First of all, can the Geneva Park District at least spray the field with the white lines so we actually have legit dimensions? If they're not going to unlock the soccer goals, that's one thing. I can understand that. Although they are a little hard to steal. But it is kind of important to have clear, uniform guidelines so the game is fair and less open to controversy.
As for how I played, well, my legs and feet are just not what they were. Now the circumstances were not exactly advantageous for me. We played 4-on-4 in 90 degree heat and I forgot my water bottle. It was me, Joe, Joey, and Paul against Bald John, Karl, Aaron, and the new guy whose name I can't remember. We lost 10-9 and the one game took 90 minutes. I did score six goals, including one from behind midfield, giving me seven points. Plus I assisted on another. I also had one steal on defense. But all in all, my energy just wasn't there.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Dallas-Days 2 & 3
I woke up and went straight to the substandard gym. I think they had a stepper, treadmill, a floor mat, and a weight machine that you can only do about three exercises on. But breakfast got good when I saw the Texas-shaped waffle iron. that with some scrambled eggs and cranberry juice made it a good start.
My first stop was south Dallas at the the corner of Industrial and Cadiz, the former home of the Dallas Sportatorium. It's nothing but a grass field now; there's not even a marking to commemorate that this is where some of the bet pro wrestling ever took place. God bless the Von Erichs.
We drove into the West End, which is a declining area, but still a nice small urban section of town. I certainly didn't expect to see the Heart Attack Grill there, I thought the only one was in Arizona. But it was a little too early to eat, so we checked out some museums. We went into the
Old Red Museum before taking the tour of the JFK Museum, which is inside the The Texas School Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy. Thanks to mom working with AA, we got 2-for-1 admission. Pretty stellar get. But we got our headphones and took the audio tour, it took me about an hour to go through it. As we were walking across the street to our car, Mom couldn't find her keys. Now while we had been waiting in the admission line, she asked me to go put change in the parking meter. Well, I never opened the car; I just changed a dollar for four quarters in the gift shop. I insisted as gently and firmly as I could that I gave them back. I knew there was a $200.00 fine for losing the rental car key. And we had to get to Plano quickly. I ran around the corner to check if I had left the keys in the car. Then I heard a voice..."I have them." Thankfully, they were in Mom's purse the whole time.
Thus, we began the 30 minute drive north to Plano. As we drove up the road, we noticed the area getting more plush and more sophisticated. It was pretty east to spot the Cruz house, it was the only one with a University of Wisconsin flag waving in the front yard. So I went inside, and was immediately greeted by their blonde goodle, Piper. Very handsome dog, and I'm guessing slightly spoiled too. Not as much as hogan, but hey... I also met Robert, Gavin, and Ian. We headed straight to Chuy's for some Mexican food.
The A/C was a welcome change from the 90 degree heat that day. We got a round corner booth and the chips and salsa came quickly. But Robert also ordered some cheese dip. I thought why would we want cheese. Little did I know what was coming. The waiter proceeded to bring out two bowls of melted nacho cheese topped with bits of tomato, avocado, red onion, and ground beef. We mixed them all in and as I started dipping the chips in and eating them, I knew I was not going to have much room for my actual meal!
That meal was the Comida Deluxe. It was a huge plate with two crisp tostadas dipped in queso, a sirloin taco, two chicken flautas, Tex-Mex chicken enchiladas, rice, beans, and guacamole. Very very good Mexican food, especially for a chain restaurant, certainly better than On the Border. I somehow finished everything except the rice. I especially enjoyed the flautas and the taco. We headed back to their home and Gavin and Ian took me upstairs and they showed me their Wii system and began playing the WWE game. I didn't get to see the end of the match, since we had to go. Ian even asked me when I was going to come back. That was a good feeling. It was a really good visit and I hope I get to see them sooner rather than later.
We drove back to the hotel. While Mom slept inside, I tanned for 90 minutes in 90 degree heat by the pool. After a shower, we got ready for downtown Fort Worth. It's much more of a Western-feeling town than Dallas, which is more cosmopolitan. We drove past a water garden where there was live music going on. Couldn't park though so we kept going. I was disappointed we did not see the Oak Ridge Boys perform, but Mom wasn't interested in dropping $40 per ticket. I would have gladly paid for mine. I would have liked to have heard some live music at some point.
So we headed north of downtown towards the Stockyards. we parked at Billy Bob's and had dinner at Cattlemen's Steak House, which has been around over 70 years. Had a great T-bone and baked potato. What really made this meal unique was the tray of toppings for the potato. There was a ramekin of sour cream, which I had no need for. But then, there was a silver, three-pronged tray of cheddar cheese, green onions, and bacon bits. It's almost like they were telling me "Put all the bacon on your potato that you want!" It was an excellent meal.
We then did some window shopping but I didn't make a purchase at the end. Oh, I would have liked to purchase a cowboy hat or boots, but in all honesty, how many times a year am I going to wear them in Chicago, considering I don't line dance. Two at the most?
So we headed back and I wasn't quite ready to turn in. So I took the car and drove around for 20 minutes. Wasn't exactly sure of my bearings. Another car nearly turned left into me as I was turning right. And we had no insurance. Good thing we got away with that one! I decided to not spend any cash and was feeling really full by about 9:30, so I called someone.
I chatted with the Queen of Queens for two hours straight, during which time, I went back to the hotel and hung in the stairwell for at least an hour. It was too hot to sit outside. I finally went inside around 11:00. I flipped the dials and watched Cool Runnings on HBO till 1 AM and went to bed.
We woke up at 6 and we headed to Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, which is about a 40-minute drive south. Seemed we just kept driving south all weekend. There were 1,200 people there or so in attendance, maybe 25 of us were white! The service lasted about two hours, with at least 30 minutes of music alone. Lois Evans did ask the first-timers to stand up and I was ok doing that. Probably shook at least 15 hands after that.
Then Tony Evans came up for the message. He talked about why men are needed in the church. He talked about that men think of church a lot like a prostate exam. It can save your life, but it's a bit invasive and you just want to put it off as long as possible. He talked about the need for spiritual parenting, especially when it comes to male role models. He used an analogy of the master tape vs the copy. The copy needs to have everything that's on the master tape. Likewise, if Jesus Christ is going to be my master, I need to emulate him as much as I can. I loved when Tony talked about how much he loved New York. The bright lights of Times Square. He talked about the good-looking dummies in the store windows that are designed to get you off the street. The Men at Work sign, the starfish.
So we left and headed straight to DFW. We knew we wouldn't make it in time for the early flight to Northwest Arkansas. So we had three hours to kill. We grabbed lunch and maybe I should have had something more unique. But hey at this eatery, called Reata, they had a works burger. Now I'm talking about cheese, grilled onion, guacamole, tomatoes, bacon. It's kind of hard for me to say no to that! The chopped salad at the beginning was a nice start, however.
We connected through NW Arkansas, and I think this was my first time visiting Arkansas. Now we had just come from DFW, one the most plush, luxurious airports in the United States. Then we go to NWA. This was without a doubt the most prudent airport I've ever seen. The entire terminal, both upstairs and downstairs, consists of the following: a bar (as in only a bar), a countertop grill, two restrooms, a magazine stand (as in four small stands that look like the kiosks you would see in the middle of a mall), and ten gates. It was like going from Buckingham Palace to a tent. Nothing wrong with a tent, but I was just looking for something to do or watch or explore.
Well, we sat in that airport for about an hour and took an American Eagle plane. We landed at 5:50 and got in the door around 7:05. Solid A- trip.
My first stop was south Dallas at the the corner of Industrial and Cadiz, the former home of the Dallas Sportatorium. It's nothing but a grass field now; there's not even a marking to commemorate that this is where some of the bet pro wrestling ever took place. God bless the Von Erichs.
We drove into the West End, which is a declining area, but still a nice small urban section of town. I certainly didn't expect to see the Heart Attack Grill there, I thought the only one was in Arizona. But it was a little too early to eat, so we checked out some museums. We went into the
Old Red Museum before taking the tour of the JFK Museum, which is inside the The Texas School Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy. Thanks to mom working with AA, we got 2-for-1 admission. Pretty stellar get. But we got our headphones and took the audio tour, it took me about an hour to go through it. As we were walking across the street to our car, Mom couldn't find her keys. Now while we had been waiting in the admission line, she asked me to go put change in the parking meter. Well, I never opened the car; I just changed a dollar for four quarters in the gift shop. I insisted as gently and firmly as I could that I gave them back. I knew there was a $200.00 fine for losing the rental car key. And we had to get to Plano quickly. I ran around the corner to check if I had left the keys in the car. Then I heard a voice..."I have them." Thankfully, they were in Mom's purse the whole time.
Thus, we began the 30 minute drive north to Plano. As we drove up the road, we noticed the area getting more plush and more sophisticated. It was pretty east to spot the Cruz house, it was the only one with a University of Wisconsin flag waving in the front yard. So I went inside, and was immediately greeted by their blonde goodle, Piper. Very handsome dog, and I'm guessing slightly spoiled too. Not as much as hogan, but hey... I also met Robert, Gavin, and Ian. We headed straight to Chuy's for some Mexican food.
The A/C was a welcome change from the 90 degree heat that day. We got a round corner booth and the chips and salsa came quickly. But Robert also ordered some cheese dip. I thought why would we want cheese. Little did I know what was coming. The waiter proceeded to bring out two bowls of melted nacho cheese topped with bits of tomato, avocado, red onion, and ground beef. We mixed them all in and as I started dipping the chips in and eating them, I knew I was not going to have much room for my actual meal!
That meal was the Comida Deluxe. It was a huge plate with two crisp tostadas dipped in queso, a sirloin taco, two chicken flautas, Tex-Mex chicken enchiladas, rice, beans, and guacamole. Very very good Mexican food, especially for a chain restaurant, certainly better than On the Border. I somehow finished everything except the rice. I especially enjoyed the flautas and the taco. We headed back to their home and Gavin and Ian took me upstairs and they showed me their Wii system and began playing the WWE game. I didn't get to see the end of the match, since we had to go. Ian even asked me when I was going to come back. That was a good feeling. It was a really good visit and I hope I get to see them sooner rather than later.
