

This is how the Jets reward us for Fan Appreciation Day. Because with what I watched for 3.5 hours, I felt they were flipping me off with both fingers.

3-3, three straight losses. The New York football Jets lose AT HOME to Buffalo 16-13 in OT, the beautiful playboy QB throws 5 interceptions, nose tackle Kris Jenkins is likely done for many weeks, if not the year, with a knee injury. I hereby declare the Jets have next to no shot to make the playoffs this year.

The defense did everything they could to win this game, at least in the fourth quarter. I can think of Lito Sheppard's interception which was called back. They knocked Trent Edwards out of the game only to be carved up by some schmuck named Ryan Fitzpatrick, who I think was bagging my groceries this morning. But the 37-yard pass to TD Lee Evans where they got caught on a blitz was terrible.

And I am sick of this offense. People call Sanchez the next Joe Namath. That makes sense for two reasons. He is good loking and throws a ton of picks. He completed 10-of-29 for 119 yards for a stellar rating of 8.3 out of 156. Dustin Keller was targeted on ten passes. He had two catches for 16 yards. He has been a tremendous disappointment. Yet, the Jets finished with 414 yards total offense, while the Bills racked up 296 yards. David Clowney is not an NFL wide receiver. Starting for the first timein his pathetic career, he did squat. So David, go find another way to take care of your handicapped brother. Because your career is hanging on life support. By the way, how do you amass 317 rushing yards and still lose? The answer is turnovers (6) and penalties (14!) Fourteen penalties! Especially James Ihedigbo throwing a punch at one of the Bills, getting him ejected from the game. Where is the discipline?

When Rian Lindell missed that long field goal at the end of regulation to send the game to OT, I was ecstatic. the Jets had played terribly the entire second half, and I was stunned that kick went wide. Then came the OT. This is how I know the black cloud follows this God-forsaken franchise. Jets get the ball first, second play is a 22 yard pass to Braylon Edwards. Next play: 33 yard run by Leon Washington, ball at the BUF 29. Right on the edge of field goal range. On the next three plays, the Jets gain seven more yards on the ground. But on that 3rd down play, tight end Ben Hartsock gets called for holding. So instead of a 39-yard game-winning field goal attempt, it's 3rd and 13 at the 32. Sanchez throws a pass that Dustin Keller can't turn around to grab.

So, it's a 49 yard field goal to win a game that should have never been close. I really didn't know if it would be good. But never in my sickest dreams did I visualize what would unfold. The snap is bad, and holder/punter Steve Weatherford can't get the ball in place for Feely to kick. He rolls out with the ball and throws a two-handed basketball pass that is picked off. But the Jets defense comes through with a 3 and out. Of course on the Buffalo punt, the Jets get called for holding, so they start from their 7. And they promptly go 3 and out.

Bills start from their own 45 and I thought it was basically over. But on the second play, Darrelle Revis picks a pass off and I am convinced they will pull it out now with 7:14 to go. What an idiot I am. It's a quick 3rd and 10 and the Sanchise gets picked off again by a linebacker at the BUF 42. Bills drive to the 30, Lindell makes this kick, game over. This team is an embarrassment. And with all their talking, they have made us, the Jets fans, look like utter buffoons.

The only good parts: Thomas Jones had some big runs. And....that's it.

And even worse, those Patriots win 59-0 over Tennessee. My suicide pool is done. The Jets are done. I thank them for sticking it up my rear end yet one more time. Two divisional losses to Miami and Buffalo. Time to watch hockey.

One up, two down. Way down.

Great job by the Rangers tonight, improving to 5-1 as they waste Toronto 7-2 in MSG. Of course, nobody is noticing because the Yankees have to be featured on talk radio 22/7 with the other two hours for football and 1-800-KarsforKids commercials.

Huston Street has added his list to the long list of talented closers who morph into absolute stiffs that cannot get the job done in the playoffs. Donnie Moore, Mitch Williams, Armando Benitez, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Joe Nathan, it goes on and on. And Philadelphia advances to the NLCS, beating Colorado in four games. So good luck to the Dodgers.

