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...
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
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
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
Saturday, August 29, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, August 28, 2009
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.
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, August 09, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
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
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
Saturday, July 11, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Road trip
This is the smallest keyboard I have ever used. This post is taking twice as long as normal because of the all of the editing I have to do. Well the plane ride to Newark was uneventful. This is stunning, but there were no problems. Actually, one complaint. I got the aisle seat of the first row of coach. Thus, I had a perfect view of the flight attendants catering to the first class passengers.
Then we began a two-mile drive to Pat's Steaks. And I was a little surprised how narrow and tight the streets are. Philly combines the blue collar aspect and tight feeling of Brooklyn with the close proximity of Boston. We pulled in around 9:15, and decided to pass on Geno's, which is their "rival" right across the street. Pat's gets slightly better reviews from what I have seen, so that is what I decided on. We both got steaks wit (not a type-o, that refers to fried onions), provolone, and mushrooms. Wow. Incredible meat that I could really chew into, excellent onions, and served on one of the best rolls I have ever had. If anyone knows a roll in Chicago that is that good, please let me know.
We planned to drive five hours straight west to Pittsburgh, but when we realized Lancaster wasn't far away, we headed southwest towards Amish Country. Now I started driving my car for first time just after we left Philly. The pickup is amazing and it is great to hear music out of both speakers instead of just the passenger side like I had to do. The one drawback is there is no moonroof.
But back to Amish Country. Horse and buggies, produce stands, quilt shops, everything was there. And I had to notice the intense green color of the land. It was quite a treat to see. A lot of people in the area however, are not Amish. I started wondering how well the Amish and non-Amish communicate. So anyway, I'm driving around these curvy two-lane roads and on the shoulder, horses are transporting families. At a farmer's market, I had my first taste of shoo-fly pie and it was really good. And their apple cider has the most intense apple flavor I've ever tasted. Awesome.
90 minutes later, we arrived in Pittsburgh. The city is a little bit of a tease. As we drove down 376, there were a lot of signs marking the distance to the Steel City. 15 miles, 10 miles, 5 miles. We saw nothing but hills and trees. Finally, the city appeared out of nowhere. I know they are doing a lot of renovations, but it is always going to be a blue collar town. I was a little surprised how small it seemed though. We drive by the Mellon Arena, where the Penguins play hockey. The thing looks like the globe at Epcot Center. Looks like half a golf ball was embedded in the ground. But right next door, they are constructing their new arena and it looks magnificent. But there is so little room around that arena. Less than Wrigley Field. And like coffee shops conquered Seattle and cowboy hats dominate Dallas, bridges rule Pittsburgh. There are more bridges in this city than there are traffic jams in LA. With all these rivers, there have to be a dozen bridges. We traveled over two of them and didn't have to pay for either.
We ate dinner at Nadine's from DDD. It's just this tiny neighborhood bar in a quiet section of downtown. One guy was working and he had the jobs of bartender, cook, waiter, and cashier. There was a husband and wife sitting next to us at the bar from New Jersey (of course) in town for the Mensa Convention. Pretty small menu. Thought about getting the deep fried mac and cheese or garlic-butter chicken wings. We both had Nadine's special pastas, which we saw on TV. It's got Italian meats and veggies in it and was really hearty. For two beers, two glasses of wine, and two pastas, we paid $30. Not the best meal ever, but good atmosphere and value. Felt like Cheers, where everybody knows your name. Unfortunately, I found out in that bar that Steve McNair was killed. What a shame.
By this time, we were wearing down. We drove another hour to Youngstown, OH where we got the last room at the Fairfield Inn around 7 p.m. This may be the only hotel I have ever seen with a pool and no gym. Anyway, Akron, Canton, Cleveland are all options for Sunday morning. And Pastor Ortberg will be keeping us company.
Dad picked Mom and I up and we headed west in his car, the 4-door silver 2006 Honda Accord, soon to be mine, to Bridgewater Honda. Of course, it was my job to find a lunch spot on Rt. 22. We were driving in the left lane on the four lane road and I looked to my right. There was a strip mall up a hill and just off the road, I saw the signs for the stores. One said "Five Guys." I suddenly remembered Barack Obama ate at this burgers and fries joint in Washington D.C. I had no clue it was in Jersey as well. I told Dad to shift across two lanes and make a right turn up into the mall. Took about 20 seconds, but we made it. Incredibly juicy burgers and the fries are as fresh as can be. Great grease.
Next door was Toys R Us and we brought Sequence and Rummikub. And then to the dealership where Dad picked up his newest leased Honda. He drove to his place while Mom and I drove by our old house. The conditions of that neighborhood used to be so-so. Now they are just horrific. Several houses on our street have Christmas lights hanging. Plenty of litter. The lawns have not been mowed in maybe 3 or 4 years. But the best part was when we drove by the main street and saw what we thought were a pair of roosters in the street. On our way back through the main road of the complex, we realized they were actually two vultures eating a carcass. I was ready to throw up. Thank God I am out of there.
For dinner, we drove up towards the Meadowlands to Jerry's, a great Italian joint we had not been to in maybe ten years. On the way, we saw the new football stadium which is being built. Right next to that is the disastrous Xanadu project, which is no longer being built. The outdoor ski jump which will never be used looks like the old Partridge Family bus. Any eyesore of the highest level. Anyway, we split a few dishes and the chicken scarpariello with sausage, potatoes, and roasted peppers was incredible. Unfortunately, the portions are so large, I had to throw out half of my rigatoni and sausage. Not a pleasant experience. But Dad can't eat cheese, so....
