Sunday, September 25, 2011
It's only a game
Anyone who actually says this shit has teams that actually win for them. So for those of you who say it to us whose teams suck, save your voice.
Miserable Sunday night
The following post is being written under the influence of Jeremiah Weed with a slight assistance to Danny Jack.
1) Lil Roar? What kind of Facebook name is that?
2) Alicia is very cool. Funny, cool, and all, but two issues. 13 years with another guy and anti-faith. Pass!
3) A hideous loss today. The Jets got absolutely manhandled. They better beat Baltimore or New England. Nothing less than 5-2 going into the bye is acceptable.
4) Meaty Legend in the oven. I could use it. With extra garlic...
5) $19 and looking at your ATM card. Amen, Alonzo Bodden.
1) Lil Roar? What kind of Facebook name is that?
2) Alicia is very cool. Funny, cool, and all, but two issues. 13 years with another guy and anti-faith. Pass!
3) A hideous loss today. The Jets got absolutely manhandled. They better beat Baltimore or New England. Nothing less than 5-2 going into the bye is acceptable.
4) Meaty Legend in the oven. I could use it. With extra garlic...
5) $19 and looking at your ATM card. Amen, Alonzo Bodden.
2 weeks of procrastination
I think I've tried to write a post three times over the last two weeks but have just had no desire to finish. Let's go for it tonight.
1) Mom left this morning for her first of two tours over the next three weeks. I believe this one goes to NY state and Philly, I'm not quite sure.
2) Mom and I did spend a good weekend together in the city. We ate lunch at Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. This was the second time we had been to this unique eatery in located in Wicker Park, not far from DePaul University. We passed on the pizza pot pies, mainly because I can't get into the taste of brick cheese. But we certainly got that huge Mediterranean bread. And that Italian Fest salad was absolutely enormous and we actually ordered the smaller size. It had iceberg lettuce, smoked ham, Italian cappicola, provolone and Swiss cheeses, Italian sausage, meatballs, Genoa salami, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, green peppers, anchovies, tomatoes, olives, whole pepperoncini, sliced fresh mushrooms, whole pickled mushrooms, cucumbers, pickled red pimento peppers, chopped green onions...covered with freshly grated Romano cheese. And served with homemade sour cream garlic, sweet 'n sour poppyseed, and Italian dressings. Doesn't it look gorgeous?
3) My car is over at Royal Coach getting repaired. When this new bumper is installed, my car will be fixed. That just leaves my court date next month and I pray the judge will have sympathy for me. I really have no idea what to expect.
4) Went to Sportclips for a haircut and this was the first time that I had a manager cut my hair and I must say, the difference stunned me. Essentially, Colleen looked at my head, noticed how it grew, and gave me a great looking cut on the first try. And the feeling was amazing when she shampooed my scalp and massaged my head with the hot steamed towel draped over my face. She really knew how to use her fingers, which relieved so much tension.
5) Stopped by the library today to drop off a book and CD. Somehow, I found myself drifting through the music book section. and i checked out a Bee Gees documentary as well as a biography on Buck Owens. When I arrived home, I immediately watched the DVD. What was so good about it was that Barry, Robin, and Maurice provided almost all of the narration during the two hours. I hope one day I will get to see Barry and Robin perform live in concert.
6) Friday night group is up and running again. It's nice to have a few new faces there in addition to the core four (myself included). I hope they will stick it out into April, unlike a lot of the last attendees.
7) I have to bust out the space heater in the basement yet again. It's September 24 and it will probably be running through April.
8) I do have Skype and I think I've had four conversations on it in six months, three of them with one person. I guess it's worth, but Skype feels like that shirt in my closet I notice on occasion and think about trying on, but I almost never wear it.
9) One day, I don't want anything to do with dating. The next day, I feel really lonely. Then again, is it possible to solve the issue of loneliness without a significant other?
10) I am worried about Come Thirsty. So many people in the group are engaged now or already married. I'm getting scared that this is going to turn into a married couples group. I do not need that feeling frustration and, maybe even, inadequacy. I want to have fun with my friends. But so many of them have new priorities now. I don't want to lose friends all over again. Then again, to quote Billy Joel, "life is a series of hellos and goodbyes, I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again."
1) Mom left this morning for her first of two tours over the next three weeks. I believe this one goes to NY state and Philly, I'm not quite sure.
2) Mom and I did spend a good weekend together in the city. We ate lunch at Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. This was the second time we had been to this unique eatery in located in Wicker Park, not far from DePaul University. We passed on the pizza pot pies, mainly because I can't get into the taste of brick cheese. But we certainly got that huge Mediterranean bread. And that Italian Fest salad was absolutely enormous and we actually ordered the smaller size. It had iceberg lettuce, smoked ham, Italian cappicola, provolone and Swiss cheeses, Italian sausage, meatballs, Genoa salami, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, green peppers, anchovies, tomatoes, olives, whole pepperoncini, sliced fresh mushrooms, whole pickled mushrooms, cucumbers, pickled red pimento peppers, chopped green onions...covered with freshly grated Romano cheese. And served with homemade sour cream garlic, sweet 'n sour poppyseed, and Italian dressings. Doesn't it look gorgeous?
3) My car is over at Royal Coach getting repaired. When this new bumper is installed, my car will be fixed. That just leaves my court date next month and I pray the judge will have sympathy for me. I really have no idea what to expect.
4) Went to Sportclips for a haircut and this was the first time that I had a manager cut my hair and I must say, the difference stunned me. Essentially, Colleen looked at my head, noticed how it grew, and gave me a great looking cut on the first try. And the feeling was amazing when she shampooed my scalp and massaged my head with the hot steamed towel draped over my face. She really knew how to use her fingers, which relieved so much tension.
5) Stopped by the library today to drop off a book and CD. Somehow, I found myself drifting through the music book section. and i checked out a Bee Gees documentary as well as a biography on Buck Owens. When I arrived home, I immediately watched the DVD. What was so good about it was that Barry, Robin, and Maurice provided almost all of the narration during the two hours. I hope one day I will get to see Barry and Robin perform live in concert.
6) Friday night group is up and running again. It's nice to have a few new faces there in addition to the core four (myself included). I hope they will stick it out into April, unlike a lot of the last attendees.
7) I have to bust out the space heater in the basement yet again. It's September 24 and it will probably be running through April.
8) I do have Skype and I think I've had four conversations on it in six months, three of them with one person. I guess it's worth, but Skype feels like that shirt in my closet I notice on occasion and think about trying on, but I almost never wear it.
9) One day, I don't want anything to do with dating. The next day, I feel really lonely. Then again, is it possible to solve the issue of loneliness without a significant other?
10) I am worried about Come Thirsty. So many people in the group are engaged now or already married. I'm getting scared that this is going to turn into a married couples group. I do not need that feeling frustration and, maybe even, inadequacy. I want to have fun with my friends. But so many of them have new priorities now. I don't want to lose friends all over again. Then again, to quote Billy Joel, "life is a series of hellos and goodbyes, I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again."