And then there's the Jets. What a disgrace. They lose in Miami 31-28 on national TV. Where is the great defense? They made some shmuck named Chad Henne look like Johnny Unitas, John Elway, and Joe Montana all rolled into one. There was hardly a blitz to be seen. The stupid wildcat offense carved them up like raw turkey. The tackling was just atrocious. It reminded me of the 1996 team as the Dolphins ran for 160 freaking yards on the ground. Not one sack, not one turnover caused. And the whole world got to see it tonight.

The only good thing was Braylon Edwards. He made two or three absolutely amazing catches. The questions is with his contract expiring after this year, can they afford to re-sign him? And the special teams was ok too. But where is Dustin Keller? Where is Thomas Jones? Can Shonn Greene get a carry?

As of a week ago, I thought this would be the best Jets team of my lifetime to this point. Now, forget it, they will likely go .500., 9-7 at best. And with Mangold, Harris, Leon, and Revis all free agents after next season (and Braylon after this), and so many draft picks traded to get Sanchez and Edwards, we may not have an opportunity like this for 10 years. And to lose to a mediocre franchise with Mark Anthony and Gloria Estefan on the sidelines waving pom-poms and all this shit...

I'm going to down another John Daly. Just a bad night.

Our long national nightmare is over

The Mets 2009 season ends at 70-92, following a three game sweep of Houston to close it out. At least this year, we knew what the sad ending would be for months in advance. That's not what we as Mets fans are used to as of late. This is is more like it. The Mets concluded a 10-year period from 1999-2008 that included five brutal season endings: Kenny Rogers' bases-loaded walk in 1999, the Yankees celebrating on the Shea Stadium infield in 2000, Carlos Beltran's called strike three in 2006, and the twin losses to the Marlins in 2007 and 2008. That's enough heartache for 100 years.

I will look into the off-season in a couple of weeks and define what I want to see happen. Obviously, a power bat is at the top. This past season, the Mets were outhomered at CitiField 8-50. And throw in a legit #2 pitcher. For the record, Jason Marquis does not qualify. But let's move on.

1) Terrible job by Mark Sanchez. He was single-handedly responsible for the Jets first loss of the season as the Saints won 24-10. I won't panic, but he has to learn to handle the football better. He is just too careless. With a defense so good, a defense that held NO to 10 points in its own building, the offense has to be efficient and protective of the ball.

2) Now, I will try to be positive here. I love the Jets D. Love them. And this week, welcome back Calvin Pace!

3) This Versus-DirecTV stalemate is really pissing me off. I could not watch the Rangers beat the Devils in the Rock tonight. And to find out afterwards via Twitter that Joe and Evan don't even know about it is an utter disgrace. They had better address this on the air tomorrow morning. Forget Francesa mentioning it, he still has to break down Rachel Alexandra and find a minute to kiss Tom Brady's ass. And tonight, Gilroy scores the game-winner. Del Zotto scores in the second straight game. Great victory. Washington on Thursday. Payback time.

4) I don't know if one can have a bad meal at Cooper's Hawk. Had the Asian pork tenderloin and noodle stir-fry on Sunday night. Tender, juicy, and very aromatic.

5) I never realized how cool it is to wear jeans at work every day until I started doing it every day. Anything to avoid wearing my fancy black shoes. Too tight.

6) I have been called out of retirement. I'm returning to volleyball on Sunday. The Jets play Monday, so it works well. I'd better get in v-ball shape. Maybe a little more high stepping at the gym tomorrow. As Tom Coughlin would say, STEP LIVELY!

7) I wish I could download Youtube videos to my computer and Ipod. There is so much good music, for instance, that is not available on Itunes.

8) The one advantage Qdoba has over Chipotle is the guacamole is one dollar cheaper. That's about it. I guess the menu is bigger, but it doesn't matter how large it is. It matters that whatever is on the menu is good.

9) I get to see Mindy Smith in concert in 9 days at a small cafe in DeKalb. I cannot wait. And I never would have thought I went to high school with a co-producer of her new record.

10) I thank God I spent two years at Wheaton Academy. Who knows where I would be now if never went there? I love those guys and gals. I do hope they think of me fondly.

Song pick: "Between An Old Memory and Me" Keith Whitley

How about this!

Posts only one week apart! I must be overachieving. Well, I am 30 minutes from another fantasy hockey draft. A few things to reflect on.

