A Threat from the On Deck Circle

Manny was too tired to start tonight's game. Hey, if I just caught the red eye to Cleveland and a barber was waiting for me at my new job, I would seriously be rethinking the decisions that got me there. Having said all that, in the top of the 9th with two on and AJ at the plate, Ozzie pulls Brent Lillibridge (I never thought the WhiteSOX would acquire a player who looks more like Peter Pan than Scottie Podz but they managed to in Lillibridge)....but Ozzie seems to pull the Little Elf from Middle Earth and Manny takes some cuts in the on deck circle.

The Cleveland pitcher gets all flustered on the mound and gives up a three-run dong to AJ who has pretty much sucked the big one at the plate all year.

Then Ozzie brings Manny back to the dugout for some much needed rest, and Lillibridge finishes the game.

Good work if you can get it

To Be Named Later

It is official. My beloved WhiteSOX acquired Manny Ramirez via a waiver claim. The SOX need to pay the remainder of ManRam's 2010 salary (about 4 mildo) and they are including in the deal a slop bucket full of estrogen and a masking agent to be named later.

go sox

Visions

Went shopping for last minute breakfast-for-dinner supplies last night and saw a giant Cheez-It walking around our local Schnucks grocery store.

It was either part of Schnucks' "Welcome Back Students" promo (because nothing says "welcome back" like a snack food posing for pictures with you and your fraterity brothers)...

...or I was having a flashback all on my own.

A giant Cheeze-It walking around Schnucks? Please....I had to have been hallucinating. Who the hell would name a place Schnucks?

The Gift of Family

Took Friday off...it is a tradition Alex and I have. On the last Friday before school starts, Kim goes in and kicks ass all day. I take off work and Alex and I go bummin. He had to get a booster shot early in the day but after that it was all fun. T & J for lunch, golf at Prairie Pines, fun at the bookstore and goofin around at home.

When we got back to the house he was greeted by a big package from California. My sister sent him a box of treasures. He was so happy opening each thing. What a spectacular treat from his aunt on the last Friday before school. He said, "I am going to remember this Friday for a long time."

Saturday my p's came up. My mom got a new car and it was good to see her excited. Al and Judi came over a bit after them. Al and I had a tee time in Malta so we went and did that. Fun. Talked about TR's new house and other stuff.

Came home to a fantastic dinner by the lovely Kimberly Jo.

Sunday we went to Mass at St. Mary's in Sycamore. No, we are not shopping around. It worked better with our schedule, and we were able to drop mom off at school to do some organizational stuff for the first week of school.

Alex and I watched the SOX lose and NO - it was not Joe West's fault. Sheeeeesh! That's all I have to say about that.

Oh, and let the Age of Empire begin!

....not umpires, EMPIRE!

And I think I let enough time pass for the people directly involved to tell all who they are going to tell....

Welcome to the world Elias John B. God bless you and this life. The gift of family can drive us to distraction sometimes but it is a wonderous thing and a sign of God's grace. Chris and Jenny enjoy this amazing new person and thank you for bringing him to our world.

Elias looks tough, I'm hoping he can help Chris carry the crazy box of drum gear now.

Brass

Work is busy. Came home and struggled with a paragraph for a ridiculous amount of time. It's not that one shouldn't spend time on good paragraphs. This damned paragraph wasn't worth it.

Played guitar to forget about the failed paragraph and it sort of worked.

Organization stuff around the basement office, then picked up Alex from MM's. Mark gave me a Silver Jews record to check out so I am excited. He said the band made him think of me because I look like the lead singer. If the singer looks like me and the band has a career, they've got to be good.

Kim, Alex and I went to Poc's and got Alex his first trumpet. We are all very excited. The dog, not so much.

Wha Happened

Thought I needed to take Monday off because I thought Kim had to go in to school to get ready for the year. Scheduled six hours off on Monday and worked 7am to 9am....then found out it was this Friday I need to be here for my guy.

That's cool. I've got the time. I just hate not knowing what I am doing, which I should be used to by now.

Closing on the refi is Friday and the numbers are all good.

More editing and working on the new and improved thing that will bring more rejection letters for MOI

Let My People Have a Great Weekend

Friday found me still playing catch up at work. It's going to take awhile. It is probably going to take forever.

Cleared up my bank questions with a short phone meeting. Turns out I am the idiot, not the bank. Who woulda thought such a thing possible?

Family movie night - the 10 Commandments. Yes, THAT the Ten Commandments. I didn't know that Moses set a precedent for leading men against the threat of communism. Stupid CB DeMille.