Thursday, September 08, 2011
NFL Predictions
AFC East
1. c-New England 12-4
2. x-NY Jets 10-6
3. Miami 8-8
4. Buffalo 5-11
AFC North
1. y-Pittsburgh 11-5
2. x-Baltimore 9-7
3. Cleveland 8-8
4. Cincinnati 2-14
AFC South
1. y-Houston 11-5
2. Indianapolis 6-10
3. Tennessee 6-10
4. Jacksonville 5-11
AFC West
1. b-San Diego 12-4
2. Kansas City 9-7
3. Denver 6-10
4. Oakland 6-10
NFC East
1. y-Philadelphia 11-5
2. x-Dallas 9-7
3. NY Giants 7-9
4. Washington 6-10
NFC North
1. c-Green Bay 13-3
2. Detroit 9-7
3. Minnesota 8-8
4. Chicago 8-8
NFC South
1. b-New Orleans 12-4
2. x-Atlanta 12-4
3. Tampa Bay 5-11
4. Carolina 3-13
NFC West
1. y-St. Louis 10-6
2. Arizona 9-7
3. San Francisco 6-10
4. Seattle 5-11
AFC Playoffs
Baltimore over Pittsburgh
NY Jets over Houston
New England over Baltimore
San Diego over NY Jets
San Diego over New England
NFC Playoffs
Atlanta over St. Louis
Philadelphia over Dallas
Green Bay over Atlanta
New Orleans over Philadelphia
Green Bay over New Orleans
Super Bowl
Green Bay over San Diego
MVP
Aaron Rodgers
Coach
Sean Payton
1. c-New England 12-4
2. x-NY Jets 10-6
3. Miami 8-8
4. Buffalo 5-11
AFC North
1. y-Pittsburgh 11-5
2. x-Baltimore 9-7
3. Cleveland 8-8
4. Cincinnati 2-14
AFC South
1. y-Houston 11-5
2. Indianapolis 6-10
3. Tennessee 6-10
4. Jacksonville 5-11
AFC West
1. b-San Diego 12-4
2. Kansas City 9-7
3. Denver 6-10
4. Oakland 6-10
NFC East
1. y-Philadelphia 11-5
2. x-Dallas 9-7
3. NY Giants 7-9
4. Washington 6-10
NFC North
1. c-Green Bay 13-3
2. Detroit 9-7
3. Minnesota 8-8
4. Chicago 8-8
NFC South
1. b-New Orleans 12-4
2. x-Atlanta 12-4
3. Tampa Bay 5-11
4. Carolina 3-13
NFC West
1. y-St. Louis 10-6
2. Arizona 9-7
3. San Francisco 6-10
4. Seattle 5-11
AFC Playoffs
Baltimore over Pittsburgh
NY Jets over Houston
New England over Baltimore
San Diego over NY Jets
San Diego over New England
NFC Playoffs
Atlanta over St. Louis
Philadelphia over Dallas
Green Bay over Atlanta
New Orleans over Philadelphia
Green Bay over New Orleans
Super Bowl
Green Bay over San Diego
MVP
Aaron Rodgers
Coach
Sean Payton
Sunday, September 04, 2011
The last few days
I'd been thinking how blase a lot of my days seem to feel. Wake up, drive, work, drive, gym, home, eat, TV, internet, bed. Well since Thursday, that has been far from the case.
Had my first car accident in at least 4 years Thursday night. I was in downtown Schaumburg, trying to leave Lou Malnati's by turning left onto Roselle Road going south. Well, that was the first time I ever attempted to make that turn. And I will never attempt it again. I got the citation. I was fortunate in two respects: one, only the front bumper was damaged and it was already scratched to begin with. Two, there were no injuries.
It probably took me until Saturday to get past it. I guess I was pretty shaken all of Friday. Didn't really speak too much, my smiles were few. I still have to deal with a court date on six weeks. I just hope the other people in the car will not show up. If I'm fortunate, maybe I can get the ticket dropped. I can only hope.
But enough of depressing topics. Eight days ago, Come Thirsty finally had its first social event since Nathan left us last April. God, it had been way too long. The position of Social Coordinator evolves faster than Yankee managers before Joe Torre. But we did some grilling and played some bags at the Means house. I brought over two hot Italian links from Whole Foods. That was probably the best benefit of working that Saturday shift was that I only had to drive three minutes to Whole Foods. We also went over to J-Schu's new house and ate some wedding cake. I noticed a lot of her furniture, tables and chairs, had scripture verses on it, and it looked very classy. There must have been 12-14 of us or so there over the course of the evening. By the end of the evening, it was myself, Chris, Allison, Jenny, Matt, and Dave the wordy roommate. We played a board game called "The Game of Things" for two hours, till it was maybe 12:30 in the morning. And I polished off maybe 6 beers over the course of the evening, a little more than my share. But we had a great time. we really need to do these events much more often.
Mom and I did get to spend a pretty good Saturday together. Thanks to some long freight train interruptions, it got off to an inauspicious start. But we got through it and worked our way up to Kenosha and Frank's Diner. I just wasn't in a pizza mood, even though Mom wanted lunch. And even though Max and Benny's came up, I really felt like hitting Frank's. I wanted Mom to check it out, I just figured she would like the sharp wit of the servers and the ambience of the tiny dining car. We hit a lot of traffic once we hit Wisconsin, I think the total drive must have taken 2.5 hours. And even when we got to Kenosha, there was a car show right on 58th Street, the very road where the diner is. But we worked our way through it and found two seats at the bar. It's funny, I've been to Frank's three times now, and every time I get the same exact seat, right by the griddle. The temperature in the place is very hot and the pace goes very fast in there with so little space, but going there is a lot of fun. Mom and I each ordered garbage plates, of course, mine had jalapenos. But we set next to this couple from Deerfield, maybe in their 50's. We recommended a few restaurants to each other and then a true gift came to us. they ordered a cinnamon roll and split it into four equal pieces. Mom and I each enjoyed a quarter of gooey goodness. Now I had bacon and sausage with my plate and here's where they do it right. If you order one meat as opposed to two, they don't give you the same amount of meat and split the amounts in half. No, you get double the amount of meat. 25 bucks for that much food
It was 1 pm by now, so we headed straight to Mukwanago. The Elegant Farmer is just this little barn at an intersection in rural Wisconsin with a small market inside. But what a selection! Popcorn, pancake mix, tons of produce, cheeses, Cider baked ham, deli meats, pickles, sauces, sweet breads, fruit crisps, cookies, muffins, and of course, the pies. They are the home of the apple pie baked in a brown paper bag. I first saw this pie on the Food Network maybe two years ago. Then, Mom mentioned it last Monday after she read a book that mentioned it and we made the trip. I have to say the trip was completely worth the drive. I got a 4-inch apple and 4-inch mixed berry pie. The apple pie didn't even make it through the night. I have never had a pie crust with such a rich texture first of all. It was filled with tons of apples, both sweet and tart. But the top crust is what puts this pie literally over the top. It tastes just like a sugar cookie. For five dollars, it is easily one of the top three desserts I have ever had.