1) Church was remarkable today. Pastor Brian gave a great message on work from Ecclesiastes. In a culture where so many are driven by work, he helped put it into perspective. And he spent some time on the topic of rest and sleep, which I thought was pretty appropriate. Chatted with D for a few minutes afterward too.

2) Went to Rookie's after Come Thirsty for another round of $1 burgers. Great win by the Jets over Tennessee. I was very happy that 12 people from Come Thirsty came. And to that drunken jerk-off in the Briggs jersey who was cheering for the Titans: enjoy your hangover tomorrow morning.

3) Brought 7 CD's at Half Books in Bloomingdale for $21.00. Got Kenny Wayne Shepherd (useless, scratched), two from Highway 101, Dwight Yoakam, Jim Croce (the lesser known stuff), Don MacLean, and Little Texas. Not too bad. I wasn't able to eat at the new Five Guys right by there, but oh well. That time will come...

4) Moving Matt and Court to Glendale Heights went really smooth. But this third floor seemed a lot steeper than the third floor in Peoria. Some of those steps seemed pretty long. They do have a pretty swell spot though.

5) I like having the house alone for 10 days. Time to pre-rank my players...

ROH and then the week drags

I'll start with the last two days before I get to this past weekend.

1) I need to get more sleep. But when my job ends around 10:30 every night, I want a few minutes to do what I want. And I wind staying up till midnight, allowing me about six hours of sleep. Yet, more often than not, I find myself napping for a few minutes at my desk.

2) And it's not getting any better. I have a fantasy hockey draft at 10 pm on Wednesday. I have to leave at 4:30 the next morning to take Mom to her next tour. That guarantees no more than four hours of sleep.

3) Mom knows how to make some good stuffed shells.

4) Speaking of food, I have a crave for Five Guys right about now. But I've actually been eating better this week. I hope the results start to show soon. I mean, I am trying. Aside from the five double stuff Oreos last night...

5) Downloaded a Keith Whitley record this past week. I guess it says something about me that I'm 38 and use the term "record" instead of album or CD. It's shame he died so young with so much promise and so much talent.

OK, to the weekend

1) Started rough on Saturday morning at the DMV. We got there around 8 am and had to wait behind a few people. Thing was we didn't have much time since Mom had to leave at Elgin to get to the airport to meet up with some some fag fashion designer. Took an hour to do, but we resolved the registration issue with my car. Cost another $64 though.

2) I finally played Shady Oaks in Streamwood. For its length and the fact that it was my first time, I thought I handled it well. I got a 5 on the 744' hole. I did lose my distance driver in the bushes though.

3) Got home around 11 and ordered Guy Fieri tickets for December. After a shower, I did a bunch of stats. I felt myself getting anxious. Around 2 pm I decided to leave. I put on my Jets jersey and cargo cutoffs and drove to Wheaton for a haircut. My stylist was really good, especially during the shampoo. But I found out she was a Minnesota Vikings fan and she started asking me about Brett Favre. I probably didn't make a good impression on her at that point. I think the tip made up for it though.

4) On a whim, I drove to Yorktown Mall for lunch. I hadn't eaten anything all day and I went to Frankie's Deli. They advertised themselves as a real Italian deli, so I figured why not try it. Located right by Carson's Furniture, this place is like a 7-11 Italian convenient store. San Marzano tomatoes, caperberries, wines, frozen pastas, gelato, cheese by the pound, various olive oils and balsamic vinegars. It was a very nice selection for fair prices. I got two jars of sauce, a coke, and an eight-inch Italian sub with salami, capicola, mortadella, provolone, lettuce, tomato, oil, and hot giardinera. The total was about $20, including $4.50 for the sub. I should have added some roasted peppers, but it was really good. It was similar to Jimmy John's in terms of ingredients, but the bread was firmer and crispier and the ingredients just seemed a little fresher. Awesome stuff.

5) Thirty minutes later, I was in Chicago Ridge for the Final Countdown tour. Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness' final appearances for ROH in Chicago. I had my camera, streamers, and toilet paper ready to go. For the last 10 minutes of the drive, I played their entrance themes: "The Final Countdown: and "****ing in the Bushes."

