Daddy Duty

Lindsay is out at the church rehearsal and then the dinner and I am hanging with the little dude, who just fell asleep (hopefully for an hour or so). Criminal Minds is on, over and over, so that'll help me pass the time until Lindsay gets back.

Nolan and I went over to the Carousel Center this afternoon while Lindsay was getting her nails done with the rest of the bridal party.

It's been a pretty good bonding day - besides the 4+ hour drive this morning - but he's been very good. I took him to Build-A-Bear and he built his own bear, who's been dubbed "Cam" because of his fur color. Nolan is smitten with the bear, as is evidence by this picture:


I'm going to lock in on this CM marathon - and also some college baseball. Florida is in the championship series, so that's some sort of reassurance hat the ass-kicking they gave us wasn't all that bad. They're one of the two best teams in the entire country. My guess is they'll be the best when all is said and done.

Wedding is tomorrow from 5pm to 12am - not sure if that's doable for this guy. Julia is taking the train up to help out with Nolan - Jesse was supposed to but that all got fucked up somewhere along the line.

We miss Nathan too.

OK...signing off from the Cuse.

Location:Crown Plaza

Poker Face

Today as Lindsay, Nolan, and I were walking back from lunch, we walked by a Starbucks.  Yeah, they've got those in the Bronx too.

As we strolled by, there were four people in there, right next to the window, PLAYING CARDS!  In a coffee store - are you kidding me?  We live in NYC (or thereabouts) - there's plenty of outdoor places, I think they're called parks - go sit at a table outside and play your cards.

The funny thing is, as is the case with many of the random topics I post about, I knew I was going to write about this as soon as I saw these jerks.

Maybe it's not as weird as I am making it out to be, but it was a pretty decent day here in NYC.

That's all I've got today - tomorrow I am heading to the scene of our 2011 MAAC Championship celebration - Trenton's Waterfront Park.  The Area Code Day #3 Tryouts are tomorrow from 9am to 2pm, so it'll be good to get out and watch high school kids - it always takes some getting used to because it's a much slower game. 

Anyway, I will be back tomorrow.  Nolan sends his regards - he's been napping for increments of about 30 minutes.  It's actually kind of annoying - I wish he'd just sleep for 90-120 minutes - that's a normal nap.

Good night.  Time to scrounge for some food. 

Preface; PPV; Reading

Now that baseball season is over the the Manhattan Jaspers, I will look forward to once again becoming a regular here in the blog world.  I admit, between baseball and being a new father, time is limited.  I do my best though, so bear with me.  And thanks to those of you who followed our season and I apologize for the ass-whooping we got at Florida on Friday afternoon.

Anyway, back to the blog:

PPV
110% Jerk Material - I don't think it's about some guy who acts like an idiot.  And it's impossible to give more than 100%, anyway.

The Cockpit, 3 - I'm just saying, but I doubt this is a documentary about being a pilot.

Rear View - Not about the mirror, I promise.

Butt Dialed - There no mistaking that these calls are not by accident.  I think they're dialed in on one thing.

Reading
I recently began reading Life, a memoir by Rolling Stones guitarist and band founder Keith Richards.  Not to sound like a douche bag or like I know everything, but this book is pretty captivating.  I used to read a lot, and I think I'm back in that mold, because I've read this book for 5 days and am on page 70 already - and read slow as shit.  So this book not only keeps my attention, but it is written almost as if he's speaking - something I tend to do when I write my blog.

Growing up getting bullied in England, he had a pretty tough life, but he was determined to make it.  And I'd say he had a pretty good run.  I guess he's on Twitter too, KeithRichards43, but I am not sold it's him.

I am on Twitter @ryaninthebronx - so follow me.  It's an easy way to read my blogs, since they get posted there as soon as I publish them here.

Time to take the dog out and when I get back in, give Nolan a little bath, get the Florida scuzz off him a little.

Later knuckleheads!

Game Day is Here

The day ha finally arrived - NCAA Regionals - Day 1.

The first game of our regional - Jacksonville vs. Miami - is probably right around first pitch. We aren't going to the field until 1:45pm, then we hit, then we get it going.

This morning, we went over to America's favorite interstate restaurant - Cracker Barrel - for a team breakfast. Talk about bang for your buck, you spend $9 for breakfast and walk out of that placed stuffed to the gills. I got me some french toast and grits with two scrambled eggs. I tend to get something in the country store every time I frequent a CB, but not this time. Sure, they had some cool little birdhouses, but I don't know if I have any room in my travel bag to transport it back to NY. So I saved some $$ there.

