134 days until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training 2008
183 days until opening day 2008
-P
Monday, October 29, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
My favorite quote from last night's 30 Rock...
Jack Donaghy to Liz Lemon: "Never go with a hippie to a second location."
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Wildfires
From the number of emails and calls I have received over the last 48 hours, it is apparent that the rest of the country and world (hello England & Bulgaria) is now very aware of the massive wildfires burning in Southern California. I am very fortunate that my rustic cottage and the homes of my friends are safe. I do know people who have been evacuated and are currently residing elsewhere.
My thoughts are with the people who must spend their days worrying about whether all their worldly possessions (however few or many they had as of last Sunday) are still intact or if they are ruined by the Santa-Ana-fires. I also think about the people who already know the sad fate of their homes. The local organization and evacuation efforts seem to be running very smoothly and successfully. Some evacuation centers were overwhelmed with volunteers & donations. Another positive coming out of so much destruction and sadness is that dogs, cats and even horses are being cared for when people must evacuate. One headline read "Regardless of Zip Code, We Are All in this Together".
The last few evenings I have gathered with friends for food, drinks and games - a great way to have fun and take our minds off of all the bad news. We are very fortunate that we have such an option. San Diego American Red Cross Donations-P
When I saw these fires break out on Sunday, I asked the network to send me. My job isn’t to man the fire lines, or help evacuate neighborhoods…it’s to tell the stories of those who do and to inform the public. But for me, it’s more than that. My wife and children have close friends here. I have friends here. I love this place.
So it’s at once heartbreaking, and awe inspiring to see a fire line roar up the side of a mountain slope, or race through bone dry brush. And when you’ve worked enough fires like this, you learn to spot the sign of a home erupting in flames beyond the next ridge line. A surge of black smoke billowing into the sky, the smell of nylon and household chemicals burning, another dream home…however humble or magnificent…lost.
This fire will eventually go out. The thousands who’ve lost their homes and businesses will rebuild and move on. But the memory of a fire like this lasts forever. - Don Teague, NBC Correspondent
My thoughts are with the people who must spend their days worrying about whether all their worldly possessions (however few or many they had as of last Sunday) are still intact or if they are ruined by the Santa-Ana-fires. I also think about the people who already know the sad fate of their homes. The local organization and evacuation efforts seem to be running very smoothly and successfully. Some evacuation centers were overwhelmed with volunteers & donations. Another positive coming out of so much destruction and sadness is that dogs, cats and even horses are being cared for when people must evacuate. One headline read "Regardless of Zip Code, We Are All in this Together".
The last few evenings I have gathered with friends for food, drinks and games - a great way to have fun and take our minds off of all the bad news. We are very fortunate that we have such an option. San Diego American Red Cross Donations-P
When I saw these fires break out on Sunday, I asked the network to send me. My job isn’t to man the fire lines, or help evacuate neighborhoods…it’s to tell the stories of those who do and to inform the public. But for me, it’s more than that. My wife and children have close friends here. I have friends here. I love this place.
So it’s at once heartbreaking, and awe inspiring to see a fire line roar up the side of a mountain slope, or race through bone dry brush. And when you’ve worked enough fires like this, you learn to spot the sign of a home erupting in flames beyond the next ridge line. A surge of black smoke billowing into the sky, the smell of nylon and household chemicals burning, another dream home…however humble or magnificent…lost.
This fire will eventually go out. The thousands who’ve lost their homes and businesses will rebuild and move on. But the memory of a fire like this lasts forever. - Don Teague, NBC Correspondent
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Sirius, I Seriously Need You
While at work clearing out and updating a retired emeritus' office, I knew I could use some noise to keep me entertained. I brought in a boombox the department had stored and tuned to some local stations. I went about my work and soon realized I was annoyed: nothing but commercials. I really don't care about the quality of girls at Deja Vu Gentleman's Club nor do I have a drinking problem, thus needing the Alcohol Rehabilitation business advertised. No music? I changed stations: more ads, more "wacky" disc jockeys with the lame gags. Finally, some 15 year old Sade tune. But after that, more ads. This got me missing my usual fix for talk radio or music, in the car or at home, always at my fingertips.
Back on January 8th, 2006 on a cold, dreary Sunday in Iowa City, I drove to my nearby Radio Shack and made a big purchase. I bought a Sirius Satellite boom box and car installation package along with a one year subscription. I spent the rest of the day unpacking the boxes, patiently waiting on hold to get my system set up. There was a backlog and I knew why. On Monday, January 9th Howard Stern would begin airing his show exclusively on Sirius Satellite radio. I had not been able to listen to Howard in over 5 years - since moving back to the Midwest and I missed him. Desperately. Seriously.