Saturday morning I was all about the bills and making sure we had plenty of cash to blow at the SOX game. They lost to the Tigers. The team could not sustain that epic run forever. Fun while it lasted. Oh well, two things never get old for me 1) going to SOX park 2) fireworks @ Saturday games


Sunday - the little crew and I made it to 10:15 Mass. Saw John and Janine there...also saw Uncle Joe. Kim dropped Alex and I off at 7-11 and we walked home with his treat. Normally we take a father/son Saturday morning walk but there was too much going on getting ready for the game and Kim & Alex went to Woodman's. So, the boy and I took our walk today. Lots of quality talking in those walks. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

SOX lose again! Shit, they're three games back. What're ya gonna do? It's not like I am gonna go out there and help them. I guess it would help the SOX if someone signed me up to play shortstop for the Twins. But I just can't see that happening, hilarious as it might be.

Twilight golf in Sycamore and that was enough of an athletic misadventure for me.

Doctor My Lungs

Here we fucking go again. Same time every year I get some stupid thing that starts as a sore throat, mild headeache and low grade fever....before I know it I am weezy

And not the good kind like the lady who married George Jefferson

I am trying to nip it in the bud (or the "butt" depending on who you ask). Saw a nurse practitioner today. She gave me some decent advice...heard some shit in my lungs (not as bad as last year) and prescribed me some other shit.

Drank a delicious Old Fashioned after my dr. appt. Let's just say I ordered it for the fruit. That's my story and I'm sticking to it

...or I am stuck with it. Whatever.

Some numbers aren't quite right with the bank thing. No deal breakers, but I want to get some clarification before we let them draw up the refi papers. It's a great rate and we will actually be able to lower our payment and take years off the loan.

Kim's Vacation Bible School has been, all at once, weird and an overwhelming success. They focused on the 10 Commandments today. Alex's two-story clubhouse with climbing wall was Mount Sinai and Cookie was the Golden Calf.

Top that CB DeMille

Every Day is Garbage Day in New York City

Left DK after work on Thursday and dropped off Cookie on the South Side with Al and Judi. Had a nice visit and then drove to Toledo. Spent the night in the City of Klinger then made our way to New York.

Once we got east of Cleveland the hills get taller and river valleys get wider. Alex loved the Poconos and driving through Pennsylvania in general. He loves the mountains in California. They are bigger, but they are basically brown and grassy. The Poconos are lush and he took tons of pictures with Kim's camera from the back of the Rav.

He kept a close watch on the road map as we made our way through the last portion of Penn. As the last miles of PA slipped away, Alex and I kept saying, "We're cool we're cool, we're cool" then as we passed into Jersey, "We suck"

but somewhere approaching the Geo Washington Bridge we were cool again

Chris and Mary have a swell place with a fantastic location and this was a once in a lifetime chance to stay in that part of Manhattan...for free with parking free on the weekends. Sure you might have to walk a few or ten blocks to get from the car to where you are going, but I love walking.

And walk I did...

Went up Lexington from 71st St and once I got past the high 80's random people began asking me for a light and looking at me like I was either a narc or someone seeking a male prostitute.

Why can't it be both?

Ok, this time I'm the sick bastard.

Did some of the tourist-y things. Kim and Alex went to the top of the Empire State Building while I drove Chris and Mary to one of New York's five Chinatowns. I'm not totally sure there are five Chinatowns but let's just assume there's one for every borough.

I'm an idiot and that's why I assume such things.

Alex also wanted to go to Liberty Island and I was happy to check out America's big, green, horny lady.

Yesssss

Found some fantastic book deals with the boy including an atlas for $1.27 - - the Manhattan branch of the NYC Public Library closest to where we were staying must organize these book sales to generate petty cash. I was happy to give them some. Coupla things for Alex, some Philip Roth for me and that was it for our Manhattan shopping spree.

Maybe I'll write a little more about our trip tomorrow but my favorite line was from our first night in the city. It was 9pm and we were all going for sandwiches. Alex saw a shopowner bringing bags of garbage out to the curb.

Alex: "Wow. They're bringing out garbage on Thursday night. Friday must be garbage day here, just like in DeKalb!"

Christopher: "Alex, every day is garbage day in New York City."

Alex: "Cool."

The City So Nice

...well hopefully New York is nice enough to put up with my surly ass. Little stressed out today as we prepare for our trip and I don't know why. We are driving east, and I love to drive through this great country of ours. We are driving to see Kim's Cousin Chris and his wife Mary and I love those guys.

...and we're driving through New York State and I love the Empire State.

I am stupid. I hate getting out of my routine. I've just got to remind myself 'what have I really accomplished with my routine?'

exactly

Old Fashioned Male Tramp Stamp

No bigDrag practice tonight, but still a productive evening. Had a second meeting with Brian for the Kish website. We are closing in but still probably two conversations away. It's ok. Review copies will not be ready until Sept.

My guy was not working at the bar. It took the girl a few tries to get my Old Fashioned right. By the third one it didn't matter. My friends, I'm sure, were laughing behind my back like they do to men with lower back tattoos.

Just wait until they see my male tramp stamp that reads "Old Fashioned".

Classy