Got on the road around 7:30 a.m. As we entered the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I was struck by the green trees lining the roads and the hilly terrains. Northeast Philly reminded me of Brooklyn with the parks and the brick flats. Our first stop was a little personal for me. Swanson and Ritner on the southeast side. Formerly a bingo hall, formerly the ECW arena, and currently the Philly homes of ROH and CZW. This dilapidated barn is attached to a $25.00 sneaker outlet. There are barely any parking spaces to speak of, it is in the middle of a lot of industrial sites, the roads are not marked at all, and we had to drive through a couple of rain puddles on Swanson. The catch? There hasn't been any rain in PA in several days. But it was a thrill to see the Arena as it known now. So many legendary moments in that little place and I hope many more good ones down the road.Then we began a two-mile drive to Pat's Steaks. And I was a little surprised how narrow and tight the streets are. Philly combines the blue collar aspect and tight feeling of Brooklyn with the close proximity of Boston. We pulled in around 9:15, and decided to pass on Geno's, which is their "rival" right across the street. Pat's gets slightly better reviews from what I have seen, so that is what I decided on. We both got steaks wit (not a type-o, that refers to fried onions), provolone, and mushrooms. Wow. Incredible meat that I could really chew into, excellent onions, and served on one of the best rolls I have ever had. If anyone knows a roll in Chicago that is that good, please let me know.
We planned to drive five hours straight west to Pittsburgh, but when we realized Lancaster wasn't far away, we headed southwest towards Amish Country. Now I started driving my car for first time just after we left Philly. The pickup is amazing and it is great to hear music out of both speakers instead of just the passenger side like I had to do. The one drawback is there is no moonroof.
But back to Amish Country. Horse and buggies, produce stands, quilt shops, everything was there. And I had to notice the intense green color of the land. It was quite a treat to see. A lot of people in the area however, are not Amish. I started wondering how well the Amish and non-Amish communicate. So anyway, I'm driving around these curvy two-lane roads and on the shoulder, horses are transporting families. At a farmer's market, I had my first taste of shoo-fly pie and it was really good. And their apple cider has the most intense apple flavor I've ever tasted. Awesome.
The two big Amish towns there are named Bird in Hand and Intercourse. I am not making up. It took a long time to get there, but I did finally get to Intercourse. What did I think of Intercourse? It was as beautiful as I imagined it would be, but it was over really quickly. 30 seconds and I had already passed it by. That was it!
After getting past Harrisburg, we checked our atlas. And we discovered that the memorial for Flight 93 was located in rural southwest Pennsylvania. Since it was July 4, we knew it was a great day to head up there. One hour and a ton of backroads later, we found a small, simple outdoor tribute site in a huge grass field elevated in the Appalachians. There were very few trees nearby which indicated to me that the passengers must have gained most of the control of that fateful flight on September 11. Otherwise, how would it have landed in a field with so few houses or businesses around? There were benches and crosses for each person on the plane as well as numerous dedications. I'm glad I got up there to pay my respects. And can NYC get going on their memorial already?90 minutes later, we arrived in Pittsburgh. The city is a little bit of a tease. As we drove down 376, there were a lot of signs marking the distance to the Steel City. 15 miles, 10 miles, 5 miles. We saw nothing but hills and trees. Finally, the city appeared out of nowhere. I know they are doing a lot of renovations, but it is always going to be a blue collar town. I was a little surprised how small it seemed though. We drive by the Mellon Arena, where the Penguins play hockey. The thing looks like the globe at Epcot Center. Looks like half a golf ball was embedded in the ground. But right next door, they are constructing their new arena and it looks magnificent. But there is so little room around that arena. Less than Wrigley Field. And like coffee shops conquered Seattle and cowboy hats dominate Dallas, bridges rule Pittsburgh. There are more bridges in this city than there are traffic jams in LA. With all these rivers, there have to be a dozen bridges. We traveled over two of them and didn't have to pay for either.
We ate dinner at Nadine's from DDD. It's just this tiny neighborhood bar in a quiet section of downtown. One guy was working and he had the jobs of bartender, cook, waiter, and cashier. There was a husband and wife sitting next to us at the bar from New Jersey (of course) in town for the Mensa Convention. Pretty small menu. Thought about getting the deep fried mac and cheese or garlic-butter chicken wings. We both had Nadine's special pastas, which we saw on TV. It's got Italian meats and veggies in it and was really hearty. For two beers, two glasses of wine, and two pastas, we paid $30. Not the best meal ever, but good atmosphere and value. Felt like Cheers, where everybody knows your name. Unfortunately, I found out in that bar that Steve McNair was killed. What a shame.
By this time, we were wearing down. We drove another hour to Youngstown, OH where we got the last room at the Fairfield Inn around 7 p.m. This may be the only hotel I have ever seen with a pool and no gym. Anyway, Akron, Canton, Cleveland are all options for Sunday morning. And Pastor Ortberg will be keeping us company.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
NY: 6/21 & 6/22
1) Thank goodness for Ipods. Since I couldn't get to church, I listened to an Ortberg sermon on Saturday night. So the next morning, Dad and I played some Rummikub, then watched ROH Take No Prisoners. The Austin Aries/Nakajima vs. Tyler Black/KENTA match was remarkable. I also like this Alex Kozlov, who had a really good match with Roderick Strong.
2) We took the train into the city for Ben and Jack's. Now in Penn Station, which is right below Madison Square Garden, there are not many TV's or places to stay informed about whatever was going on. There was, however, an overpriced Houlihan's that we visited a lot. Well, now it's closed. And replacing it? Friday's. And they already have a Friday's on the other side of the station. Embarrassing. Instead, we went into Tracks, a clam bar for a drink. Saw the Mets give up a few runs too.