We left around 3 pm and got gas in Wisconsin, where it's about 30 cents cheaper than where we live. Unfortunately, I also had to use the men's room inside. I should have been suspicious when the door was locked with a guy waiting outside for ten minutes. Then, that guy took five or six minutes himself. Something was certainly not kosher behind that old wooden door. It turns out some douchebag schmuck took a crap right in the urinal. It was so sick, I wanted to bathe in a tub filled with Lysol. Just guessing it will be hard to get that memory out of my head. Anyway, we stopped at Trader Joe's for some more food shopping. Then, it was off to Willow Creek for Saturday night church service. Lincoln Brewster led worship and the concert really rocked. Now I didn't know the guy, but he used to play lead guitar with Steve Perry, the former lead singer of Journey. I think the songs I remember best will be "God You Reign" and "Everlasting God."
So Labor Day is tomorrow. I picked up hours at work, there was really no reason not to. I mean, think about it, outside of family events, what really happens on Labor Day? But next weekend looks absolutely loaded. Friday night: First group at Doc Babb's. Saturday: Festival of the Vine, Dragon Gate USA. Sunday: 9/11 service at Willow Creek, and the first weekend of football, capped off by Cowboys at Jets on Sunday night.
Had my first car accident in at least 4 years Thursday night. I was in downtown Schaumburg, trying to leave Lou Malnati's by turning left onto Roselle Road going south. Well, that was the first time I ever attempted to make that turn. And I will never attempt it again. I got the citation. I was fortunate in two respects: one, only the front bumper was damaged and it was already scratched to begin with. Two, there were no injuries.
It probably took me until Saturday to get past it. I guess I was pretty shaken all of Friday. Didn't really speak too much, my smiles were few. I still have to deal with a court date on six weeks. I just hope the other people in the car will not show up. If I'm fortunate, maybe I can get the ticket dropped. I can only hope.
But enough of depressing topics. Eight days ago, Come Thirsty finally had its first social event since Nathan left us last April. God, it had been way too long. The position of Social Coordinator evolves faster than Yankee managers before Joe Torre. But we did some grilling and played some bags at the Means house. I brought over two hot Italian links from Whole Foods. That was probably the best benefit of working that Saturday shift was that I only had to drive three minutes to Whole Foods. We also went over to J-Schu's new house and ate some wedding cake. I noticed a lot of her furniture, tables and chairs, had scripture verses on it, and it looked very classy. There must have been 12-14 of us or so there over the course of the evening. By the end of the evening, it was myself, Chris, Allison, Jenny, Matt, and Dave the wordy roommate. We played a board game called "The Game of Things" for two hours, till it was maybe 12:30 in the morning. And I polished off maybe 6 beers over the course of the evening, a little more than my share. But we had a great time. we really need to do these events much more often.
Mom and I did get to spend a pretty good Saturday together. Thanks to some long freight train interruptions, it got off to an inauspicious start. But we got through it and worked our way up to Kenosha and Frank's Diner. I just wasn't in a pizza mood, even though Mom wanted lunch. And even though Max and Benny's came up, I really felt like hitting Frank's. I wanted Mom to check it out, I just figured she would like the sharp wit of the servers and the ambience of the tiny dining car. We hit a lot of traffic once we hit Wisconsin, I think the total drive must have taken 2.5 hours. And even when we got to Kenosha, there was a car show right on 58th Street, the very road where the diner is. But we worked our way through it and found two seats at the bar. It's funny, I've been to Frank's three times now, and every time I get the same exact seat, right by the griddle. The temperature in the place is very hot and the pace goes very fast in there with so little space, but going there is a lot of fun. Mom and I each ordered garbage plates, of course, mine had jalapenos. But we set next to this couple from Deerfield, maybe in their 50's. We recommended a few restaurants to each other and then a true gift came to us. they ordered a cinnamon roll and split it into four equal pieces. Mom and I each enjoyed a quarter of gooey goodness. Now I had bacon and sausage with my plate and here's where they do it right. If you order one meat as opposed to two, they don't give you the same amount of meat and split the amounts in half. No, you get double the amount of meat. 25 bucks for that much food
It was 1 pm by now, so we headed straight to Mukwanago. The Elegant Farmer is just this little barn at an intersection in rural Wisconsin with a small market inside. But what a selection! Popcorn, pancake mix, tons of produce, cheeses, Cider baked ham, deli meats, pickles, sauces, sweet breads, fruit crisps, cookies, muffins, and of course, the pies. They are the home of the apple pie baked in a brown paper bag. I first saw this pie on the Food Network maybe two years ago. Then, Mom mentioned it last Monday after she read a book that mentioned it and we made the trip. I have to say the trip was completely worth the drive. I got a 4-inch apple and 4-inch mixed berry pie. The apple pie didn't even make it through the night. I have never had a pie crust with such a rich texture first of all. It was filled with tons of apples, both sweet and tart. But the top crust is what puts this pie literally over the top. It tastes just like a sugar cookie. For five dollars, it is easily one of the top three desserts I have ever had.
We left around 3 pm and got gas in Wisconsin, where it's about 30 cents cheaper than where we live. Unfortunately, I also had to use the men's room inside. I should have been suspicious when the door was locked with a guy waiting outside for ten minutes. Then, that guy took five or six minutes himself. Something was certainly not kosher behind that old wooden door. It turns out some douchebag schmuck took a crap right in the urinal. It was so sick, I wanted to bathe in a tub filled with Lysol. Just guessing it will be hard to get that memory out of my head. Anyway, we stopped at Trader Joe's for some more food shopping. Then, it was off to Willow Creek for Saturday night church service. Lincoln Brewster led worship and the concert really rocked. Now I didn't know the guy, but he used to play lead guitar with Steve Perry, the former lead singer of Journey. I think the songs I remember best will be "God You Reign" and "Everlasting God."
So Labor Day is tomorrow. I picked up hours at work, there was really no reason not to. I mean, think about it, outside of family events, what really happens on Labor Day? But next weekend looks absolutely loaded. Friday night: First group at Doc Babb's. Saturday: Festival of the Vine, Dragon Gate USA. Sunday: 9/11 service at Willow Creek, and the first weekend of football, capped off by Cowboys at Jets on Sunday night.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Just coming on the end of August…
Whenever we’re in that August 15-August 1 date range, I listen to “Waiting in the Weeds” by the Eagles almost every day. Kind of like listening to the Bee Gees “First of May” every...September 15.
