Corrupting the Young and Innocent

We took my Mother out to celebrate her birthday on Sunday night. We had agreed to meet at Proletariat Pizza, but had to change plans when we realized they were not open on Sundays. We switched the venue to the Elliot Bay Brew Pub in Burien.

To help Melissa and Kelsey we hired a wonderful couple to watch the wee ones. But good help does not come cheap and these two soon turned the innocent little children into bar fly's that were consumed by shuffleboard.

Here is Peter 'splainin' the ins and outs of good shuffleboard etiquette prior to launching Eli into a new career path.

Soon Eli and Abby were yucking it up big time on the boards and having a rip roaring time. For Christmas I am having some nylon bar jackets with their shuffle board team's logo in the back and Elliots accross the front!

Lost Coast III

We just got back from out third trip to the Lost Coast. Magical as ever. It is so nice to get so far away from the world and just relax. And it was fun to see the delight Mathide experienced on her first American road trip.

On Thanksgiving we left around 1:00 (we waited for the roads to thaw) and we made it all the way to Rosburg where we spent the night. Eating on the way proved problematic as most places were closed. The open places were mostly fast food establishments and really, who wants a McThanksgiving. We finally decided that hotels must be open and the motel restaurants might be as well. We had a fine meal at a Red Lion where the special was a turkey plate, imagine that!

Bright and early the next morning it was off to the coast. We stopped along the way to take some pictures with Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue Ox.

We cruised into Eureka and had a nice lunch at my favorite brew pub.

We chilled in the shack, had wonderful conversations with Joe, Karen and their neighbor Alex. The real big news in town was that of a hippie baker and her husband who had recently arrived in Petrolia. We had pies, scones and baked goods galore all weekend and listened as the locals debated about just what it would take to keep these people in town.

We spent time communing with nature down on the beach.

And too soon it was time to say goodbye to our new friends from the country and leave for home.

Nose Enema

Artist reproduction of what is happening in my nose, RIGHT NOW!

Schematics being used in my subconscious to defeat this enemy invasion.

Mental image that my brain holds as to how I now appear to the outside world, note that I still view myself as a young boy of about 5 years old, this should not surprise anyone.

I need a nose enema. I seem to be getting a nasty cold. My sinus are both plugged up and annoyingly draining. I am not real miserable, but can see the condition deteriorating in front on my eyes.

Why oh why does this happen to me. I cannot remember going to bed with wet hair in the near past. Perhaps my hair was too wet while leaving the Y the other night.

Geez, they can put a man on the moon, but they still cannot cure the common cold. Why is that? Just so you know, I am pretty sure the Republicans are to blame. They have been in bed with big money drug companies for years.

Sad News

Sometimes the news can just get you down. I went on the Escogido web site the other day to see how Jamie was faring down in the Dominican League. You most likely saw my post. Well, I cannot read or talk any Spanish so I could not read the article. I did my best to read the box score and guess as to the pitching stats. After seeing three good innngs, I thought, well maybe in winter ball guys just throw three innings. I did not realize that he left injured as can be seen in this poorly translated and very sad article. I saw Karen last night, Jamie is now flying home and will have to see what is up with the elbow. My gut tells me that things are not good.

On the bright side, Karen and Jamie will be on the Today Show Friday morning at 8:00.


11:33 PM - Veteran lefty Jamie Moyer left the game against the Tigres del Licey with an apparent injury to his pitching arm after facing one batter in the third inning, and will not return to the mound in the Dominican League. Moyer was the opener of the Lions of the Chosen on Saturday, when faced with their neighbors set the stage capitaleños Qusiqueya and aggravated a left elbow injury.

The 47-year pitcher allows one hit and three strikeouts against no walks in 2.1 innings. At the beginning of the third act facing Wellington Castillo and left the field without prior consultation with the trainer of all scarlet. Apparently, the left-hander suffered the rupture of the tendon of the elbow and the recovery would be long.

It was the third presentation of Moyer this season. The winner of 267 games in the majors are trying to return to that level after injuring his left elbow right in the middle of the 2010 season.

My Hero

Jamie Moyer pitched last night for the Escogido Lions. He pitched three innings, gave up three hits, one earned run and struck out two. Jamie has gone to the Dominican Republic to play winter ball. How is THAT for dedication and the pursuit of a dream!

Both Jamie and Karen are my new heros, Jamie for taking this chance to pursue his passion and Karen for backing him 100% all the way.

I Just Don't Get It

I am going to try to remain calm and civil. But I just cannot comprehend the voters of Washington State. There is some serious need for everyone to look in the mirror this morning.