I spoke to Lindsay right after she boarded the plane and heard Nolan crying in the background - he was hungry. She said there were a lot of kids on the plane, headed to Disney no doubt. She's with the head coach's wife and two kids - she mentioned that it's a good thing our kids are too young to realize they're going to baseball games instead of to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Sooner or later, we'll take Nolan down there for some Disney action.

I am about to take my pre-game shower and relax for a few before we depart for McKethan Stadium. I am getting anxious - I mean it's not often a school of 2,800 students gets to play the best team in the country in an NCAA Regional and have it be nationally televised.

You can follow it on ESPNU or on the web (for those of you who are at work) at D1 Baseball. It's an exciting day to be in green.

Be back later on after the game to give a little recap. The best part is - win or lose - we're playing with house money. We're not supposed to win these games - any of them - so we should be loose. It's a great experience for the kids on the team and something they'll never forget.

Play Ball and Go Jaspers!

woo!

Fat Sightings

Is it just me or is there an inordinate amount of larger - even obese - people sitting in the stands at the NCAA Softball CWS? Every time they show a close up of a player in the on-deck circle, all you see is three or four huge loads in the stands eating something.

I have stated before on WRT about the laziness of people nowadays (taking the elevator 1 floor) but I think it's a real problem, no joke.

Me and Lindsay were watching some games before I left to Florida (yes, we were watching college softball) and she mentioned that there are so many fat-so's in the stands. She even paused the television to show me four tubs sitting net to one another. It really depicted the fat epidemic in America.

Anyway, the Mavericks/Heat game is on, and I'm watching. Not because I give a shit who wins, because I don't, but because there really isn't anything else on besides the NCAA Softball CWS. I refuse to watch that any longer.

I am going to take down the piece of key lime pie I got at dinner tonight - I got it to go. It's a guilty pleasure of mine - any time a restaurant has key lime pie on the dessert menu, I get it. It is probably the best pie ever invented.

Goodnight. ESPNU at 4pm tomorrow - Jaspers vs. Gators. Get excited!

woo!

Practice Day

Since I cannot upload pictures with my adapter for the iPad, I will put the description of the facility on hold. I will say this - it's the nicest facility I have ever seen. Bar none.

Moving on, this hotel keeps impressing me. I bought Frosted Mini Wheats and milk at Target but came back to realize there was no bowls or spoons in the rooms, so the guy working the desk gave me some (even though they were left over from breakfast and were styrofoam and plastic).

I just got back from the practice and there was a bag hanging on my door knob along with my "Daydreaming" tag on the door. I thought someone had given me a gift or a housekeeper had forgotten to take it, but inside was a new towel, shampoo, and soap. Very consumer-friendly around these parts.

Oh, and the soap dish is elevated in this hotel as well. This must be a modern-day upgrade they're making in hotels across the country to avoid wet bars of soap.

Shower time!

woo!

Location:McKethan Stadium; Spring Hill Suites

Day Two with a Boo

It must have been something in the food at the shithole Bono's that made me feel like I got kicked in the stones - stomach was shaky all night and I woke up at 7:45am with a killer migraine. Luckily, I took down the last 2 Excedrin that I had, so I'll have to restock those when I head to Target.

I just rolled out of bed and I feel a hell of a lot better. I missed breakfast, which I am not all that happy about. Looks like I'm going to have to muster something up over at Target - I hope it's one of the superstore ones that has everything from DVD's to apples in it.

I gotta get my ass in gear, I got things to do today - OK, one thing - before we head over to the stadium.

Last time we made a regional was 2006, out in Lincoln, NE, we had a pre-regional banquet, but they're not doing that this year, not sure why. At least the only they won't be serving pizza like they did out in Lincoln. I just found it odd that they had dozens of different pizzas for a dinner that included a team from the Bronx. What the shit do they know about pizza? I guess it's good that there's no banquet, because I am not sure what kind of food they specialize in out here, but it certainly is not BBQ.

Time to get moving. Later y'all!?! I guess I'm South enough to say that.

woo!

JFK to Orlando

I went over to Hudson News (the NY airport version of a newsstand) and picked up Keith Richards' new memoir, "Life". I read several pages and wanted to give my eyes a break, so I popped on some tunes.

Now, as I find myself sitting way back in Row 35, Seat D, pumping out a blog entry on my portable iPod/iPad keyboard.  The only drawback is that I can't simultaneously listen to music, but I will gladly sacrifice music for a chance to post.