6) Around 5:30, I met Jerome in Rosa's since we did not go to the Bret Hart signing. I had already met him, so I decided to spend my $25 somewhere else. I drank a tasteless coke as he and I caught up. I don't think we'd seen each other since Wrestlemania.

7) We waited outside online with Rocco and Q came out eventually. Of the building, that is. I was very happy to find out about the But 3 DVD's, get 2 free deal. So I averaged $12 per show. I met Jerome's friend Chris from Sacramento who came with his girlfriend, Tammy. I ran into Duane, Pac Man, Mud Ball, and a few other regulars.

8) We had to walk around a curtain to get to our section. And who did we find working on his laptop? Ring announcer Bobby Cruise, native of Boston, MA. We shook hands. As I was about to keep walking, he goes "Tomorrow, it's game on bitch!" I made sure not to call him anything. But I told him I had a good feeling, but was not cocky about it. It was cool. But even cooler come Sunday around 3:15...

9) 5 random show highlights:
A) Six Man Mayhem. I think Skullcrusher Rasche Brown can be a star in this company.
B) Nigel's farewell speech. Great stories, very heartfelt.
C) Necro Butcher vs. Jimmy Rave The dog collar match was violent and intense. We had a 24-pack of toilet paper and passed it throughout the section. The sight of that white paper flying up and then streaking down is so cool. The bloodshed was outrageous. And they brawled through the crowd, including right by us. That was just the right time for intermission.
D) Colt Cabana vs. Claudio Castagnoli. Heeey! Booom! Those alternating chants are so dumb, but my oh my, they are fun.
E) Bryan Danielson vs. Austin Aries. Needless to say, I will miss Dragon a lot. In his final attempt to win the world title for a second time, the super brainbuster finished him off. He gave a good speech. By the time he began speaking, I was already on line to get his autograph as well as Nigel's. They were both very gracious and very kind.

10) Here's a PS. After the second match, Cruise explained the had to change tapes. So he drops his ring announcer voice and puts on his New England accent. He starts talking about the Chciago Bears and the jerseys he sees then fans wearing in the crowd. Matt Forte, Brian Urlacher, etc. I'm wondering, with my Chad jersey on, where this is going? I look to my right. All my friends start looking and pointing at me and these excited smiles come across their faces, like they had just hit puberty. Then, Crusie goes" But did I see someone wearing a J (dramatic pause) Cutler jesey?" When he said Jay, I swore he was going to say J-E-T-S and call me out in front of 1300 people. Instead, he made fun of one guy in the corner of the building. He said the only thing worse than that jersey would be a TNA shirt. I was very relieved he did not go after me, because I really don't know how I would have reacted. Besides, he had the microphone.

11) The after-party at Rosa's. I had both Chad Pennington XXL Jets jerseys wrapped and ready for Adam Pearce and Brent Albright. After we ordered our traditional double decker cheese pizza (thanks again for covering the whole bill, Chris!), Jerome told me to give them their gifts. So I did. They were stunned I actually brought them anything. But they did seem pretty thankful. We posed for a few photos and they did wear the jerseys the entire night. And thank God because Pearce (the Packers fan) had a Favre Vikings jersey on. What a weasel.

12) Attenders: Pearce, Albright, Edwards, Dark City Fight Club, Briscoes, Aries, Nigel, two jobbers, and for a brief moment: Necro Butcher. It was very strange not seeing Roderick Strong though. Drinking his beers and eating his broccoli.

13) So the next thing I know, Tammy puts her arms around me and asks me to buy her a drink. This was an interesting situation. She was pretty well hammered and her boyfriend was right there too. But he didn't seem to care, so I went along with it. And when a 55-year old blonde tried to start talking to me at the bar, well, that was a little too obvious. I guess she needed a five-minute break form her husband or whoever that jabroni was with her.

14) Karaoke highlights:
A) Mark Briscoe singing "The Gambler"
B) Jerome and I backing up Q on some song I don't know, but was a tribute to Bryan and Nigel. We were the most awkward backups in history.
C) Eddie Edwards blasting some high notes. Also a Boston guy, he was very classy with me about the Jets-Pats. We both agrees Bobby was a dick.
D) Pearce and some chick named Sarah doing "Picture." They took a few stellar shots at Aries and Nigel in that one.
E) The Briscoes singing Boot Scootin' Boogie. that's where I broke out my line dancing/hoe down skills. Actually, they were more like moves, I can't count them as skills.

