Friday, March 30, 2007

Hitsville

So, Loaiza didn't end up pitching tonight, and the game was far from a pitcher's duel (11-10 in favor of the A's was the final). It was fun being at the ballpark though, and sometimes a hit-fest is fun to watch, and this being a game of no consequence, fun was what it was all about.

Mike Piazza hit a home run, and Nick Swisher hit two, but the most amazing thing was that Swish laid off the first two pitches (both strikes) that he saw tonight. He isn't exactly the paragon of plate discipline.

I took Dan Johnson as my last draft pick, as sort of a sleeper pick, hoping that perhaps he's corrected the trouble he was having seeing the ball during night games, but it's all for naught as he was placed on the Disabled List tonight. Ugh.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Play Ball!

The A’s take on the River Cats at Raley Field tonight.



Esteban Loaiza takes the mound for the A’s, and I couldn’t be happier. He’s one of my starting pitchers in my fantasy league, and since this is the first time I’ve ever done fantasy baseball, am hoping he’ll be the Ace of my staff.

I didn’t draft very well, and in fact, the three top pitchers I really wanted (Dan Haren, Chris Carpenter, and Bronson Arroyo) went sooner than I had predicted, not to mention the fact that Chien-Ming Wang was the second pitcher I drafted, and he went on the DL a couple of days ago.

Of all pitchers in the MLB though, Dan Haren is by far my favorite (with a healthy Rich Harden and the Reds’ Bronson Arroyo not far behind), so it’s a shame he’s not on my roster. His K/BB ratio is outstanding, and I’m really hoping the A’s hitters will give him a fighting chance at some wins this season.

I’ll be singing Take Me Out To The Ball Game at full volume, which I do at every game, but perhaps with just a bit more gusto tonight.

More 'Playboy' from the 80s



"Sweet Little Mud Pies". Outstanding

In Threes

Oh, yeah. Three new blogs linked.

Mommy Mommy. One of the first people I met when I moved to California, way back in '84.

Floating Foam. My friend Dave is smart, funny, witty, sweet, etc.

Rockass. KLJ. Comedian. Hilarious.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Polly T. Kitty

My cat, Polly, is just about my favorite thing in the whole world.



She was a few weeks old when she climbed into the engine compartment of my car (luckily, I saw her crawling into it), I popped the hood, threw her in a box, and took her to the vet.

I was living alone for the first time in my life and, with being a feral cat, she wasn't too interested in hanging out with me. Little by little she started coming around, and we've been best buds for the last 11 years.

I've had more than one girlfriend (there have been several in that time span) complain that I love my cat more than I love them, and I have to admit that I've been hard pressed to argue.

The last year has been a hard one. I took her to the vet and found she needed to have several teeth removed. Before she went in, I moved into a small, one bedroom apartment.

I took her in for the dental work, and I spent the next couple of weeks chasing her through the apartment when it was time for her medicine.

We moved into a two story, three bedroom house in November, and she seemed to be the happiest she's ever been.

A few weeks ago I came home and one of her eyes was giving her trouble. I took her to the vet, found it was irritated, and a simple eye cream was prescribed. Unfortunately, it was discovered that she needed to have more teeth removed.

She hates wet food, but with so few teeth remaining, was going to have to give it another shot. I went out and bought a wide variety of wet cat food. She didn't eat much the next few weeks, but I was holding out, figuring that she'd get hungry enough sooner or later and have to eat.

She never did though, and I guess I can look back and thank my lucky stars that she's so finicky. I'm pretty sure that just about every pack and can of wet food I put in front of her for two weeks was of the tainted-rat-poison variety.

She had another barrage of tests, and so far (fingers crossed) everything seems to be relatively fine.

So, she's back to kibble, and just gumming away at it.

Ah, stupid cat. I don't know what I'd do without her.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Hello again (with links to blogs).

After my last blog, which was epic, to say the least, I've had a hard time trying to even so much as post a picture. I don't want my blog to go unattended however, so whether or not I can live up to that last blog, here goes nothing...

Did you know that the women of new wave/punk rock love me?

Want proof?

Here's a picture of me and the legendary Alice Bag.



Josie Cotton has a myspace page.

Nikki Corvette has a  myspace page too.

I added them as 'friends' and guess what? They wrote to me! Can you believe that? Two singers I love, whose records I've long worn out, wrote to me to say hello.

Not only that, they're still making great new music.

Jaz Brown blogs here. He has his own website too.

Skid blogs from myspace.

Here's my buddy GB spouting off.

Watt. Truly, one of my heroes, and I don't have many. Watt's myspace.

Dianna is pretty damn funny.