How the hell can you vote for Patty Murray and then vote down the income tax, vote down the soda pop tax, tell the evil Republicans that, 'sure we will allow you to handcuff the State Legislature and force the Democrats to get a 2/3 majority before we allow any new tax'.

How hypocritical. How insane.

Come on, lets just let Dino take over (the giant P.O.S. three time LOSER)

Last night I went to bed fairly certain that I would wake up this morning in Pottersville. Congratulations voters of Washington State, we have now arrived there, but at least you've got yours (or a least you think so).

Pucker up Baby and Please Take me Home with You!

I had lunch at Costco today. Things have been a little rough for me of late. But today, the jaw felt fine, I have been soooo hungry with the jaw thingee and the inability to eat more than soup or noodle based food that I just felt like overeating on crappy food. That, and I find it fascinating to watch the hoards of people going through Costco, what they buy, what they look like, what they wear and as I do that I just wonder about America, and who votes and get feedback as to why we have TeaParty assholes in this world. But hey that is just like my opinion man.

The lunch tables were crowded and I really dreaded the thought of not getting a seat or getting a seat next to someone I would really dread sitting next to.

But I got lucky, and almost got lucky, wink wink.

A delightful, elegant 83 year old woman pulled her cart next to where I was sitting, commanded me (!) to save her a spot and then left to load her hot dog up with onions, mustard and relish. Yeah, try to just picture that; and elegant 83 year old woman loading up a Costco dog with mustard, onions and relish and then sitting across from me and eating it.

Her cart was moderately full, and I noticed DiGiorno frozen pizza's in her cart! She was on her lunch break from work, and was then headed to Alki to meet a friend and have a joint (pardon the pun) chiropractic session with a friend.

So now this woman is close as can be to being my new hero. She is elegant, she eats hot dogs and apparently has a thing for frozen pizza, she still works and she is headed to Alki for the afternoon.

We talked about 911 (apparently there was another bomb scare in NY today), we talked about health care, we talked about her hope that she hadn't forgot anything at Costco because she had forgotten her list. SHE ATE HER HOT DOG FASTER THAN ME, which is saying a lot if you are still picturing an elegant 83 year old woman; but in my defense as a horrible chow hound, I am still somewhat limited by my jaw condition. None the less, her attack on the hot dog could only be described as hearty, manly and brazen.

As she left I helped her up (she has some mobility issues with her knees) and placed her cart in front of her. After getting her situated I told her that I was going to have to keep it on the down low that I had had lunch with such an attractive woman who was obviously hitting on me and trying to lure me to spend the afternoon with her at Alki. She calmly said that she wouldn't tell on me and that the offer still stood! I wanted to kiss her right then and there, and I should have, but did not.

It sure made my day!

Three Poems, authors undisclosed; certainly not me

Poem #1
When you’re weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all

I’m on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can’t be found
I will lay me down

When you’re down and out
When you’re on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you

I’ll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
I will lay me down

Sail on Silver Girl,
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way

See how they shine
If you need a friend
I’m sailing right behind
I will ease your mind

Poem #2
When the road gets dark
And you can no longer see
Let my love throw a spark
And have a little faith in me

When the tears you cry
Are all you can believe
Just give these loving arms a try
And have a little faith in me

When your secret heart
Cannot speak so easily
Come here baby
From a whisper, start
To have a little faith in me

And when your back's against the wall
Just turn around and you will see
I will catch your fall
Just have a little faith in me

Well, I've been loving you
For such a long, long time
Expecting nothing in return
Just for you to have a little faith in me

You see time, time is our friend
Cause for us there is no end
All you gotta do is
Have a little faith in me

I will hold you up
And your love gives me strength enough
to have a little faith in me

Poem #3
MANY birds and the beating of wings
Make a flinging reckless hum
In the early morning at the rocks
Above the blue pool
Where the gray shadows swim lazy.

In your blue eyes, O reckless child,
I saw today many little wild wishes,
Eager as the great morning.

A Father to His Son

God bless google, if there is a God. I read many poems as a young man. I loved to read, and surprisingly I loved to read a good poem. But like the people in my life, I am not too good with names. I read things, get into discussions about them and am at a loss when one asks me who the author is. And now, as an older man, a man in such awe of those who write so well, for those who capture life in words so well, I am embarrassed that I typically do not know the author.