15) Left about 2:10 and got in around 3 a.m. And true to form, I was in church by 10:30 but my voice was still somewhere around Oak Brook.

Song pick: "I Never Go Around Mirrors" Keith Whitley

Fall sneaks up

Let's see. 75 degree days. Electric blanket is on my bed. Turning on the space heater in my basement. Football has begun. Rangers in training camp. I am working nights. Yep, fall is here.

1) Sunday went like this: Four eggs with guac for breakfast, church (starting a series on Ecclesiastes), Come Thirsty (smaller crowd), Real Time (Jets win!), Festival of the Vine, mini-golf and Muldoon's with Derek. Outstanding day. I wish someone was there though. All in all, it could not have been much better.

2) Breaking it down, CT has to end at a reasonable time. 12:00 and that was long enough. Real Time is a very nice bar, but the food is just too expensive. So I was happy to see their $1.25 slider football special. Two cheeseburgers, one turkey burger, and two BBQ porks and iced tea cost me $6.25. I guess the iced tea was free! And I probably drank five of them, so I came out the winner in that one.

3) My booth was surrounded by Lions fans. So with the Jets hammering the Texans, I was definitely the loudest one in my section. And I am quite excited about this aggressive, attacking defense. I have never in 20 years seen the Jets play D like this. If the offense can just protect the ball and get in the end zone maybe twice a game, this could be a fun season. And I must say I am excited by Mr. Mark Sanchez.

4) After getting washed out last year, the Festival returned to downtown Geneva. I heard about 2/3 of the Stingrays show and they were excellent as always. The keyboard player was not there though, so I couldn't hear "Light My Fire." For food, I had the egg roll/fried rice from Gen Hoe, the Cuban sandwich from Urban Grille, and an apple cobbler with maple-honey ice cream from some place. I was hoping for the Urban Grille banana cream pie but they decided to pack up and leave with 90 minutes remaining before closing time. No good! No good! But the cobbler was more than fine. Oh, and I had four different wines, two red, two white. And as I pretty much expected, my companion did not show up.

5) So it was around 5:30 when I walked to my car when Derek called. Next thing I know, I drove to Wheaton. With wine in my system. Last time we hung out, he beat me pretty good in bowling. Of course, this was Wheaton Bowl where they don't have any balls that weight less than 35 pounds. I had the upper hand in mini-golf, I took him down by nine strokes. Then, we headed to Muldoon's to watch the first half of Bears-Packers. There were about 30 Bears fans in the bar and they were pretty crazy. With each interception by Jay Cutler, they only got more aggravated. It was a very ugly game. We talked about some guy issues, the whole thing. Left there around 10 pm and finally made it home. Back to the 12 hour work day.

6) The Peoria move went very well. 2.5 hours each way. I was very pleased the whole unloading process took under one hour. And the drive home was cool. I went through a lot of towns I had only heard about: Chillicothe, Serena, Newark, and Yorkville, for instance.

7) The New York Mets cannot score a run off Pedro Martinez in CBP over eight innings. God, please numb me.

8) Terrestrial radio continues to digress by the week. Or is it the music of today that is just plain lousy? I try to watch my spending, but man alive, XM radio is getting more appealing.

9) I am very ready for the locker rooms at the health club to be finished with the remodeling process. A steam room and a working sauna would be welcome additions...

10) Four days till The Final Countdown: I will really miss Bryan and Nigel.

Song pick: "When Love and Hate Collide" Def Leppard

Pleasure and pain

Guess I've been feeling a bit of both lately. But let's recap yesterday, Friday Aug 28 the year 2009 AD.

I get up and head straight to the gym around 8:30. After a half hour on the elliptical (not much foot pain) and a makeshift shower, I head towards downtown. It was probably 9:45 and I wanted to get to Hot Doug's quickly. They open at 10:30 am, but I wanted to beat the line. Fortunately, there was no traffic on 90 east, a very pleasant surprise.

