FRS

That Old Sinking Feeling

Night BallThe FRS‘s lead in the east has shrunk to 4 games with today’s loss and Yankee win, but I’m not worried, there are only 45 games left in the season so there is no way the Yankees can catch them. Right. Their Magic Number is just 42.

I predicted that the lead would be down to 5 at the end of last month, I was wrong, but I don’t think I’ll be wrong this time when I say this, “The Red Sox will not be in first place in the Eastern Division of the American League on September 1st.”

Maybe if we had more games against the Aiken Foxhounds…

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 324

FRS

The Emperor came home today from the doctor’s tonight after his ligament replacement surgery and fluid transfusion. On the way home we stopped for pizza at a place called Nick’s House of Pizza in West Columbia. Because it is called Nick’s you know that they also serve Greek food. So we had a Greek salad to go along with the 10″ pie with sausage, pepperoni, onions and bell peppers. There were a couple of waters and a Sprite involved too.

Meal Cost: $17.92
Tip: $3.58
Spent Today: $21.50
Year to Date: $1549.16
Meals out, 88 of a possible 597.

On July 1st the FRS had a 10-1/2 game lead over the Yankees. From the first of July through last Saturday the Red Sox have gone 6 & 5, but the Yankees have a record of 7 wins, 4 loses and were 10 games behind. On Monday morning when I mentioned that I thought the expected FRS slide had begun, I was scoffed at. I predicted that the Yankees would only be 5 games back by the end of the month. Both my Yankee fan manager and Mark the Braves fan felt that the Sox were too good this year and the Yankees too weak. My boss was just making excuses in case and Mark is used to the Braves always winning the division, but I on the other hand have had to suffer through several decades of Red Sox collapses.

Both now may believe my prognostication powers because since Saturday the Yanks have won 4 while the Sox are 1 win, 3 loses shrinking the lead to 7 games. I may still be wrong, at this pace the Yankees may be ahead of the Bosox by August 1st. Which brings to mind a memorable quote from the movie Game 6, while in the bar watching the titular game, the kid tells Michael Keaton’s character that he should be happy because the Red Sox are winning, to which he replies, “The Red Sox are always winning…until they lose”. The screenwriter must have been an FRS fan.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 283

Rain Delay

Both the FRS/Braves game and this blog are in a rain delay….

Rain Delay

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 209

59,000 Raindrops

Litle FenwayAlternate Title: Down on the Farm.

The Single-A farm in Greenville, South Carolina. The Drive are affiliated with the FRS and to show the love, last year they opened a new stadium with the same dimensions as Fenway Park in Beantown (including a 30′ high Green Monster with manual scoreboard.

Because we are traveling we are eating out. Breakfast with the MMC at the Sunrise Grill in North Augusta. The joint we were supposed to meet at at 7:00 AM had changed their opening hour from seven to eight recently leaving us locked out in an empty parking lot. No worries mate, we just moved the show a 1/4 mile up the street. Half a waffle and two eggs for her, western omelette with home fries for me. I had a cup of joe and she had a hot chocolate.

Meal Cost: $15.63
Tip: $3.00
This Meal: $18.53

Lunch at a Cracker Barrel in Greenville. I had the spicy grilled catfish sandwich on sourdough and Donna had a bowl of tortilla soup. One iced tea, one water to drink and guess who had what.

Meal Cost: $13.25
Tip: $3.00
This Meal: $16.25

Dinner at the ballpark. $5 a piece tip to the Maitre De got us in the door (AKA General Admission tickets.) Nachos for her, Italian sausage for him. Diet DP for him, bottled water for her. We split an 8-pack of chicken nuggets a little later.

Meal Cost: $16.00
Tip: None
Spent Today: $50.78
Year to Date: $1314.32
Meals out, 73 of a possible 498.

The game was supposed to start at 7:00 PM, but it was probably still pouring down rain at that time. The rain did stop and the game started at 7:30. We entered the stadium at 6:00 when they opened the gates and after eating and taking shelter, by the time the game started we had had enough. From the way the skies looked we were sure it was going to rain some more any minute, so we left. Seeing as the rain showers were scattered we opted to drive around Greenville and take some of the PO pictures we were going to do tomorrow. Ended up doing all of them (that we could find.) There is one on the Furman campus according to USPS.com, but we didn’t see it.

At the last one of the night, a CPU in an ACE Hardware store, the odometer read exactly 59,000 miles.

Started down, went up, back down, up again, down once more, up yet again, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 203

Tonight I Didn’t Call Her On It

Pizza was on the menu for Friday, but it got pushed up to today. We got the usual order from Ferrando’s, a 14″ 5-topping pie (sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onions and banana pepper rings) and brought it home to eat. Finished half, saving the second half for dinner on the previous planned Friday evening.

Meal Cost: $15.52
Tip: None
Spent Today: $15.52
Year to Date: $1259.54
Meals out 69 of a possible 489.

This evening’s entertainment was The Holiday. Double your warm fuzzy feelings, double your tears, its two, two chick flicks in one.