Problem is, I have no Blogger app on my iPod touch, so this is being written on the standard Notes app and I will email it to myself and post when we get some service around here (sorry, by the time you read this post, it will be about 4 hours old). I tried getting myself in an Emergency Row seat, for the excess leg room, but honestly, I didn't like the looks of the people that were also asking to be placed in the row, so I backed out of the line. No point having extra leg room if you gotta share it with some blimp. Instead, I got myself an aisle seat because the back of the plane is empty and an empty middle seat (which was supposed to my mine).

They didn't even look capable of saving a life in the chance that there was an emergency, as a matter of fact, I bet they woulas an emergency, as a matter of fact, I bet they woulda bailed on everyone. Besides, they barely spoke English, which I thought was a requirement to sit in an Emergency Row (so that you can take direction). The more I think about it, the less comfortable I'm getting on this flight.

Beverage service is beginning - I know because I got rocked by the cart as it rolled by me in the aisle. I'll probably choose a ginger ale, settle the stomach a little bit.

Speaking of beverages, I think the cheapest thing to buy in an airport is - get ready for it - Starbucks iced coffee. For a large (or venti, as they like to refer to it) it's only $2.60 or something like that. You go buy a 20 oz. bottle of water and you're $3 lighter in the pocket. I know I've bashed Starbucks before, and will always opt for Dunkin' Donuts instead, in a pinch, in an airport, it'll suffice.

I'm sitting next to my friend Joe (aka Joe Brackets) who's made the trip to do the radio for our games this weekend.

Oh and did I forget to mention that NY Yankees OF'er Curtis Granderson (@cgrand14) gave us a shootout on Twitter? Pretty cool, at least I think it is. He wished us and St. John's luck in the NCAA Baseball Regionals. He seems like a decent enough guy who is always doing things in different communities around the NYC area. Not to mention he drops bombs (17 HR's already?)

The more I use this keyboard, the more I doubt myself for purchasing it. I had a gift card and used that to buy it (so it came to around $18 out of pocket) but damn what an investment. I know I'll wear the typing right off the keys eventually. Maybe if my blog blows up, I'll have to switch to my own domain name, or maybe I'll do it anyway, try to generate some revenue.

Anyway, the cart is next to me again, time to order a drink. Sorry for the tape delay

Dirty 30

Today's my Dirty 30th. I'm out of my 20's today, but it doesn't feel any different.

I have never been a real big birthday- having guy, I just don't make a big deal out of it. 

It was tough leaving Lindsay and Nolan this morning knowing they'll be home alone for two days before they hop their flight to Gainesville FL.

As for us, we're on the bus headed to JFK. Got my camera, hopefully photo-journal a little bit before Lindsay comes down with the iPad (it's easier to blog on there).

Time to focus on the bus ride, I don't wanna get nauseas.

OK, the old(er) dude is signing off.

Game 1 W

Got a huge pitching performance from Soldinger and a walk-off walk in the bottom of the ninth. 3-2 final.

And it's a wonder I have so many gray hairs sprouting up.

At the night game now doing a little scouting.

Later goons.

2011 MAAC Playoff Central

Just got done with practice on this bright, sunny, hot day in beautiful downtown Trenton.

Our slot was 1-2:30pm ... got some defense, PFP's, fly balls, square drill, and a whole lot of batting practice.

Looking for a bite to eat. Tonight at 7 is the MAAC Dinner for the four teams in the postseason.

Lindsay and Nolan are passing the Meadowlands but are stuck in a little traffic.  Looking forward to seeing them.

Time to look for food. And I was being sarcastic earlier - Trenton is a dump.

Go Jaspers!

On to Phase 2; Lindsay's Night Out; Tiny Zoo; Pickup Football

On to Phase 2
With us having completed the regular season in the MAAC and finishing as the #1 seed for next weeks MAAC Tournament in Trenton, NJ (at the home of Yankees' AA affiliate Trenton Thunder), today is a day off.  I can't really say it's much needed since the rain earlier in the week coupled with commencement setup in the gym meant that we had two days off from practice (Monday, Tuesday) but it certainly isn't something I'm complaining about.

We had a game Friday and two Saturday with Iona, who always plays us tough, but took care of business and hopefully built up some momentum going into the four team playoff.  With the sweep, our regular season record is 21-2 in MAAC games (31-17 overall).  A pretty good year by any standards, but it really means nothing without some hardware at the end.

And that hardware is the MAAC Championship ring. 