But google has changed that for me. Now I remember just tiny pieces of what I read many years ago, type the phrase into google and I get the author, complete works, and I even get things they wrote that I neglected to read at my younger age. As a young man my reading was undisciplined, haphazard in both what I randomly got my hands on, or what some wonderful English teacher put into my hands; thank you Miss Pesnell (of Memphis), Mr. McCamey (misspelled I am sure of Seattle) and Mr. McFarlane (of Seattle; and who in order to suck up to Peggy not too long ago pretended that SHE was his favorite student and not me).

But I have now discovered that Carl Sandburg wrote many of my favorite poems, and here is a good one.

Thank you Carl Sandburg!

For you Peter, and as I now live in a age of much more progressive thought than Mr Sandburg, for my wonderful daughters Melissa and Kelsey as well. And to you Eli, Abby and all that may follow.

A Father To His Son

A father sees his son nearing manhood.

What shall he tell that son?'

Life is hard; be steel; be a rock.'

And this might stand him for the storms

and serve him for humdrum monotony

and guide him among sudden betrayals

and tighten him for slack moments.

'Life is a soft loam; be gentle; go easy.'

And this too might serve him.

Brutes have been gentled where lashes failed.

The growth of a frail flower in a path up

has sometimes shattered and split a rock.

A tough will counts. So does desire.

So does a rich soft wanting.

Without rich wanting nothing arrives.

Tell him too much money has killed men

and left them dead years before burial:

the quest of lucre beyond a few easy needs

has twisted good enough men

sometimes into dry thwarted worms.

Tell him time as a stuff can be wasted.

Tell him to be a fool every so often

and to have no shame over having been a fool

yet learning something out of every folly

hoping to repeat none of the cheap follies

thus arriving at intimate understanding

of a world numbering many fools.

Tell him to be alone often and get at himself

and above all tell himself no lies about himself

whatever the white lies and protective fronts

he may use against other people.

Tell him solitude is creative if he is strong

and the final decisions are made in silent rooms.

Tell him to be different from other people

if it comes natural and easy being different.

Let him have lazy days seeking his deeper motives.

Let him seek deep for where he is born natural.

Then he may understand Shakespeare

and the Wright brothers, Pasteur, Pavlov,

Michael Faraday and free imaginations

Bringing changes into a world resenting change.

He will be lonely enough

to have time for the work

he knows as his own.

On the Eating DL, Status Day to Day

I never thought it could happen to me. I have always been an everyday eater. Fussy at times but always able to step up to the plate and do my job. A lifetime member of the clean plate club who has saved millions of starving children in Europe.

But gradually last week I started to loose my edge. I now know how Lou Gehrig felt as he ended his streak. Coach, take me out, I can't do it anymore.

Jaw pain. Severe jaw pain. Major MoFo jaw pain. And it started gradual. On Saturday I felt something was up. On Sunday I knew something was up. On Monday I experience difficulty eating. By Tuesday I was looking for soup lines.

My first thought was some sort of glandular infection. Sinus trouble putting pressure on the jaw. I tried the sauna, I tried the steam room. No help.

I next suspected that my lifelong neglect of dental rules had caught up to me. Perhaps the bridge on the side of the mouth really did need daily flossing like they told me 10 or so years ago. I booked an appointment with Dr. Bill. After ex rays he said there was no infection there, my teeth and gums looked great and then the big question

Anything bothering you lately?????

My guess is that you are grinding your teeth incredibly hard at night and you are experiencing TMJ.

Of course my Alfred E. Newman response was - "what me worry".

But now I am taking a Valium before bed and I saw a massage therapist yesterday who made me float all the way to the ceiling by working my neck and she even had her fingers inside my mouth working a muscle. I swear I could see and feel evil spirits leaving my body.

I guess all that is left now is to learn to let go.....and learn to not let letting go get me down.

Garden Party- Artist: Rick Nelson

- inspired by Rick's experience at a Madison Square Garden concert

- Words and Music by Rick Nelson

I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends

A chance to share old memories and play our songs again

When I got to the garden party, they all knew my name

No one recognized me, I didn't look the same

But it's all right now,

I learned my lesson well.

You see, ya can't please everyone,

so ya got to please yourself

People came from miles around, everyone was there

Yoko brought her walrus, there was magic in the air

'n' over in the corner, much to my surprise

Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan's shoes wearing his disguise

But it's all right now,

I learned my lesson well.

You see, ya can't please everyone,

so ya got to please yourself

Played them all the old songs, thought that's why they came

No one heard the music, we didn't look the same

I said hello to "Mary Lou", she belongs to me

When I sang a song about a honky-tonk, it was time to leave

But it's all right now,

I learned my lesson well.