We drove back to the hotel. While Mom slept inside, I tanned for 90 minutes in 90 degree heat by the pool. After a shower, we got ready for downtown Fort Worth. It's much more of a Western-feeling town than Dallas, which is more cosmopolitan. We drove past a water garden where there was live music going on. Couldn't park though so we kept going. I was disappointed we did not see the Oak Ridge Boys perform, but Mom wasn't interested in dropping $40 per ticket. I would have gladly paid for mine. I would have liked to have heard some live music at some point.
So we headed north of downtown towards the Stockyards. we parked at Billy Bob's and had dinner at Cattlemen's Steak House, which has been around over 70 years. Had a great T-bone and baked potato. What really made this meal unique was the tray of toppings for the potato. There was a ramekin of sour cream, which I had no need for. But then, there was a silver, three-pronged tray of cheddar cheese, green onions, and bacon bits. It's almost like they were telling me "Put all the bacon on your potato that you want!" It was an excellent meal.
We then did some window shopping but I didn't make a purchase at the end. Oh, I would have liked to purchase a cowboy hat or boots, but in all honesty, how many times a year am I going to wear them in Chicago, considering I don't line dance. Two at the most?
So we headed back and I wasn't quite ready to turn in. So I took the car and drove around for 20 minutes. Wasn't exactly sure of my bearings. Another car nearly turned left into me as I was turning right. And we had no insurance. Good thing we got away with that one! I decided to not spend any cash and was feeling really full by about 9:30, so I called someone.
I chatted with the Queen of Queens for two hours straight, during which time, I went back to the hotel and hung in the stairwell for at least an hour. It was too hot to sit outside. I finally went inside around 11:00. I flipped the dials and watched Cool Runnings on HBO till 1 AM and went to bed.
We woke up at 6 and we headed to Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, which is about a 40-minute drive south. Seemed we just kept driving south all weekend. There were 1,200 people there or so in attendance, maybe 25 of us were white! The service lasted about two hours, with at least 30 minutes of music alone. Lois Evans did ask the first-timers to stand up and I was ok doing that. Probably shook at least 15 hands after that.
Then Tony Evans came up for the message. He talked about why men are needed in the church. He talked about that men think of church a lot like a prostate exam. It can save your life, but it's a bit invasive and you just want to put it off as long as possible. He talked about the need for spiritual parenting, especially when it comes to male role models. He used an analogy of the master tape vs the copy. The copy needs to have everything that's on the master tape. Likewise, if Jesus Christ is going to be my master, I need to emulate him as much as I can. I loved when Tony talked about how much he loved New York. The bright lights of Times Square. He talked about the good-looking dummies in the store windows that are designed to get you off the street. The Men at Work sign, the starfish.
So we left and headed straight to DFW. We knew we wouldn't make it in time for the early flight to Northwest Arkansas. So we had three hours to kill. We grabbed lunch and maybe I should have had something more unique. But hey at this eatery, called Reata, they had a works burger. Now I'm talking about cheese, grilled onion, guacamole, tomatoes, bacon. It's kind of hard for me to say no to that! The chopped salad at the beginning was a nice start, however.
We connected through NW Arkansas, and I think this was my first time visiting Arkansas. Now we had just come from DFW, one the most plush, luxurious airports in the United States. Then we go to NWA. This was without a doubt the most prudent airport I've ever seen. The entire terminal, both upstairs and downstairs, consists of the following: a bar (as in only a bar), a countertop grill, two restrooms, a magazine stand (as in four small stands that look like the kiosks you would see in the middle of a mall), and ten gates. It was like going from Buckingham Palace to a tent. Nothing wrong with a tent, but I was just looking for something to do or watch or explore.
Well, we sat in that airport for about an hour and took an American Eagle plane. We landed at 5:50 and got in the door around 7:05. Solid A- trip.
Dallas-Day 1
I believe I was awake by 3:30 AM. We took a 6:15 flight to St. Louis, since the Chicago to Dallas flights looked quite tight. It was only a 42 minute flight to the Lou. We get off the plane and I thought I was in a bus terminal. They have the moving walkway right in the middle of the concourse. Unfortunately, that leaves very little room for people. We were standing in line waiting to board and other people were getting off a plane and we had to move out of their way as they wheeled their luggage through. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most uncomfortable airports I have ever been in.
Thankfully, I dressed up in Dockers black pants and my green and black Jets golf shirt, which allowed me a spot on the plane. We landed in Dallas and boarded a bus to the Rental Car Center, about a nine-minute drive. I don't think I remembered how immense the entire DFW airport is. We got our car from Alamo, and I liked that it included Bose speakers. Bottom line, we just needed A/C and we would have been happy right there.
The drive to the Marriott TownHill Suites in Irving was only about ten minutes east. It was a very standard hotel, nothing too fancy at all. We had a kitchen, which we didn't utilize at all. Unfortunately, I had to go to the building with the front desk to get ice or a drink. Our room wasn't exactly spacious. I slept on a pullout couch, which I have no real problem with. Of course, it wound up six inches away from the end of Mom's bed. So privacy was non-existent. But the room served its purpose.
After getting settled in by about 10:30, we headed southeast on 114 towards downtown Dallas for some grub. There's not exactly much to downtown Dallas, the areas that tend to be crowded are the surrounding towns and the far north end. As we approached downtown, we fought some heavy traffic, so we turned off the road two exits early. I had my GPS, which is not always reliable, especially outside of Illinois. We made a right, when we should have gone left on two different occasions. But we found Commerce Street and took that through the heart of downtown into what looked like a lower-middle class type area with a lot of local dives and car shops. We ended up at Twisted Root Burger, which I watched on DDD many months earlier.
It almost felt like a garage inside with a lot of old-school ads and funny posters. Very distinctive atmosphere. Mom and I each ordered a burger (mine with pepper jack, green chiles, guac, and bacon; Mom's was blue cheese and mushrooms). They had some unique drinks such as watermelon sweet tea and cranberry root beer. I chose the latter and I really liked the touch of acidity from the berry flavor. When we got to the tables, there were three homemade sauce toppings: horseradish dijon, Ancho-chipotle ketchup, and Quincy's granddad's BBQ. The mustard was OK, I'm not a big fan of dijon anyway, it's too overpowering for me. But I loved the BBQ sauce, it was a great blend of tanginess and spice. Now, I never eat ketcup, but if I had no other condiment to use ever again, and I had the ancho ketchup, that would be cool with me. I loved the spice, which nullified the sweetness that I don't like in regular ketchups. I dipped my sweet potato chips in the ketchup a lot. The onion strings got a nice dose of the BBQ.
When the food is ready, they call your name. Actually, it's not your actual name. You get a card with a random celebrity on it. My order name was Little Boy Blue. So when they called on the loudspeaker to come blow my horn, I knew our food was ready. I liked that there were four pickle jars that we could pick from: dill, bread 'n butter, spicy, and atomic. The dill were nice, but I liked that little bit of cayenne pepper in the spicy pickles. Oh yeah, the burger! The meat was increduibly moist, but when you use a 77/23 blend, it had better be juicy. The chile and guacamole complemented each other well and I definitely think my addition of the bacon added some needed crunch. I would absolutely eat at Twisted Root Burger again.
We drove back to the hotel and I let Mom get some rest while I put on my Nick Mangold jersey and headed to Arlington for the Cowboys Stadium VIP Tour. I took 161 south to 30 west. 161 was actually under construction and my GPS did not have the updated roads, so I was a little unsure about where I was going. Thankfully, once I saw the sign for 30, I knew i was okay.
I arrived outside the Pro Shop and took a few photos of the Tom Lamdry statue. There were about 40 or 50 of us on the tour. We began the tour in the 200 level at the 50 yard line in the club suites. Glenn was our tour guide. He's a classic Texas guy. 60-something, slow to speak, good humor, and pretty approachable. We sat in the suites as Glenn taught us about the history of the stadium, facts and figures, etc. We saw through Jerry Jones' private suite, the American Airlines Club, a few of the art murals, the locker rooms of both the Cowboys cheerleaders and players, the Post game room, and the Miller Lite Club, which surrounds the players entrance to the field. But the probable highlight was walking down the tunnel and onto the field. I got to run a few patterns, throw a few passes, and catch a few footballs. I probably would have stayed longer, but I knew I had to head back to Irving. I stopped to get a koozie and I eventually found my car (all those white cars in Texas look alike to me).
Mom and Torri were chatting in the lobby. After a quick greeting, I went back to the room and changed into my Mets gear. We began the drive to Olenjack's Grill, which is just west of the Six Flags/Sports complex in Arlington. What intrigued me was that this place advertised itself as "perfect for foodies craving culinary creations with a tasty twist." My kind of place, wouldn't you say?
We started with two appetizers; cornmeal-crusted oysters and tequila and brown sugar glazed shrimp. Each oyster came on its own silver spoon with a chorizo and bacon relish and a touch of avocado puree. Very solid opener. The shrimp tasted very sweet and came on top of a relish of roasted corn and jicama.
Mom and Torri both had ahi tuna steak salads with an orange vinigarette. as for me, I went a little different. I chose the espresso spice-rubbed bbq ribs, that tasted incredibly tender. My two sides were veggie slaw and grits. I left just a little bit of the grits left, but somehow I ate the entire slab of ribs. We didn't even have room for dessert.
Then it was off to the baseball game. I was high-fiving every Mets fan I could find, I certainly saw a few hundred. Torri was nice enough to buy me a Sunset Wheat and I was amazed to see Leinenkugel beer from Wisconsin at a stadium in Texas. That crisp beer hit the spot, as the sun went down, it must have still been 85 degrees for sure.
