List Monday - the Hanukah List

1. I wish Hanukah didn't come so early this year.  Still digesting turkey and stuffing.  This will make for a long Christmas season.
2. I wish Ipad 2.0 comes out sooner, rather than later.
3. I wish Cubby could pick-up his own poopie.  Speaking of poop, I wish for less Justin Bieber and more Vampire Weekend.
4. I wish the Flubbies would sign a left-handed first basemen who can hit 60+ homers next season.  I wish they unload Z.  And I wish for career years from Rami and Fonzie.
5. I wish to see Europe with my family ( I wish they appreciate it) in the new year, and possibly, Cabo.
6. I wish the housing market returns to pre-bubble levels.  Or I wish Michael Buble buys my AZ casa.
7. I wish to master my vocation, become closer to my wife, walk my dogs more, and to yell less at my offspring.
8. I wish for health and happiness and success for mine and yours....

Goodbye Derrek Lee - You deserved better

So long to the consummate professional.  A real class act.  An all round decent player.  Way better than Mark Grace or Leon Durham.  That said, it was time to go.  Injury plagued and past his prime, the Flubbies picked up 3 pitching prospects - a good move.  We'll miss you, though.  And, at least you could have gone to the Angels instead of the braves.  All of my other favorite ex-cubbies are on the west coast.  Now, if we could just unload Z, keep Rami happy (and healthy), and promote Ryno already!

Go Go Greene's snap Cub's losing streak!

If I were a member of the Rickett's family....

It's almost the all-star break and the flubbies are like a gajillion games out of first place.  They're like 0 and 72 against the last place Pirates.  No Cub should make the all-star team.  So, if I were the new owner of the team, I'd...

• fire Jim Hendry and hire me...
• early retire Pinella and call up Ryno
• eat Zambrano's contract and trade him for a Single-A prospect (or put him in RF or DH, in the meantime)
• trade D-Lee for a Double-A prospect...bring back Micah
• and while we're at it, package Nady, Baker, Tracy and Fukudome and throw in Jeff Samardzija
• Tell Aramis to man up or move on
• Fonte - YES
• More Sam Fuld
• Bring back Reed Johnson and DeRo
• Move spring training back to Catalina (or San Clemente)
• Beat the freakin' Pirates
• Send in these guys:

Daddy's Day

Here's how my dad went:  Woke up to breakfast in bed - bagels and lox (lots) and a delish bloody mary.  Josh wanted to know why I was having alcohol in the morning.  Because I can.  I got cards from everyone and a jar of "Daddy-o-brand" kit kats.  Watched the old man show and read the paper.  Took the kids and dogs to Lantern Park and walked around Dana Point Harbor, which was cool because there was also an art show.  Had lunch at my favorite restaurant - McDonalds.  Because I can.  Took the kids to my secret beach where boogie boarding, surfing (1st time in like 6 years), and good times were had by all.  After squeezing into my sausage case of a wetsuit, I paddled out to the line-up....and was exhausted.  I rode one wave for a micro-second.  Spent some time on the hammock.  Because I can.  And now, I believe the loving bride is preparing a special Father's Day feast for mwa.  And, the Cubs finally won a game.  Great day.

Here's hoping all you Dad's out there had an equally awesome day.  I'm a lucky Dude!

Go Go Greene

Just settling in after a whirlwind trip to the desert of my past.  After blowing off ll practice (they lost without me on Sunday, btw, so it isn't me....although I am the one who picked the team - no fantasy baseball for me this year), we had an uneventful drive to my P's house.  I was feeling congested and unfortunately missed my old neighbors' St. Pat's party (Steph went and didn't get home til 2).  Had Micky D's with the rest and played some RummyQ.  I must have been sick because my Dad won once.  Sunday had some Dunkin' Donuts and took the wife and kids to a Cubs/Angels spring training game in Tempe.  It was hot, steep and full of bees.  The kids got autographs of Larry Rothschild, the pitching coach, and some prospect named Chris Robinson.  Three innings and $80 in food later the kids had had enough.  The Cubs went on to win.  Took Cubby to visit his rock star brother, Bugsy.  Dinner at NYPD.  Monday:  had breakfast at OverEasy, took the kids to school, Chipotle and the hotel.  Played taxi service between the kids friends' houses - Perry's, Max, & Katies.  Had a nice dinner in a choice hotel - the Westin Kierland, thanks to shopper wife.  Drinks, picked up the dogs (thanks Mom & Dad....and how about my Dad, walking the beast after going on an all morning hike - impressive), and back on the road (mmm, Popeye's).  Think the desert air cleared my congestion.  Need to go back and be more liesurely next time.  Now packing for Atlantis.

p.s...hope to get back on track with literary tues, geni wed, and novel thurs. soon....