You see, ya can't please everyone,

so ya got to please yourself

Someone opened up a closet door and out stepped Johnny B. Goode

Playing guitar like a-ringin' a bell and lookin' like he should

If you gotta play at garden parties, I wish you a lotta luck

But if memories were all I sang, I rather drive a truck

But it's all right now,

I learned my lesson well.

You see, ya can't please everyone,

so ya got to please yourself

A New Challenge, A New Reason to Live

Today at lunch I finally tried a little hole in the wall pizza joint in West Seattle. It is on 35th, a little south from me, and just before you get to Westwood Village. I went there with the intent to eat a pizza all by myself, but was delighted to discover that they sold it by the slice. I had a slice of cheese and a slice of pepperoni/sausage. Two thumbs up. Finally I have found good pizza in West Seattle.

Now for the SUPER DUPER fun part. They have a new challenge up on their menu board, and so far NOBODY has succeeded.

All you have to do is eat an entire 28 inch pizza, fully loaded in 45 minutes. If you succeed, it is free ($40.00 if you fail) AND YOU GET A T-SHIRT!!!!!!!

If you know me, you know that I am dumb enough to try. If you know me, you know that I have a better than average chance of succeeding.

And here comes the easy part. You get to do this with a partner. Yeah, two guys get to go at this monster. Done deal.

I just hope my potential partner doesn't get mad at me for hogging (truer words were never spoken) more than my share of the pie!!!!

Helpful tips from my research

steps to making money eating pizza.
Hello everyone, my name is shane cassady and I recently took the pointers pizza challenge. I have learned a lot over the past few weeks on how to make money eating pizza. There is a pizza shop in Saint Louis that offers a $500.00 reward if you can eat their 28 inch 12 pound pizza. You have to call them in advance and the rules are that you get to have two people eat the pizza at the same time and you only get one hour to do it in. You are allowed to drink as much as you want, but you have to stay in the lobby while eating it. There are no bathroom breaks, so be sure to go before you start eating. You get to chose between eating 2 meat toppings or 4 veggie toppings. My partner and I decided to eat the 2 meat. I can tell you right off the bat that it is not a good idea to order the sausage. They pile it on and it makes it very difficult to eat. My suggestion would be to order a ham and pepperoni. This is a monster pizza and can be done. I have been told that only 16 people so far have managed to eat the beast. I would suggest a good excersize program before you start. I would also recommend eating lettuce to help stretch your stomach. Another helpful hint is to soak the crust in water before you eat it. They do not allow you to have a glass of water, but you can get a bottle of water and hold it in your mouth before chewing. The hardest thing about the challenge is getting over the repetitive taste. I would recommend eating it as quickly as possible. It takes your stomach 20 to 30 minutes to tell your mind that you are full so the quicker the better. I know that this has been done in 14 minutes by a professional eating team. I hope this helps you and I am open to any questions that you might have. Be sure to come back often as I will be answering questions and adding some pictures to help you out as well. I will look forward to hearing from you soon.

Curveballs

Back in the day, the rap on me as a hitter was that I did not handle the curveball well. I don’t care who you were, how well you threw (ok Mike Lentz at the time could get it by me) I ate your fastball for lunch. But curveballs, off speed; well I hadn’t figured those out. And surprise, surprise after a while (with later maturity and wisdom) I noticed that they became a larger part of my diet, and that batting average and batting success wise, I was losing weight.

But the biggest curveballs that were ever thrown to me happened at just twenty-one years of age. In the midst (junior year) of my budding college baseball career I was faced with the challenge of fatherhood. That was some curve. And by the end of that summer I learned that I was to be the father of two, which was a bigger curve. And two weeks later two live curveballs were staring me in the face. These were big time game changers. These were big time life changers.

In retrospect, I am glad there was more than one curveball. One curve ball might have just sent me back to the dugout with my bat in my hands. Odd to say, but one might have beaten me, two made it better for me. With two I was needed. With two I was in the game. With one, I quite possibly could have been ignored, pushed aside and regulated to remote back-up status. With two I became very involved from necessity and then became very involved by enjoysity (my new word). Parenting was fun, it was joyful, it was incredibly rewarding.

Much later, after my skills had eroded by age and forced exile from the game I began playing baseball again. Older, slower, wiser I now enjoyed seeing curveballs and off speed pitches, heck I preferred them to the fastballs that now tended to beat me. Perhaps a lesson with curveballs or two at age twenty-one was just what I needed.