As for the game, well, it was more of the same old, same old. After the Mets failed to score in the top of the first, Ian Kinsler leads off and lines a shot to left center. Jason Bay dives towards his left and the ball deflects off of his glove and into center field, where Angel Pagan overruns it, and he falls to the ground. One batter into the bottom of the first, I knew it was over. And next thing you know, Adrian Beltre drills a 2-run homer for a 3-0 Texas lead. The Rangers went on to win 8-1. By the way, and Manny Acosta sucks, he can get out of New York right now.
I didn't even feel like eating during the game. I even passed on the bacon-wrapped hot dog. So around the fifth inning, I tried my first ZeigenBock, a local Texas amber ale. It's darker in color, but still tastes light and refreshing, I enjoyed it. I like it more than Shiner Bock since it does not taste quite as hoppy.
With the game totally out of reach, I walked around the upper concourse and took a lot of pictures. There was a great sunset and I captured some fine shots of the outside of Cowboys Stadium, Six Flags, and the lawns and lakes around the ballpark.
One of the strangest sounds I heard was the "Let's Go Rangers" outside of Madison Square Garden. When I hear the chant, I'm used to hearing it sound tough, passionate, boisterous, aggressive, and very loud. Not this time. And it was led by six shirtless kids around eight and nine years old. Sounded like a chorus of Cutters. I tried to teach them "Hen-rik," but that didn't seem to work.
Thankfully, I dressed up in Dockers black pants and my green and black Jets golf shirt, which allowed me a spot on the plane. We landed in Dallas and boarded a bus to the Rental Car Center, about a nine-minute drive. I don't think I remembered how immense the entire DFW airport is. We got our car from Alamo, and I liked that it included Bose speakers. Bottom line, we just needed A/C and we would have been happy right there.
The drive to the Marriott TownHill Suites in Irving was only about ten minutes east. It was a very standard hotel, nothing too fancy at all. We had a kitchen, which we didn't utilize at all. Unfortunately, I had to go to the building with the front desk to get ice or a drink. Our room wasn't exactly spacious. I slept on a pullout couch, which I have no real problem with. Of course, it wound up six inches away from the end of Mom's bed. So privacy was non-existent. But the room served its purpose.
After getting settled in by about 10:30, we headed southeast on 114 towards downtown Dallas for some grub. There's not exactly much to downtown Dallas, the areas that tend to be crowded are the surrounding towns and the far north end. As we approached downtown, we fought some heavy traffic, so we turned off the road two exits early. I had my GPS, which is not always reliable, especially outside of Illinois. We made a right, when we should have gone left on two different occasions. But we found Commerce Street and took that through the heart of downtown into what looked like a lower-middle class type area with a lot of local dives and car shops. We ended up at Twisted Root Burger, which I watched on DDD many months earlier.
It almost felt like a garage inside with a lot of old-school ads and funny posters. Very distinctive atmosphere. Mom and I each ordered a burger (mine with pepper jack, green chiles, guac, and bacon; Mom's was blue cheese and mushrooms). They had some unique drinks such as watermelon sweet tea and cranberry root beer. I chose the latter and I really liked the touch of acidity from the berry flavor. When we got to the tables, there were three homemade sauce toppings: horseradish dijon, Ancho-chipotle ketchup, and Quincy's granddad's BBQ. The mustard was OK, I'm not a big fan of dijon anyway, it's too overpowering for me. But I loved the BBQ sauce, it was a great blend of tanginess and spice. Now, I never eat ketcup, but if I had no other condiment to use ever again, and I had the ancho ketchup, that would be cool with me. I loved the spice, which nullified the sweetness that I don't like in regular ketchups. I dipped my sweet potato chips in the ketchup a lot. The onion strings got a nice dose of the BBQ.
When the food is ready, they call your name. Actually, it's not your actual name. You get a card with a random celebrity on it. My order name was Little Boy Blue. So when they called on the loudspeaker to come blow my horn, I knew our food was ready. I liked that there were four pickle jars that we could pick from: dill, bread 'n butter, spicy, and atomic. The dill were nice, but I liked that little bit of cayenne pepper in the spicy pickles. Oh yeah, the burger! The meat was increduibly moist, but when you use a 77/23 blend, it had better be juicy. The chile and guacamole complemented each other well and I definitely think my addition of the bacon added some needed crunch. I would absolutely eat at Twisted Root Burger again.
We drove back to the hotel and I let Mom get some rest while I put on my Nick Mangold jersey and headed to Arlington for the Cowboys Stadium VIP Tour. I took 161 south to 30 west. 161 was actually under construction and my GPS did not have the updated roads, so I was a little unsure about where I was going. Thankfully, once I saw the sign for 30, I knew i was okay.
I arrived outside the Pro Shop and took a few photos of the Tom Lamdry statue. There were about 40 or 50 of us on the tour. We began the tour in the 200 level at the 50 yard line in the club suites. Glenn was our tour guide. He's a classic Texas guy. 60-something, slow to speak, good humor, and pretty approachable. We sat in the suites as Glenn taught us about the history of the stadium, facts and figures, etc. We saw through Jerry Jones' private suite, the American Airlines Club, a few of the art murals, the locker rooms of both the Cowboys cheerleaders and players, the Post game room, and the Miller Lite Club, which surrounds the players entrance to the field. But the probable highlight was walking down the tunnel and onto the field. I got to run a few patterns, throw a few passes, and catch a few footballs. I probably would have stayed longer, but I knew I had to head back to Irving. I stopped to get a koozie and I eventually found my car (all those white cars in Texas look alike to me).
Mom and Torri were chatting in the lobby. After a quick greeting, I went back to the room and changed into my Mets gear. We began the drive to Olenjack's Grill, which is just west of the Six Flags/Sports complex in Arlington. What intrigued me was that this place advertised itself as "perfect for foodies craving culinary creations with a tasty twist." My kind of place, wouldn't you say?
We started with two appetizers; cornmeal-crusted oysters and tequila and brown sugar glazed shrimp. Each oyster came on its own silver spoon with a chorizo and bacon relish and a touch of avocado puree. Very solid opener. The shrimp tasted very sweet and came on top of a relish of roasted corn and jicama.
Mom and Torri both had ahi tuna steak salads with an orange vinigarette. as for me, I went a little different. I chose the espresso spice-rubbed bbq ribs, that tasted incredibly tender. My two sides were veggie slaw and grits. I left just a little bit of the grits left, but somehow I ate the entire slab of ribs. We didn't even have room for dessert.
Then it was off to the baseball game. I was high-fiving every Mets fan I could find, I certainly saw a few hundred. Torri was nice enough to buy me a Sunset Wheat and I was amazed to see Leinenkugel beer from Wisconsin at a stadium in Texas. That crisp beer hit the spot, as the sun went down, it must have still been 85 degrees for sure.
As for the game, well, it was more of the same old, same old. After the Mets failed to score in the top of the first, Ian Kinsler leads off and lines a shot to left center. Jason Bay dives towards his left and the ball deflects off of his glove and into center field, where Angel Pagan overruns it, and he falls to the ground. One batter into the bottom of the first, I knew it was over. And next thing you know, Adrian Beltre drills a 2-run homer for a 3-0 Texas lead. The Rangers went on to win 8-1. By the way, and Manny Acosta sucks, he can get out of New York right now.
I didn't even feel like eating during the game. I even passed on the bacon-wrapped hot dog. So around the fifth inning, I tried my first ZeigenBock, a local Texas amber ale. It's darker in color, but still tastes light and refreshing, I enjoyed it. I like it more than Shiner Bock since it does not taste quite as hoppy.
With the game totally out of reach, I walked around the upper concourse and took a lot of pictures. There was a great sunset and I captured some fine shots of the outside of Cowboys Stadium, Six Flags, and the lawns and lakes around the ballpark.
One of the strangest sounds I heard was the "Let's Go Rangers" outside of Madison Square Garden. When I hear the chant, I'm used to hearing it sound tough, passionate, boisterous, aggressive, and very loud. Not this time. And it was led by six shirtless kids around eight and nine years old. Sounded like a chorus of Cutters. I tried to teach them "Hen-rik," but that didn't seem to work.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
That's a weekend-Part 2
I woke her up around 6:30 and finally told her what I had planned for two weeks and what we were doing downtown that afternoon. We'll get to that soon. So I started making my cinnamon-strawberry French toast. We had breakfast with mom and got ready to head downtown.
We were halfway down Whittington Course, when she realized she left her jacket in the house, so we went back to grab it. So we got to Geneva, parked, and were waiting on the platform. The train was two minutes away. I casually asked her where her jacket was. She sprinted back to the garage to get her jacket. While she was in the garage, I saw the light. The light of the oncoming train.
Thankfully, she made it and we headed to Ogilvie Station. The train arrived 25 minutes late, so we walked quickly to the corner of Michigan and Wacker. As we were heading north on Michigan, I happened to see a Chicago Blackhawks Team Store. It wasn't planned, but let's just say it worked out very conveniently in my favor.
We took the 90-minute Architecture river tour. When I purchased the tickets, I don't think I realized that different companies do these tours. This one seemed a little bit different than the two I had taken before. First, it was much more educational, while the guide offered plenty of historical facts on the city and buildings, she really incorporated a lot of information about architects and the history of architecture. I learned that a lot more riverwalks exist in Chicago than I ever knew. The only down note was we did not go onto Lake Michigan; we focused more on covering the entire Chicago River.
So after a 90-minute ride, where Catherine took at least 100 photos, we went straight to the Blackhawks store. I waited for her to browse for over 30 minutes. That was one thing to deal with, considering my appetite was growing. I knew she was excited, so I understood. But what made it really annoying was the Boston Bruins Stanley Cup celebration was being televised while we were in there. At the end, she came away with four programs and a pair of Stanley Cup pucks for her and Nicole.
We were really getting hungry by this point, so we started walking east to Navy Pier. I was on the lookout for the free trolley ride, but it never came. So after getting a little lost, we found Illinois St and I recognized the AMC theater that I was at with Nona seven months earlier. Once i saw that, I knew where to go. We thought about Harry Caray's Tavern or Bubba Gump shrimp, but the lines were just way too long, over an hour of waiting. Jimmy Buffet's Margheritaville appeared to be open, but we found out the customers sitting at the bar were just family and friends of the staff and that it was a soft opening. The restaurant did not open to the public for another two days. So that was a disappointment. Finally, we went with Capi's Italian Kitchen, which was like a counter service eatery. I knew it wouldn't be the greatest quality of food, but we were ready for almost anything by this point.
