Taking it Easy

American League
All Star
Ramirez now
Plays

for the L.A.Dodgers ... AKA the pre-retirement home for old Red Sox players ...

We'll miss you, Manny. And in time, your heart will realize that this was a really bad move.

Boston Sports Media being Boston Sports Media

I really wish that baseball fans didn't have to be privy to the beefs between players and management. It's icky. I love Manny and I've supported him during past "Manny Being Manny" episodes because, let's face it, the Red Sox need him. I'm not going to take issue with one or two questionable moments when the dude brings it time and time again. I know that players and management have always had issues. Red Sox front office can be jerky (I'll never understand the abrupt firing of Doctor Morgan or Papa Jack). Baseball players can be jerky, too. Most of them are spoiled rotten and have sort of lost their connection to reality, especially the huge stars. As a big fan of the team and baseball in general, I don't want to have to be forced into these dealings. I just want to continue loving Manny and the Red Sox. I don't want to have to take sides. It isn't a fair expectation to place on fans. I blame the media, of course, because they hang onto Manny's words, take a lot of them out of context and ask him inappropriate questions about his relationship with FO. I don't want to know, but I have to know. Because it's splashed all over the front page of the Herald, which hits me in the face when I step out of my neighborhood coffee shop every morning.

Dear Boston Sports Media,

Please stop printing crappy baseball gossip about the Red Sox. If Manny says something like, "I want to be traded," simply wave your hand in an understanding gesture and say, "Yup, thank you, Manny," and be on your way.

Thank you.

I mean, I have plenty of anxiety about other stuff (REAL stuff) why do I have to worry about this, too? If Manny does get traded, I want to be able to wish him well. I don't want another heartbreaking Johnny Damon-style situation to contend with. I've invested in Manny. The least that he and the Red Sox can do is let us part from him on good terms.

In Mom News:
I'm so excited - she was able to skip a week of chemo! She had enough energy yesterday to do 2 loads of wash and clean the floor. She went out for ice cream, too! This is a major deal, since all she's been doing is sleeping or feeling like she's going to start sleeping for the past 2 weeks. She's going in for her body scans today and hopefully, the results will be in tomorrow. I am praying for something - ANYTHING - that shows that the chemo is working. This is such an agonizing process.

In House News:
We are on schedule to close mid-August and move in the last week of the month. Hurray! I can't wait!

You know, every day we are told that the housing market situation is more dire than the day before. If this is the case, why aren't people buying homes? Are they waiting for prices to go back up again? I don't get it.

2008 Spring Softball Team Picture

Well, we made it to the 2nd round of playoffs and we gave it our best, but it wasn't meant to be, I guess. We had a great time playing - what we don't have in championship rings, we make up for in spirit. I feel like a lot of the teams we play against would rather be hanging out with other people. Personally, I love my team. Sadly, we will not be able to partipate next year due to the move. But, there is talk of one last hurrah - our team captain and coach is trying to reserve a field for us to play each other in 2 teams of 10 while we BBQ and party it up.

Boston Ski and Sports Club's 2008 The Learned Glove

Where have all the grasshoppers gone?

Can you remember the last time you saw a grasshopper? I can't. I used to catch them when I was a kid. They were all over the place. We lived in a quasi-urban setting, yet my neighbors had plenty of grasshoppers in their postage stamp-sized yard.

Are they facing extinction or something?

Rain, Rain, Go Away ...

Someone please post a convincing argument as to why race car drivers are considered to be "athletes." I don't get it. Doesn't that open the door for other groups to be called athletes? I suppose you need agility and strength to control your vehicle, but I need that, too, when I'm lugging bags of groceries up three flights of stairs. Don't get me wrong, I really WANT to be brought around to this notion, but I'm not quite there yet and I guess I'm asking for a smart and interested person to convince me. After all, Shirley Muldowney is one of my idols.