The dogpile after the final out is recorded in the clinching game - that feeling (although I never experienced it as a player since our teams were slightly above average with talent and champions of boozing) was something I cannot explain.  It makes all the shitty practices at 6am in January with snow on the ground worth it.  It makes taking out and putting up the outfield fence (yes, we might be the only team in DI baseball that does this) worth it.  It makes not having music or a National Anthem (definitely the only school in the country not allowed to play it because the parks woman in charge is a complete piece of shit bitch) a little more tolerable.  But more importantly, it's something the players will never, ever forget.
We have a solid core of seniors, and for them, this is everything.  I just hope the rest of the guys realize what these four seniors have done for this program (almost 1,000 hits combined in 4 years) and play with a little pride for them (and themselves).  The most important thing though, is staying loose.  Remain focused on what it is we're there to do - win the whole fucking thing! (to quote the legendary Jake Taylor from Major League).  But we gotta stay loose, play loose, have fun, and just do what we've managed to do all year - win.

We just gotta go out there and do it.  Believe in ourselves. Trust one another.  And throw strikes and get good performances from our starting pitching.  When we go to the bullpen, we need tough SOB's coming into the game to get outs.  We need to scratch across runs anyway possible.  Solid defense needs to be paramount as well.

I can wax poetic about this and that and what everyone needs to do but in the end it comes down to one thing:  who wants it the most?

I'd like to think it's us.

Lindsay's Night Out
Last night was her first away from Nolan.  With me at a doubleheader until 5:30pm, my parents were nice enough to come in and help look after N & N while Lindsay got ready to go out for her friend Rosie's bachelorette party. 

She opted for the dinner portion of the party so she drove into the city to meet up with the girls.  She had some champagne and a glass of vino at dinner (at some Greek place on 60th) and got back to the apartment around 10:30pm. 

She had hangar steak, something I don't think I've ever seen her order at any point since we've known one another.  She never gets steak, but hey, I guess a baby makes you crave different things.

Overall she said she had a great time seeing everyone.  The next time we'll see them all is at the wedding in Syracuse sometime in June.  Jesse and Julia will be traveling with us to take care of the little man while we head to the wedding. 

Should be a cramped 5-hour ride to the Cuse.

Tiny Zoo (for iPad)
This game is seriously a safe version of crack.  The premise is simple - build the best virtual zoo ever!

And I am well on my way.  Call me a loser, go ahead - but you're a loser too because you're definitely checking it out right now.

I've got African elephants, jackrabbits, black bears, chimps, Indian rhino, red panda, an ocelot, cheetah, butterflies, and even a mustang.  I got plenty of shops and food vendors to keep my loyal customers happy.

I am currently waiting for the second expansion of my zoo to be completed (ETA 17h 50m) before I can add some more badass animals.
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=9171629383088672152
Seriously though, this game is like crack.  Remember FarmVille for Facebook?  This is that times 1,285.  At least.

Pickup Football
There's a park behind my building where all sorts of crazy shit goes on (see previous posts about boy's softball) but right now, there's a pantheon of men (some young, some with a full head of white hair) playing pickup football.  Maybe they're hoping to get picked up if the NFL is looking for replacement players.  They scream, hoot, and holler - and part of me wants to join the game, but I think I'd be a little too intense for the older guys out there.  I might be compelled to put on on his ass (yes, even though it is two-hand touch).

Sunday mornings year round is football in Riverdale.  There's some yarmulkes (pronouced:  YAH-ma-ka) out there too - I think they know they'll never make it the NFL as a player (however, as an owner, they might have their day). NY Giants QB Sage Rosenfels gives them a little glimmer of hope, though.  After doing a but of research - read: Googling "Jews in the NFL", the results indicate there are quite a few Jews in the NFL (here's a list).  Pretty surprising names on this list - and a lot don't even sound Jewish.  I mean San Diego's long snapper David Binn (apparently Jewish) used to date Pamela Anderson for shit's sake!  Binn there, done that - like most of Hollywood.

Mazel tov!

OK.  Nolan's been sleeping in his lamb swing while I've been sitting next to him writing this post and he's finally starting to stir, so I am gonna get going.  Lindsay is feeling a little worn down lately, so she's still in bed (it's 9:33am, practically a hibernation on a baby's clock) so she is trying to recuperate a little bit.  It wears me out so I can imagine how it must kick her ass - home all day with the dog and the baby.  She enjoys it immensely, I know she does - but that doesn't mean she doesn't get worn out.  I am sure she'll read this when she wakes up - hopefully feeling a little better.