Thanks to Q for inviting me to Cardinals-Cubs in Wrigley Field. Last Sunday night. The only player I reacted to was that scumbag Yadier Molina and I booed him vociferously. Of course, he hit two home runs. But this is the first game I have seen the Cubs lose at home in maybe 5 years. So the law of averages is catching up. The same law had better start catching up for the Mets record in that ballpark.
Before the game, we went to Cheesie’s, about three blocks south of Wrigley. This place specializes in making unique grilled cheese sandwiches. I had the monthly special, the Rocky Balboa. It was American, provolone, and Cheese Whiz along with Philly steak, sautéed mushrooms, and sautéed onions inside two thick pieces of sourdough bread. It was a great sandwich, though I could have used more steak. And the fries were pretty mediocre, I should have gone with sweet potato instead. I did like the Gold Peak iced tea dispenser however.
New York gets hit with the 6.0 earthquake on Tuesday and now Hurricane Irene is going to hit Saturday night. 100 mph winds running through the entire Eastern seaboard.
At long last, Come Thirsty has a social event on Saturday night. We used to do it once every month or two. It’s been four months and that is way too long.
Vanessa is such a sweet, interesting girl. But she’s almost too quiet and elusive. I know I am pretty intense, and to be fair, I don’t know if she can handle it. I don’t know if I really fit in with the whole Midwest mentality sometimes.
How in the world did I stop growing hair in the lower left part of my goatee? I need freakin’ Rogaine for my face!
I love ROH, but right now, I need something to really get me super excited about it again. A new star, a new feud, more shows, just something. Maybe Punk in WWE is overshadowing it a little bit.
Upcoming books: Countdown to Lockdown by Mick Foley and Beyond Belief by Josh Hamilton
I am so ready for hockey season to begin.
Thanks to Q for inviting me to Cardinals-Cubs in Wrigley Field. Last Sunday night. The only player I reacted to was that scumbag Yadier Molina and I booed him vociferously. Of course, he hit two home runs. But this is the first game I have seen the Cubs lose at home in maybe 5 years. So the law of averages is catching up. The same law had better start catching up for the Mets record in that ballpark.
Before the game, we went to Cheesie’s, about three blocks south of Wrigley. This place specializes in making unique grilled cheese sandwiches. I had the monthly special, the Rocky Balboa. It was American, provolone, and Cheese Whiz along with Philly steak, sautéed mushrooms, and sautéed onions inside two thick pieces of sourdough bread. It was a great sandwich, though I could have used more steak. And the fries were pretty mediocre, I should have gone with sweet potato instead. I did like the Gold Peak iced tea dispenser however.
New York gets hit with the 6.0 earthquake on Tuesday and now Hurricane Irene is going to hit Saturday night. 100 mph winds running through the entire Eastern seaboard.
At long last, Come Thirsty has a social event on Saturday night. We used to do it once every month or two. It’s been four months and that is way too long.
Vanessa is such a sweet, interesting girl. But she’s almost too quiet and elusive. I know I am pretty intense, and to be fair, I don’t know if she can handle it. I don’t know if I really fit in with the whole Midwest mentality sometimes.
How in the world did I stop growing hair in the lower left part of my goatee? I need freakin’ Rogaine for my face!
I love ROH, but right now, I need something to really get me super excited about it again. A new star, a new feud, more shows, just something. Maybe Punk in WWE is overshadowing it a little bit.
Upcoming books: Countdown to Lockdown by Mick Foley and Beyond Belief by Josh Hamilton
I am so ready for hockey season to begin.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Hangover Sunday
My eyes are weighing on me, but I'm hanging in there pretty well. Debating if I will go to Dwayne's house to watch Summer Slam or go to the Wood Dale Prairie festival. Probably depends on the weather.
1) Got 6 of 8 matches correct for the ROH show. Davey vs Roderick was awesome, as to be expected. The sleek, new look of the ring and guardrails was tremendous, the lighting looked incredibly professional, and the crowd was hot. Then came the audio issues and unexpected 10-15 minute delays between matches. Taping ended at 12:15 am which was just crazy.
2) Heartbreaking softball loss in the quarterfinals, 13-12. Season over. I batted 3-for-4, scored twice, drove in three, and made two catches, though I missed a dive in the first inning. But I did single and score to lead off the seventh inning when we were down by two. The mental mistakes were a joke. Runners on first and second, two outs, down by one, 5th place hitter coming up. Ground ball to the shortstop. With the muddy infield, he can't field it, so he just traps hit deep in the hole. And our ingenious captain breaks for home. And he's thrown out by three steps. It was a horrible way to lose. We gave them run after run after run.
1) Got 6 of 8 matches correct for the ROH show. Davey vs Roderick was awesome, as to be expected. The sleek, new look of the ring and guardrails was tremendous, the lighting looked incredibly professional, and the crowd was hot. Then came the audio issues and unexpected 10-15 minute delays between matches. Taping ended at 12:15 am which was just crazy.
2) Heartbreaking softball loss in the quarterfinals, 13-12. Season over. I batted 3-for-4, scored twice, drove in three, and made two catches, though I missed a dive in the first inning. But I did single and score to lead off the seventh inning when we were down by two. The mental mistakes were a joke. Runners on first and second, two outs, down by one, 5th place hitter coming up. Ground ball to the shortstop. With the muddy infield, he can't field it, so he just traps hit deep in the hole. And our ingenious captain breaks for home. And he's thrown out by three steps. It was a horrible way to lose. We gave them run after run after run.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
NYC Part 2
So I woke up and her mom went to get us all breakfast from the local bagel joint. I had a fine sandwich and met Francis and his girlfriend, Lauren. I didn't need to see the guy wearing a Cubs hat though! Especially when he's a Yankees fan. Catherine and I left at 9 for a long day in the city.
We took a five minute walk to the Middle Village subway station, the last stop on the M line. I must say, it must be pretty cool to live so close to public transportation. And the hour long Metra rail to Chicago does not count, at least not compared to this.
We walked Christ the King, where she went to high school. While we were sitting on the platform waiting for the train to arrive, we shared our first daytime kiss. The heat was really getting intense. And the weather was getting warm also...Anyway, I digress. We took the M, L, and some other line to Brooklyn Heights, where St. Francis College is. So I finally got to see where Dad went to school.
We stopped at Tim Horton's/Nathan's/Pizza Hut/KFC. Catherine got her customary iced coffee. More than anything, I needed water, but I passed. We then did something I always wanted to do in New York, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. There isn't much room either way, but man, those bicyclists ride in their lane like they own the whole thing! I got some great views of Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty. After we passed the halfway point, there was a huge film crew taking half the bridge. From what I could gather, they were preparing shoot another one of those Geico ads. Guess I have to keep my eyes open for that one.
