FRS

Pilot – Part 2

Show 2 of 82. Does this photo look familiar? I think it does. Just six days ago I posted a photo I had taken of the Shannon Rutherford “Action” Figure that was based on the scene from this episode.

After Sunday’ games the FRS had a magic number of 1 for clinching a wild card playoff spot. They were also only 1-1/2 games out of first place and winning the division was once again in play. But last night they lost and Tampa Bay won dropping them back to 2-1/2 games behind. Because the Yankees had the night off the playoff clinching magic number remained at one. Tonight the Yanks are winning and Tampa Bay has won the first game of their doubleheader and although the FRS are winning, they are making it look hard, they are up by only one run and the Indians have loaded the bases the last two innings. Update: The FRS managed to stave off defeat and are going to the playoffs.

The weather has turned positively March like all of a sudden here, High near 80, low in the upper 50s and 20 MPH winds. Even though it is our long days and 1 hour earlier start, we got up even earlier so we could ride the tandem to work. The good thing about the extra hour early start, there is nobody, and I mean nobody, on the road at that time. The good thing about the wind is it is coming from a direction that makes it a tailwind on the way home.

Started down, still down.
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Synchronized Horseback Riding

We walked back over to see the balloons fly again this morning (more pictures.)

After the skies cleared they held some equestrian type stuff, go figure, the event is called Ford Trucks Equestrian America Balloon Festival. We stayed a while to watch our neighbor and another member of the Aiken Pony Club do a musical dressage demonstration. They did a 5 minute walk, trot, canter, etc. in sync inside a small ring set up to the music from TDPM.

Coincidentally I got to watch the last 15 minutes of that movie on USA after the FRS beat the Blue Jays on TBS that segued into a House marathon, which I have been glued to ever since. If you like House like I like House check out Medical Reviews of House on Polite Dissent. The fellow is a doctor which gives him a very unique slant on the show. Don’t forget to read the comments as they are almost as good and at times even better.

Just like us, the Emperor took the day off.

Started down, still down.
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Man of Faith


John Locke

Like Mr. Locke, I am a man of faith, as long as you consider faith in failure. The FRS were leading tonight’s game by 13 to 1 after 5-1/2 innings and then as if to validate my faith, they have given up 5 runs in the last two innings. I’m pretty sure they won’t blow the remaining 8 run lead in the last two innings, but if they do, you should have faith that I will blame myself for the loss because I jinxed the team by saying, “Pretty sure they won’t.”

Started down, went up, still up.
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The End of the Weekend

The FRS were on TBS this afternoon (and won the game thanks to a couple of Jays errors and a couple of blown calls in their favor by the umpires), so I spent several hours planted on the couch watching. Then at 5 o’clock this afternoon a House marathon started on USA and here I am, still denting the cushion.

We did get out and go for a nice hike this morning though…

My Friend Flicka

 

Started up, went down, still down.
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Can’t Really Blog Right Now

The FRS are on the tube playing the Evil Empire, so I can’t pay attention enough to write a coherent post (whether anything I write here is coherent is open for interpretation), so I am going to pretend I have a Twitter account and recap the last 7 posts in twitterese.

Even though I know it is home in the garage, I can’t help thinking, “Dude, where’s my car?” several times today. – Wednesday, August 20th

To get ready for the upcoming season five of Lost, I think I’m going to watch the first four Memento Style, AKA, in reverse order. – Thursday, August 21st

Cancer Sucks! – Friday, August 22nd

Dick Weber I’m not, as I miss a 300 game by 8 strikes. – Saturday, August 23rd

From certain angles, Donna’s gynecologist looks remarkably like Emily Deschanel. – Sunday, August 24th

“In the navy, come on, protect the motherland. In the navy, come on and join your fellow man.” Chairman Mao? Nope, Village People. – Monday, August 25th

Oreo Cakesters are the greatest invention since, well, Oreos. – Tuesday, August 26th

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
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Weekend Wackiness

Athleticism, power, grace, joyous victory and heartbreaking defeat. No, not the Olympics, but the Most Best of MXC 2 was on Spike TV from 1 to 2 PM today. It was a lot more entertaining than Men’s Field Hockey, Women’s Handball or the Mixed Double’s Badminton from Beijing.

I knew the political conventions were coming up and a quick check of Wikipedia reveals that the Democratic Convention is next weekend from August 25 to August 27 at Pepsi Center and on August 28 at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. The Republican Convention will take place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota from September 1 until September 4, 2008. Maybe if you just said Denver and Saint Paul, leaving off the corporate named venues, it would sound more presidential to me.

The best game the FRS have played so far in this weekend series with the Toronto Blue Jays was the game they didn’t take the field in. They were rained out on Friday. Yesterday they lost 4 to 1 and today after just 3 innings they are losing 8 to nothing. Should have banked some of those runs they scored last week against Texas.

This morning at about the halfway point of our 16 mile bike ride, we took a water break at a stop sign. While we waited for a car to go by we took a quick drink and snagged a quick kiss before taking off again. Cyclists are still a fairly odd sight on the back roads of South Carolina, so we are used to strange looks from motorists, but the one we got from this driver was really odd – his was giving us a kissy face, perhaps asking for a smooch of his own.

Started down, still down.
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On the Couch

Through the magic of a Paint Shop Pro I can paint in watercolor. This is from last Sunday’s visit to Hopeland Gardens home of the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame & Museum.

Having spent the last two nights in separate rooms, me with baseball in one and her with the Olympics in another, tonight we decided to be in the same room at the same time. I’m listening to the FRS on the internet via laptop on one end of the couch and Donna is watching the Olympics on the other end. Right now there is two women beach volleyball on that I keep noticing in my peripheral. All I have to say is with all those players on the sand at one time, it is a good thing they have numbers on their suits, so we can keep track of who is who.

On another Olympics related note, I happened to catch the Nike commercial for the Redeem Team while watching sports center (should that be capitalized? one word?) on ESPN this morning. We have been subjected to many renditions of our national anthem over the years, some very good – Whitney Huston prior to the Super Bowl and some very bad – Rosanne Barr before a San Diego Padres baseball game, but I really like this non-traditional version of Marvin Gaye‘s that is the basis for this commercial.

For some entertaining reading, try the online version of “Seattle’s Only Newspaper”, The Stranger.

Started down, went up, still up.
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