FRS

Exorcising The Devil

Usually it happens in June and usually it is the MFY overtaking them, but this year it is different. The FRS almost always start strong and lead the Eastern Division until the middle of June or early July when the wheels come off and they fall from the top spot. Usually the New York Yankees replace them in first place.

This year the swoon started early as yesterday’s loss to Baltimore caused the Red Sox to relinquish first place in the division to the Tampa Bay Rays. Who? Up until this year the team from Tampa was known as the Devil Rays and for the first ten years of their existence have never won more games than they have lost, even their best year, 2004, they were 21 games below .500. If they knew all it took to become a winner was remove the Devil from their name, I’m betting they’d have done it a lot sooner.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 158

Charlie Wilson’s War

Joanne Herring: Why is Congress saying one thing and doing nothing?
Charlie Wilson: Well, tradition mostly.

Julia Roberts has a throw away role, Tom Hanks is excellent, but this is Philip Seymour Hoffman’s movie and he is great.

Charlie Wilson: You mean to tell me that the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is to have the Afghans keep walking into machine gun fire ’til the Russians run out of bullets?
Gust Avrakotos: That’s Harold Holt’s strategy, not U.S. strategy.
Charlie Wilson: What is U.S. strategy?
Gust Avrakotos: Most strictly speaking, we don’t have one. But we’re working on it.
Charlie Wilson: Who’s ‘we’?
Gust Avrakotos: Me and three other guys.

This is the second movie in a month about war in the middle east, Lions for Lambs being the other, both were interesting, thought provoking and worth a watch, but Charlie Wilson’s War was much more entertaining.

We are on vacation, but not going anywhere, so it was odd not going to work today. Even odder was going for a bike ride at eight o’clock on a weekday. We may have to start riding earlier on weekdays when not on vacation. I went to the store this morning to get some actual paintbrushes for the bead board instead of my usual foam-on-a-stick things and when I went by the corner quickie mart the price of gas was $3.72, passing by the same store tonight the price had jumped by a dime to $3.82.

I’ll be glad when the FRS aren’t on ESPN anymore and I can go back to listening on the radio because tonight looks a lot like last night. They have gone and dug a themselves a 4 run hole again that I’m betting they aren’t going to be able to dig their way out of either.

Started up, went down, back up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 156

Another Rainy Morning

I put the top up to drive through the downpour to get a Sunday paper. The car spent the rest of the day dripping water on the garage floor. It was also my only foray outdoors as well.

Did a little painting, did a little reading, did a little surfing and now I’m watching the FRS on ESPN trying to get back in the game against the Twins.

Hopefully tomorrow morning it won’t be raining and we can get in that threatened bike ride or a walk in the woods.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 153

Hurley Is A Citizen Too

Just after lunch today there was a knock at the door. We weren’t expecting anyone, but turns out that was wrong. When Donna opened the door there was the unlikely duo of Shannon Rutherford and Hugo Reyes. I knew Jack was a Sox fan, but I was surprised to find a native son of Santa Monica, CA was too. I had bid victoriously.

Here’s an item I won’t be victorious on — I don’t have quite enough cash in my PayPal account — David Ortiz “Yankees Curse” Jersey

I primered the the inside of the newly remodeled bathroom and then hung a towel rack, the TP holder and the shower curtain rod. We started to shuffle things around in preparation for moving our bedroom to the other end of the house. We cleaned out the two closets by carrying a dozen boxes up into the attic. Sunday night we’ll move the bed and our clothes to complete the transition.

Broke down and washed the car tonight, even though there is a chance of afternoon thunder showers tomorrow. Pine pollen season is all but over and it has been 6 weeks since the last wash, so I figured it was time. Plus we are going on a Post Office Safari tomorrow and the Emperor always like to put his best face forward even though he isn’t the primary photographic subject.

Started down, went up, back down, up again, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 111

Official Citizen

Sounds kind of Socialist doesn’t it? (not that there is anything wrong with that.) My 2008 Red Sox Nation membership card came in the mail today. Got a sticker too.

I’ve been a member of the Nation since I was 10 years-old or so, long before the marketing department of Major League Baseball thought there should be such a thing. I swore the oath at 12 in that incredible summer of 1967. I really don’t need the card to validate my citizenship, but seeing as they want $14.95 to join and it costs the same amount as a subscription Gameday Audio (which I usually get and is included in the membership), I signed up.

Because this weekend is a three game series against the MFY I am only listening to one of the games. The other two are on TV, because when the Red Sox play the Yankees it is like the Montagues and the Capulets, the Hatfields and the McCoys, the Sharks & the Jets, high drama makes riveting television.

But after listening to last night’s game and watching today’s, the rivalry doesn’t seem to have the same intensity so far as it has had in the past. Maybe because the FRS are still jet lagged from the Japan trip. Maybe because the Red Sox have finally exorcised the “curse” with the two championships in 4 years thing. Maybe all the Yankees are sad about them tearing down the House That Ruth Built. Or maybe it is just me.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 104

Good Day

It was definitely a good day to be a Red Sox fan. The players got their World Series rings today in a 45 minute ceremony prior to the home opener. Bil Buckner, that’s right Bill Buckner, threw out the first pitch. The FRS won the game 5-0 behind the pitching of the 13 Trillion Yen Man. The only thing that didn’t go right is my official 2008 Red Sox Nation membership card didn’t arrive in the mail.

But Blue Miata and Tia were waiting patiently in the mailbox for me today. The red ones are at work and I think these smurf blue versions will stay home. There are also gold versions out there too, but I think I’m going to pass on acquiring them. I think is time to buy some Lost “action” figures instead.

Hard to tell from this photo, but a lot was done on the bathroom project today. The floor was repaired, a real shower liner of vinyl was put in place, and most of the new moved wall was put up. The contractor picked up the tile today. We will meet with him after work tomorrow to discuss how we want it put in.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 100