We walked over to the South Street Seaport. There was a crew preparing a stage for a concert and a lot of boats going in and out, kind of like Navy Pier. I really appreciate the $1.00 Dasanis, especially after so much walking! But of course, we had to stop in the Yankees Clubhouse store. Catherine almost forgot her camera in there, but thankfully, we recovered it. I was just happy to grab some A/C. We went in the "mall" area and I brought a couple of magnets designed to look like New York subway lines. We also brought a few caps at Lids, she got a Brooklyn Dodgers and a Guinness hat while I got a sweet Jets hat. It's mostly black and green, but the design of the colors make the hat look really fashionable. The other place we checked out was the Christmas store. We saw lots of ornaments and decorations. Some were even sports-themed. Catherine was a little agitated that they had Islanders merchandise, but no Rangers. I pointed out they didn't have any Knicks stuff either, so maybe it was a MSG thing.
We took another train up to Greenwich Village, where her grandmother lives. We rang her doorbell, not knowing if she'd answer, since she was preparing to leave for a month-long trip to Italy that very afternoon. Well, she was there. And so were her uncle, aunt, and two ten-year-old twin cousins, Michael and Gabriella. Sadly, they're all Yankee fans. But at least I felt accepted when I said I was a Rangers fan.
Now this is one of those old school residence buildings. the apartment was on the fifth floor and there is no elevator. All I could think was how brutal it must to be move in and out of there. But the apartment amazed me. It made my grandparents old Brooklyn residence look like a Victorian mansion. Three tiny bedrooms, a kitchen that would fit in most of today's bathrooms and a bathroom that was so small, I could not even extend my arms. I'm certainly not complaining about it, but considering how large a "single-family home" is nowadays (three levels, three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, two-car garage, etc), I can't imagine a family of four staying in a apartment so small without constantly annoying each other.
I did manage to get a beautiful slice of pizza from Pizza Box, a local Greenwich joint. Oh it was so perfect! I also drank a small glass of cherry-flavored seltzer. I think nobody drinks seltzer except New Yorkers who are 60 years old and up. And I can understand why. Put it this way, I prefer cherry Coke to cherry seltzer.
We didn't have too much time to spend in the Village so we took some subway line to the NHL Store. I have to say first, I give Catherine all the props, that she knows these lines inside and out. Anyway back to the store. There was one rack with just Rangers and Blackhawks jerseys. It was like that rack was meant just for Catherine to explore! I didn't purchase anything, I had already spent like $50 already. I still want one of those Rangers Heritage jerseys though! But it's true, we all want what we can't have, don't we?
There was a street festival going on right outside too. The smoothie bar looked particularly inviting. But we walked northeast, past Radio City Music Hall and NBC Studios to Rockefeller Plaza. This was actually the same area I walked through with Mom and Dad last August. I have to admit, it made me feel a little melancholy. We found Tri-Tip Grill. We spent about $12 each and I have to say we made a good choice. I had a solid 6-ounce tri-tip sandwich with au jus and caramelized onions. The beef was very tender, a little peppery for sure. But I added some BBQ sauce and that really helped to balance out the flavors much better. The fries with BBQ sauce tasted really good too.
It was around 3 pm by now so we headed towards Yankee Stadium. We got to walk through Times Square first though. I wish I could retrace the subway lines but there is no way I can do that. I know we got on the 4 eventually. And there were a few couples making out on the train too. When we arrived, the first game of the doubleheader was in the 8th inning and the Yankees led by a large margin. We went over to the Dugout and had a couple of beers. There was one drunk douche who was standing/leaning in the middle of the floor. He was holding a full bottle of Coors Light and I saw him drop it. It landed on the side, so half the beer poured out. He picked it up, only to immediately drop it again. Here's the deal, if you're too drunk to hold onto the beer bottle, it's probably time to call it a night. I also remember there was a group of folk near us, three guys and a girl. I have no idea who knew who. But they were talking Giants and Jets and the girl, who was incredibly wasted, saw my Jets hat and called me Mark Sanchez, her boyfriend. I left that one alone.
So we had to stand outside the stadium for 45 minutes in 90 degree heat, while we waited for the doors to open for the nightcap. We got in and headed straight to the Yankee Museum in right field. A wall of autographs, a wall with a baseball signed of almost every Yankee, displays for every World Series ring, displays for Lou Gehrig, George Steinbrenner, and Hispanic ballplayers.
We went into the Steiner store just to see what memorabilia was available. Games, uniforms, lineup cards, bats, there was some cool stuff. Right outside was the fresh lemonade stand and I happily gulped one down. I mean, the cheapest beer I could find cost $9.00. Out here, I can buy a 12-pack of MGD or Budweiser for $9.00 if I want. By the time we got to the Stadium, my feet were throbbing from so much walking, I just had to sit.
We sat in the upper deck right field stands, about halfway up, a pretty good spot. The Orioles threatened to score in the top of the first inning, but failed. The Yankees? Well, by the time they were done with the first inning, they were leading 12-0. the one inning alone lasted an entire hour. They wound up winning 17-3. And during the inning, Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer, giving the Nationals all the runs they would need against the Mets. I cursed him out. Apparently, that did not go over so well.
I said nothing for a good three hours. It wasn't that the Yankees were winning. The game was boring, I was exhausted, and I felt very uneasy that my 20's were all but over. We left in the eighth inning and it took a good hour and fifteen minutes to get home. We had to wait on the platform for at least ten minutes for the 4 train, which made about 15 stops before we got off. I guess it was 11 pm when we got back to Middle Village. And Nicole was waiting for us in her car, I guess he had been waiting for over an hour. Her first words I heard her say..."I gotta pee so bad."
We all went inside and chatted with Catherine's mom for about a half hour. But in truth, I was ready to settle down in the basement. I started packing, used the Internet and drank Yuengling beer for the first time in my life. I wound up having two, it was so good. Shame we can't get that beer in Illinois. Meanwhile, she took a shower and came downstairs in a Corona tank top and athletic shorts. It was good.
And so the morning arrived. It was my birthday. Number 30. July 31, 2011. We got up around 5:30 and I got the 7:10 plane out. How I made it to church, softball, and dinner at ZaZa's and didn't completely pass out, I have no idea. My eyes were half open the entire day.
We took a five minute walk to the Middle Village subway station, the last stop on the M line. I must say, it must be pretty cool to live so close to public transportation. And the hour long Metra rail to Chicago does not count, at least not compared to this.
We walked Christ the King, where she went to high school. While we were sitting on the platform waiting for the train to arrive, we shared our first daytime kiss. The heat was really getting intense. And the weather was getting warm also...Anyway, I digress. We took the M, L, and some other line to Brooklyn Heights, where St. Francis College is. So I finally got to see where Dad went to school.
