1) I had been awake for 18 hours and driven for maybe 6 of those hours. I crashed in the guest bedroom and slept till 8, despite waking up at 6. Caleb, 1, is still something of a screamer.
2) Nef had a Saturday morning meeting and I got to see Karen preparing breakfast for the three kids and eventually herself! As for me, I read a John Ortberg book as well as George Steinbrenner's biography most of the morning. The weather was remarkably warm for the morning, so I spent most of it outside.
3) Karen and I drove the kids to UW-Madison and the six of us ate outside at the terrace, which overlooks the lake. It's great spot to chill out, study, or eat. Wasn't quite that good at Gordon. As I walked down towards the lake, I noticed a large amount of algae on the shore. There was even a dead fish floating in it.
4) With Caleb getting a little restless, they decided to take him home. I think I went on the back porch and caught up on the sleep that I had been missing over the last two months. I think I slept on the back porch for about two hours.
5) Eventually, I did some more reading and then heard some shrieking and hollering in the yard. Emma and Sophie were clearly having a ball and I heard a few chuckles from Nef too, though I wasn't sure what as going on. I didn't really need to see. The sound was good enough. But Karen came outside with Caleb and I walked over to see what was going on. Nef set up the sprinkler for himself and the girls. They were sliding on one of the those flat plastic slides. A few kids from next door came over and joined in the fun too. I was fine just watching.
6) Then Nef and I took off for Milwaukee. I was happy to see his Iphone had access to WFAN radio and we listened to some of Steve Somers as we cruised down 43.
7) This was disaster Round 2. Fernando Nieve and Oliver Perez were absolutely pathetic. And seeing Corey Hart hit three straight home runs, for seven RBI was just disgraceful.
8) It was amazing how I called three things: 1) Top of the third, Mets trail 5-3. Bases loaded, two outs, pitcher's spot up, a lefty is pitching. Jerry Manuel decided to pinch hit, smart move. I looked into the on-deck circle. The second I saw Gary Matthews step in the circle instead of Fernando Tatis, I yelled out loud "Oh no!" I turned to Nef and said, "Watch, four pitches, he'll strike out." Ball 1, followed by three straight strikes. I knew they were in trouble right there.
9) After Perez allowed Hart's third homer, they Mets were down by four. Against some reliever named Estrada, Ike Davis stepped up with two runners on. I said that Ike would do something big. And he did, swatting a three-run homer to right field that trailed the deficit to 7-6. We were feeling good by this point.
10) The Brewers countered yet again, this time scoring once, extending the lead to 8-6. In the top of the fifth, the Mets loaded the bases on a Frenchy single, Reyes after striking out and the ball getting away, and Castillo on an error by the catcher. In comes Todd Coffey, who gets Jason Bay to weakly ground out to second base. To that point, every inning had at least one run score. I sad to Nef and the Mets fan sitting behind us, "Watch, knowing the Mets, there won't be any more runs in the whole game." Not only was I right, but the Mets never had another baserunner for the final four innings of the game.
11) So we got in around 11:30, and I had a hoarse voice and sore feet. I woke up the next morning and took off around 6:30. I had breakfast at the Machine Shed in Rockford and enjoyed some sourdough French toast with their apple cider syrup, which was amazingly smooth and warm. Three fried eggs and some thick cut bacon rounded out the meal.
12) I headed straight for church and arrived just in time to hear Brain Coffey deliver his message on marriage. And I had a rather large cinnamon roll ready for the group...
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Wisconsin Day 1
1) Up at 5 to hear Boomer and Carton's opening about the Mets sweeping the Phillies and posting those three shutouts.
5) I must have walked those paths for two hours. I just wish I had worn my sneakers so I wouldn't have this blister on my right heel that bothered me for several days.
6) After wall that walking, I really wanted a bottle of water. I walked up to the snack stand at McKinley Beach, where my car was parked. The stand had 30 people on line and at least 100 people were waiting for their orders. So I took off for Brady Street.
7) I liked that neighborhood, which has been renovated rather recently. It has a lot of modern and independent little businesses with shops and restaurants. Not too many I found that appealed to males my age who prefer women...