Well life still throws curveballs and I sometimes hit them and I sometimes fail. YESTERDAY was Melissa and Kelsey’s birthday and while I did call Kelsey early in the morning (heck perhaps even at the time of her actual birth) it was to co-ordinate a time to come visit. And much later in the day when she called me back, I had three people in my office asking questions and needing answers and the call was short and confusing. And then this morning (and I can indeed go days without knowing the date, and this month has flown by; and I got probably 10 more lame excuses) I saw the date and said “oh shit”.

I can only hope for forgiveness.

More Than Most, But Not as Much as I Need

If you know me you might think I have patience. You might think I have enough patience. You might even go as far as to say that I am a patient fellow. That almost sound like a good description of me.

But, truth be told, I could use more patience. I would most likely be a better person, be better off if I only had more patience. Especially patience with others.

Truth be told, I get impatient with others. I do not like to ask others for favors as I cannot stand the wait for them to give me answers.

I love coaching my baseball teams. It brings me great joy. But the one aspect I hate; and I hate it more than anything else, is asking boys who try out for my team to play for my team - and then waiting to hear back.

Hey (I think), you do or you don't, you will or you won't. This should be a 10 second phone call. Do not jack me around all week while you consider your options. I would much rather work with another player, teach that player to play baseball, than I would working with someone who might rather play somewhere else. If the decision is that hard - please by all means - go play somewhere else.

Keep the Flame Burning

Check the time of this post.  I couldn't sleep and I normally sleep like a torpedo.  This post was rattling around in my brain and it had to get out.

I did not golf in the Gibby open this year.  I had already booked the day for the select team I coach to have their tryouts.  But I did get to the dinner at Gibby's.

And who did I see at Gibby's?  Guys that I played ball with many years ago. 

Lately I have been hearing a lot of them ask me why I still do it.  Why am I spending so much of my free time coaching youth baseball.  So many have questioned the time, the effort that I began to question the pursuit.

My answer; I have to.  My follow up; you should too.

We are all in our 50's.  Our days are past.  We can't do it anymore.  We can throw, we can hit, we can talk about it; but we can't do it anymore. 

There are tons of boys out there that want to play baseball.  For the most part they are getting coaching, but most of it is lousy.

We were all coached by one of the best.  Frank Papasedero.  He was damn good.  He had his faults; but he was damn good.  And we all learned a few years ago from Eddie O'Brien that he did it for free.  He gave it away.

He is dead and gone.  And in this world of six degrees of separation we are the ones who own his message, who own his passion.  And we own the passion and dedication of all who coached us.  And we own the passion  of all we played with and fought with and every ball we hit, every ball we caught and all this game has brought us.

As I currently coach I run into good men who coach.  But they are over-shadowed by bad parents who coach, twentysomething year old assholes who coach and others who have no business coaching.  Whores that are making money coaching.  Impostors, bad eggs and jackasses who coach.

My message to you all is to get out there.  

Dana is doing it.  Bish is out there.  Tonk is coaching.  Spaz is out there.  Why not you?  You have the knowledge, you have the passion, you have the tools.  You can make a difference.

Pass on the passion for this game.

Pass on your knowledge.

Holiday Inn Express, What a Load of Jerks

In June the summer baseball team I coach entered a tournament north of Bellingham. I booked reservations at a Holiday Inn Express (HIE) in Bellingham. The tournament was cancelled and with a week to go I called HIE to cancel my reservations.

This is where the trouble started. They informed me that I did not have reservations, I had prepaid for a room. There was to be no refund!

I guess I did not read the fine print. I had not made a reservation, I had taken advantage of a super-super low rate and had prepaid to save this super-super low rate.

Someone needs to explain to me how $100 a night in fricking Bellingham WA is a super-super low rate!

I argued, I asked to speak to someone else, I argued, I asked to speak to someone else. I argued. Finally HIE made a concession. I could stay ANY night at their fine hotel for my prepaid $100.

I had to break it to them, driving up to Bellingham and spending the night at a Holiday Inn Express was not considered to be a giant treat for me. I countered with if the deal extended to ANY Holiday Inn Express ANYWHERE ANYTIME I might consider this a reasonable offer.

No deal.

What they did not realize, what they could not know, was that I had the ultra protection of my very own personal banker, like I was a Republican or something. I called my personal banker who put the credit card people on the phone and viola', I had a provisional credit for this charge.

Done deal.