We stopped at Tim Horton's/Nathan's/Pizza Hut/KFC. Catherine got her customary iced coffee. More than anything, I needed water, but I passed. We then did something I always wanted to do in New York, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. There isn't much room either way, but man, those bicyclists ride in their lane like they own the whole thing! I got some great views of Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty. After we passed the halfway point, there was a huge film crew taking half the bridge. From what I could gather, they were preparing shoot another one of those Geico ads. Guess I have to keep my eyes open for that one.
We walked over to the South Street Seaport. There was a crew preparing a stage for a concert and a lot of boats going in and out, kind of like Navy Pier. I really appreciate the $1.00 Dasanis, especially after so much walking! But of course, we had to stop in the Yankees Clubhouse store. Catherine almost forgot her camera in there, but thankfully, we recovered it. I was just happy to grab some A/C. We went in the "mall" area and I brought a couple of magnets designed to look like New York subway lines. We also brought a few caps at Lids, she got a Brooklyn Dodgers and a Guinness hat while I got a sweet Jets hat. It's mostly black and green, but the design of the colors make the hat look really fashionable. The other place we checked out was the Christmas store. We saw lots of ornaments and decorations. Some were even sports-themed. Catherine was a little agitated that they had Islanders merchandise, but no Rangers. I pointed out they didn't have any Knicks stuff either, so maybe it was a MSG thing.
We took another train up to Greenwich Village, where her grandmother lives. We rang her doorbell, not knowing if she'd answer, since she was preparing to leave for a month-long trip to Italy that very afternoon. Well, she was there. And so were her uncle, aunt, and two ten-year-old twin cousins, Michael and Gabriella. Sadly, they're all Yankee fans. But at least I felt accepted when I said I was a Rangers fan.
Now this is one of those old school residence buildings. the apartment was on the fifth floor and there is no elevator. All I could think was how brutal it must to be move in and out of there. But the apartment amazed me. It made my grandparents old Brooklyn residence look like a Victorian mansion. Three tiny bedrooms, a kitchen that would fit in most of today's bathrooms and a bathroom that was so small, I could not even extend my arms. I'm certainly not complaining about it, but considering how large a "single-family home" is nowadays (three levels, three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, two-car garage, etc), I can't imagine a family of four staying in a apartment so small without constantly annoying each other.
I did manage to get a beautiful slice of pizza from Pizza Box, a local Greenwich joint. Oh it was so perfect! I also drank a small glass of cherry-flavored seltzer. I think nobody drinks seltzer except New Yorkers who are 60 years old and up. And I can understand why. Put it this way, I prefer cherry Coke to cherry seltzer.
We didn't have too much time to spend in the Village so we took some subway line to the NHL Store. I have to say first, I give Catherine all the props, that she knows these lines inside and out. Anyway back to the store. There was one rack with just Rangers and Blackhawks jerseys. It was like that rack was meant just for Catherine to explore! I didn't purchase anything, I had already spent like $50 already. I still want one of those Rangers Heritage jerseys though! But it's true, we all want what we can't have, don't we?
There was a street festival going on right outside too. The smoothie bar looked particularly inviting. But we walked northeast, past Radio City Music Hall and NBC Studios to Rockefeller Plaza. This was actually the same area I walked through with Mom and Dad last August. I have to admit, it made me feel a little melancholy. We found Tri-Tip Grill. We spent about $12 each and I have to say we made a good choice. I had a solid 6-ounce tri-tip sandwich with au jus and caramelized onions. The beef was very tender, a little peppery for sure. But I added some BBQ sauce and that really helped to balance out the flavors much better. The fries with BBQ sauce tasted really good too.
It was around 3 pm by now so we headed towards Yankee Stadium. We got to walk through Times Square first though. I wish I could retrace the subway lines but there is no way I can do that. I know we got on the 4 eventually. And there were a few couples making out on the train too. When we arrived, the first game of the doubleheader was in the 8th inning and the Yankees led by a large margin. We went over to the Dugout and had a couple of beers. There was one drunk douche who was standing/leaning in the middle of the floor. He was holding a full bottle of Coors Light and I saw him drop it. It landed on the side, so half the beer poured out. He picked it up, only to immediately drop it again. Here's the deal, if you're too drunk to hold onto the beer bottle, it's probably time to call it a night. I also remember there was a group of folk near us, three guys and a girl. I have no idea who knew who. But they were talking Giants and Jets and the girl, who was incredibly wasted, saw my Jets hat and called me Mark Sanchez, her boyfriend. I left that one alone.
So we had to stand outside the stadium for 45 minutes in 90 degree heat, while we waited for the doors to open for the nightcap. We got in and headed straight to the Yankee Museum in right field. A wall of autographs, a wall with a baseball signed of almost every Yankee, displays for every World Series ring, displays for Lou Gehrig, George Steinbrenner, and Hispanic ballplayers.
We went into the Steiner store just to see what memorabilia was available. Games, uniforms, lineup cards, bats, there was some cool stuff. Right outside was the fresh lemonade stand and I happily gulped one down. I mean, the cheapest beer I could find cost $9.00. Out here, I can buy a 12-pack of MGD or Budweiser for $9.00 if I want. By the time we got to the Stadium, my feet were throbbing from so much walking, I just had to sit.
We sat in the upper deck right field stands, about halfway up, a pretty good spot. The Orioles threatened to score in the top of the first inning, but failed. The Yankees? Well, by the time they were done with the first inning, they were leading 12-0. the one inning alone lasted an entire hour. They wound up winning 17-3. And during the inning, Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer, giving the Nationals all the runs they would need against the Mets. I cursed him out. Apparently, that did not go over so well.
I said nothing for a good three hours. It wasn't that the Yankees were winning. The game was boring, I was exhausted, and I felt very uneasy that my 20's were all but over. We left in the eighth inning and it took a good hour and fifteen minutes to get home. We had to wait on the platform for at least ten minutes for the 4 train, which made about 15 stops before we got off. I guess it was 11 pm when we got back to Middle Village. And Nicole was waiting for us in her car, I guess he had been waiting for over an hour. Her first words I heard her say..."I gotta pee so bad."
We all went inside and chatted with Catherine's mom for about a half hour. But in truth, I was ready to settle down in the basement. I started packing, used the Internet and drank Yuengling beer for the first time in my life. I wound up having two, it was so good. Shame we can't get that beer in Illinois. Meanwhile, she took a shower and came downstairs in a Corona tank top and athletic shorts. It was good.
And so the morning arrived. It was my birthday. Number 30. July 31, 2011. We got up around 5:30 and I got the 7:10 plane out. How I made it to church, softball, and dinner at ZaZa's and didn't completely pass out, I have no idea. My eyes were half open the entire day.
Friday, August 12, 2011
ROH Taping tomorrow
Well, tomorrow night, Ring of Honor holds their first TV taping for the Sinclair Broadcast network. I am seriously pumped up for this show, though it will likely mark the last appearance of the Kings of Wrestling in ROH before they head to WWE. My picks are in bold.