Til next time knuckleheads.

Sigh-tings; 5 Guys; Only One is Perfect; Graduation

Sigh-tings
On the way back from Buffalo on Sunday - a very long ride given he fact that we blew a 4-run ninth inning lead - we stopped off to eat.  I needed to eat, and the shortest line was at KFC - not my first option, but certainly the best.  I ordered my meal, which came to $6.46 or something like that.  As I'm waiting, a lady walks in with coupons and proceeds to order a shit-ton of chicken and biscuits and sides.  Her total - $64.83.  Are you kidding me lady?  Who the hell are you feeding $64.83 worth of chicken to at 4:30 on a Sunday afternoon?  You're swine?  This is the problem with the country.  Then, she went outside for a smoke while she waited.  This lady has got some life going on.  Not only was she severely obese (which I assume is from eating excessively and/or competitively) but she smoked.  She might be dead in 8 years.  And it's an epidemic in this country - people eat out at fast food chains because it's cheaper than cooking healthy food at home - or is it? 

I am far from wealthy, but I do a pretty good job of cooking at home on a budget.  I mean shit, go on the Internet and type in "cheap dinner ideas" and I guarantee there'll be hundreds and thousands of recipes helping you out.

We went to Long Island yesterday (Lindsay, Nolan, Nathan, and myself) to get Lindsay's push present (for pushing out Nolan).  The ring came out very nice, so now she's got a engagement ring sandwiched between two wedding bands.  She deserves it.

We then took a trip to Target later in the day and as we were parking, the both of us noticed something totally random - two 50-something year-olds having a catch in the middle of the parking lot.  Needless to say, this is one of the oddest sightings I've had in my life.  One was a lefty (had a pretty good arm) and the other a righty (who was terrible).  There they were, throwing a baseball around at 5:00pm in a Target parking lot.  We shook our heads and kept to the course.

5 Guys
Quite possibly the best chain hamburger place around (and they make a mean hot dog too!).  The fries are plentiful as well.  You order - and they do everything for you.  There's a list of 15 or so items that can be added to your burger or hot dog and you just let them know what you want, so your hands stay clean - until you start eating.

The burgers (a regular contains two patties) is $5.29 and the hot dog is $3.49 but it's worth it.

Maybe the best part is that they have Fanta Birch Beer soda on tap, a favorite of mine.  I've stated my opinions on Birch Beer soda several times here on WRT and totally forget that the 5 Guys by my house in Levittown has it on tap.  As far as I'm concerned, it should be standard at every restaurant in America, if not the world.

Go find yourself a 5 Guys for lunch today.  But don't go for the large fries, they'll put you in a food coma.

Only One is Perfect
We lost our first conference game Sunday, making  Bethune-Cookman the only DI team in the country to still be undefeated in conference (and their regular season is complete, so barring a miracle by any of the other MEAC teams, they'll soon secure a berth in the NCAA Tournament.  We were the second until our epic collapse on Sunday.

We have two more MAAC weekends - this weekend versus second place Rider and the following Thursday/Friday versus Iona (who always gives us fits).  The conference playoffs start on Wednesday the 25th down in Trenton (at the home of the AA Yankees affiliate Trenton Thunder).  We need two more wins to secure the top spot in the tournament, which only means we'd be the home team every game.

Graduation
I gotta get going, there's some things to do around here to get ready for graduation - everything basically gets shoved into the back of the gym so that it looks halfway presentable in here.  Literally, everything that is not behind a fence here in this gym gets shoved in a 6' x 50' space behind the bleachers in the back of the gym.  And it's a wonder why shit always gets broken around here.

Anyway, I'm out.  We've got a game at 5pm against Sacred Heart up in Bridgeport, CT.  We leave at 2:30pm and are skipping batting practice.  Today is the last day of class and it's a Friday schedule, so we're able to get a game in.  Looking to get back in the W column before a big series this weekend - Senior Day Weekend.

Later yo!

Believe; Playlist-ism, Pt. 2

Let's try it again. After we scored four in the top of the 11th to break open a scoreless game, we let up five ... all with two outs ... to lose. Demoralizing. Sure. Embarrassing. You bet. Motivation moving forward proving to our guys that any team is dangerous (they were the worst team in the league). Absolutely.