I liked at that at the drink station, there were pepper mills, and jugs of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the taking. We started with some decent breadsticks and salad. Catherine got an Italian sandwich that I would never have gone near since it had regular ham on it. I had a rigatoni dish with ground country sausage, mushrooms, and a dark red sauce. It was a nice-sized lunch portion; it filled me up just enough. Had we stopped there, I would have felt the place was pretty average, but not worth returning to, especially with all the other options at Navy Pier.
Then came dessert time. I can't remember which of us noticed it first. But when we saw the dessert selections, the idea of zeppole homemade Italian doughnuts appealed to me. We ordered them and the waiter actually brought them out when were about halfway through our main courses. The golf ball sized dougnuts came in a brown paper bag with plenty of powdered sugar. After about 10 minutes, I took one out. It was still hot and I bit in. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and a perfect blend of fried sugar and fresh taste. We got a ramekin of honey for a buck extra, but the truth is, the honey was completely unnecessary. Why distract from such a marvelous flavor?
We strolled to the end of the pier where there is now a beer garden. We passed by a series of fun house mirrors and we took plenty of photos. We started to head back toward Ogilvie since it was around 4 p.m. and Catherine was a little tired from so much walking. We headed back north on the LSD (Lake Shore Drive) walkway up to Monroe St. We sat down a few times to rest. We headed west from there, and i did get lost a time or two, but we eventually found our way back.
I don't remember which street corner it was on, but we had stopped when she suddenly laid her head on my shoulder, and I could only react by kissing her hair.
We caught the 5:40 train home and within five minutes of leaving the station, she fell asleep again. We arrived in Geneva and headed straight to Graham's. I knew that would satisfy her craving for peanut butter and chocolate. As she explored the shelves of homemade chocolate indulgences, I had a feeling dinner was already taken care of. She had a peanut butter chocolate chip shake and brought home chocolate covered bacon, peanut butter cups, and one or two other treats. Me? Coconut almond ice cream in a waffle cone. Yep, that was a fine dinner.
We tried sitting outside, but a huge swarm of mosquitoes kept following us, so we sat in the car. I played some more John and Suzyn clips and that got us both laughing hard. The comedy and the shake seemed to instill some energy into her. OK, maybe the sleep helped a little. We went back home and headed into the basement, where I played some more clips. We pulled our chairs next to each other, and as we continued to laugh to the point that our stomachs ached, I think that was when we started to realize how much we were going to miss each other. I just know the next hour or so went by really quick...
I woke her up the next morning at 3:45, dropped her off at O'Hare around 4:45, got back home around 5:30, and slept until 9:15. Made it to group on time at least...
We were halfway down Whittington Course, when she realized she left her jacket in the house, so we went back to grab it. So we got to Geneva, parked, and were waiting on the platform. The train was two minutes away. I casually asked her where her jacket was. She sprinted back to the garage to get her jacket. While she was in the garage, I saw the light. The light of the oncoming train.
Thankfully, she made it and we headed to Ogilvie Station. The train arrived 25 minutes late, so we walked quickly to the corner of Michigan and Wacker. As we were heading north on Michigan, I happened to see a Chicago Blackhawks Team Store. It wasn't planned, but let's just say it worked out very conveniently in my favor.
We took the 90-minute Architecture river tour. When I purchased the tickets, I don't think I realized that different companies do these tours. This one seemed a little bit different than the two I had taken before. First, it was much more educational, while the guide offered plenty of historical facts on the city and buildings, she really incorporated a lot of information about architects and the history of architecture. I learned that a lot more riverwalks exist in Chicago than I ever knew. The only down note was we did not go onto Lake Michigan; we focused more on covering the entire Chicago River.
So after a 90-minute ride, where Catherine took at least 100 photos, we went straight to the Blackhawks store. I waited for her to browse for over 30 minutes. That was one thing to deal with, considering my appetite was growing. I knew she was excited, so I understood. But what made it really annoying was the Boston Bruins Stanley Cup celebration was being televised while we were in there. At the end, she came away with four programs and a pair of Stanley Cup pucks for her and Nicole.
We were really getting hungry by this point, so we started walking east to Navy Pier. I was on the lookout for the free trolley ride, but it never came. So after getting a little lost, we found Illinois St and I recognized the AMC theater that I was at with Nona seven months earlier. Once i saw that, I knew where to go. We thought about Harry Caray's Tavern or Bubba Gump shrimp, but the lines were just way too long, over an hour of waiting. Jimmy Buffet's Margheritaville appeared to be open, but we found out the customers sitting at the bar were just family and friends of the staff and that it was a soft opening. The restaurant did not open to the public for another two days. So that was a disappointment. Finally, we went with Capi's Italian Kitchen, which was like a counter service eatery. I knew it wouldn't be the greatest quality of food, but we were ready for almost anything by this point.
I liked at that at the drink station, there were pepper mills, and jugs of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the taking. We started with some decent breadsticks and salad. Catherine got an Italian sandwich that I would never have gone near since it had regular ham on it. I had a rigatoni dish with ground country sausage, mushrooms, and a dark red sauce. It was a nice-sized lunch portion; it filled me up just enough. Had we stopped there, I would have felt the place was pretty average, but not worth returning to, especially with all the other options at Navy Pier.
Then came dessert time. I can't remember which of us noticed it first. But when we saw the dessert selections, the idea of zeppole homemade Italian doughnuts appealed to me. We ordered them and the waiter actually brought them out when were about halfway through our main courses. The golf ball sized dougnuts came in a brown paper bag with plenty of powdered sugar. After about 10 minutes, I took one out. It was still hot and I bit in. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and a perfect blend of fried sugar and fresh taste. We got a ramekin of honey for a buck extra, but the truth is, the honey was completely unnecessary. Why distract from such a marvelous flavor?
We strolled to the end of the pier where there is now a beer garden. We passed by a series of fun house mirrors and we took plenty of photos. We started to head back toward Ogilvie since it was around 4 p.m. and Catherine was a little tired from so much walking. We headed back north on the LSD (Lake Shore Drive) walkway up to Monroe St. We sat down a few times to rest. We headed west from there, and i did get lost a time or two, but we eventually found our way back.
I don't remember which street corner it was on, but we had stopped when she suddenly laid her head on my shoulder, and I could only react by kissing her hair.
We caught the 5:40 train home and within five minutes of leaving the station, she fell asleep again. We arrived in Geneva and headed straight to Graham's. I knew that would satisfy her craving for peanut butter and chocolate. As she explored the shelves of homemade chocolate indulgences, I had a feeling dinner was already taken care of. She had a peanut butter chocolate chip shake and brought home chocolate covered bacon, peanut butter cups, and one or two other treats. Me? Coconut almond ice cream in a waffle cone. Yep, that was a fine dinner.
We tried sitting outside, but a huge swarm of mosquitoes kept following us, so we sat in the car. I played some more John and Suzyn clips and that got us both laughing hard. The comedy and the shake seemed to instill some energy into her. OK, maybe the sleep helped a little. We went back home and headed into the basement, where I played some more clips. We pulled our chairs next to each other, and as we continued to laugh to the point that our stomachs ached, I think that was when we started to realize how much we were going to miss each other. I just know the next hour or so went by really quick...
I woke her up the next morning at 3:45, dropped her off at O'Hare around 4:45, got back home around 5:30, and slept until 9:15. Made it to group on time at least...
That's a weekend-Part 1
Well, we'd been waiting four weeks, it seemed like four months. Catherine arrived right on time from LGA, around 9:15. We drove to Elmhurst to grab breakfast at Egg Harbor. I learned she has a thing for grits. I did get her hooked on the orange-strawberry juice. I went with a scrambler and bacon, she went with a waffle and bacon.
The heat was already rising as we began heading east down the Eisenhower freeway and I planned to unveil my first surprise: the United Center. As we approached Exit 28A, she saw the brown sign. As she realized I was turning right off 290, she started jumping in her seat and letting out this squealing noise. Yeah, I guess she was pretty excited! I think this was where she took her first 50 photos.
Then we headed up Ashland Rd to the North Side. We parked two miles away in my free zone and began the walk southeast to Wrigley Field. We passed three Yankee fans, one of whom asked her in a total Bronx accent, "What you doing with a Mets fan?"
So it was Andrew Cashner bobblehead day. I declined mine. Catherine led me right down the first base line for autographs. It turned into me holding her bags while she unsuccessfully tried to get autographs from Joe Girardi and A-Rod. Didn't mind it much though.
We sat halfway up the 500 section down the right field side. We sat next to this farmer dude from Iowa that tried to keep chatting with Catherine. This despite his wife was sitting next to him. This guy had a Cub shirt on and still had the nerve to ask if the shortstop plays between second and third base. He asked if any baseball players make six figures per year. I mean, if you're going to wear a shirt like that, you have to know something basic about baseball.
Our road curse continued as the Cubs beat the Yankees 3-1. And true to form, the Yankees rallied to win the next two days and I'm convinced it's all because we were not there. I liked when Catherine freaked out when Girardi pinch-hit Andruw Jones in the seventh inning for Freddy Garcia. We began the 90 minute drive home, stopping for some Gino's East first. We were really hungry so we went with some spinach artichoke dip to start off. I guess that filled us up a little more than we planned. I could only eat one slice of a medium supreme pizza! And I can wipe out three slices of a large in my sleep.
I could tell she was getting tired so we decided to head straight home. I put on Airplane! but she fell asleep 20 minutes before the end of the film. Then again, she had been awake for around 21 hours, so I guess I can understand that!
The heat was already rising as we began heading east down the Eisenhower freeway and I planned to unveil my first surprise: the United Center. As we approached Exit 28A, she saw the brown sign. As she realized I was turning right off 290, she started jumping in her seat and letting out this squealing noise. Yeah, I guess she was pretty excited! I think this was where she took her first 50 photos.