12) The chipotle chicken baked potato was awesome as always. My seat was the last row of the 200 section right behind home plate. That put me right in front of all four Mets announcers, Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, Howie Rose, and Wayne Hagin, who even waved to me. I was hoping something good would happen so I would have a chance to go nuts. That never came. Great job by Johan though. And one guy sitting next to me introduced me to one of the vendors as Mike Piazza. And I had not even mentioned his name the entire night! Great job by the Miller Park staff saying Ike Davis was batting second AND fourth and playing BOTH first and second base. Embarrassing.
2) I have to remember to avoid driving through downtown Barrington unless that is my final destination.
3) The garbage plate with homemade toast at Frankie's was awesome as always.
5) I must have walked those paths for two hours. I just wish I had worn my sneakers so I wouldn't have this blister on my right heel that bothered me for several days.
6) After wall that walking, I really wanted a bottle of water. I walked up to the snack stand at McKinley Beach, where my car was parked. The stand had 30 people on line and at least 100 people were waiting for their orders. So I took off for Brady Street.
7) I liked that neighborhood, which has been renovated rather recently. It has a lot of modern and independent little businesses with shops and restaurants. Not too many I found that appealed to males my age who prefer women...
8) I had lunch at a Mexican restaurant called Cempazuchi. Looking back, I almost wish I had tried the al pastor tacos with the sauteed duck. Instead, I went with the al Gusto. They had onion, cilantro, and two had steak while one had a mix of spicy chicken and pork. In all fairness, I wish I would have spent the extra six bucks and tried the duck. The tacos were certainly good, but they weren't anything special.
9) I walked down one block and stopped at Peter Sciartello's bakery, which has lots of Italian cookies, breads, and gelato. They even stuff their cannolis fresh to order, and I picked up four (just ate the third five minute ago). I also got some sesame cookies as well as a few chocolate chips for the Serranos.
10) It was around 2:00 by this point and I planned to arrive at the Milwaukee Ale House around 4 p.m. With a little extra time, I headed down by the river to the heart of downtown and visited the Public Museum. For 12 bucks, I thought it was a solid value. Some of the displays that I remember best were the butterfly garden where I got to walk in this light, heated room while butterflies whizzed right past my head. There were some nice displays for Native Americans too. I especially liked the displays of animals from across the globe. There was even a real African elephant. I wish they hadn't explained the gruesome process of transporting the elephant into the museum and then upstairs and then into the display area. I even had a brief chance to dance to some Pacific Island music...
11) The Milwaukee Ale House was just half a mile away. I arrived at 3:45 and waited 15 minutes until happy hour, when they start serving $2.50 pints. I drank my trusty Juneau Ale and headed to Miller Park.12) The chipotle chicken baked potato was awesome as always. My seat was the last row of the 200 section right behind home plate. That put me right in front of all four Mets announcers, Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, Howie Rose, and Wayne Hagin, who even waved to me. I was hoping something good would happen so I would have a chance to go nuts. That never came. Great job by Johan though. And one guy sitting next to me introduced me to one of the vendors as Mike Piazza. And I had not even mentioned his name the entire night! Great job by the Miller Park staff saying Ike Davis was batting second AND fourth and playing BOTH first and second base. Embarrassing.
13) My GPS sucks in Wisconsin. I wound up taking three wrong turns until I got to 4913 Flad.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Goose egg sweep
5 of 6 wins against the Yankees and Phillies at home is a remarkable performance by the New York Mets that absolutely nobody could have seen coming! And to win three games against the arrogant Philadelphia, shut them out, and two of those starts were by Hisinori Takahashi and R....A.....DICKEY!!! It's stunning.
I just hope they are not setting me up for a heartbreaking fall against Milwaukee this weekend. Somehow, I feel pretty good.
Time to get on the road...
I just hope they are not setting me up for a heartbreaking fall against Milwaukee this weekend. Somehow, I feel pretty good.
Time to get on the road...
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Wrap up
90 degrees in May. I could get used to that. First inning of Mets vs. Yankees right now. Johan vs CC. This has to go better than last year did.