ROH World Title Match
Davey Richards defends vs. Roderick Strong with Truth Martini
World Tag Team Title Match
Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas) vs. The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) with Shane Hagadorn
World TV Title Match
El Generico defends vs. Jay Lethal
Grudge Tag Team Match
Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. The All Night Express
“Defy or Deny” Rematch
Eddie Edwards vs. Michael Elgin with Truth Martini
Tag Team Challenge Match
Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly vs. The Bravado Brothers
Singles Action
Jimmy Jacobs with Steve Corino vs. “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett with Brutal Bob
Singles Action
Tommaso Ciampa with The Embassy vs. Andy “Right Leg” Ridge
ROH World Title Match
Davey Richards defends vs. Roderick Strong with Truth Martini
World Tag Team Title Match
Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas) vs. The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) with Shane Hagadorn
World TV Title Match
El Generico defends vs. Jay Lethal
Grudge Tag Team Match
Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. The All Night Express
“Defy or Deny” Rematch
Eddie Edwards vs. Michael Elgin with Truth Martini
Tag Team Challenge Match
Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly vs. The Bravado Brothers
Singles Action
Jimmy Jacobs with Steve Corino vs. “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett with Brutal Bob
Singles Action
Tommaso Ciampa with The Embassy vs. Andy “Right Leg” Ridge
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
NYC Part 1
It has been two weeks since this trip happened and I don't know if I have the patience to write the whole 36 hours out. But here goes.
I left work at 4 and was planning to take a 6:40 flight from O'Hare to LaGuardia. I got there in time for a flight scheduled 90 minutes prior. I got on the plane with no problem and even got to sit in first class. But while I had been riding the Monorail to the terminal, Catherine texted me that there were heavy storms in New York. When I checked the flight board, I saw the later flights were delayed, but mine looked fine.
Well, we got on the plane and we wound up sitting on the runway for two hours. But I will say, if you're sitting on an airplane and not going anywhere, it's better to be sitting in first class. We were served drinks and hot roasted nuts.
We took off around 7:30. For dinner, I had a subpar chicken breast, salad, sweet potatoes, and the hardest, most in edible roll of all time. I mean, really, if I can't eat a roll, it has to stink. And it did. The two glasses of red wine made the flight much smoother, I must say.
During the flight in, we actually flew right over top of Yankee Stadium and a game was going on. But the coolest thing was seeing lightning flash in the nighttime sky. Down below were the lights of New York City. And up above shone these streaks of glowing light. It was quite a sight to see from 25,000 feet in the air.
We arrived at LaGuardia around 10 p.m. I turned on my phone and discovered to my aggravation that Nnamdi Asomugah signed with Philadelphia and not the Jets. Anyway, I could see Catherine from 50 yards away, right outside security. I pretended not to notice her and walked right by, before smiling, and giving her a huge hug. We hopped a cab for a 20-minute ride back to her house in Middle Village.
All I can say about the house is this. The main level is filled with cat artifacts and the basement looks like a shrine to the Yankees. Her dad was nice enough to get a few hero sandwiches for us to munch on. I had half a meatball sandwich and half an eggplant parmesan sandwich. Just that Italian bread by itself had that unique, earthy New York taste that just cannot be duplicated anyplace else. Despite having dinner already, I made room for them. I met her parents and unfortunately, two cats. Anyway, her mom reminds me of some of my relatives with the thick NY accent. Her dad was pretty cool too. I brought all of them Carole's cookies and they wiped them all out with total ease.
But within about a half hour, my eyes started to water and my nose began running. Despite the warnings that you should take no more than one Claritin every 24 hours, I took two maybe three hours apart. So we settled in the basement and she showed me her old Rangers videos. We popped in Marek Malik's shootout and Mark Messier's retirement. Actually, to be honest, we didn't spend all our time watching the videos...That took till about 2 in the morning. I fell asleep around 2:30 and slept on the couch very soundly. I must say I was quite startled when the alarm for 7 am rang.
I left work at 4 and was planning to take a 6:40 flight from O'Hare to LaGuardia. I got there in time for a flight scheduled 90 minutes prior. I got on the plane with no problem and even got to sit in first class. But while I had been riding the Monorail to the terminal, Catherine texted me that there were heavy storms in New York. When I checked the flight board, I saw the later flights were delayed, but mine looked fine.
Well, we got on the plane and we wound up sitting on the runway for two hours. But I will say, if you're sitting on an airplane and not going anywhere, it's better to be sitting in first class. We were served drinks and hot roasted nuts.
We took off around 7:30. For dinner, I had a subpar chicken breast, salad, sweet potatoes, and the hardest, most in edible roll of all time. I mean, really, if I can't eat a roll, it has to stink. And it did. The two glasses of red wine made the flight much smoother, I must say.
During the flight in, we actually flew right over top of Yankee Stadium and a game was going on. But the coolest thing was seeing lightning flash in the nighttime sky. Down below were the lights of New York City. And up above shone these streaks of glowing light. It was quite a sight to see from 25,000 feet in the air.
We arrived at LaGuardia around 10 p.m. I turned on my phone and discovered to my aggravation that Nnamdi Asomugah signed with Philadelphia and not the Jets. Anyway, I could see Catherine from 50 yards away, right outside security. I pretended not to notice her and walked right by, before smiling, and giving her a huge hug. We hopped a cab for a 20-minute ride back to her house in Middle Village.
All I can say about the house is this. The main level is filled with cat artifacts and the basement looks like a shrine to the Yankees. Her dad was nice enough to get a few hero sandwiches for us to munch on. I had half a meatball sandwich and half an eggplant parmesan sandwich. Just that Italian bread by itself had that unique, earthy New York taste that just cannot be duplicated anyplace else. Despite having dinner already, I made room for them. I met her parents and unfortunately, two cats. Anyway, her mom reminds me of some of my relatives with the thick NY accent. Her dad was pretty cool too. I brought all of them Carole's cookies and they wiped them all out with total ease.
But within about a half hour, my eyes started to water and my nose began running. Despite the warnings that you should take no more than one Claritin every 24 hours, I took two maybe three hours apart. So we settled in the basement and she showed me her old Rangers videos. We popped in Marek Malik's shootout and Mark Messier's retirement. Actually, to be honest, we didn't spend all our time watching the videos...That took till about 2 in the morning. I fell asleep around 2:30 and slept on the couch very soundly. I must say I was quite startled when the alarm for 7 am rang.
Monday, August 01, 2011
30
First full day with a 3 in front of my age. I'll have to post about my vacation maybe when I am in a good mood. Right now, I could not be more miserable.
1) Only the fucking Mets can do this. Two straight days. Losing in the 9th inning. Two outs. Home run to tie the game. And they lose the game in the next inning thanks to horseshit fundamentals, especially from Daniel Murphy. He has a very good bat and the baseball IQ of frozen yogurt. And to top tonight's disaster off, Catherine goes to the game tonight, sits in the left field stands, and gets Mike Stanton's grand slam ball. I want that ball so I can blow up the motherfucker.