We gotta regroup. We're still in a great position. Our bullpen needs to find their toughness. Strikes early are key. Location late is more important. And you know what? Confidence goes a long way - believing you're better than him. That can take you places. Pitching with intensity. Pitching like you're the best fucking guy on the field. That's what I like. I didn't have the best stuff when I played, but I was a tough SOB out there. I talked shit after I got someone out - I could. I backed it up and I believed in myself. O didn't doubt myself or my ability to execute a pitch. When I was out there, I was accountable for what I did. I wanted the ball. The results didn't always go my way, and when that was the case I was pissed off - at myself. I failed. If you've ever let 30 other guys down, you know what I mean. Unless you genuinely are that selfish and just roll with the "oh well" thing. Not "oh well" - it should fire you up inside when you fail - at anything. The next time out, I'd aim to be even better, tougher, meaner. We'll see if these guys have "it" or not the next time out.

Time for Playlist-ism, Pt. 2.  We've got three and a half MFing hours left. I want to see the family and help Lindsay out with the kid. He's being a handful still. I said a prayer he'd be good until I get home. We'll see if the big dude upstairs can help me (us) out.

Here goes.

- Feeling Good by Muse (1, so not feeling good)
- 6 Foot, 7 Foot by Lil Wayne (3+, just because he amazes me with the lyrics he comes with)
- The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows by Brand New (4, because they rule)
- Rolling In The Deep by Adele (5, this song is catchy and the album (yes I own the album) is awesome)
- Out Come The Bastards by This Is Hell (4+, aggression at its finest)
- Neon Tiger by The Killers (4, because I saw them in Boston and this song was great)
- Hurt by NIN (5+, "I focus on the pain, the only thing that's real" - epic song)
- Where Is Everybody by NIN (4+, they're a Top 5 band and every song is fuel)
- Sabertooth Tiger by Cage the Elephant (3+, fast, electro-rock)
- No Love by Eminem (5+, because all I can think of is Will Ferrell on SNL, ha, makes me laugh. Great song, and Lil Wayne is on it)
- Shake Me Down by Cage the Elephant (4+, love this jam because the lyrics ring true to real f'ing life)
- Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash (5, an American icon who cannot get anything less than a 5)

That's all for this edition. I hope maybe I inspired some to listen to some new music and I'm sorry if I went off on a tangent about believing in yourself.

Coming In

First off, a Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there (especially Lindsay) who has the.misfortune of spending her first alone with Nolan until later tonight when I return from the B-Lo.

The photo is of an airplane coming in for a landing only a few hundred yards away. The airport is right across the street from the hotel.  Lindsay always likes seeing planes.coming in, so this is for her. She hates flying but loves watching them, weird but true.

Speaking of hotels, the Holiday Inn Express has the best smelling shampoo, soap, and conditoner I've ever smelled.  It's a smell that's hard to describe - maybe spiced oranges mixed with apple cider? Whatever the actual flavor is called, I would drink it if they made it into something edible.  Seriously, that shit is awesome.

Tomorrow we go to get Lindsay her push present. I may get myself a tattoo as well commemorating Nolan. The tattoo parlor is right across the street from the jewelry store.  Talk about one stop shopping!

We're headed to the field now so I'm going to cut this.short.  Going for the sweep today over Niagara. We won 9-7 and 4-0 yesterday.  Our bullpen tried to blow it but we had just enough to get it done. Here's to a win today, otherwise that 6 hour bus ride home is going to be pretty shitty.

Once again, Happy Mother's Day! Enjoy yourselves ... you deserve it.

And Lindsay, I hope Nolan let's you sleep a little today since he's been a pill the last two nights. I'll be home later to help.

Much love!

Wipeout; Buffalo; Mother's Day; Ballin'

Wipeout
Spring Wipeout tonight was amazing!  The spring loaded giant boxing glove knocked the crap out of people - when they least expected it.  Always hilarious when people get knocked down an entire flight of stairs they just climbed.

And then there's the ever-present "big balls".  In case you've never watched it, as many of you never have, there's a series of four giant, red balls the contestants need to try to get over - almost impossible, although it's been done before:

One of the finalists even proposed - right before he got eliminated.  Pretty cool though.

Buffalo
Tomorrow we head up to Buffalo to take on the Niagara Purple Eagles on Saturday and Sunday.

We're 14-0 in MAAC play, but we haven't locked up a playoff spot yet.  Still have 9 games left so we gotta keep these guys motivated and hungry for more wins.  We're 24-15 overall, which is pretty good, but we know we still have a ways to go before we consider this a successful season.

Mother's Day
It also marks the first trip I'll make away from Lindsay and Nolan (I'll also miss a majority of her first Mother's Day).  It'll be tough but knowing that her mother is here til Sunday gives me a little solace.