3) We walked into the restaurant and the waiter was quickly annoyed when we refused the wine list and Dad explained he could not eat any butter. Already on the table was their steak sauce, which is lighter than an A1. It is a brighter red, and does not have as bold a flavor. It's closer in flavor to a spicy cocktail sauce. We started with the jumbo crabmeat cocktail and one slice each of sizzling Canadian bacon. This is very large, thick bacon that we went a little too heavy on last time. The crab was so fresh and the bacon flavor was incredibly bright, especially dipped in the sauce. After some more waiting, which Dad was not at all keen on, they brought out a small plate they turned upside down. Then came two large hot dinner plates that had just come out of the oven. Then the T-bone steak for two, German potatoes/onions, and sauteed spinach with roasted garlic. They rested the steak plate on the small plate on an angle, allowing the steak juice to collect at the bottom. Thankfully, I had a side of drawn butter and the steak sauce to go with it. Wow. Just wow. But by the end, I was feeling pretty uncomfortable. And I had made sure to skip breakfast that morning as well. But, I still had some cheesecake with homemade schlag, or German whipped cream. Awesome. And Dad had his macadamia nut ice cream from Haagen Dasz. He did not know they still made that flavor. Did what I could to calm him down.
4) The 20 or so minute walk back to Penn Station was needed. And I saw a ton of Mets fans in there and they all wore the same sullen, blank expression on their face that I and so many others had worn the day before. Another loss. Back home we went. More Rummikub and Boomer and Carton clips. As big a douche as Carton can be, hearing him impersonate Suzyn Waldman and Chris Russo is outstanding.
5) For Monday, I planned to take the 10:30 flight from Newark, the second of five flights from Newark to O'Hare. There was no line to check in or at security so I went through the terminal feeling pretty relaxed. Then I saw how full the seating area was and I knew something was wrong. Apparently, the 6:30 am flight never took off. They put everyone on the plane, discovered an A/C problem, and took everyone off. So all those people were now on the 10:30 flight. And for the standby passengers like me, well, unless that plane could get fixed, we were screwed. As expected, I missed the next flight. As the plane was being fixed, the third flight to Chicago as boarding as well. But I could not get on that one, since I was on the list for the first flight. I got on. We boarded, and the pilot backed away from the jetway and headed toward the runway.
6) Then we stopped. After ten minutes, he comes on and says the problem still was not fixed. We headed back to the gate and got off. We started to re-book and the news tricked through the line of 150 or so people (I was at the end) that the fight was cancelled. So now there are four flights. And the 3:30 was filled up quickly with confirmed passengers who had to re-book. So it's 2:30 and I knew I had one more flight left from Newark. If that's not enough, my cell phone quit working. Dad had changed his phone and had a new charger and I could no longer use his. After consulting with a gate agent I knew, we discovered I might have a better chance in LaGuardia. There were hourly flights, but early in the day, they all looked full. But that was the only way I was getting out of New York that day. After five hours and four failed flights, I decided to leave Newark.
7) I ran through the terminal and then downstairs to ground transportation. Rodney, the very slick , slow-moving dude behind the counter, arranged me to take a shuttle to LGA for $32. He advised me to get a cab to get there quicker, but that would have cost close to $100. We confirmed it at 2:45 and the shuttle was supposed to arrive at 3:30. Now I had been told that these shuttles left every 30 minutes and cost $22. But I was in no mood to argue, just to travel. I really had little confidence that they would arrive promptly. But the guy did ok, he arrived at 3:40 and took me to his van. My flight I wanted was at 5 p.m. with the next one leaving at 6:15. We sat in the van for five minutes while he ate Chinese food. I wanted to tell him to haul ass, but he explained he wanted to wait for any more possible passengers. Five minutes later, nobody else had showed. We left for NYC.
8) The Holland Tunnel was clear, and then he drove up Canal St and through Chinatown, which is on the West Side of Manhattan. This is during rush hour. Simply put, the traffic picked up. Took the Manhattan Bridge to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway which moved around 10 MPH. I actually fell asleep in the van. We wound up arriving right at 5 p.m. I knew I was not making the flight I wanted and I could only get the 6:15. First I stopped at Famiglia to get some pizza because I hadn't eaten all day. Told the guy about my day and he actually gave me a discount. I don't know how big it was, but he said he had given me one. I just took him at his word.
9) Got to the gate around 5:45 and took a look at the standby list. My mouth dropped. The list was 65 people long. And since it uses abbreviated names, I didn't know if I was number 21 or 40! Eventually, I was called and got a seat in the last row. Took eight hours, and a different airport, but I got out. I wound up sitting right next to a pair of Mets fans who were on their way to Iowa. And I had a Mets hat on and before we took off, the flight attendant (female, around 50, definitely from the northeast) asked me who my favorite Yankee was. Wasn't sure the best way to answer that question, but I asked her if she knew I was wearing a Mets hat. She didn't have a clue. That's fair, but nevertheless, I answered Matt Nokes. I actually got that blue hat at the game, as it was the promotion item. Of course, I didn't expect to walk out with three of them. Funny thing is on the plane, I read an article in American Way on Billy Mays, the outgoing salesman. It was about his history, his place in pop culture, and his plans for the future. How could I know he would be dead just six days later?