By the time I got to California and Roscoe, the line was 25 people long already. Talked to a guy and girl for about 20 minutes. She was from Philly and visiting. He basically ranted about the violence of Chicago and the bad neighborhoods that had to be avoided. So around 10:55, I get to the counter to order. Doug Sohn, the owner is taking orders, and he sees me with a black Mets jersey. He bit his lip and shook his head. Then he started talking about how he went to school in NY from 1984-86. And he starts mentioning players on both the Mets and Cubs, it was pretty impressive. But I peeked out the window and the line is about 50 people now. I wanted to order just to speed the line up. But I appreciate people who don't just go through the motions at their job and Doug is one of those guys.

I ordered the garlic-rosemary chicken sausage with garlic-rosemary mustard and cumin-gouda cheese. Grilled perfectly, very juicy. The roll was steamed very nicely. The chicken was very mild, but the garlic and rosemary in the mustard gave a certain bite to it. And with the cumin in the cheese, that was almost too hard a kick for me. I guess I'm not a big cumin guy. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 7.

Then, I got the smoked pork and crayfish sausage with Cajun remoulade and I substituted smoked cheddar for smoked bleu cheese. This one looked like a hot link, since it was reddish-brown in color. Obviously, spicy pork and crayfish makes for a unique experience and it came together well. The cheese was ok on it, but didn't work too great. But the remoulade was the star. I wanted to ask for some shrimp to dunk into the remoulade. For the remoulade alone, I add two points. Score: 8

I guess I need to work out these cheeses. The fries were fresh and crispy as well. Plenty of pleasure there. As large as the portion is, I could not go for the duck fat fries or I may have passed out right there.

So then I added towards Wrigley Field, blasting Mets music. Found a great parking spot and Belle Plaine and Greenview and walked the one mile down Clark St. I went to Merkle's first, where a few Mets fans were meeting. We commiserated (or coMetserated), shared some laughs, the whole deal. What else can we Mets fans do at this point but share our misery?

I got to the park around 12:10. My seat was the tenth row of the 200's right behind home plate. The Mets were taking batting practice. Gary Sheffield hits and again does not play because his back aches. What a wuss. And the last Mets player to hit in the cage? Bobby Parnell? Are you kidding me? Today's starting pitcher is working on his swing? Hey Bobby, how about pitching 7 innings today. Can we focus on that?

So the lineups get announced, since the Cubs refuse to be fan friendly and put in a scoreboard. There were four Mets fans sitting three rows behind me. When we heard the names Pagan, Castillo, Murphy, Francoeur, Tatis, Santos, Sullivan, Valdez, and Misch, we just shook our heads and laughed. That kind of laughing where you just want to scream and cry at the same time. I also tried cheering for Milton Bradley out of sympathy.

I must say there were some stellar looking women right behind me. And they got a fifteen dollar pretzel to split. Two women eating that many carbs. Ridiculous pleasure. They let me have a taste and I dipped my piece into this cheddar cheese spread. Honestly, it was brutal. Why is it so hard for ballparks to make a decent pretzel. Keep it warm, and give it a little crispiness. Is it so hard? Talked with two other guys behind me. We exchanged trivia and chatted about the misery of this season and what we have to look forward to next year. That is to say, not a lot.

Also sitting behind me was Pat Misch's high school coach at Glenbrook North. And I have to say Misch, who I had no confidence, was outstanding. Seven innings, one run. I never expected that. I'm not sure what to expect from him the rest of the season, but he showed he was capable of pitching a good game.

And as bad as the Cubs fielding was, they gave the Mets so many chances to score. I think Bradley just dropped another pop up. But Misch was up twice with two on and two out and there wasn't much he could do against Ted Lilly. Angel Pagan's diving catch off Ramirez to save two runs was incredible. And I was pretty excited when the Mets scored in the eighth inning (of course on the same play Murphy gets thrown out at home). But after two pitches from Brian freaking Stokes, I knew it was trouble. He had no control. And before K-Rod could even start warming up, Ramirez singles home Bradley and that bastard Soriano hits a three-run homer. I bolted and got out of there before I had to deal with the relentless traffic. That was pain to the nth degree. (I think nth is a word, pronounced enth)

I think on the ride home, I flipped off every car that had a Cub logo on it. And I went straight to Claim Jumper, and guzzled down a Blue Moon, ate some sliders. Got home at 7 pm and stayed up until 1:30 am. High school football is under way.