She's been doing a great job with the little guy, who can be a handful - especially recently.  He's been very fussy before he passes out, but I guess he doesn't know any better, he can't speak so the only way to communicate is to cry.

When he's awake and alert, he makes some pretty funny faces though, kinda like his old man.  Right  now the both of them are passed out on the couch next to me.  I will go to sleep once they wake up so he can eat and I can change his diaper, around 11:00pm.  Then we'll be up for about an hour before he finally decides to sleep until 4:00am.  He sleeps pretty well once he decides to fall asleep, so I won't complain there.

Ballin'
I am still ballin' outta control every morning (except Tuesday, because it was a baseball game day).  My jump shot is getting better which is good, but it's a hell of a workout.

The trickiest part is accounting for the wind, which can be a real bitch sometimes because we're so close to the mighty Hudson River.

Whatever, it's all about adjustments.

I am going to browse the Internet and check out some of my friends blogs and comment, since I've been awful at that of late.

All Over the Place

Time is a hot commodity lately now that our lives have forever changed with the birth of our first baby, Nolan.

The kid is awesome - he cries when he wants food, needs a diaper change, or is tired - basically all things that us adults wish we could do. 

A lot of shit has been going on in the news lately, so I want to keep everyone up to date.

bin Laden Dead! - Let no one ever say a bad thing about US Intelligence.  Those men and women who work for our intel are amazing.  Not to mention the Navy SEALS (SEAL Team 6) who popped a cap in his head.  Great work!  Sure, the head of this terrorist movement behind 9/11 is gone, but there's plenty of splinter groups.  Terrorism will never be totally eliminated, but justice was served.  They gave him a proper burial at sea, which wasn't all bad - if it had been on land, it'd mark a place to meet and would almost be a tourist attraction of sorts.  He's in a bag, at the bottom of the ocean.  Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

N(issan)YC? - Nissan minivans, currently being produced in Mexico, are the next up for the NYC taxicabs.  I am not sure if they're going to be eco-friendly and electric, but I'm guessing they are.  Nissan makes good minivans?  I had no idea.  I guess with one child, I am not yet in the market for such a vessel.  The CR-V Lindsay is driving around in is family car enough for me.

Three Years for Murder? - A 16-year old has been sentenced to three years in an Indian juvenile facility for slitting his mother's throat in India.  Three years in juvie?  Come on.  He blamed the trauma caused by his parents divorce as the reason.  Really kid, trauma?  Is a divorce less severe than homicide?  I guess this red-headed freak thought so.  Oh, and the kids father is a professor at Pitt.  Good luck with that one.

Speaking of Pittsburgh - Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall is a total douche bag.  The tweets he made after the announcement of bin Laden's death are mind blowing.  Is this guy a fucking idiot or what?  Seriously, if you're a Steelers fan, you might want to think twice about cheering for this douche bag.  I hope Ray Lewis lays his dopey ass out.

Break Up the Royals - The Kansas City Royals are 2nd in the MLB in batting average, at a whopping .274 clip.  They are 4.5 games back of the surprising Indians, who everyone figured would play their season out like a modern version of Major League.  I guess you shouldn't be that surprised - they were 2nd in average during the 2010 season as well, at a .274 clip (not a typo).  Last year, they were 29th in pitching though, which is why they sucked. The season is still young, but enjoy it while it lasts Royals fans.

Ballin' - I was involved in my first pick-up game.  Five Spanish-speaking dudes and me.  I had no idea what the fuck they were saying the entire time, but I said "when you guys figure out what it is you're trying to figure out, let me know...in English" and they all laughed.  I played hard and went after the ball.  They were calling these ticky-tack fouls on one another, and I was really getting pissed.  It's street basketball - believe me, I'm not our for blood (or am I?) but just play the game.  There are NO free throws so what the shit is the point of calling a foul?  It was 3-on-3, my team won, 17-15, and I had 9 points.  I shot the ball a little bit, but my points game on my furious drives to the rack.  One guy on the other team said "this guy wants to win" - well no shit dipstick, what's the point of playing if I want to lose.  I'm a competitor.  Deal with is.  I am sure they'll see me again, and this time, they might want me on their team - unlike this time, when I was just some blanco who had no game.  WRONG pendejo's!

I'm out.  Time for a Guinness. 