10) Got in to O'Hare around 8:30 p.m. My bag was already gone, so I claimed it at lost luggage. I started to take it, so I lifted it onto my right shoulder. The little girl working there asked me to stop. She removed two tags, or she struggled to remove two tags off the bag, while I was still holding it. Not very enjoyable. Waited 45 minutes outside in heat (I was amazed when I walked outside that it was actually warm) for Mom to arrive and we headed home, which took another 45 or so. Quick stop at St. Charles Place for a half-price burger. I had one with sauteed mushrooms, cognac sauce, and Caesar salad (no joke) served on French bread along with about four iced teas. So I guess I got home around 10:30. I knew I would have to wake up for work in less than eight hours.
2) We took the train into the city for Ben and Jack's. Now in Penn Station, which is right below Madison Square Garden, there are not many TV's or places to stay informed about whatever was going on. There was, however, an overpriced Houlihan's that we visited a lot. Well, now it's closed. And replacing it? Friday's. And they already have a Friday's on the other side of the station. Embarrassing. Instead, we went into Tracks, a clam bar for a drink. Saw the Mets give up a few runs too.
3) We walked into the restaurant and the waiter was quickly annoyed when we refused the wine list and Dad explained he could not eat any butter. Already on the table was their steak sauce, which is lighter than an A1. It is a brighter red, and does not have as bold a flavor. It's closer in flavor to a spicy cocktail sauce. We started with the jumbo crabmeat cocktail and one slice each of sizzling Canadian bacon. This is very large, thick bacon that we went a little too heavy on last time. The crab was so fresh and the bacon flavor was incredibly bright, especially dipped in the sauce. After some more waiting, which Dad was not at all keen on, they brought out a small plate they turned upside down. Then came two large hot dinner plates that had just come out of the oven. Then the T-bone steak for two, German potatoes/onions, and sauteed spinach with roasted garlic. They rested the steak plate on the small plate on an angle, allowing the steak juice to collect at the bottom. Thankfully, I had a side of drawn butter and the steak sauce to go with it. Wow. Just wow. But by the end, I was feeling pretty uncomfortable. And I had made sure to skip breakfast that morning as well. But, I still had some cheesecake with homemade schlag, or German whipped cream. Awesome. And Dad had his macadamia nut ice cream from Haagen Dasz. He did not know they still made that flavor. Did what I could to calm him down.
4) The 20 or so minute walk back to Penn Station was needed. And I saw a ton of Mets fans in there and they all wore the same sullen, blank expression on their face that I and so many others had worn the day before. Another loss. Back home we went. More Rummikub and Boomer and Carton clips. As big a douche as Carton can be, hearing him impersonate Suzyn Waldman and Chris Russo is outstanding.
5) For Monday, I planned to take the 10:30 flight from Newark, the second of five flights from Newark to O'Hare. There was no line to check in or at security so I went through the terminal feeling pretty relaxed. Then I saw how full the seating area was and I knew something was wrong. Apparently, the 6:30 am flight never took off. They put everyone on the plane, discovered an A/C problem, and took everyone off. So all those people were now on the 10:30 flight. And for the standby passengers like me, well, unless that plane could get fixed, we were screwed. As expected, I missed the next flight. As the plane was being fixed, the third flight to Chicago as boarding as well. But I could not get on that one, since I was on the list for the first flight. I got on. We boarded, and the pilot backed away from the jetway and headed toward the runway.
6) Then we stopped. After ten minutes, he comes on and says the problem still was not fixed. We headed back to the gate and got off. We started to re-book and the news tricked through the line of 150 or so people (I was at the end) that the fight was cancelled. So now there are four flights. And the 3:30 was filled up quickly with confirmed passengers who had to re-book. So it's 2:30 and I knew I had one more flight left from Newark. If that's not enough, my cell phone quit working. Dad had changed his phone and had a new charger and I could no longer use his. After consulting with a gate agent I knew, we discovered I might have a better chance in LaGuardia. There were hourly flights, but early in the day, they all looked full. But that was the only way I was getting out of New York that day. After five hours and four failed flights, I decided to leave Newark.
7) I ran through the terminal and then downstairs to ground transportation. Rodney, the very slick , slow-moving dude behind the counter, arranged me to take a shuttle to LGA for $32. He advised me to get a cab to get there quicker, but that would have cost close to $100. We confirmed it at 2:45 and the shuttle was supposed to arrive at 3:30. Now I had been told that these shuttles left every 30 minutes and cost $22. But I was in no mood to argue, just to travel. I really had little confidence that they would arrive promptly. But the guy did ok, he arrived at 3:40 and took me to his van. My flight I wanted was at 5 p.m. with the next one leaving at 6:15. We sat in the van for five minutes while he ate Chinese food. I wanted to tell him to haul ass, but he explained he wanted to wait for any more possible passengers. Five minutes later, nobody else had showed. We left for NYC.
8) The Holland Tunnel was clear, and then he drove up Canal St and through Chinatown, which is on the West Side of Manhattan. This is during rush hour. Simply put, the traffic picked up. Took the Manhattan Bridge to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway which moved around 10 MPH. I actually fell asleep in the van. We wound up arriving right at 5 p.m. I knew I was not making the flight I wanted and I could only get the 6:15. First I stopped at Famiglia to get some pizza because I hadn't eaten all day. Told the guy about my day and he actually gave me a discount. I don't know how big it was, but he said he had given me one. I just took him at his word.