Then we headed up Ashland Rd to the North Side. We parked two miles away in my free zone and began the walk southeast to Wrigley Field. We passed three Yankee fans, one of whom asked her in a total Bronx accent, "What you doing with a Mets fan?"
So it was Andrew Cashner bobblehead day. I declined mine. Catherine led me right down the first base line for autographs. It turned into me holding her bags while she unsuccessfully tried to get autographs from Joe Girardi and A-Rod. Didn't mind it much though.
We sat halfway up the 500 section down the right field side. We sat next to this farmer dude from Iowa that tried to keep chatting with Catherine. This despite his wife was sitting next to him. This guy had a Cub shirt on and still had the nerve to ask if the shortstop plays between second and third base. He asked if any baseball players make six figures per year. I mean, if you're going to wear a shirt like that, you have to know something basic about baseball.
Our road curse continued as the Cubs beat the Yankees 3-1. And true to form, the Yankees rallied to win the next two days and I'm convinced it's all because we were not there. I liked when Catherine freaked out when Girardi pinch-hit Andruw Jones in the seventh inning for Freddy Garcia. We began the 90 minute drive home, stopping for some Gino's East first. We were really hungry so we went with some spinach artichoke dip to start off. I guess that filled us up a little more than we planned. I could only eat one slice of a medium supreme pizza! And I can wipe out three slices of a large in my sleep.
I could tell she was getting tired so we decided to head straight home. I put on Airplane! but she fell asleep 20 minutes before the end of the film. Then again, she had been awake for around 21 hours, so I guess I can understand that!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Softball recap
Well, I didn't play Saturday's make-up game and I think it showed. We won Game 3 against Bethany Lutheran while I was out. So I came back for Game 4 against the other FBCG squad. Being that it was Father's Day, they had 9 players; we only had 8.
I led off and played left field, we had only three outfielders. I believe I made three. At bat, I hit four grounders to the left side of the field. I did beat two of them out and scored twice. They scored in the bottom of the first when our right fielder dropped a very easy fly ball. We broke out with 4-run innings in the fourth and sixth. they made it 4-2 in the fifth inning and it would have been more if SS Steve didn't make an awesome play on a ground ball to his left. We cut the game in the bottom of the 6th when we were up 8-2. They got a few guys on, but there were two very close plays at third base that their coach called them safe on. Both those guys came in. But with the bases cleared and two down, a grounder to short ended the game, with us coming out on top 8-7.
So we're 3-1. Unfortunately, I have to miss two weeks. We have a doubleheader next weekend and I will be in Dallas. The following weekend is July 4. I feel pretty good about the team, we are showing some signs of hitting. And the defense looks solid, eh, well, except for Grant.
I led off and played left field, we had only three outfielders. I believe I made three. At bat, I hit four grounders to the left side of the field. I did beat two of them out and scored twice. They scored in the bottom of the first when our right fielder dropped a very easy fly ball. We broke out with 4-run innings in the fourth and sixth. they made it 4-2 in the fifth inning and it would have been more if SS Steve didn't make an awesome play on a ground ball to his left. We cut the game in the bottom of the 6th when we were up 8-2. They got a few guys on, but there were two very close plays at third base that their coach called them safe on. Both those guys came in. But with the bases cleared and two down, a grounder to short ended the game, with us coming out on top 8-7.
So we're 3-1. Unfortunately, I have to miss two weeks. We have a doubleheader next weekend and I will be in Dallas. The following weekend is July 4. I feel pretty good about the team, we are showing some signs of hitting. And the defense looks solid, eh, well, except for Grant.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Free weekday, free thinking
1) Love the hot weather we've been having the last few days. Been able to do something I enjoy like running outside, playing a few rounds of disc golf, tanning, and just walking outside without a jacket on.
2) I don't want to think I have seasonal affective disorder, but I feel so much more alive in the warm weather. Who knows?
3) Got tomorrow off, and it is supposed to rain. I'm thinking of hitting Top Golf tomorrow. Thank you Groupon for saving me $30.
4) I cannot believe how many of my fellow Rangers fans are rooting for Boston over Vancouver.I don't want to hear this BS about rooting for the American team or the Original 6. The city is Boston!
5) I used a coffee BBQ rub to flavor my strip steaks last Sunday night. The coffee added a nice smoky flavor to the meat. It wasn't my favorite seasoning, but it worked very well.
6) Was in the middle of typing #6 when the power got knocked out. It really is something else how many more natural disasters and horrific storms seem to be pounding our country. New Orleans, Tuscaloosa, California, Oklahoma, Nashville.
7) Franics Chan writes some of the most challenging words I have ever read in "Crazy Love".
8) What is it with me and women? One of my best girl friends has been in a relationship for 3 weeks now. No wonder I haven't heard from her. It really aggravates me how people will get into a relationship and just forget that you ever exist.
9) Had a great conversation with a girl last night. She's a Christian, loves pro wrestling and hockey, and is funny and clever and really sweet. And mighty pretty too. We chatted on facebook for 45 minutes and it went well. I get home tonight and find she just got into a relationship. FML.
9a) Was I easy to deceive? You were so easy to believe.
10) The girl just chatted me up again...What is the deal here?!
2) I don't want to think I have seasonal affective disorder, but I feel so much more alive in the warm weather. Who knows?
3) Got tomorrow off, and it is supposed to rain. I'm thinking of hitting Top Golf tomorrow. Thank you Groupon for saving me $30.
4) I cannot believe how many of my fellow Rangers fans are rooting for Boston over Vancouver.I don't want to hear this BS about rooting for the American team or the Original 6. The city is Boston!
5) I used a coffee BBQ rub to flavor my strip steaks last Sunday night. The coffee added a nice smoky flavor to the meat. It wasn't my favorite seasoning, but it worked very well.
6) Was in the middle of typing #6 when the power got knocked out. It really is something else how many more natural disasters and horrific storms seem to be pounding our country. New Orleans, Tuscaloosa, California, Oklahoma, Nashville.
7) Franics Chan writes some of the most challenging words I have ever read in "Crazy Love".
8) What is it with me and women? One of my best girl friends has been in a relationship for 3 weeks now. No wonder I haven't heard from her. It really aggravates me how people will get into a relationship and just forget that you ever exist.
9) Had a great conversation with a girl last night. She's a Christian, loves pro wrestling and hockey, and is funny and clever and really sweet. And mighty pretty too. We chatted on facebook for 45 minutes and it went well. I get home tonight and find she just got into a relationship. FML.
9a) Was I easy to deceive? You were so easy to believe.
10) The girl just chatted me up again...What is the deal here?!
Friday, June 03, 2011
Frisbee, Round 2
Game notes
More people, more bugs.
13 total
Three goals, two assists in two games
Delivered a shoulderblock off a steal
Tried to take a long shot quickly in the second game
Chastised by everybody
Scored the game winner from the corner into the lower left side of the goal
Took off at 7:15
More people, more bugs.
13 total
Three goals, two assists in two games
Delivered a shoulderblock off a steal
Tried to take a long shot quickly in the second game
Chastised by everybody
Scored the game winner from the corner into the lower left side of the goal
Took off at 7:15
Monday, May 30, 2011
90 and sad?
It seems like for six months I have been just craving 90 degree weather. So after a horribly cold week, and clouds and rain through most of Saturday and Sunday, the midwest was treated to 90 degrees and sun with next to no clouds on Memorial Day. I worked from 8-2 for time and a half. Of course, little did I know how Mother Nature would choose to play her hand.
I drove 10 minutes to Top Golf in Wood Dale. I had a Groupon for my card and I was ready to do something outside for a change, especially in hot weather. I walk in and the guy tells me I will have to wait at least 90 minutes. I took off. I didn't have my disc golf bag packed either. And the weather was too hot that I did not want to go to the closed off, confined, dungeon-esque gym. So I drove home 40 minutes and it felt like 3 hours. I felt big after the pizza and beer escapade the previous night; I just felt so ugly.
I tried to tan outside and I found myself getting angry at the trees for blocking the sun! So I headed back inside and I can't really remember the next two hours. I decided to head to the kitchen and barbecue the chicken I had marinating overnight in the fridge. Opened the stainless steel doors, no chicken. Wasn't in a tupperware container, it wasn't in the freezer. Finally, I walked outside and checked the grill. I opened the cover up and sure enough, eight various-sized chunks of charcoal are laying on the rack. Even worse, Mom left the gas on too.
And what says a Memorial Day BBQ like leftover spaghetti and meatballs?
I drove 10 minutes to Top Golf in Wood Dale. I had a Groupon for my card and I was ready to do something outside for a change, especially in hot weather. I walk in and the guy tells me I will have to wait at least 90 minutes. I took off. I didn't have my disc golf bag packed either. And the weather was too hot that I did not want to go to the closed off, confined, dungeon-esque gym. So I drove home 40 minutes and it felt like 3 hours. I felt big after the pizza and beer escapade the previous night; I just felt so ugly.
I tried to tan outside and I found myself getting angry at the trees for blocking the sun! So I headed back inside and I can't really remember the next two hours. I decided to head to the kitchen and barbecue the chicken I had marinating overnight in the fridge. Opened the stainless steel doors, no chicken. Wasn't in a tupperware container, it wasn't in the freezer. Finally, I walked outside and checked the grill. I opened the cover up and sure enough, eight various-sized chunks of charcoal are laying on the rack. Even worse, Mom left the gas on too.
And what says a Memorial Day BBQ like leftover spaghetti and meatballs?
Thursday, May 26, 2011
One more round of misery
For the fourth straight time I attend a Mets series on the road, the same outcome ensues. They win the game I do not attend and lose both games that I do attend. My all time record for Mets vs. Cubs at that dump, Wrigley Field, is, I believe, 2-16. More 2 mile walks up north. They are starting to feel like I am walking the green mile.