1) My softball team is 2-0. I guess I'll have to get used to that red t-shirt we wear. I haven't had a chance to catch a fly ball in the outfield, just throw one ball into the infield that was a base hit. Brian is not the most accurate pitcher in the league, but he's tough. That said, we can't afford to give up so many walks when we play the better teams in the league. Hopefully, this Darren guy an give us a little more stability in the circle. I like our defense, particularly at shortstop and third base. We have Erics, two Tims, and two Georges and all six can hit line drives. And between Clay (who I still want to call Lincecum because of his hair) and me, we're two speedy, hustling outfielders.
2) Congrats to the Chicago Blackhawks for reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. They lost a ton for years, drafted very well, and got the right coach. That said, I am still not sold on Antti Niemi. Anyway, my team has not even sniffed the semifinals in 13 years. Will take something special to get them back there.
3) Played my first round of disc golf on Saturday. Didn't do too great, but I think it will be better next time. No lost discs, though I did have to retrieve one from the edge of a lake. I really want to become a better putter this year.
4) This week will be brutal. My day job includes three hours of Blessing White training on Thursday morning plus all the extra makeup work my team has to do right now. For the Herald, baseball, softball, and volleyball all begin playoffs and soccer is in the sectional round. But it all ends Thursday night and I leave for Wisconsin the next morning.
5) Danni Leigh. How is she not a star in American country music while the talentless continue to thrive?
6) (Two hours later) I like my new black ladder bookshelf. Had the same brown fake wood desk in my bedroom for 20 years. A change was necessary. The assembly wasn't bad either. Sorry about the black mark on the ceiling, Mom.
7) DR is a real sweetheart.
8) Biggest thing I got from Proverbs 19 was patience and how it isn't necessarily about being good at waiting. It's about having wisdom and good sense.
9) Current books: Satchiel Page, Steinbrenner
10) Put it in the books!
1) My softball team is 2-0. I guess I'll have to get used to that red t-shirt we wear. I haven't had a chance to catch a fly ball in the outfield, just throw one ball into the infield that was a base hit. Brian is not the most accurate pitcher in the league, but he's tough. That said, we can't afford to give up so many walks when we play the better teams in the league. Hopefully, this Darren guy an give us a little more stability in the circle. I like our defense, particularly at shortstop and third base. We have Erics, two Tims, and two Georges and all six can hit line drives. And between Clay (who I still want to call Lincecum because of his hair) and me, we're two speedy, hustling outfielders.
2) Congrats to the Chicago Blackhawks for reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. They lost a ton for years, drafted very well, and got the right coach. That said, I am still not sold on Antti Niemi. Anyway, my team has not even sniffed the semifinals in 13 years. Will take something special to get them back there.
3) Played my first round of disc golf on Saturday. Didn't do too great, but I think it will be better next time. No lost discs, though I did have to retrieve one from the edge of a lake. I really want to become a better putter this year.
4) This week will be brutal. My day job includes three hours of Blessing White training on Thursday morning plus all the extra makeup work my team has to do right now. For the Herald, baseball, softball, and volleyball all begin playoffs and soccer is in the sectional round. But it all ends Thursday night and I leave for Wisconsin the next morning.
5) Danni Leigh. How is she not a star in American country music while the talentless continue to thrive?
6) (Two hours later) I like my new black ladder bookshelf. Had the same brown fake wood desk in my bedroom for 20 years. A change was necessary. The assembly wasn't bad either. Sorry about the black mark on the ceiling, Mom.
7) DR is a real sweetheart.
8) Biggest thing I got from Proverbs 19 was patience and how it isn't necessarily about being good at waiting. It's about having wisdom and good sense.
9) Current books: Satchiel Page, Steinbrenner
10) Put it in the books!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Perception
1) I can't help but wonder where my presence matters. Or if it really matters anywhere. Or does it matter to the people that matter in my life.
2) My work load will lighten in roughly 20 days. When that period elapses, I wonder what I fill it with.
3) With what I have, I should be happy. Yet, I feel I should have something more. Or maybe, just something different.
4) Every times I write the word "have" I always mix up the h and the a. Every time.
5) Is Bryan Danielson going to be in WWE? Is it possible?