9) Got to the gate around 5:45 and took a look at the standby list. My mouth dropped. The list was 65 people long. And since it uses abbreviated names, I didn't know if I was number 21 or 40! Eventually, I was called and got a seat in the last row. Took eight hours, and a different airport, but I got out. I wound up sitting right next to a pair of Mets fans who were on their way to Iowa. And I had a Mets hat on and before we took off, the flight attendant (female, around 50, definitely from the northeast) asked me who my favorite Yankee was. Wasn't sure the best way to answer that question, but I asked her if she knew I was wearing a Mets hat. She didn't have a clue. That's fair, but nevertheless, I answered Matt Nokes. I actually got that blue hat at the game, as it was the promotion item. Of course, I didn't expect to walk out with three of them. Funny thing is on the plane, I read an article in American Way on Billy Mays, the outgoing salesman. It was about his history, his place in pop culture, and his plans for the future. How could I know he would be dead just six days later?
10) Got in to O'Hare around 8:30 p.m. My bag was already gone, so I claimed it at lost luggage. I started to take it, so I lifted it onto my right shoulder. The little girl working there asked me to stop. She removed two tags, or she struggled to remove two tags off the bag, while I was still holding it. Not very enjoyable. Waited 45 minutes outside in heat (I was amazed when I walked outside that it was actually warm) for Mom to arrive and we headed home, which took another 45 or so. Quick stop at St. Charles Place for a half-price burger. I had one with sauteed mushrooms, cognac sauce, and Caesar salad (no joke) served on French bread along with about four iced teas. So I guess I got home around 10:30. I knew I would have to wake up for work in less than eight hours.
NY 6/20
For some reason, June has never been my favorite month. Can't really think of a good reason why. Just a decision I made when I was a kid. When I was a kid. The key word there is "was." My parents would benefit from understanding that. My goal is to keep their time with me this weekend as brief as possible. Anyway, let's look back at June. Plenty has happened, some good, some bad.
1) Blues on the Fox. I left work at 5 on Friday and drove down 59 to Aurora, which is about 45 minutes without traffic. This time, it took me an hour and ten minutes. The skies were very gray, but we were holding out hope that the rain would pass through and we could enjoy the music. No such luck. The festival was cancelled at 6:15 as was Naper Days and the Elgin Beerfest. So I drove to Real Time in a monsoon, in a Honda, in a rush, so I could watch the Mets. And it turned out well, they beat Tampa. Went home, packed, and got ready for my 6:30 flight the next morning.
2) I only made the flight to Newark because I dressed nice. That got me into first class, arrived right on time. After getting to Dad's place, we headed out to Citi Field. Skies were gray in New York too. One of my favorite parts of the new ballpark is they marked home plate, the pitcher's mound, and the other three bases in the parking lot. Thought of the guys who established the Mets franchise: Seaver, Koosman, Matlack, Agee, Cleon, Kranepool. My heroes when I was just learning the game: Darryl, Doc, Keith, Gary, Coney. My guys as grew up and learned the game: My twin Piazza, Hundley, Fonzie, Benny, Leiter, Reed. The new era: Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Johan.
3) We stood outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and thankfully, Dad and I were able to shelter ourselves from the buckets of water that were falling from the dark gray sky. Nef showed up about an hour before game time and we headed in. We all walked around the field level concourse. It's amazing how much wider they are compared to Shea Stadium. The space behind center field is awesome. Shake Shack, Blue Smoque BBQ, Box Frites, Carrascino's pizza, Big Apple Brews, El Verano Taqueria, Kid's games, the dunk tank, the team store marketed specifically to kids. Nef and I kept going until we got to Fares of the City around right field. I walked through the glass doors and inside to my left was the sushi. This is not Seattle. Moving on, to my right was Mama's of Corona. I had to have my Mama's Special, which simply cannot be found in Chicago. Semolina bread stuffed with salami, peppered ham, and homemade mozzarella with side of marinated mushrooms and roasted red peppers. Incredible. Meanwhile, Dad was salivating over Shake Shack. Nef settled for tiramisu.
4) The tarp was already covering the infield when we arrived. Can they put a Mets logo on it? It's just plain white. God knows they can afford it. The game started basically on time and the less said the better. The Mets showed offense in exactly one inning, where they scored twice. There was also a 90-minute rain delay that we somehow chose to stick through. It was actually good there was a delay. Because when they game is delayed, the home run apple emerges in center field. And it was obvious that was the only way we were going to see it rise that day. Eventually, I made my way to the taqueria. I got a three taco combo platter with a steak, pork, and chicken taco and a local Brooklyn beer. Awesome stuff. And good job with the lime wedge for the tacos.
5) A few things I noticed. These are the complaints: It is sick how many suites are in this park. Sitting in the left field stands, we could not see the out-of-town scoreboard. And it bothers me that every weekend summer home game is priced in the Gold level. So during the time that it is most convenient for families to go to the ball park, that's the time that tickets are most expensive. And with 15,000 fewer seats than there were in Shea, that makes the situation even worse. That said, if you can get in, it is very fan friendly. Every seat is two inches wider than it was in Shea and they all have cupholders. Plenty of bathrooms, consessions and shops, great audio systems.
6) I missed the old Home Run apple and taking my picture with the big blue 42 in the background. And amongst all the bricks on the fanwalk in front of the park, I could not locate the Benigno brick.
1) Blues on the Fox. I left work at 5 on Friday and drove down 59 to Aurora, which is about 45 minutes without traffic. This time, it took me an hour and ten minutes. The skies were very gray, but we were holding out hope that the rain would pass through and we could enjoy the music. No such luck. The festival was cancelled at 6:15 as was Naper Days and the Elgin Beerfest. So I drove to Real Time in a monsoon, in a Honda, in a rush, so I could watch the Mets. And it turned out well, they beat Tampa. Went home, packed, and got ready for my 6:30 flight the next morning.