Then I got my statement. Quite confusing. There was my provisional credit, then low and behold there was HIE's credit (wow, now I am ahead on the deal!). Then I saw the reverse of the provisional credit (darn now I am just even) but then I saw it - TWO more charges for the same damn room! Now I am down TWO times the charge! Who do they think they are messing with?

I guess there must be a lot of people who do not review their visa bills.

I called my banker, she put the credit card people(cc) on the line again. After explaining the deal the cc person put me on hold and came back with an ingeniously sneaky plan. She said this is typical of some of the people she deals with. They give the credit and then take it back. We again put a hold on these two charges and then implemented her brilliant plan - we cancelled my card. Of course she is sending me a new one with a new number and that should take a week or so.

The good news is now I am without a visa. Last night at dinner at Tutta Bella's not only was it free pizza night (!!!! I guess they were just voted best independent pizza in America!!!) but when the bill came I had to say "sorry Peggy, my visa has been cancelled and I won't have a new one for a week or so" .

Ain't life great!

An Old Favorite from John Prine which has Played in My Head For Some Time

We had an apartment in the city,
Me and Loretta liked living there.
Well, it'd been years since the kids had grown,
A life of their own left us alone.

John and Linda live in Omaha,
And Joe is somewhere on the road.
We lost Davy in the Korean war,
And I still don't know what for, don't matter anymore.

Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger,
And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day.
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello."

Me and Loretta, we don't talk much more,
She sits and stares through the back door screen.
And all the news just repeats itself
Like some forgotten dream that we've both seen.

Someday I'll go and call up Rudy,
We worked together at the factory.
But what could I say if asks "What's new?"
"Nothing, what's with you? Nothing much to do."

Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger,
And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day.
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello."

So if you're walking down the street sometime
And spot some hollow ancient eyes,
Please don't just pass 'em by and stare
As if you didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello."

BBQ Stir Fry, It's Not for Everyone, But Hopefully Someone

Peggy is in France, emergency trip for a friend's funeral.  We were going to go to France sometime this summer, but when things like this happen you go and you don't care what it costs, unless you are me and it makes no sense to pay $2,500 for a ticket.  

Peggy is gone and I have lost my will to cook for others.  I have no one else to please, and I cook to please her.  So cooking in a vacuum, the man who wants to bring the world Macaroni and Chocolate and Twinkie Bread experimented with BBQ stir fry.

Why not.  I love stir fry, I love BBQ why can't they live together.

Peggy is lucky to be in France.

I liked it, and I bet I could find at least two other Bad Eaters in America who would like it as well.  But as I ate it, the one honest bone in my body told me that I would starve if I tried to launch this idea.

I made a kick ass BBQ sauce. On a whim I used Stubb's Spicy BBQ sauce.  It was a dollar off and his slogan says "his life is in this bottle".  Not bad sauce.  I added 57 sauce, honey (lots of it), garlic and half of a pineapple through the juicer.  The sauce might have been then best I ever made.

For the stir fry I used a red pepper, a green pepper, green beans, a can of corn and an Anaheim pepper.  And I made some rice.

The meat was organic chicken thighs basted in this sauce.  I combined some sauce and more garlic in the stir fry.  When the veggies, the chicken and rice were done (and me too, I was on beer #3) I put them all together and expected to change the world.

I discovered that I liked it, maybe Mikey would like it, and perhaps some fat guy in a bathtub with the blues, but honestly.......this idea is going no where fast.  As an old hot headed little league coach who was a worthy adversary would say..."this stinks on ice".  Thanks Oly, I needed that.

But as I cooked and got my groove on the Ipod was kicking ass as well and played on of the greatest sets EVER, which included (as I was sitting down to eat) Steve Earle singing "Over Yonder" live.

But I am keeping the sauce, maybe ribs tomorrow!

Over Yonder (Jonathan's Song) by Steve Earle,

 come'on spend 99 cents and buy it on I-tunes.  BBQ stir fry won't change your life, but this song might.

The warden said he'd mail my letter
The chaplain's waitin' by the door
Tonight we'll cross the yard together
Then they can't hurt me anymore.

I am going over yonder
Where no ghost can follow me
There's another place beyond here
Where I'll be free I believe.

Give my radio to Johnson
Thibodeaux can have my fan
Send my Bible home to Mama
Call her every now and then.

I suppose I got it comin'
I can't ever pay enough
All my rippin' and a runnin'
I hurt everyone I loved.