6) I long for some hot weather. 60 degrees does not count. I am ready to sweat a little bit.
7) Why was it taken away from me before I had a chance to experience it? It just isn't right.
8) I'm glad we are studying Proverbs on Sunday mornings. We could all use a little wisdom.
9) I don't know about softball right now. Looks like I'm playing against my friends but will play with some of the guys from last year. I want to play, but I don't know how excited I am. But once I see that first fly ball fly in the air, then descend and feel it settling in my tan leather glove. Then I grab that softball in my right palm and hurl it in towards the infield. When that happens, I'll be good.
10) I was out of the house for 15 hours today. Now it is 11:50 pm and I can hear the rain crashing down hard outside. My eyes are so ready to close. Yet I want to listen to more music. I'll finish it off tonight with Johnny Cash's coffer of "If You Could Read My Mind."
2) My work load will lighten in roughly 20 days. When that period elapses, I wonder what I fill it with.
3) With what I have, I should be happy. Yet, I feel I should have something more. Or maybe, just something different.
4) Every times I write the word "have" I always mix up the h and the a. Every time.
5) Is Bryan Danielson going to be in WWE? Is it possible?
6) I long for some hot weather. 60 degrees does not count. I am ready to sweat a little bit.
7) Why was it taken away from me before I had a chance to experience it? It just isn't right.
8) I'm glad we are studying Proverbs on Sunday mornings. We could all use a little wisdom.
9) I don't know about softball right now. Looks like I'm playing against my friends but will play with some of the guys from last year. I want to play, but I don't know how excited I am. But once I see that first fly ball fly in the air, then descend and feel it settling in my tan leather glove. Then I grab that softball in my right palm and hurl it in towards the infield. When that happens, I'll be good.
10) I was out of the house for 15 hours today. Now it is 11:50 pm and I can hear the rain crashing down hard outside. My eyes are so ready to close. Yet I want to listen to more music. I'll finish it off tonight with Johnny Cash's coffer of "If You Could Read My Mind."
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Done
Repeat: they are done. Johan is garbage. Eighty percent of this roster is garbage. Why was I cursed to root for these four pathetic franchises that always smack me in the face with a sledgehammer and then stick it up my rear end every damn year?
Why must the Mets lift our hopes to the rooftop? Eight wins in a row. Nine of ten on the homestand and an absolute ass-kicking of those assholes in Philly on Friday. I was so giddy. I wore my Mets gear on Saturday. I was so proud to put the blue and orange on. That afternoon, they get embarrassed by Doc Halladay, but I can live with that. He's the best pitcher in the game. Each team wins a blowout game, fine. But never in my sickest dreams did I envision the bullshit I would watch tonight.
The Mets pitch their supposed ace Johan Santana against 97 year old Jamie Moyer. Top of the first" David Wiright drills a 3-run homer and I am going nuts. Bottom of the first: our ace allows homers to Polanco and Howard. 3-2. I'm not pleased, but I can handle it, CBP has smaller dimensions than a little league park.
Fast forward to the fourth inning. This inning sums up this franchise and everything they have been since 2007. Following a Tatis strikeout and a Francoeur single Rod Barajas drills a two-run homer off the left field foul pole. Bottom half: here we go! Utley doubles, Santana retires the next two. Fine, all is well. Then Ibanez singles Utley home. But with 7, 8, and 9 coming up, I had no real worries. Uh huh. The immortal Juan Castro singles. Carlos Ruiz walks on four pitches and Santana never gave him a thing to hit. But that is completely against Santan'a tough, aggressive mentality that he used to have. Up comes Moyer, the ancient pitcher. On seven pitches, this overrated, so-called great ace pitcher walks Moyer. He freakin' walks him! Run in. Second pitch to Shane Victorino, it's a grand slam! 8-5! If that wasn't enough, Polanco promptly singles, and Utley homers! 10-5! Finally, our manager, who thinks he is Johnny Carson, brings in Takahashi who gives up a single to Howard and double to Werth. 11-5, nine runs in one inning. Oh, and over the final five innings, against Moyer,the legend that is Chad Durbin, and Dennys Baez, how did the Mets offense fare? One walk, no hits. Way to show heart, you pussies.