2) I only made the flight to Newark because I dressed nice. That got me into first class, arrived right on time. After getting to Dad's place, we headed out to Citi Field. Skies were gray in New York too. One of my favorite parts of the new ballpark is they marked home plate, the pitcher's mound, and the other three bases in the parking lot. Thought of the guys who established the Mets franchise: Seaver, Koosman, Matlack, Agee, Cleon, Kranepool. My heroes when I was just learning the game: Darryl, Doc, Keith, Gary, Coney. My guys as grew up and learned the game: My twin Piazza, Hundley, Fonzie, Benny, Leiter, Reed. The new era: Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Johan.
3) We stood outside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda and thankfully, Dad and I were able to shelter ourselves from the buckets of water that were falling from the dark gray sky. Nef showed up about an hour before game time and we headed in. We all walked around the field level concourse. It's amazing how much wider they are compared to Shea Stadium. The space behind center field is awesome. Shake Shack, Blue Smoque BBQ, Box Frites, Carrascino's pizza, Big Apple Brews, El Verano Taqueria, Kid's games, the dunk tank, the team store marketed specifically to kids. Nef and I kept going until we got to Fares of the City around right field. I walked through the glass doors and inside to my left was the sushi. This is not Seattle. Moving on, to my right was Mama's of Corona. I had to have my Mama's Special, which simply cannot be found in Chicago. Semolina bread stuffed with salami, peppered ham, and homemade mozzarella with side of marinated mushrooms and roasted red peppers. Incredible. Meanwhile, Dad was salivating over Shake Shack. Nef settled for tiramisu.
4) The tarp was already covering the infield when we arrived. Can they put a Mets logo on it? It's just plain white. God knows they can afford it. The game started basically on time and the less said the better. The Mets showed offense in exactly one inning, where they scored twice. There was also a 90-minute rain delay that we somehow chose to stick through. It was actually good there was a delay. Because when they game is delayed, the home run apple emerges in center field. And it was obvious that was the only way we were going to see it rise that day. Eventually, I made my way to the taqueria. I got a three taco combo platter with a steak, pork, and chicken taco and a local Brooklyn beer. Awesome stuff. And good job with the lime wedge for the tacos.
5) A few things I noticed. These are the complaints: It is sick how many suites are in this park. Sitting in the left field stands, we could not see the out-of-town scoreboard. And it bothers me that every weekend summer home game is priced in the Gold level. So during the time that it is most convenient for families to go to the ball park, that's the time that tickets are most expensive. And with 15,000 fewer seats than there were in Shea, that makes the situation even worse. That said, if you can get in, it is very fan friendly. Every seat is two inches wider than it was in Shea and they all have cupholders. Plenty of bathrooms, consessions and shops, great audio systems.
6) I missed the old Home Run apple and taking my picture with the big blue 42 in the background. And amongst all the bricks on the fanwalk in front of the park, I could not locate the Benigno brick.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Fatalistic
I believe that up until late last year I did not have a fatalistic view of the New York Mets. I was not waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop, I was not anticipating nervously that something would go wrong, even though the worst was always in the back of my mind. That started to change late last year when the bullpen blew game after game after game. And now this year. This is as bad a fundamental team I have seen since my little league team, the Astros, in 1988. Whether it is missing bases, getting thrown out on the bases, dropping fly balls...
In the second inning of this game in the new Yankee Stadium last night, the Mets get a gift when Joba Chamberlain cannot locate his fastball and walks in two runs in one inning. Three walks and two HBP's. 2-1 Mets. Now I know that in this bandbox of a new park the Yankees play in, no lead is safe. After Teixeira put the Bombers on top with a two-run blast, Ryan Church doubles in a run and Gary Sheffield drills a three-run blast. Fifth inning: Jeter his a home run to right that would not have reached the warning track at Citi Field. Sixth inning. Godzilla give the Yankees the lead with a three-run homer to right. I was upset, but I still felt the Mets could win.
Seventh inning: Runners at second and third, no one out for the Mets. This is the at-bat that no one is giving attention to. Fernando Tatis pinch hits. Facing a lefty, Phil Coke. Ground ball, Double play, run scores. Mets tie it, but any chance for a big inning is gone. Sean Green fights through the seventh inning, but the score remains tied at 7-7.
Eighth inning: Phil Coke gets the first two out and Joe Girardi brings in Mariano in a tie game. Strange move, but I was fine with it. Beltran walks and Wright doubles him home and I am going nuts. The Red Sox are leading the Phillies at this point and although I am trying to just look at the wild card standings, I was pumped. Even better, Green and Feliciano get the Yanks out 1-2-3 in the bottom half.
Ninth inning: Mets do nothing against Rivera. Bottom of the ninth, in comes the great K-Rod. Brett Gardner pops up, and after a long at-bat, Jeter singles. I wasn't too worried, although I knew a home run would end the game. Then Johnny Damon pinch hits for Nick Swisher. After what seemed like 15 pitches, Damon strikes out but Jeter steals second. K-Rod wants no part of Teixeira and walks him, which is fine. Up comes A-Rod. The great hitter who is as unclutch as any, so they say. With a 3-1 count, he pops the ball up to shallow right field. Out goes Luis Castillo and as he is shuffling back, his legs are shaking. I knew he was under the ball, but I dreaded that he might not be able to see it. And he drops the ball, two runs score. Yankees win, theeeeeeeeee Yankees win.