The world'll turn around without me
The sun'll come up in the east
Shinin' down on all of them that hate me
I hope my goin' brings 'em peace.

complete and Total Admiration

Above, Old, Older, Oldest - Jamie, Robin Roberts, Warren Spahn

I am old.  I am old by the standards that I developed as a youngster.  Waaay old.  At age 14 I made up my mind that I did not want to EVER be 45.  Seriously.  Those were the 60's and we were not supposed to trust anyone over 30, I was pretty sure the revolution WAS going to happen and I for one never wanted to get old.

My parents were old, and in those days; and with my eyes THEY were old.  I never EVER saw my old man in shorts, NEVER saw him move fast, I mean NEVER.  If he had to walk briskly he had to have his hand over his pocket to keep his change from jingling.

In those days Jack LaLane was considered a bona fide FREAK because he believed in exercise.  

And as a boy I had Robin Roberts' baseball card.  Even back then I thought, wow this guy is old, this guy has been around; how does he get anyone OUT?

Maybe you think this way about Jamie Moyer.  If you listen to the press and media, all you hear about is how old Jamie is.  How he gets hitters out with smoke and mirrors.  How he cannot last, how he MUST be living on borrowed time.

Here is my take.  I have always thought this and after today EVEN I came away MORE impressed than ever, but I am old.

Yeah, he only throws 83 or 84 tops.  In the days with closers throwing 99 this sounds like easy pickings.  

Only 83 84.  Well let me tell you, that is plenty fast.  It ain't that bad; most mortals cannot touch it, and even guys like Ted Williams have to concentrate to hit it.  Especially when it is located, especially when it moves.

I have known Jamie for six years now.  I was a former catcher.  I caught guys that were pretty damn good.  Mark Bishop was pretty damn good.  A big winner in college and Mark pitched well into his late 30's for the Seattle Studs Semi Pro team.  Mark was a thinker, a competitor and a scrapper.  I caught Wyatt Tonkin who threw absolute gas and got a cup of coffee with the Braves in the early 80's.  I caught Floyd Bannister, Kennedy High School super star, ASUpremier pitcher, and number 1 draft pick of  1976 and Mariner stand out.

I caught Jamie today and he WOWED me.  He hit spots.  HE HIT SPOTS.  He hit spots in long toss. He hit spots from the mound. He made it move in.  He made it move out. He made it  move down.  And he made it move to his spots.  And each time HE CALLED HIS SHOT.  

I have always been a fan, I mean how can I not be, but today I FOUND OUT WHY he still gets big leaguers out.  

COMPLETE AND TOTAL ADMIRATION 

Photo tip of the Day

Make sure you take all your pictures with the Flash!

Memorial Day, proper

Ahh Memorial Day. A cool down day, a day of rest after an activity filled week, almost. I woke up early after getting to bed at 2:00, almost like Peter was with me. Too bad he wasn't because something big was going on in the hall all night. Too much noise, and I heard in the morning that the cops were called in. Cousin Chris and Peter had their rooms comped due to the noise and their complaints. I too complained at 9:00 PM but even after complaining AND finding that the maid had not been to my room all day I did not get comped! I guess I am too soft.

I got back to the scene of the party early, around 9:00 am and started cleaning up the deck, taking down the lights putting things away, playing with Harley the dog. Cousin Jan called and wanted me to get her into the city. Around 11:00 I picked her up, brought her over to the house and we all spent some time with GGG and left for the city around noon. Jennifer gave me good directions and we drove into Greenwich Village, had a slice, discovered that they did not bring my promised T-shirt in yet, went to my favorite pet store and begged yet again that Susan (my new friend) could go again next week. I gave Susan their card and she promised to bust their chops and get me that T-shirt.

Jan and I walked around some more and we then drove to the East Village where I hauled her suitcase up to her friends TINIEST apartment ever, said our good-byes and I headed back to Staten Island. Both trips went well, I found free parking in Greenwich Village and successfully parked illegally in the East Village.

Hey, this NY thing is not as tough as the song says.....maybe I can make it anywhere!

G-G-G's 104th Birthday

On Sunday the clan gathered for GGG's 104th Birthday. A wonderful event and very well attended. GGG was in rare form, smiling and sitting mildly for her photo ops with the various families. A good day was had by all.

Plenty of work went into the prep, regardless of how much I interfered with Jennifer. Jennifer is a world win force, a deep planner and perhaps technically the best battlefield general that ever was. She truly missed her calling. Why if she hadn't squandered her career working for the phone company, she could have ran this county! With her in charge and thinking it through why the war in Iraq would be over, Afghanistan too and the oil well in the gulf would be plugged by now.