The week in review

Another largely uneventful week here in the OC, which is sometimes better than an eventful week.  It's still cold and damp, can't handle these 60's.....brrr.  More rain a'comin.  Jilly tried turning on the fireplace with the wall switch.  Only this house has a real, wood burning (ok, with a gas starter) fireplace, not the fake kind like at our previous abode.  Speaking of which, at least, we're not at the old Scottsdale house where the water heater pilot went, the tv lamp needs to be replaced, and a window won't shut.  Oh wait, $500 later, yeah, I had to cover that too.  At least their magnetron is holding up.  Will  have to check out the place when we go back to the 'Zona soon to visit the P's and the Flubbies.  Spring training is fully underway.  It's a new dawn.  The year of the Cubs.  It could happen.  Wait, probably not since I put money on them when I was in Vegas.  What's the deal, wasting 5 homers on their opening spring exhibition schedule.  Save some for the season.  Had a good batting practice last night.  Josh is less afraid in the batter's box and expressed an interest in more actively practicing his pitching, instead of camping in front of the xbox.  Actually, he's been a busy beaver with 2 auditions this week.  Hopefully, we'll get our first real game in tonight, freezing are butts off, playing on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Not too shabby.

The week in review

The lovely bride's SUV, of the 2004 vintage, hit 170,000 miles today.  That's a lot of miles.  If you laid them from end to end, it would cover 170,000 miles.  Going to need a new car or three someday.

The good news this week is that I might have secured a sort of job.  One that gets me out of the house and meeting new guys.  Day trading with a group.  Could be interesting.  Bad news, I might have to skip out on my upcoming trip to AZ to see the P's and a Cubs spring training game.  Went to get fingerprinted today and they copied my license and social security number.  Kind of scary from an identity theft point of view.

Ran a good ll practice earlier in the week.  One of the coaches was overstepping a little bit, but I can deal, especially if he's going to sub-manage for me in the future.  Got a practice tomorrow and our first game that counts on Sunday.  Looks like a rainy weekend.  Come on rain!

License plate du jour:

So, wife and son were driving home from L.A. today, where son might have a second extra role on an upcoming Modern Family episode, when the I-5 was shutdown near San Clemente due to the following explosive news:  a grenade was found on the highway.  It's always something.

UPDATE:  The grenade has been detonated...purposely by the police.

More Cowbell

Firstly, I'd like to give a big shout out to my P's for watching the two animals....and my dogs.  Thanks for driving out.  Sorry the canines took time to settle down after we left and especially for the dukey in the bedroom.  Didn't get to spend enough time together.  More cocktails!  Didn't even get a game of scrabble in.  Anyway, will see them again in March.  Planning a pilgrimage to Ho Ho Kam.  Go Cubbies.  BTW, placed a twenty on the flubbies to win the whole shebang.

Drove home today.  Pretty straight and easy.  Loved taking the 241 all the way into Oso.  Good to be back from that sin-filled Gomorra.  Spent half our trip (when not giving back the ephemeral winnings), planning our next vacation--a trip to the Bahamas.  And now for a brief psychoanalysis:  this is how my brain works.  Need to focus more on living in the moment, and not on the next place I need to be.  Probably part of my (now mostly latent) type-A personality, but as a blogger I need to appreciate the moment and observe the minutia.  Stop and eat the roses.

Had ll practice today.  It was run by a former Met (boo, hiss) named Lindsey.  Boom boom practice (golf clap).  Raising the bar (and pressure) on me for future practices.  Half of our team is starting to get it going. Josh banged his knee before practice and was not 100% (more mentally than physically, I think).

Speaking of Josh, he went to his first boy/girl cotillion last night.  He did great and had a good time.  Sorry that we missed it.  His grandparents (and little sister) got a big kick out of it.

Guess what?! I've got a fever, and the only prescription... is more cowbell

Hawk Skewers

Way to go Andre Dawson.  Not sure if you're the most qualified of HOF inductees, but you were sure fun to watch and played your heart out.  You made watching the Flubbies watchable and I'm sure neither of us miss the Expos (one of the most ridiculous ballparks I'd ever visited).


On an aside, Andre sure had the heart but other players had better stats and bigger impacts (McGuire, Sosa, et al).  Yeah, yeah, year...steroids.  A) they weren't illegal at the time, B) they were hitting off pitchers taking the roids, and C) don't tell me old time ball players weren't drinking, coking, taking greenies, etc.  Bonds is quite possibly the greatest ever, with or without the hormones.



My lovely bride, who happens to be a hospitality consultant, took me to Fogo de Chao today for lunch.  Fogo is a Brazillian  churracaria.  No, not a place that sells churros (although churros are a sweet treat), but an all you can eat steakhouse serving 15 types of meat on sticks.  I felt like a screaming banshee in a candy story.  We Chowed until we burst.  Bring on the meat sweats.


Today in the continuing saga of my search for employment:  as you recall, yesterday I mentioned I got an upcoming interview with a local Chase bank branch.  Today I got a corporate email saying that they received my resume and thanks....but no thanks!  I got that email....TWICE!!