I had a great time before the first game in Merkle's. Julie and Nick were there along with a few other irregulars. Jason and Norman were neat dudes. Meredith seemed to be pretty cool and I found Kim kind of attractive. She was with Jeff though, they say they're friends. Of course, once again, I was the only suburbanite there. I drank two Great Lakes beers and the owner brought us all grape bombs, grape vodka and Red Bull.
I stumbled my way to my seat, as I best as I remember. The wind turned on once I went inside, it was blowing straight in at 20 MPH. I immediately regretted not wearing a coat. Thanks to some embarrassing defensive Mets miscues, Jon Niese walks, and bloop hits, the Bubs made the score 5-1 in the second inning. As always, I hang around until the top of the sixth and caught the bus back to DeVry University.
Today, I started off with lunch at Hot Doug's. amazingly, I was the first one in line. Did the bacon cheeseburger sausage with Coke BBQ sauce and maple cheddar cheese. It was good stuff, I just don't like cheese inside the sausage. for sausage 2, I went with a three-chili wild boar sausage with chili-garlic mayo, raw milk cheddar spread, and crispy fried onions. First of all, put crispy onions on any food and it instantly tastes delicious. And the two sauces blended well, I just had to wipe off some of the mayo. And I really liked the chili powders inside the boar, I really like the taste of that meat. Fries were hot and fresh as always!
So I parked on Berteau Street around 11:15 am, knowing I had to be back by 5 p.m. to move my car. I walked the two miles in a cold wind, though the rain had let up by this point. I followed Julie and Nick inside Merkle's and there were already a couple of Mets fans inside. We BS'd for almost two hours and it was good, not quite as good as Thursday though. this time, I drank an Allabash from Maine and was given not one, but TWO grape bombs! I wish I had them during the game.
The stands were empty. Maybe 15,000 people, but I know there were rows that were completely empty. Cubs fans are not showing up now, they are no better than the Mets fans who don't go to Citi Field. Jose Reyes scored on a double and two Cubs errors for a 1-0 Mets lead which was great. But with the wind and cold, I really thought R.A. Dickey would have trouble with his knuckleball. And the Cubs got some hits off him. But Fukudome grounded the ball to first and Dickey collapsed while running to cover the bag. And he was done. Pedro Beato came in and retired Starlin Castro to retire the side. Little did I know, everything would go to shit in the next inning. Of course, Carlos Pena had no issues drilling a two-run homer to give Chicago the lead. Two runs later and I knew it was probably over. It was.
The Mets did rally to make it 4-2 when Josh Thole, somehow, dripped an RBI single to left-center. With the tying runs on base, Carlos Beltran struck out, part of his 0-for-5 performance. After the Cubs make it 6-2 the next inning, I was gone. One more horrible series in the freezing confines.
Will bake cakes later.
I had a great time before the first game in Merkle's. Julie and Nick were there along with a few other irregulars. Jason and Norman were neat dudes. Meredith seemed to be pretty cool and I found Kim kind of attractive. She was with Jeff though, they say they're friends. Of course, once again, I was the only suburbanite there. I drank two Great Lakes beers and the owner brought us all grape bombs, grape vodka and Red Bull.
I stumbled my way to my seat, as I best as I remember. The wind turned on once I went inside, it was blowing straight in at 20 MPH. I immediately regretted not wearing a coat. Thanks to some embarrassing defensive Mets miscues, Jon Niese walks, and bloop hits, the Bubs made the score 5-1 in the second inning. As always, I hang around until the top of the sixth and caught the bus back to DeVry University.
But while stewing in the concourse behind home plate, one of the few good things from these two days happened around the third inning. I saw Joe Benigno. I walked up to him and producer Ernie Acosta and thanked them for the entertainment. I mentioned to Joe about all the Jets fans at Rebel during the season. And he goes "Bro, don't even get me started about football. I'm pissed off. Bro, I'm pissed off." I shook his hand again and let him and Ernie go.
Today, I started off with lunch at Hot Doug's. amazingly, I was the first one in line. Did the bacon cheeseburger sausage with Coke BBQ sauce and maple cheddar cheese. It was good stuff, I just don't like cheese inside the sausage. for sausage 2, I went with a three-chili wild boar sausage with chili-garlic mayo, raw milk cheddar spread, and crispy fried onions. First of all, put crispy onions on any food and it instantly tastes delicious. And the two sauces blended well, I just had to wipe off some of the mayo. And I really liked the chili powders inside the boar, I really like the taste of that meat. Fries were hot and fresh as always!
So I parked on Berteau Street around 11:15 am, knowing I had to be back by 5 p.m. to move my car. I walked the two miles in a cold wind, though the rain had let up by this point. I followed Julie and Nick inside Merkle's and there were already a couple of Mets fans inside. We BS'd for almost two hours and it was good, not quite as good as Thursday though. this time, I drank an Allabash from Maine and was given not one, but TWO grape bombs! I wish I had them during the game.
The stands were empty. Maybe 15,000 people, but I know there were rows that were completely empty. Cubs fans are not showing up now, they are no better than the Mets fans who don't go to Citi Field. Jose Reyes scored on a double and two Cubs errors for a 1-0 Mets lead which was great. But with the wind and cold, I really thought R.A. Dickey would have trouble with his knuckleball. And the Cubs got some hits off him. But Fukudome grounded the ball to first and Dickey collapsed while running to cover the bag. And he was done. Pedro Beato came in and retired Starlin Castro to retire the side. Little did I know, everything would go to shit in the next inning. Of course, Carlos Pena had no issues drilling a two-run homer to give Chicago the lead. Two runs later and I knew it was probably over. It was.
The Mets did rally to make it 4-2 when Josh Thole, somehow, dripped an RBI single to left-center. With the tying runs on base, Carlos Beltran struck out, part of his 0-for-5 performance. After the Cubs make it 6-2 the next inning, I was gone. One more horrible series in the freezing confines.
Will bake cakes later.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Game 1 Recap
After getting rained out on Opening Day, we opened the season against Riverside Community Church. I liked that we are no longer wearing t-shirts. These are maroon jerseys with white striping on the side. I guess my tan won't be so full this year since I have to leave the sleeves on!
George, from last season, set the lineup since Steve was out of town. I batted second and started in left field. The quality of play early on proved we could use an exhibition game. During the first two innings, there were four double plays, two by each team, thanks to poor baserunning.
I walked and scored in the bottom of the first. On my next at-bat, I dropped a fly ball in between the SS, 2B and CF and would score. In the fourth, I grounded a single up the middle, though I hit the ball off the end of the bat. On my fourth at-bat, I hit a solid grounder up the middle, but it was turned for a force play. I also made three catches in the field, nothing was hit too hard.
We won 12-0 by slaughter rule, but since we decided to play it out, the actual final score was 13-2. Now, we have two weeks off until Game 2.
George, from last season, set the lineup since Steve was out of town. I batted second and started in left field. The quality of play early on proved we could use an exhibition game. During the first two innings, there were four double plays, two by each team, thanks to poor baserunning.
I walked and scored in the bottom of the first. On my next at-bat, I dropped a fly ball in between the SS, 2B and CF and would score. In the fourth, I grounded a single up the middle, though I hit the ball off the end of the bat. On my fourth at-bat, I hit a solid grounder up the middle, but it was turned for a force play. I also made three catches in the field, nothing was hit too hard.
We won 12-0 by slaughter rule, but since we decided to play it out, the actual final score was 13-2. Now, we have two weeks off until Game 2.
Friday, May 20, 2011
May 19
Up at 3:15 AM
6 AM flight
Sat next to two women wearing blindfolds while they slept
I talked to the gate agent and she said the flight looked good.
Somehow, I started smiling
As I stood online to hop a cab, I was still smiling
Got dropped off by the right field gate
I found Catherine right by the players entrance
RA Dickey autographed my ticket
Apple right near the subway entrance
Bases in the parking lot
8,000 kids arrive
Mets Hall of Fame with plaques, broadcaster highlights, World Series rings, game used equipment, etc.
They did a tremendous job putting it together, I just wish there were more great memories.
Weather Education Day
Mr. G and Laura Church
Boring as hell
All the kids gathered on the third base side
No BP
Disappointing, we had three or four sections to ourselves and we wanted to catch some home run balls.
Gave her the peanut butter and chocolate combo cookie from Carole's. Little did I know she would wipe 3/4 of it out within 20 minutes
Mama's of Corona
Italian special with salami, peppered ham, homemade mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and marinated mushrooms
Cascarino's Grandma pizza, which is like a margherita pizza
Caesar's Club, I can understand why stands are so empty, especially when it's cold outside. This place is gorgeous
Sushi, pizza, rotisseries, a gorgeous bar with exotic spirits, especially whiskeys and Latin rums
Comfortable sofas
Great photos of Arthur Ashe Stadium
Second row of Left Field
Jason Pridie tosses a ball to Catherine
Dillon Gee
No-hitter through five
Livan Hernandez breaks it up
Justin Turner's RBI single proved the difference
Held on for a 1-0 victory
We walked around the Mets team store for about a half hour before heading towards the right field corner and McFadden's
Women dancing on bars
Could not have a conversation
Sat outside
At 5:30, it was time to go
Long embrace
Got a little emotional as the car pulled away.
$20 as opposed to $11 for a taxi
Two flights left
Standby list
36 of 42
They told me the flights looked full
26 of 32
Only 15 standbys in the lobby
#24 almost got on
Last flight
6 of 16
We all got called together
Seat belt issues, Strap stuck behind the seat and other seat
Jazz music
Home at 11 pm
6 AM flight
Sat next to two women wearing blindfolds while they slept
I talked to the gate agent and she said the flight looked good.
Somehow, I started smiling
As I stood online to hop a cab, I was still smiling
Got dropped off by the right field gate
I found Catherine right by the players entrance
RA Dickey autographed my ticket
Apple right near the subway entrance
Bases in the parking lot
8,000 kids arrive
Mets Hall of Fame with plaques, broadcaster highlights, World Series rings, game used equipment, etc.
They did a tremendous job putting it together, I just wish there were more great memories.