She pulled this party off gracefully and still found time to go to a Met game, see Bon Jovi AND be the final say and persuasive influence for GGG's occasional melt downs. Hats off to my wonderful cousin Jennifer.

And my Other New (old) Favorite Song,

More BON JOVI


This song was his last, the entire audience sang it with him in the biggest love feast I have ever witnessed, tears were in peoples eyes, no shit!

And the screen was awesome. There was a contest that had people send in their own videos of them singing the song and they were put on the screen, ala Brady Bunch style, behind him and kept changing during the song.

Tommy used to work on the docks
Union's been on strike, he's down on his luck
It's tough, so tough

Gina works the diner all day
Working for her man, she brings home her pay
For love, mmm, for love

She says we've got to hold on to what we've got
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not
We got each other and that's a lot
For love we'll give it a shot!

Oh, we're half way there
Oh oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand, we'll make it I swear
Oh oh, livin' on a prayer

Tommy's got his six string in hock
Now he's holding in what he used to make it talk
So tough, mmm, it's tough

Gina dreams of running away
When she cries in the night, Tommy whispers
"Baby it's okay, someday"

We gotta hold on to what we've got
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not
We got each other and that's a lot
For love we'll give it a shot!

Oh, we're half way there
Oh oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand, we'll make it I swear
Oh oh, livin' on a prayer
Livin' on a prayer!

We gotta hold on ready or not
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got

Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer

Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer

Whoa, we're half way there
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it I swear
Whoa oh, livin' on a prayer

Bon Jovi at the Meadowlands

AWESOME!!!!!!!

On Saturday Night, Jennifer, Lisa and I went to see Bon Jovi at the Meadowlands. Incredible. Amazing. I have to admit to not being a fan prior to the show. I had heard his music but had never really connected.

I have to say that Jersey was the best place to see him. He connects with the crowd and the crowd connects with him. Magically. He speaks the language, he knows what their lives are like, he knows their struggles and HE is their biggest fan and it shows. They love him, he loves them. I now get it and am a fan.

It was like Ghostbusters II and I was covered in that loving goo.

My new favorite song

Work for the Workin Man

I'm here trying to make a living
I ain't living just to die
Never getting back what I'm giving
Can someone somewhere help me justify
Why these strong hands are on the unemployed line
Now there's nothing left
But what's on my mind

Who's gonna work for the working man
Hurt for the working man
Get your hands in the dirt
Who's gonna work off the curse
Brother, I'll be damned
If I don't raise a hand
Whose gonna work work work work
For the working man

Empty pockets full of worry
Had to get two jobs and
It was hard enough just getting by
With the grace of god I'll get us through
I only know what I know how to do
I'm the only one who's got to look my family in the eye
Day after day, night after night

Who's gonna work for the working man
Hurt for the working man
Get your hands in the dirt
Who's gonna work off the curse
Brother, I'll be damned
If I don't raise a hand
Whose gonna work work work
For the working man

I lost my pension
They took my I'd
These were my friends
These were my dreams
These were my hopes
These are my streets
Can you hear me?

Who's gonna work for the working man
Hurt for the working man
Get your hands in the dirt
Who's gonna work off the curse
Brother, I'll be damned
If I don't raise a hand
Whose gonna work work work work
For the working man

These were my friends
These were my dreams
These were my hopes
These were my streets

Day In the City - Friday

After at night out at Citi Park I spent a day in the city.

A quiet day just roaming my favorite places. Drove down to the ferry, shot across on the Spirit of America and took the #1 train to Canal Street. First stop Pearl River where I bought Peggy a small surprise, actually the first stop was the sausage wagon in front of Pearl River for a dog

On my walk to Little Italy I saw my favorite little lunch spot the Blue Orange, and only took a picture.

In little Italy I had a slice, got no-where with a truck driver delivering tomato sauce to the restaurants (there goes my idea for importing San Marzano Tomato sauce) and had a watermelon ice.

Stopped at the oldest gun store in America and bought Peter a small surprise, gosh I hope I can get it past security. One more ice, mango, and I was on my way to Greenwich Village.

In the Village I found a wonderful pet store where I made friends (more later) with the owner and bought Neko a raincoat.

Wandered down to my favorite pizza joint where I had

a slice and asked to buy another T-shirt from them. They once again agreed, but told me I would have to come back tomorrow. I said I would, but wondered if I had the time. Resuming my stroll I had the brain flash to ask my new friend Susan at the pet store if she would buy it and send it to me. After a quick back-track my new friend agreed!

Strolling back to the subway I caught Mr. Softee delivering the goods.