2) Hundreds of dollars spent today on tires. And Royal Coach wants to charge me $800 to fix the scratch underneath my right headlight. Eight hundred for that? Kiss my arse.
3) The Nassau Coliseum bill did not pass. So the Islanders will likely move in four years. I'm not happy and I'm not sad. I'm for anything that will help the NHL grow and the Rangers win. And this was a great rivalry, but both teams haven't been good at the same time in 18 years. And no longer will the Isles just give effort just when they play the Rangers. Soon, they will be just another team on the schedule.
4) How was Dwight Yoakam not at least nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Sling Blade?
5) NFL free agency is a week old. Jets keep Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie, Eric Smith, Wayne Hunter, and Nick Folk. They add Plaxico Burress at wide receiver and Donald Strickland at CB. They lose Braylon Edwards, Brad Smith, Jason Taylor, Steve Weatherford, Kellen Clemens, Drew Coleman, and Brodney Pool. I still want to see them keep Shaun Ellis and James Ighedibo. Maybe Tony Richardson at fullback if there is space. And of course, the failure to get Naamdi Asomugha, who, along with Darrelle Revis, would have given the Jets the greatest pair of cornerbacks in the history of football. But he goes to Philly. Still no legitimate pass rusher. All six draft picks are signed. It's a decent offseason. Not great. I'm not feeling too good, considering the improvements New England (Haynesworth, Ocho Cinco) and Miami (Bush) made, but who really knows.
6) Nice to have a Blu-Ray player.
7) Thanks to ZaZa's for their sausage appetizer and carrot cake. Nothing short of amazing.
8) Gym is closed for two weeks. Really ticks me off.
9) The Florida State Fair is serving a cheeseburger topped with a scoop of deep fried ice cream. The "reasoning" behind that idea was putting the milkshake right on the burger.
10) Could go for some Jack Daniels about now.
1) Only the fucking Mets can do this. Two straight days. Losing in the 9th inning. Two outs. Home run to tie the game. And they lose the game in the next inning thanks to horseshit fundamentals, especially from Daniel Murphy. He has a very good bat and the baseball IQ of frozen yogurt. And to top tonight's disaster off, Catherine goes to the game tonight, sits in the left field stands, and gets Mike Stanton's grand slam ball. I want that ball so I can blow up the motherfucker.
2) Hundreds of dollars spent today on tires. And Royal Coach wants to charge me $800 to fix the scratch underneath my right headlight. Eight hundred for that? Kiss my arse.
3) The Nassau Coliseum bill did not pass. So the Islanders will likely move in four years. I'm not happy and I'm not sad. I'm for anything that will help the NHL grow and the Rangers win. And this was a great rivalry, but both teams haven't been good at the same time in 18 years. And no longer will the Isles just give effort just when they play the Rangers. Soon, they will be just another team on the schedule.
4) How was Dwight Yoakam not at least nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Sling Blade?
5) NFL free agency is a week old. Jets keep Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie, Eric Smith, Wayne Hunter, and Nick Folk. They add Plaxico Burress at wide receiver and Donald Strickland at CB. They lose Braylon Edwards, Brad Smith, Jason Taylor, Steve Weatherford, Kellen Clemens, Drew Coleman, and Brodney Pool. I still want to see them keep Shaun Ellis and James Ighedibo. Maybe Tony Richardson at fullback if there is space. And of course, the failure to get Naamdi Asomugha, who, along with Darrelle Revis, would have given the Jets the greatest pair of cornerbacks in the history of football. But he goes to Philly. Still no legitimate pass rusher. All six draft picks are signed. It's a decent offseason. Not great. I'm not feeling too good, considering the improvements New England (Haynesworth, Ocho Cinco) and Miami (Bush) made, but who really knows.
6) Nice to have a Blu-Ray player.
7) Thanks to ZaZa's for their sausage appetizer and carrot cake. Nothing short of amazing.
8) Gym is closed for two weeks. Really ticks me off.
9) The Florida State Fair is serving a cheeseburger topped with a scoop of deep fried ice cream. The "reasoning" behind that idea was putting the milkshake right on the burger.
10) Could go for some Jack Daniels about now.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Money In the Bank
July 17, 2011. Rosemont, Illinois. The All State Arena. WWE presents Money in the Bank.
Outside of Wrestlemania, this is the biggest PPV I can remember in years. I am thrilled that I am able to attend. CM Punk has brought WWE mainstream media attention I never expected it to receive. As Punk said himself, the only time the company receives this type of attention is when somebody dies.
Punk challenges John Cena for the WWE title. Punk's contract ends on July 17 and he has promised to leave the company after the show as the WWE Champion, just like he threatened to leave ROH as their world champion back in 2005. Also, if Punk wins, Vince McMahon has guaranteed he will fire John Cena. If Cena wins, we riot.
I have ran through a lot of scenarios in my head. I certainly don't expect to leave the arena with Punk as the champion. And we've seen Cena get fired before, and he returned seven days later so that's a bunch of bull. My guess is one of the winners of the ladder matches will cash in their contracts on the spot.
A few other things.
1) Whiskey shrimp at the Shanty is amazingly good.
2) Waiting for ROH to schedule some more shows already...
3) Thanks CP for blowing me off at VV tonight. Get your arthritic ass back to Seattle.
4) Five Guys? Gene and Jude's? Kuma's? Where shall I go?
5) I fell asleep writing this! My second nap of the day. I get it, I'm going to bed now.
Outside of Wrestlemania, this is the biggest PPV I can remember in years. I am thrilled that I am able to attend. CM Punk has brought WWE mainstream media attention I never expected it to receive. As Punk said himself, the only time the company receives this type of attention is when somebody dies.
Punk challenges John Cena for the WWE title. Punk's contract ends on July 17 and he has promised to leave the company after the show as the WWE Champion, just like he threatened to leave ROH as their world champion back in 2005. Also, if Punk wins, Vince McMahon has guaranteed he will fire John Cena. If Cena wins, we riot.
I have ran through a lot of scenarios in my head. I certainly don't expect to leave the arena with Punk as the champion. And we've seen Cena get fired before, and he returned seven days later so that's a bunch of bull. My guess is one of the winners of the ladder matches will cash in their contracts on the spot.
A few other things.
1) Whiskey shrimp at the Shanty is amazingly good.
2) Waiting for ROH to schedule some more shows already...
3) Thanks CP for blowing me off at VV tonight. Get your arthritic ass back to Seattle.
4) Five Guys? Gene and Jude's? Kuma's? Where shall I go?
5) I fell asleep writing this! My second nap of the day. I get it, I'm going to bed now.
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Frisbee recap
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.
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.
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.
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