Weather Education Day
Mr. G and Laura Church
Boring as hell
All the kids gathered on the third base side
No BP
Disappointing, we had three or four sections to ourselves and we wanted to catch some home run balls.
Gave her the peanut butter and chocolate combo cookie from Carole's. Little did I know she would wipe 3/4 of it out within 20 minutes
Mama's of Corona
Italian special with salami, peppered ham, homemade mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and marinated mushrooms
Cascarino's Grandma pizza, which is like a margherita pizza
Caesar's Club, I can understand why stands are so empty, especially when it's cold outside. This place is gorgeous
Sushi, pizza, rotisseries, a gorgeous bar with exotic spirits, especially whiskeys and Latin rums
Comfortable sofas
Great photos of Arthur Ashe Stadium
Second row of Left Field
Jason Pridie tosses a ball to Catherine
Dillon Gee
No-hitter through five
Livan Hernandez breaks it up
Justin Turner's RBI single proved the difference
Held on for a 1-0 victory
We walked around the Mets team store for about a half hour before heading towards the right field corner and McFadden's
Women dancing on bars
Could not have a conversation
Sat outside
At 5:30, it was time to go
Long embrace
Got a little emotional as the car pulled away.
$20 as opposed to $11 for a taxi
Two flights left
Standby list
36 of 42
They told me the flights looked full
26 of 32
Only 15 standbys in the lobby
#24 almost got on
Last flight
6 of 16
We all got called together
Seat belt issues, Strap stuck behind the seat and other seat
Jazz music
Home at 11 pm
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Opinions, Sterotyping, Tolerance
I am realizing more and more how hard it is to state an opinion if it does not reflect the mass populous of American culture. It doesn't matter if I insult someone or not, jump on someone or not, belittle someone or not. Just having the opinion and expressing it seems to be a horrible act.
Sean Avery, a very controversial New York Ranger who likes to live in the public eye, decided to publicly support the campaign for gay marriage in New York State. He is one of the first pro athletes to take that stand. Now this is not about whether Avery supported the correct side or not; I'm not going to go there. The topic is a very hot button and will probably remain so for a long time. But a lot of my FB friends who are Rangers fans wrote that they support it. Amy did, which I knew she would, since she has a few gay friends in Colorado. A few other people responded favorably to her post. But a few people talked about "antiquated religious views" and ripped the preachers and "Bible belt types" for being oppressive and out of touch.
Since I am a human being and I have a voice, I decided to make mine known. I don't appreciate being stereotyped at all. So I wrote that and I also said I supported the sports agent who tweeted that he disagreed with Avery's stance. I expected a little criticism, but I was hoping my thoughts would at least be respected. And I get ripped. I got this long diatribe from my friend saying things like "I know gay couples who are doing better than straight couples" and "If I jumped on you every time I disagreed with something you wrote, you would hear from me a lot."
I wrote back and said I didn't intend to jump on anyone and I never insulted anyone. But I felt I had been insulted along with all people who believe what I believe. Now by contrast, I don't assume that all atheists/agnostics are evil people. I believe they are just wrong. By the way, not every religion can be correct! And about Point #1, I'm sure there are alcoholics who are happier than sober, depressed people. That doesn't make getting drunk on a frequent basis a good idea.
That brings me to the issue of tolerance. American culture teaches us to tolerate everybody and what they believe. The idea is that society will grant each individual the opportunity to experience life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without the burdens imposed by bias, discrimination or societal condemnation. Supposedly, eliminating these barriers will result in the advancement of mankind, both personally and communally. We will be happy, healthy, and live in peace and harmony.
The problem with the religion of tolerance is that, by definition, the boundaries of society become blurred and ambiguous; there can be no absolute truth. Rules once applicable to everyone now apply to no one. Topics once thought taboo are open for exploration in the name of tolerance.
Here's what I want my friends who disagree with me to know. As a Christian, I believe I am to love all people (yes it's hard), but just because I disagree with someone doesn't mean I hate them. And I certainly won't give into the messages this culture bombards me with just to avoid arguments.
So many people want to be friends of the world. Sure, there are numerous benefits to be attained by being of the world. I can attain pleasure, wealth, power and glory if I'm willing to play the game. But make no mistake about it, being of the world makes me an enemy of God.
So many people choose to believe that entrance into heaven is based on works, i.e. whether they are “good” or not. The good in their minds is a good based upon the perception of good acts outweighing bad acts. There are also a number of people who adhere to the idea of tolerance and the belief that tolerance is a universal concept that applies today and in the future.
I know this: God crated the world and he created human beings. His laws do not change over time. God is loving, kind and merciful. Throughout the Bible, God demonstrates patience, love, and care for mankind, desiring that none of us perish, but that we would all be saved through grace and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. However, God has another side. He is also holy, righteous and just. There will be a judgment. And God won't be so tolerant then. That judgment will be final and we won't be able to appeal. And despite what one may hope for, tolerating everything will not be a factor.
Sean Avery, a very controversial New York Ranger who likes to live in the public eye, decided to publicly support the campaign for gay marriage in New York State. He is one of the first pro athletes to take that stand. Now this is not about whether Avery supported the correct side or not; I'm not going to go there. The topic is a very hot button and will probably remain so for a long time. But a lot of my FB friends who are Rangers fans wrote that they support it. Amy did, which I knew she would, since she has a few gay friends in Colorado. A few other people responded favorably to her post. But a few people talked about "antiquated religious views" and ripped the preachers and "Bible belt types" for being oppressive and out of touch.
Since I am a human being and I have a voice, I decided to make mine known. I don't appreciate being stereotyped at all. So I wrote that and I also said I supported the sports agent who tweeted that he disagreed with Avery's stance. I expected a little criticism, but I was hoping my thoughts would at least be respected. And I get ripped. I got this long diatribe from my friend saying things like "I know gay couples who are doing better than straight couples" and "If I jumped on you every time I disagreed with something you wrote, you would hear from me a lot."
I wrote back and said I didn't intend to jump on anyone and I never insulted anyone. But I felt I had been insulted along with all people who believe what I believe. Now by contrast, I don't assume that all atheists/agnostics are evil people. I believe they are just wrong. By the way, not every religion can be correct! And about Point #1, I'm sure there are alcoholics who are happier than sober, depressed people. That doesn't make getting drunk on a frequent basis a good idea.
That brings me to the issue of tolerance. American culture teaches us to tolerate everybody and what they believe. The idea is that society will grant each individual the opportunity to experience life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without the burdens imposed by bias, discrimination or societal condemnation. Supposedly, eliminating these barriers will result in the advancement of mankind, both personally and communally. We will be happy, healthy, and live in peace and harmony.
The problem with the religion of tolerance is that, by definition, the boundaries of society become blurred and ambiguous; there can be no absolute truth. Rules once applicable to everyone now apply to no one. Topics once thought taboo are open for exploration in the name of tolerance.
Here's what I want my friends who disagree with me to know. As a Christian, I believe I am to love all people (yes it's hard), but just because I disagree with someone doesn't mean I hate them. And I certainly won't give into the messages this culture bombards me with just to avoid arguments.
So many people want to be friends of the world. Sure, there are numerous benefits to be attained by being of the world. I can attain pleasure, wealth, power and glory if I'm willing to play the game. But make no mistake about it, being of the world makes me an enemy of God.
So many people choose to believe that entrance into heaven is based on works, i.e. whether they are “good” or not. The good in their minds is a good based upon the perception of good acts outweighing bad acts. There are also a number of people who adhere to the idea of tolerance and the belief that tolerance is a universal concept that applies today and in the future.
I know this: God crated the world and he created human beings. His laws do not change over time. God is loving, kind and merciful. Throughout the Bible, God demonstrates patience, love, and care for mankind, desiring that none of us perish, but that we would all be saved through grace and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. However, God has another side. He is also holy, righteous and just. There will be a judgment. And God won't be so tolerant then. That judgment will be final and we won't be able to appeal. And despite what one may hope for, tolerating everything will not be a factor.
I Like Inge
Haven't felt very compelled to write recently. I guess it's one of those bullet days. Let's have at it.
1) The Queen of Queens. Things have been getting pretty crazy with CI and myself. We're texting tons and talking literally every day. I don't know why, but the women I tend get along well with always live at least 1,000 miles away. I am hoping this one can go somewhere.
2) Was very happy on Thursday to get treated to Chipotle by my boss. Our whole team of 14 people got treated and we had 50 minutes of pure fun. I drove Haziq and Chad over to Woodfield Mall, about 2 minutes away. And I had my burrito with rice, pintos, barbacoa, tomatillo salsa, chili-corn salsa, cheese, and guacamole. Of course, with plenty of lime wedges and the smoked green Tabasco sauce as well.
3) After we got home, Kyle said that was his first time ever eating at Chipotle. None of us could believe it. Later, I overheard him say to Haziq that he should get a plaque. Now it was around 4 pm, so I had an hour to go and Thursday is typically a slow day for me anyway. So with some extra time available and most of my team on their way home, I opened up Microsoft Publisher and went to work. I designed a certificate commemorating his first visit, complete with Chipotle logos, a picture of a half-eaten burrito, and every person's name on our team. He showed it to the whole team and everyone got a kick out of it; it was a pretty good feeling for me.
3) After seven months away from the grass fields at the corner of 25 and Fabyan in north Batavia, we resumed playing ultimate frisbee soccer. The heat was pretty intense, maybe 80 degrees or so. Eight guys showed up: me and Burns ewere the only ones from CT. Dan was a newcomer, while both Joes, John, Frank, and Ben Jeffrey showed up as well. We played two games, both going to a final goal. In the first game, I forced a turnover near the sideline and fired the disc into the mesh, sealing a Game 1 win. We drew new teams for Game 2, and I assisted on Dan's winning goal. I scored five times in the games, including one from midfield. It was good to get back out there. But I know another thing. I seriously need to up my cardio workouts! I was gassed, I think almost everyone was after a solid hour. I will be out this week, but I'm excited to play as the summer goes on.