All the optimism built up over 10 days has been extinguished. But here is what I have come to realize. Santana sucks. He is finished. He sucks. He may have a good outing against the Pittsburgh's and Washington's of the world. But he is nothing close to approaching the No. 1 ace pitcher he used to be in Minnesota and in his first year with the Mets. Please. Ollie Perez looks better than this stiff. Go back to Minnesota Ollie and their jerk-off fans up there. You're done, you're crap, you're a failure. A damn failure.
I don't like sounding like a broken record. But how else can I sound? Between the Mets, Jets, Knicks, and Rangers, I have one championship in 23 years! I am so tired of this and yet, I cannot get these teams out of my blood. It's like a terminal disease, like cancer. A lifelong drawn out death.
Seriously, hoping for glory and happiness with this team was like chasing after Stephanie in high school and later on, Jen in college. Runaround after runaround after runaround. Tease after tease after tease. I'm so blinded by the hope or the infatuation or whatever. And I keep coming back for more! I wish I knew why! I am such a moron! I apologize to all four of my grandparents that I have turned out this way. I really do.
God, why was I destined to become a devout follower of this chain of failure and misery? Why?
Epilogue: One John Daly and Two High Lifes down. I could use a Pissed-off Life right now because my life is not very high right now. Off to Cincinnati.
Why must the Mets lift our hopes to the rooftop? Eight wins in a row. Nine of ten on the homestand and an absolute ass-kicking of those assholes in Philly on Friday. I was so giddy. I wore my Mets gear on Saturday. I was so proud to put the blue and orange on. That afternoon, they get embarrassed by Doc Halladay, but I can live with that. He's the best pitcher in the game. Each team wins a blowout game, fine. But never in my sickest dreams did I envision the bullshit I would watch tonight.
The Mets pitch their supposed ace Johan Santana against 97 year old Jamie Moyer. Top of the first" David Wiright drills a 3-run homer and I am going nuts. Bottom of the first: our ace allows homers to Polanco and Howard. 3-2. I'm not pleased, but I can handle it, CBP has smaller dimensions than a little league park.
Fast forward to the fourth inning. This inning sums up this franchise and everything they have been since 2007. Following a Tatis strikeout and a Francoeur single Rod Barajas drills a two-run homer off the left field foul pole. Bottom half: here we go! Utley doubles, Santana retires the next two. Fine, all is well. Then Ibanez singles Utley home. But with 7, 8, and 9 coming up, I had no real worries. Uh huh. The immortal Juan Castro singles. Carlos Ruiz walks on four pitches and Santana never gave him a thing to hit. But that is completely against Santan'a tough, aggressive mentality that he used to have. Up comes Moyer, the ancient pitcher. On seven pitches, this overrated, so-called great ace pitcher walks Moyer. He freakin' walks him! Run in. Second pitch to Shane Victorino, it's a grand slam! 8-5! If that wasn't enough, Polanco promptly singles, and Utley homers! 10-5! Finally, our manager, who thinks he is Johnny Carson, brings in Takahashi who gives up a single to Howard and double to Werth. 11-5, nine runs in one inning. Oh, and over the final five innings, against Moyer,the legend that is Chad Durbin, and Dennys Baez, how did the Mets offense fare? One walk, no hits. Way to show heart, you pussies.
All the optimism built up over 10 days has been extinguished. But here is what I have come to realize. Santana sucks. He is finished. He sucks. He may have a good outing against the Pittsburgh's and Washington's of the world. But he is nothing close to approaching the No. 1 ace pitcher he used to be in Minnesota and in his first year with the Mets. Please. Ollie Perez looks better than this stiff. Go back to Minnesota Ollie and their jerk-off fans up there. You're done, you're crap, you're a failure. A damn failure.
I don't like sounding like a broken record. But how else can I sound? Between the Mets, Jets, Knicks, and Rangers, I have one championship in 23 years! I am so tired of this and yet, I cannot get these teams out of my blood. It's like a terminal disease, like cancer. A lifelong drawn out death.