I got the hardware functioning Sunday night and set my clock for 4:58am. Why? Because Howard's east coast show would begin at 5 am my time and I wasn't going to miss a minute. I woke up that Monday morning and listened to the constantly pounding heartbeat sound that had been playing in anticipation of HS's show. And then finally! There it was! That low, semi-nasally voice! True to form, Howard was complaining about his staff and technical glitches in his studio within the first 10 minutes. Just like he did all those years earlier. I was happy and satisfied.
I pay roughly $13 a month for my Sirius Satellite subscription. (I would pay more - shhh!). In addition to Howard's two channels (his show does have some ads, so if they start, I just switch to the other Howard channel for that replay since they loop his daily show all day), I get access to over 150 music, news and comedy channels. There's First Wave the new wave music channel that I know almost every song on. There's Backspin playing some funk, the Bruce Springsteen and Frank Sinatra-only channels. And then there's Sirius Love always good for a sappy love song and where I am most likely to hear my beloved Air Supply. To me, those channels are all free and I pay for my Howard fix - the serious Sirius addict that I am.
Back on January 8th, 2006 on a cold, dreary Sunday in Iowa City, I drove to my nearby Radio Shack and made a big purchase. I bought a Sirius Satellite boom box and car installation package along with a one year subscription. I spent the rest of the day unpacking the boxes, patiently waiting on hold to get my system set up. There was a backlog and I knew why. On Monday, January 9th Howard Stern would begin airing his show exclusively on Sirius Satellite radio. I had not been able to listen to Howard in over 5 years - since moving back to the Midwest and I missed him. Desperately. Seriously.
I got the hardware functioning Sunday night and set my clock for 4:58am. Why? Because Howard's east coast show would begin at 5 am my time and I wasn't going to miss a minute. I woke up that Monday morning and listened to the constantly pounding heartbeat sound that had been playing in anticipation of HS's show. And then finally! There it was! That low, semi-nasally voice! True to form, Howard was complaining about his staff and technical glitches in his studio within the first 10 minutes. Just like he did all those years earlier. I was happy and satisfied.
I pay roughly $13 a month for my Sirius Satellite subscription. (I would pay more - shhh!). In addition to Howard's two channels (his show does have some ads, so if they start, I just switch to the other Howard channel for that replay since they loop his daily show all day), I get access to over 150 music, news and comedy channels. There's First Wave the new wave music channel that I know almost every song on. There's Backspin playing some funk, the Bruce Springsteen and Frank Sinatra-only channels. And then there's Sirius Love always good for a sappy love song and where I am most likely to hear my beloved Air Supply. To me, those channels are all free and I pay for my Howard fix - the serious Sirius addict that I am.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Milhouse has left Duff Stadium...
To quote 80's teen popstar and mall-touring chanteuse, Tiffany, my post-season baseball viewing "...could've been so beautiful, could've been so right..." but now that dream is over. The hope to drive six hours with my fluffy pooch on my lap heading toward a lifelong goal with a fun pal, eating overpriced trans-fatty foods and delicious micro-brewed beer, well, that could still in theory happen, but not while viewing baseball live and in person at Chase Field in Arizona. True to my Cubs fan status - there is always next year.
Life is short. I can't sit around whining about how things didn't go my way. I must buck up, put on my jammy pants and watch other teams play post-season baseball - on television.
I am hoping for a Cleveland v. Colorado World Series now. The Rockies have the finely-tushed Tulowitzki and the Indians provide the fetching Grady Sizemore, who allows my eyes-more handsomeness than your typical Major Leaguer. I like to think I make the best of what life brings, but I'll always have my memories of the laser-printed, bar-coded post-season tickets I clutched in my happy hands that now must go into the emotionless recycling bin, but "...I'll never hold what could've been, on a cold and lonely night".
-P
Life is short. I can't sit around whining about how things didn't go my way. I must buck up, put on my jammy pants and watch other teams play post-season baseball - on television.
I am hoping for a Cleveland v. Colorado World Series now. The Rockies have the finely-tushed Tulowitzki and the Indians provide the fetching Grady Sizemore, who allows my eyes-more handsomeness than your typical Major Leaguer. I like to think I make the best of what life brings, but I'll always have my memories of the laser-printed, bar-coded post-season tickets I clutched in my happy hands that now must go into the emotionless recycling bin, but "...I'll never hold what could've been, on a cold and lonely night".
-P
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Everything's Coming Up Milhouse!!!