4) The weather was just insane on Friday. I walked into the office and the temperature outside was around 80 degrees. Mostly sunny, a few little white clouds scattered here and there. I walked out at 5 and the temperature had plummeted to around 50 degrees with gray skies, and a cold breeze blowing.
5) So I left work and headed to group in Glen Ellyn. At the end, I got the sad news that Craig is moving to San Diego for a new pharmaceutical job. He was an asset to our Friday group for years, always sparking the group with a discussion point. Granted, sometimes those points took 20 minutes. But we'll miss him, he won't be easily replaced.
6) So I headed home, got a couple of Scooby's hot dogs on the way. I headed to the basement for the No Name radio show, which Jim and Eddie were hosting, with the intent of the show revolving around anything except hockey. So for the first 20 minutes, we discussed old school pro wrestling, which of course, I was up for. And someone mentioned how many of them had died. Then Eddie was about to go on a rant about Barbara Walters and how she needs to leave The View.
Then someone wrote in the chat that Derek Boogaard had died. It was Friday the 13th, I thought it was a rib. But I checked Twitter and saw the tweet had come from Mike Russo, a reporter from the St. Paul Tribune. Slowly it sunk in that the news was real. 28 years old and one of the toughest men to ever play in the NHL was dead.
Last year, Glen Sather signed Boogaard to a ridiculous 4-year, $7 million deal. He only played 22 games for the Rangers before sitting out the rest of the year due to concussion issues. He didn't seem to play a huge role in the future, mostly as a bench player with too a high a salary cap hit. But supposedly, he was motivated to come back and have a great sophomore season with the Rangers. And now he's gone. It doesn't devastate me from a Rangers perspective. It's just sad that 28-year old guy died so suddenly. Nice of the Bruins to have a moment of silence before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals for the Boogie Man. I am interested to see what the Rangers will do for him on Opening Night.
7) Bob Chinn's is known for their seafood, but their garlic rolls are pure bliss. I hope in heaven I can eat tons of garlic and have it not affect my breath...
8) Softball season is supposed to start tomorrow and of course, rain is in the forecast. Steve, Daren, the other Steve, Clay, Tim, we seem to have about half our team returning. And we will play 10 games instead of 9, which is great. The league has shrunk from 24 teams down to 13, which is substantial, but at least everyone gets to make the playoffs, which will start in August.
9) I signed up for annual membership to work out at the Norris Center. At the end of the day, it's cheap and it's two minutes from home. Those are the real advantages. But the workouts are very average, in terms of weight equipment and I can't control the TV's in the cardio rooms. But they do have a dry sauna (it actually gets hot unlike in South Barrington) and a whirlpool! That is one nice way to relax! And so I am alone on a Saturday night.
10) But there are things to look forward to. May 19. Citi Field. Catherine.
11) The New York Mets are just maddening. Infuriating. Winning streak followed by a losing streak. The good stuff: Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Jason Isringhausen, and Ike Davis. A slight nod to Justin Turner and Jason Pridie. The bad stuff: Jason Bay, Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey, the entire bench, injuries to Ike Davis, Pedro Beato, and Chris Young, the lack of attendance, the lack of respect, the inevitable trading of Reyes and Beltran, and being in last place.
12) Ring of Honor returns to Chicago Ridge next Saturday night. Supercard of Honor 6. Will have to write a preview of that as the days draw near.
1) The Queen of Queens. Things have been getting pretty crazy with CI and myself. We're texting tons and talking literally every day. I don't know why, but the women I tend get along well with always live at least 1,000 miles away. I am hoping this one can go somewhere.
2) Was very happy on Thursday to get treated to Chipotle by my boss. Our whole team of 14 people got treated and we had 50 minutes of pure fun. I drove Haziq and Chad over to Woodfield Mall, about 2 minutes away. And I had my burrito with rice, pintos, barbacoa, tomatillo salsa, chili-corn salsa, cheese, and guacamole. Of course, with plenty of lime wedges and the smoked green Tabasco sauce as well.
3) After we got home, Kyle said that was his first time ever eating at Chipotle. None of us could believe it. Later, I overheard him say to Haziq that he should get a plaque. Now it was around 4 pm, so I had an hour to go and Thursday is typically a slow day for me anyway. So with some extra time available and most of my team on their way home, I opened up Microsoft Publisher and went to work. I designed a certificate commemorating his first visit, complete with Chipotle logos, a picture of a half-eaten burrito, and every person's name on our team. He showed it to the whole team and everyone got a kick out of it; it was a pretty good feeling for me.
3) After seven months away from the grass fields at the corner of 25 and Fabyan in north Batavia, we resumed playing ultimate frisbee soccer. The heat was pretty intense, maybe 80 degrees or so. Eight guys showed up: me and Burns ewere the only ones from CT. Dan was a newcomer, while both Joes, John, Frank, and Ben Jeffrey showed up as well. We played two games, both going to a final goal. In the first game, I forced a turnover near the sideline and fired the disc into the mesh, sealing a Game 1 win. We drew new teams for Game 2, and I assisted on Dan's winning goal. I scored five times in the games, including one from midfield. It was good to get back out there. But I know another thing. I seriously need to up my cardio workouts! I was gassed, I think almost everyone was after a solid hour. I will be out this week, but I'm excited to play as the summer goes on.
4) The weather was just insane on Friday. I walked into the office and the temperature outside was around 80 degrees. Mostly sunny, a few little white clouds scattered here and there. I walked out at 5 and the temperature had plummeted to around 50 degrees with gray skies, and a cold breeze blowing.
5) So I left work and headed to group in Glen Ellyn. At the end, I got the sad news that Craig is moving to San Diego for a new pharmaceutical job. He was an asset to our Friday group for years, always sparking the group with a discussion point. Granted, sometimes those points took 20 minutes. But we'll miss him, he won't be easily replaced.
6) So I headed home, got a couple of Scooby's hot dogs on the way. I headed to the basement for the No Name radio show, which Jim and Eddie were hosting, with the intent of the show revolving around anything except hockey. So for the first 20 minutes, we discussed old school pro wrestling, which of course, I was up for. And someone mentioned how many of them had died. Then Eddie was about to go on a rant about Barbara Walters and how she needs to leave The View.
Then someone wrote in the chat that Derek Boogaard had died. It was Friday the 13th, I thought it was a rib. But I checked Twitter and saw the tweet had come from Mike Russo, a reporter from the St. Paul Tribune. Slowly it sunk in that the news was real. 28 years old and one of the toughest men to ever play in the NHL was dead.
Last year, Glen Sather signed Boogaard to a ridiculous 4-year, $7 million deal. He only played 22 games for the Rangers before sitting out the rest of the year due to concussion issues. He didn't seem to play a huge role in the future, mostly as a bench player with too a high a salary cap hit. But supposedly, he was motivated to come back and have a great sophomore season with the Rangers. And now he's gone. It doesn't devastate me from a Rangers perspective. It's just sad that 28-year old guy died so suddenly. Nice of the Bruins to have a moment of silence before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals for the Boogie Man. I am interested to see what the Rangers will do for him on Opening Night.
7) Bob Chinn's is known for their seafood, but their garlic rolls are pure bliss. I hope in heaven I can eat tons of garlic and have it not affect my breath...
8) Softball season is supposed to start tomorrow and of course, rain is in the forecast. Steve, Daren, the other Steve, Clay, Tim, we seem to have about half our team returning. And we will play 10 games instead of 9, which is great. The league has shrunk from 24 teams down to 13, which is substantial, but at least everyone gets to make the playoffs, which will start in August.
9) I signed up for annual membership to work out at the Norris Center. At the end of the day, it's cheap and it's two minutes from home. Those are the real advantages. But the workouts are very average, in terms of weight equipment and I can't control the TV's in the cardio rooms. But they do have a dry sauna (it actually gets hot unlike in South Barrington) and a whirlpool! That is one nice way to relax! And so I am alone on a Saturday night.
10) But there are things to look forward to. May 19. Citi Field. Catherine.
11) The New York Mets are just maddening. Infuriating. Winning streak followed by a losing streak. The good stuff: Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Jason Isringhausen, and Ike Davis. A slight nod to Justin Turner and Jason Pridie. The bad stuff: Jason Bay, Mike Pelfrey, R.A. Dickey, the entire bench, injuries to Ike Davis, Pedro Beato, and Chris Young, the lack of attendance, the lack of respect, the inevitable trading of Reyes and Beltran, and being in last place.
12) Ring of Honor returns to Chicago Ridge next Saturday night. Supercard of Honor 6. Will have to write a preview of that as the days draw near.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Sat Morning Fever
1) I wish I had more Rangers fans around me. Had my first phone conversation with one who lives in Queens last night. We FB chatted for an hour and talked on the phone for 90 minutes. Why are women i connect with always living at least 1,000 miles away?
2) The Knicks are a joke. 3-0 down to Boston. Their biggest home game in at least 10 years and they trail 22-5 before your rear end hits the seat. Disgraceful.
3) Mom is gone to the Rhine River for 10 days. I have to spend Easter alone.
4) Good Friday service was amazing. Guy came and led us through a traditional Passover meal. Everyone got a kit with crackers, grape juice box, horseradish, parsley, and applesauce. Very informative, very impactful. The cool part was at the end when Pastor Bill said they didn't expect the service to be so crowded. We had to sing the last verse of Amazing Grace on our way out!
5) Feel like another sandwich...and sweet tea vodka
2) The Knicks are a joke. 3-0 down to Boston. Their biggest home game in at least 10 years and they trail 22-5 before your rear end hits the seat. Disgraceful.
3) Mom is gone to the Rhine River for 10 days. I have to spend Easter alone.
4) Good Friday service was amazing. Guy came and led us through a traditional Passover meal. Everyone got a kit with crackers, grape juice box, horseradish, parsley, and applesauce. Very informative, very impactful. The cool part was at the end when Pastor Bill said they didn't expect the service to be so crowded. We had to sing the last verse of Amazing Grace on our way out!
5) Feel like another sandwich...and sweet tea vodka
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