Oh yeah, and we beat Fordham today, 8-0.  Our third shutout in the past three weeks.  It was a good win, especially since they're our intra-borough rivals.  They beat us earlier in the season, but we're a different team now.  Heading up to Buffalo this weekend to take on Niagara in a conference weekend - we better be ready to deliver a TKO.  I hate Niagara.  Niagara Falls are nice, but that's all.

And we have a pig roast.  Our third baseman's father is from there and has family there, and every year we go there we have a pig roast.  It really is a nice spread.  And the guys usually enjoy it, which is rare because kids bitch about anything and everything.

OK Guinness, here I come!

I'm on a Bus; Random Thoughts

I'm on a Bus
It feels like I'm experiencing deja vu all over again as we head out to NY Tech on Long Island for a 3:30pm game today.

We just crossed over the beautiful Throgs Neck Bridge and are officially in Queens.  What a drive.

Random Thoughts
I saw a lady earlier smoking on a cancer stick while walking her baby. Seems like a good idea no? Oh wait, not at all.

I brought my sunblock, yes! Score one for Mr. Forgetful over here. The sun is out in full force, so to prevent my ears from frying I'll break out the SPF30.

Ginger Ale and Sierra Mist are my two favorite carbonated beverages. (& Boylan's Birch Beer).

Shots are awful (except the Patron shots we stopped off for after our wedding ceremony).

I read UsWeekly - so what. It's right on the line of material that's interesting and easy to read (for a slow reader like myself).

People who drive with their blinker on for more than 2 miles should get a ticket. There should be a number you can call and have them busted.

Almost at the field, so I'll bid you farewell.

Nolan, Nathan, & Lindsay are enjoying this glorious day without me. I'll see them later (after I pick up PB and English Muffins for Lindsay).

Due Date; Library; Sigh-tings; Work

Due Date
Today is the official due date for Baby D, except this baby will not come out.  I had my money on yesterday, April 13th, but that didn't pan out either.  Lindsay has another doctor's appointment Monday, so we'll see how it goes from there.

The doctor told her she isn't going to go past a week after today, so by the 21st (hopefully not the 20th, that's Hitler's birthday) we should have a baby, I think.


Library
I walked in to work today seeing that it's shaping up to be an awesome day out there, and my first stop was the library.  Yes, the school library.  The one I hadn't been to in over three years (since I was completing my Master's degree).

The sole purpose was to print stuff out.  You see, my grandmother got me a jack-of-all-trades, bomb-ass printer for Christmas, but... ah nevermind.  Long story short, my computer shit out, I took it to the school tech guy who installed some bullshit OS on it and it isn't compatible.  Not enough time to go back and sit with this guy for three hours so he can uninstall this OS.  I gotta get on this, ASAP.

I had to print out tax return stuff - what a dent that is - and some stuff for the hospital.

Sigh-tings
- A 60-year-old man wearing an Ed Hardy sweatshirt.  And slip-on shoes.  And a t-shirt underneath.  Maybe it was Ed himself.  If not, this old bugger must not have anyone who cares about what he dresses like in public.

- A guy (maybe mid-20's) wearing a mesh Corona trucker hat.  Since when is the Bronx a spring break destination?  And didn't those novelty mesh hats go out a few years back?  I have a TB Rays one and Lindsay a Phillies one, but Corona?  Come on man, what are you auditioning for the Jersey Shore?

Work
Alright, it's about that time to head to work - actually, I'm there, just in a different area than normal.  I hope you enjoyed the photo of our team taking the 1 Train to Columbia for yesterday's game.  We wound up losing because of a few bad pitches and a costly error.  But hey, that's baseball.  6-5 was the final.  Our nation-long 10-game win streak is by the wayside as is our 6-game road win streak.  The important games are this weekend versus Marist, at home.

Conference games are what counts - they all count, but we'll never get an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, so midweek losses are water under the bridge.  Learn from the mistakes and move on.

Me, I'm moving on, from this tired library.  These kids are robots, pecking at the keys looking half in the bag.  Good for them.

Good Start

It's always nice to start off well, but it's all about how you finish.  Got more good pitching and a timely hit to take game three 3-1.  A crisp two hours and nine minute game, excellent.

Almost home, on the GWB now. May head to our favorite Sunday spot for food. But only if the "Bros n White Racks" marathon is over. It's her call, haha.

I am starving. All I had was a half bag of sunflower seeds throughout the game and an egg sandwich this morning.

After food I'll probably blog again from our terrace. With beer. And music. And Nathan running in and out. While wifester relaxes.

Nice little Sunday Funday. Or what's left of it.