The Red Sox are having trouble scoring runs. They are losing big time at home tonight against the Rockies 12-2 and are on their way to losing six of their last ten ballgames. The Yankees are about to win their ninth game in a row and will be 8-1/2 games back. Is it just me or has something like what happens to an RX-7 in this video happening to the FRS?

Had some comments on one of my Post Office photos on Flickr today. White Rock, SC 29117. Then if you want, go check out grussell903’s photos before answering this question: Troll or Reality Challenged?

We ran out to Kroger tonight to get a couple items. As we were checking out I noticed that the cashier had keyed us in for a senior citizens discount. I think you have to be like 60 to qualify and we are about 8 years from that milestone. If asked if I qualify I say no, when that screen pops up on the self-service checkout I say no. I usually say something, but tonight I didn’t. Maybe it was because we saved so much – 47¢

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 193

I Can See Still See In The Dark

I Can See Clearly NowToday was Donna and my annual eye exams. Good news is that neither of us have any issues nor have our eyes changed enough to warrant getting new glasses.

We went mid afternoon and some six hours later the drops they put in your eyes to dilate them has not not entirely worn off. I think I could take a book into a closet and read it with the light off. You know your pupils are open wide when the little WinXP screensaver (bouncing logo on black background) has a bright rainbow hued halo around it.

I remember a couple of years ago we went late afternoon and by the time we left the Eye Guy’s place it was dusk. The sun was down but the sky was still light. Most cars were driving with their lights on and both headlights and taillights were giving off these awesome starburst patterns. Even the traffic signals looked like they were being viewed through a starburst filter. Very cool effect, but it was difficult to concentrate on actually driving and not running into anything while looking at all the pretty lights.

We rode the tandem into work again today. I think we are going to try and make it a once a week event from now on. Because we are working our nine hour days this week, this morning’s ride start was way early and it was still dark out. We have a nice powerful light so that was not a real problem. As a matter of fact it was actually nice that time of day, there was almost zero traffic on the road and it was nice and cool (I wore a light jacket and Donna was in long sleeves.)

Right now I’m not sure what is worse, the FRS losing 6-0 to the Yanks in the sixth or having to listen to Chris Berman call the game and Bonnie Bernstein with the sideline commentary.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 171

Who’s the Boss?

Fabrication ManagerOur Fabrication Manager has been gone for a week on vacation and now he is absent for fortnight visiting vendors in Asia. Gnorm moved into his office today in a bloodless coup. Don’t worry, because he is the boss, he’ll be taking next week so he can go to Seattle with us.

I’m still burning my CD collection and I’m almost done with row #5. I just came across a CD I have no recollection buying and I can not even think of what anything on it sounds like: Pourquoi Quebec? by Tony McManus. I may have to give it a listen.

I used to read quite a bit of science fiction as youngster and as I entered my twenties, horror became my choice of escapist “literature.” Used to read a lot of fellow FRS fan, Stephen King’s books, but quit about the time he started writing them thick enough to be used as nightstands. Now I’m into pulp stuff about private eyes and disgraced cops that save the world from criminals ans serial killers. I’m also a sucker for lawyer slash courtroom drama books. My latest read has been a real pleasant surprise, I picked it up thinking I was getting a typical lawyer saves a wrongly accused book, and it is that (at least I think he saves him, I’m not finished yet) but it also mixes in a very convincing horror plot. For the icing on this cake it is also told with some biting humor in places. The following is a snippet from Lost Girls by Andrew Pyper:

The next day is passed by explanations of DNA identification technology delivered by the google-eyed lab rat the Crown has brought up from Toronto. I feel for the poor bastard, though, trying to teach a remedial science lesson to the jury, who look back at him as though auditioning for the chorus in Deliverance: The Musical. It gives me a chance to doze off for five-second hits of sleep. A tricky business that involves holding your head up with one hand and positioning it so that your closed eyes will be hidden from the bench. This part is essential. Judges are universally intolerant of sleeping lawyers, mostly because their own seating arrangement prevents them from indulging in the same pleasure themselves.

Each time my eyelids spring back open it’s with the terrible image of Bert Gederov and Graham Lyle having kittens all over the boardroom floor two hundred miles to the south because I haven’t yet returned their calls. The reason is simple: despite my best efforts I haven’t come up with a resonable explanantion for my remarks to the press of the other day. By the time the court is adjourned in the afternoon (the DNA dweeb having just finished his “introductory remarks”), I know that it can no longer be avoided.

Donna was out at a business dinner with a couple bishops from the Vatican (ASCO HQ in NJ) and some vendors, so I was left to my own devices. A 6″ Italian Sub (Ham, Salami, Pepperoni & Provalone) from Sub Station II that I brought home and ate over the sink pretending I was a bachelor. All that was missing was a bottle of beer to wash it down. I substituted a Sprite Zero.

Meal Cost: $3.60
Tip Jar: 40¢
Spent Today: $4.00
Year to Date: $1151.30
Meals out, 63 of a possible 426.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 170