This is Francisco Rodriguez' first blown save as a Met and he absolutely did not deserve it. The bottom line is this. Championship caliber teams do not lose these types of games and do not make these fundamental mistakes on a day in, day out basis. This team needs to shake something up. I don't know if it's coaching or a trade, but this team will not take me and my fellow Mets fans to the promise land. At best, they will compete for the wild card. There is no way they are catching Philadelphia.
And who do we send to the mound today? The immortal Fernando Nieve. Wake me up when the Mets have a lead in that game today.
In the second inning of this game in the new Yankee Stadium last night, the Mets get a gift when Joba Chamberlain cannot locate his fastball and walks in two runs in one inning. Three walks and two HBP's. 2-1 Mets. Now I know that in this bandbox of a new park the Yankees play in, no lead is safe. After Teixeira put the Bombers on top with a two-run blast, Ryan Church doubles in a run and Gary Sheffield drills a three-run blast. Fifth inning: Jeter his a home run to right that would not have reached the warning track at Citi Field. Sixth inning. Godzilla give the Yankees the lead with a three-run homer to right. I was upset, but I still felt the Mets could win.
Seventh inning: Runners at second and third, no one out for the Mets. This is the at-bat that no one is giving attention to. Fernando Tatis pinch hits. Facing a lefty, Phil Coke. Ground ball, Double play, run scores. Mets tie it, but any chance for a big inning is gone. Sean Green fights through the seventh inning, but the score remains tied at 7-7.
Eighth inning: Phil Coke gets the first two out and Joe Girardi brings in Mariano in a tie game. Strange move, but I was fine with it. Beltran walks and Wright doubles him home and I am going nuts. The Red Sox are leading the Phillies at this point and although I am trying to just look at the wild card standings, I was pumped. Even better, Green and Feliciano get the Yanks out 1-2-3 in the bottom half.
Ninth inning: Mets do nothing against Rivera. Bottom of the ninth, in comes the great K-Rod. Brett Gardner pops up, and after a long at-bat, Jeter singles. I wasn't too worried, although I knew a home run would end the game. Then Johnny Damon pinch hits for Nick Swisher. After what seemed like 15 pitches, Damon strikes out but Jeter steals second. K-Rod wants no part of Teixeira and walks him, which is fine. Up comes A-Rod. The great hitter who is as unclutch as any, so they say. With a 3-1 count, he pops the ball up to shallow right field. Out goes Luis Castillo and as he is shuffling back, his legs are shaking. I knew he was under the ball, but I dreaded that he might not be able to see it. And he drops the ball, two runs score. Yankees win, theeeeeeeeee Yankees win.
This is Francisco Rodriguez' first blown save as a Met and he absolutely did not deserve it. The bottom line is this. Championship caliber teams do not lose these types of games and do not make these fundamental mistakes on a day in, day out basis. This team needs to shake something up. I don't know if it's coaching or a trade, but this team will not take me and my fellow Mets fans to the promise land. At best, they will compete for the wild card. There is no way they are catching Philadelphia.
And who do we send to the mound today? The immortal Fernando Nieve. Wake me up when the Mets have a lead in that game today.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I hate this
I have been rooting for the rotting New York Mets for 21 years. I have in essence based my life around them at times. And yet they still continue raise my expectations every year only to stab me in the heart every single year.
This roster needs to be altered to beat those scumbags in Philly. Bottom line: Omar Minaya has to get a bat in here to protect David Wright in the fifth spot. In other words, the bat he should have gotten during the offseason. Signing K-Rod was great, but it was not enough. And no, Gary Sheffield is not the answer. And can I see one pitcher on this team throw the ball at Utley's head? Or Rollins' head? Or Ibanez's head? How about showing some freaking sack?
This team can only hope to compete for the wild card, nothing more. And even that is being generous. When I visit the shiny, new, intimate (aka tiny), ignore our own history, bow down to the Brooklyn Dodgers, corporate, catering to the billionaires who don't care about the team, who give a shit about the middle class and the families, park known as CitiField in just two weeks, I expect that place to sound like a morgue.
It is an utter joke. And there is no end in sight.
This roster needs to be altered to beat those scumbags in Philly. Bottom line: Omar Minaya has to get a bat in here to protect David Wright in the fifth spot. In other words, the bat he should have gotten during the offseason. Signing K-Rod was great, but it was not enough. And no, Gary Sheffield is not the answer. And can I see one pitcher on this team throw the ball at Utley's head? Or Rollins' head? Or Ibanez's head? How about showing some freaking sack?
This team can only hope to compete for the wild card, nothing more. And even that is being generous. When I visit the shiny, new, intimate (aka tiny), ignore our own history, bow down to the Brooklyn Dodgers, corporate, catering to the billionaires who don't care about the team, who give a shit about the middle class and the families, park known as CitiField in just two weeks, I expect that place to sound like a morgue.
It is an utter joke. And there is no end in sight.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Inside and outside the jury room
1) I learned if you take an express train during rush hour, you have to be really careful to board the train that actually stops where your car is parked.
2) So many beggars on the streets of downtown Chicago. And the pigeons that roam the streets at lunch time are even more relentless when they beg for food. I think the pigeons may work for the people.
3) Plenty of opportunities to buy Krispy Kremes on the bridges for charity.
4) All within a block of the courthouse: Italian Village, Rosebud, Garrett's, Pompeii, and the incredible Chicken Planet.
5) Farmer's Market outside the building on T
uesday. Plenty of good stuff, but not exactly reasonable priced. I did grab a large oatmeal/carrot/raisin cookie for two bucks. But ten bucks for focaccia bread? I don't think so.
6) It's June and we still have to wear jackets to walk around outside.