Hooray! I have a renter for my IC condo (after nearly 3 months of paying mortgage for...empty space and not much else) which allows me to re-activate my entertainment spending!! The timing of this could not be better: there are NLCS tickets still for sale in nearby Arizona! My love for travel and spontaneous adventures (8 days in advance can be considered spontaneous, yeah?) kicked right in when I put two and two together: entertainment spending + post-season baseball tickets available = FUN!!!
My pal Bonnie and I attended 3 Spring Training games earlier this year and now we will end the season with more baseball in the land of cactus and crazy gila monsters! I am going to see post-season baseball live and in person for the very first time!!!*
[*if game 6 of the NLCS is necessary] Hooray for me!! {and props to Katy}
NLCS GAME 6
19 OCT 2007 at 05:30pm
*CHASE FIELD*
Price Type Qty Price Fee Cost
------------------------------ --- -------- --------- ----------
ADULT WEB 2 $$.00 $.00 $$$.00
Seating:
Level Section Row Seat(s)
----- ------- ----- ----------
1 106 39 11-12
Oh yeah, the teams playing are the San Diego Padres-beating Colorado Rockies and the Chicago Cubs(sob)-beating Arizona Diamondbacks!!
My pal Bonnie and I attended 3 Spring Training games earlier this year and now we will end the season with more baseball in the land of cactus and crazy gila monsters! I am going to see post-season baseball live and in person for the very first time!!!*
[*if game 6 of the NLCS is necessary] Hooray for me!! {and props to Katy}
NLCS GAME 6
19 OCT 2007 at 05:30pm
*CHASE FIELD*
Price Type Qty Price Fee Cost
------------------------------ --- -------- --------- ----------
ADULT WEB 2 $$.00 $.00 $$$.00
Seating:
Level Section Row Seat(s)
----- ------- ----- ----------
1 106 39 11-12
Oh yeah, the teams playing are the San Diego Padres-beating Colorado Rockies and the Chicago Cubs(sob)-beating Arizona Diamondbacks!!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
NLDS - Game 2 Cubs v. Diamondbacks
I have created/deleted many posts regarding last night's game. Nothing sounds or makes me feel better about the Cubs' 3-1 loss to Arizona. I choose to instead focus on tonight's game. Please, pretty please, WIN!!! Cubs in the post-season...hooray!
*
-P
"New Rule : The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the asshole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a "decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one sweet-n'-Low, and one NutraSweet," ooh, you're a huge asshole." - George Carlin
*
-P
"New Rule : The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the asshole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a "decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one sweet-n'-Low, and one NutraSweet," ooh, you're a huge asshole." - George Carlin
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Best.News.Ever.Today
Most people who know me are aware that I enjoy all things Swayze-riffic (add Keanu to the mix and lookout!) Here is another golden nugget to add to my live theatre wish-list:
Point Break LIVE!, the absurdist stage adaptation of the 1992 Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze extreme-sports blockbuster, tells the story of former college football star Johnny Utah (Reeves in the film), as he pursues the surfing, bankrobbing, skydiving, bare-hand-fighting, adrenaline junkie cum Zen Master, Bodhi Sattva.
The Brechtian blockbuster, which garnered a "Seattle P-I Best of Seattle 2004" award during its run in the Northwest, features armed robbery, big-wave surfing, car chases, explosions, and no less than two extended skydiving sequences. Best of all, you could be the next Johnny Utah... the starring role of Keanu will be selected at random from the audience each night, and will read their entire script off of cue-cards.
This method manages to capture the rawness of a Keanu Reeves performance, even from those who generally think themselves incapable of acting.
"The worse it gets, the better it gets. Sensationally idiotic."
-- Seattle P-I Theatre Review
-P
Point Break LIVE!, the absurdist stage adaptation of the 1992 Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze extreme-sports blockbuster, tells the story of former college football star Johnny Utah (Reeves in the film), as he pursues the surfing, bankrobbing, skydiving, bare-hand-fighting, adrenaline junkie cum Zen Master, Bodhi Sattva.
The Brechtian blockbuster, which garnered a "Seattle P-I Best of Seattle 2004" award during its run in the Northwest, features armed robbery, big-wave surfing, car chases, explosions, and no less than two extended skydiving sequences. Best of all, you could be the next Johnny Utah... the starring role of Keanu will be selected at random from the audience each night, and will read their entire script off of cue-cards.
This method manages to capture the rawness of a Keanu Reeves performance, even from those who generally think themselves incapable of acting.
"The worse it gets, the better it gets. Sensationally idiotic."
-- Seattle P-I Theatre Review
-P
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)