Why am I going back to Wrigley for more of this crap today? I think I really just am intrigued by watching suffering and death. Get this season over with already and get healthy for 2010. And earth to Fred and Jeff, if you are not going to bring in some players, slash the ticket prices across the board or you will be looking at a sea of green surrounding the field at Citifield next year.

Mets who have spent time on the disabled list in 2009

Bold = season ending

Brian Schneider, Angel Pagan, Tim Redding, Carlos Delgado, Ryan Church, Jose Reyes, Alex Cora, Oliver Perez, Angel Pagan (2), Ramon "Little Leaguer" Martinez, J.J. Putz, Billy Wagner, John Maine, Fernando Martinez, Fernando Nieve, Alex Cora (2), Gary Sheffield, Jon Niese, David Wright, Johan Santana, Oliver Perez (2)

The Mets have $88 million on the DL. That number is higher than 17 teams' payrolls.

Sunday reflections

Finally, a hot weekend. And man, when we get some heat in Chicago, it's stickier than molasses. But when the weather does get warm, I'm not about to object it. We're not that far off from wind chill advisories.

1) Good hanging with CT today and Ecclesia at night. With that heat and wind, that was the craziest badminton game ever! And to think, I did one dive to reach for the shuttlecock (no giggling please), tumbled over, I look back at the racquet and it's basically bent in half.

2) The XXL Pennington Jets jerseys have arrived for Adam Pearce and Brent Albright. One month till they get what's coming to them...

3) I really can't stand cats. Spent three hours in Joe's house on Saturday, it took 24 hours for my eyes to stop watering, eliminate the redness, and start breathing through my nose.

4) Bien Trucha summary: The pescado tacos were phenomenal: beer battered tilapia, red cabbage, onion, tomato, lime, and chipotle-morita aioli. The pork torta was so-so (a little too much pineapple) and the steak tacos were really good. The watermelon guac was a little weird, but refreshing on a hot day. I still want to try the pineapple guac though. All in all, a very good place, you just have to know what to get. I am happy they are doubling size within six weeks though.

5) K-Rod blew a 2-run lead to San Diego, losing the game on a grand slam without even recording an out. And it barely fazed me. The Mets just invent ways to lose games. This is the most numbing, depressing season I can remember since maybe 2002, when all the overhyped and overpriced stiffs (Alomar, Cedeno, Vaughn, Burnitz, Weathers, Astacio, D'Amico, Estes, Strickland) brought the hopes of a pennant only to be finished by mid-May. But the Mets did acquire Jason Bay for Lou Collier in a great trade that year! Of course, two months later, they sent him to San Diego for Steve Reed and the immortal Jason Middlebrook. What a disaster.

6) Speaking of disasters, how will I get through this week at work with Joe B on vacation?

7) Speaking of Joe B, can the Jets start already? And of course, those damn Patriots trade for Derrick Burgess, an incredible pass rusher. Unreal.

8) Thanks to Ted for a great message tonight on discipleship. Nothing "accidental" about it. Unfortunately, the person who that second remark was intended for will likely never see this since I and people like me are apparently beneath him. It's a shame. I hope things will change. I can only pray.

9) Looks like any chance to go to Dragon Gate USA is out now. And I thought it was only going to be for work reasons.

10) My 10 year WA reunion is only six weeks away. Dang, that's double digits.

Song pick: "Last In Love" George Strait

Not quite numb, but plenty disgusted

Renting the movie Schindler's List would be more uplifting than watching the 2009 New York Mets.

And to anyone who felt the Mets should have approved the proposed trade for Roy Halladay, the great Toronto pitcher, I say this. If he was pitching, would it have made any difference? Against John Lannan and the powerhouse Washington Nationals, this team managed six singles, 17 groundball outs, and as usual, zero runs in a 4-0 loss.

First, Oliver Perez. 3 years, $36 million. Perez has now walked 17 batters in 17 innings since returning from the disabled list, and on the year he has earned $155,454.55 per walk so far. At least when he gives up runs now, he is leaving it to two or three an inning as opposed to five or six. That's a step in the right direction!

And I am so tired of Fernando Tatis. As big as he was last year with so many big hits and clutch home runs, he has been that bad this year. He hit into another double play tonight, his 12th of 2009. And Jerry Manuel had the nerve to bat him in the fifth spot. Get him off the team right now. Let him go back to Latin America and build more churches.