7) Interesting security checkpoint at the federal building. We have to empty our pockets, but at least we keep our shoes on. And although the Marshalls ask for the photo ID, we noticed they never really looked at it.
8) Who came up with the idea that it was a good idea for bathrooms to have automatic timers for the lights instead of an actual switch? And the timer went out at the least convenient time for me. At least cell phones provide a little bit of light...
9) The heat is turned off in the building during the summer. First of all, since when did summer arrive because I haven't been feeling it except for maybe two days. That jury room was kept around 61 degrees, forcing anyone who had a jacket to wear it whenever we were in there.
10) Men sit on one side of the table and read, women sit on the other side and talk. I sat in the middle and tried to play the go-between.
11) Marshall Mike, the bailiff. Did Anne really deliver on her promise of squeezing his cheeks??? And did she ever bring some energy? Kind of a shame she thinks about her next smoke break so much. But to each their own.
12) So Andy has five kids: Their ages are 42, 41, 40, 39, and 36. And in his spare time, he admitted he tries to golf. Gotta like the honesty.
13) The work of Art. I can only list the moments he provided. Used to work at a Gentlemen's Club. Miller Time. "I might be able to go to work tonight." Our Blues Brothers dance and thank God that wasn't caught on video. Schooling Anne in tic-tac-toe. Strolling in late.
14) Barb, where are the dice for the bonko game?
15) Roger, got anything to say? Bueller? Bueller?
16) Mark, do you have another phone call?
17) I held 50 grams of crack cocaine in my hands. And that is the closest I will ever get to it in my lifetime.
18) Inside the jury closet: Toilet paper, paper towels, 2005-2007 magazines, and an ab glider. Yes, an ab glider.
19) This is what happens when you avoid coffee. I have not drank that much soda since that day in 1992 in Dallas, Texas when I drank nine Cokes.
20) Back to the real world in a few hours. I am not looking forward to it.
21) Thanks SG.
2) So many beggars on the streets of downtown Chicago. And the pigeons that roam the streets at lunch time are even more relentless when they beg for food. I think the pigeons may work for the people.
3) Plenty of opportunities to buy Krispy Kremes on the bridges for charity.
4) All within a block of the courthouse: Italian Village, Rosebud, Garrett's, Pompeii, and the incredible Chicken Planet.
5) Farmer's Market outside the building on T
uesday. Plenty of good stuff, but not exactly reasonable priced. I did grab a large oatmeal/carrot/raisin cookie for two bucks. But ten bucks for focaccia bread? I don't think so.
6) It's June and we still have to wear jackets to walk around outside.
7) Interesting security checkpoint at the federal building. We have to empty our pockets, but at least we keep our shoes on. And although the Marshalls ask for the photo ID, we noticed they never really looked at it.
8) Who came up with the idea that it was a good idea for bathrooms to have automatic timers for the lights instead of an actual switch? And the timer went out at the least convenient time for me. At least cell phones provide a little bit of light...
9) The heat is turned off in the building during the summer. First of all, since when did summer arrive because I haven't been feeling it except for maybe two days. That jury room was kept around 61 degrees, forcing anyone who had a jacket to wear it whenever we were in there.
10) Men sit on one side of the table and read, women sit on the other side and talk. I sat in the middle and tried to play the go-between.
11) Marshall Mike, the bailiff. Did Anne really deliver on her promise of squeezing his cheeks??? And did she ever bring some energy? Kind of a shame she thinks about her next smoke break so much. But to each their own.
12) So Andy has five kids: Their ages are 42, 41, 40, 39, and 36. And in his spare time, he admitted he tries to golf. Gotta like the honesty.
13) The work of Art. I can only list the moments he provided. Used to work at a Gentlemen's Club. Miller Time. "I might be able to go to work tonight." Our Blues Brothers dance and thank God that wasn't caught on video. Schooling Anne in tic-tac-toe. Strolling in late.
14) Barb, where are the dice for the bonko game?
15) Roger, got anything to say? Bueller? Bueller?
16) Mark, do you have another phone call?
17) I held 50 grams of crack cocaine in my hands. And that is the closest I will ever get to it in my lifetime.
18) Inside the jury closet: Toilet paper, paper towels, 2005-2007 magazines, and an ab glider. Yes, an ab glider.
19) This is what happens when you avoid coffee. I have not drank that much soda since that day in 1992 in Dallas, Texas when I drank nine Cokes.
20) Back to the real world in a few hours. I am not looking forward to it.
21) Thanks SG.
Want to say it, but I won't. It's complaint time
1. As great as last night's win over Philthy was, this 5-4 11-inning loss was horrible. This offense scored four runs in five innings against Hamels and does nothing over the next six against the bullpen. I want to press the panic button right now, but won't just yet only because there is one more game tomorrow. Oh that's right. We have to count on Tim Redding to beat Utley, Victorino, Howard, Rollins, Ibanez, and that bastard Jayson Werth. And then the three games in Yankee Stadium. Great.
2. No TV access Monday morning through Friday night. Thanks Mother Nature for the lightning.
3. ROH live on June 27 cannot come fast enough.
4. I need to get back in the gym. I walked 25 city blocks for five days, but I really feel I need to lift.
5. Tomorrow will be brutal at work. I'm expecting to take two hours just to get through my e-mail.
2. No TV access Monday morning through Friday night. Thanks Mother Nature for the lightning.
3. ROH live on June 27 cannot come fast enough.
4. I need to get back in the gym. I walked 25 city blocks for five days, but I really feel I need to lift.
5. Tomorrow will be brutal at work. I'm expecting to take two hours just to get through my e-mail.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)