Seriously, hoping for glory and happiness with this team was like chasing after Stephanie in high school and later on, Jen in college. Runaround after runaround after runaround. Tease after tease after tease. I'm so blinded by the hope or the infatuation or whatever. And I keep coming back for more! I wish I knew why! I am such a moron! I apologize to all four of my grandparents that I have turned out this way. I really do.
God, why was I destined to become a devout follower of this chain of failure and misery? Why?
Epilogue: One John Daly and Two High Lifes down. I could use a Pissed-off Life right now because my life is not very high right now. Off to Cincinnati.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Too complicated
I wish I knew about Light Scribe before I brought this computer. I want to burn some DVD's and supposedly, this program will allow me to burn the label right onto the disc. It doesn't look like I have the capability though. And considering what it would cost to buy software, new drive, and everything else, it's doesn't really seem like a worthwhile investment.
Finally visited Prime in the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin. I thought the setup was remarkable. With the bright red and black colors, it felt like an upscale restaurant with a great bar married a 50's diner. We split a chopped salad and I was very impressed. the balsamic vinaigrette tasted light and not overpowering like so many do. The chicken was charbroiled and I liked the addition of jack cheese. too many places use bleu cheese and the jack added some sharpness to the salad that worked well.
Mom got the drunken bull burger which came on a pretzel roll with onions, shrooms, Maytag, bleu, crispy prosciutto, and a Cabernet reduction along with sweet potato fries on the side. Mom didn't seem too thrilled with the pretzel roll, but seemed to enjoy everything else. And the fact that the upgrade to sweet potato was just $1, I thought that was a really sweet deal.
I went with BLT&A. Jack cheese, Bacon, lettuce, tomato, half an avocado, lemon aioli, red onion. No mayo of course. I went with white truffle fries, which had fresh parsley and some shredded jack cheese on them. I liked that I got so much avocado. I think my issue was there were so many ingredients that I lost the burger. I think simplicity might be the best bet. But the flavors of the bacon, jack, and avocado complimented each other so well. Maybe next time, I should try the Kobe patty. The fires were very unique, I liked the garlic and parsley flavor the truffle fries had. I think I prefer sweet potato though. Oh, and I got a creme brulee milkshake that I had to lean up to reach the top of. Swirls of homemade caramel in there too. Awesome.
I would certainly return to Prime, I think now I have a better idea of what to get though. Hopefully, Ewa will be working there next time...
Johan pitching later tonight. We really need you to deliver.
Song pick: "For All We Know" Johnny Hartmann
Finally visited Prime in the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin. I thought the setup was remarkable. With the bright red and black colors, it felt like an upscale restaurant with a great bar married a 50's diner. We split a chopped salad and I was very impressed. the balsamic vinaigrette tasted light and not overpowering like so many do. The chicken was charbroiled and I liked the addition of jack cheese. too many places use bleu cheese and the jack added some sharpness to the salad that worked well.
Mom got the drunken bull burger which came on a pretzel roll with onions, shrooms, Maytag, bleu, crispy prosciutto, and a Cabernet reduction along with sweet potato fries on the side. Mom didn't seem too thrilled with the pretzel roll, but seemed to enjoy everything else. And the fact that the upgrade to sweet potato was just $1, I thought that was a really sweet deal.
I went with BLT&A. Jack cheese, Bacon, lettuce, tomato, half an avocado, lemon aioli, red onion. No mayo of course. I went with white truffle fries, which had fresh parsley and some shredded jack cheese on them. I liked that I got so much avocado. I think my issue was there were so many ingredients that I lost the burger. I think simplicity might be the best bet. But the flavors of the bacon, jack, and avocado complimented each other so well. Maybe next time, I should try the Kobe patty. The fires were very unique, I liked the garlic and parsley flavor the truffle fries had. I think I prefer sweet potato though. Oh, and I got a creme brulee milkshake that I had to lean up to reach the top of. Swirls of homemade caramel in there too. Awesome.
I would certainly return to Prime, I think now I have a better idea of what to get though. Hopefully, Ewa will be working there next time...
Johan pitching later tonight. We really need you to deliver.
Song pick: "For All We Know" Johnny Hartmann
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