Now to the news of Monday. Although there is a lot of mystery as to whether this trade was really offered or not, the news was the Mets had rejected a trade proposal from Toronto where they would have acquired Roy Halladay and they would have given up prospects Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese, and Ruben Tejada. Many Mets fans initial reaction was anger and disbelief. How could Omar Minaya not pull the trigger to form the greatest 1-2 starting pitchers punch that baseball would have seen since Koufax and Drysdale?

I do not agree. I do not and did not want Roy Halladay. Not because he isn't capable, he is absolutely a splendid hurler. But if the Mets were to get Doc, it would be for the rest of this garbage year and next year before he becomes a free agent. And who's to say the 33-year old Cy Young Award winner would re-sign here? With his outstanding resume, he would want a 5-year contract for about $90-100 million. And since the Mets will never have a large enough payroll to where they would have to pay the luxury tax (I have no problem with that by the way), they would not be able to spend money to sign or trade for some bats that can breathe some life into this offense which is hooked up to the respirators as we speak.

Instead of heartbreak in September, it came in June and July this year. Meaningless August baseball begins in one week. Even I, at the beginning of April, would not have believed it was possible.

Song pick: "Time on His Hands" James Blundell

Very little left to say, reaction to the trade

The New York Mets are staring at playing not only a meaningless September, but a meaningless August as well.


And I had no cell phone yesterday so between 5 and 8, I had no access to the news. I found out around 8:15 that three hours earlier, Mr. Full Autonomy made a trade. Ryan Church goes to Atlanta for Jeff Francoeur. First, Church. The first half of 2008 was awesome, he was arguably the Mets' best player. Then, Yunel Escobar knees him in the head and he gets his second concussion within three months. The Mets downplay the severity and promptly fly him to Colorado with the rest of the team. After he came back, he was never the same. Suffering from post-concussion syndrome, Church nonetheless was shut down for only three weeks in June. When symptoms resurfaced, Church again was shut down (this time for seven weeks) after a July 5 start in Philadelphia. He hit .219 with two homers and 13 RBI from August 22 to the close of the season, while still feeling concussion effects. The organization screwed his head up and he was never the same.


As for "Frenchy", I appear to be one of the few who does not like this trade at all. I like his outfield arm, that is a benefit. He's 25 years old, not bad. And he does not become a free agent for five years (same as Church). That's the upside. The downsides are these.


1. The reclamation project: The Mets love to get headcases or old guys and try to salvage their careers. Sheffield, Tatis, Ollie P, Kaz Ishii, Hidalgo, Derek Bell, Hershiser, on and on. If this guy could not turn it around in his hometown and in a place where no one gets booed and most of the fans don't pay much attention to the game, how can he ever handle New York City and a fanbase that has no patience?


2. Plate discipline: I cannot think of a player who has a poorer knowledge of the strike zone than this guy. The Braves could live with 132 strikeouts in 2006 and 129 in 2007 because he gave them power and production, but last year the production began to slip. They became so exasperated with his strikeouts that they sent him to the minors for a couple of weeks, a move that shocked Francoeur. He wound up hitting only .238 with 11 home runs and 71 RBI, and this year his power had fallen off more - five home runs and 35 RBI to go with a .250 average and 46 strikeouts. This season, he has walked just 12 times with 46 strikeouts. And most of all, I cannot think of a player who my father has bashed on the phone more than this guy.


3. No other choice: If anything, because of the lack of prospects in the upper levels of the Mets' farm system, it's about the only type of trade Minaya can make, major leaguer for major leaguer, gambling on unfulfilled potential.

And Frenchy would not have made a difference last night against the Cincinnati Reds. Last night, the Mets were shut out for the third time in five games and have now scored 10 runs in their last seven. That's their lowest total in any seven-game stretch since scoring nine from Sept. 16-23 in 2003. They also fell five games below .500 (40-45) for the first time since opening the 2005 season 0-5.

And last night was more of the same old, same old. Once again, the Mets make Bronson Arroyo look like Christy Matthewson, Sandy Koufax, and Bob Gibson rolled into one. A three hit, complete game shutout for a No. 3 caliber starter.

I should be numb by this point. I wish I was. I really do.