Jeers to Jessica Simpson for wearing a T-Shirt that claims that real women eat meat. I, myself, am a pescetarian (Merriam-Webster just inducted this term into the dictionary this year - hurray, I feel valid!). I don't have an issue with eating meat or killing non-human mammals and birds ... if you do it with your bare hands! That's the way it's done in the wild, people. Instead, we have big factories where cows and baby cows and little pigs get their brains bashed in. Maybe Jessica's shirt should say, Real Women Eat the Meat That Comes Out of Factories Where Cows and Pigs Get Their Brains Bashed In. If you're going to make a statement, don't do it half-assed. Go all the way! At least fish get to enjoy a real and normal life in a natural habitat before they get scooped up, killed, and cooked. I'm not saying it's a great way to go, but hey, it's better than life in a meat processing plant.

Don't you love how the conservatives are really pushing this whole, "See? The surge worked!" bullcrap on America? Okay, if that's true, how come they remain mum on troop withdrawal? How long are our troops -- courageous, dedicated human beings with families and lives in the United States -- supposed to be subjected to this fabricated war? Also, how are we suddenly put in a situation where we have to praise Bush for enacting this surge? That would be like giving your neighbor a big pat on the back for fixing the side of your house that they ran their truck through. Hey, thanks, it was totally genius how you patched that up for me.

One last rant: Miley Cyrus. Can't stand her. I hate her big, bubblegum, spoiled rotten smile. I can't believe that Annie Leibovitz made me pose like that. I feel bad for Annie. She's a pioneer in her business, a living legend. She's a low-key, but incredibly accomplished professional. I hope she didn't lose any sleep over this.

Red Sox-Yankees tonight! I think I'll make some apple soap. Very Patriotic.

Art Beat 2008

[I advertised this on my Stella Marie Soap Company blog, but I thought I'd post about it here, too, in case any of you locals are interested. I hope you can stop by and say hello - the weather is supposed to rock and the entertainment is always fun.]

I will be selling my soaps and other bath goodies at the Art Beat festival this year. The Somerville Arts Council has updated their website with the full festival details!

Saturday, 7/19: Noon - 5PM
Davis Square, Somerville, MA

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In unrelated news: Our softball team has advanced to the 2nd round of playoffs. I'm not sure what happened, but we were unstoppable. The other team lost due to the mercy rule, which is simply unheard of, given our not-so-impressive record. Perhaps it's because our coach gave us a pep talk before the game. Who knew that this is all we needed to excel? It was so freaking fun to (a) win and (b) pound another team.

What If A-Rod Threw a Party and Nobody Came?

I guess that's what happened after the All Star game in NYC. Not even Madonna showed. You can't really feel bad for the guy. He creates his own problems. Remember that episode of the Brady Bunch where Peter Brady saved some kid in a library from having a giant shelf of books fall on him, then threw himself a "hero" party, but no one showed up?

In unrelated news: I feel bad for one of my neighbors. Their child has a scream like a T-Rex. Hey, maybe it really is a T-Rex!

Dirty Water - A Red Sox Mystery

I am lucky to know such talented people. I just posted about my musical friends, Leeny and Steve, and I thought I would take this opportunity to acquaint you with Dirty Water: A Red Sox Mystery. My boyfriend (Red Sox blogger, Jere Smith) and his mom (accomplished mystery novelist, Mary-Ann Tirone Smith) co-authored this gem and since I have an obvious bias, I won't attempt to create a review. I probably wouldn't do it justice. But I will say that if you enjoy mysteries and baseball, this book should be on your future reading list (particularly if you are a fan of the Boston Red Sox). You can pre-order a copy on Amazon by going here.

Reviews are just starting to come in. Here are a few snippets:

"Dirty Water takes us inside the Sox clubhouse and out into the neighborhood around baseball's little green chapel. Having spent far too many hours pacing that pavement, I can verify that Mary-Ann Tirone Smith and Jere Smith know the territory. This one's fun for mystery fans and Sox fans, and even more so if you're both."
- Stewart O'Nan, Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season (written in collaboration with Stephen King)

"These authors know Boston, they know baseball, and they definitely know the Red Sox. Real-life Red Sox players walk out of the clubhouse and right onto the pages of this murder mystery--along with bloggers, bad guys, and Boston's finest. An essential addition to any true fan's bookshelf."
- Melinda Boroson, author, 86 Years: The Legend of the Boston Red Sox

"To truly enjoy this extremely clever novel and its extra-innings ending, it helps if you are a fan of the Boston Red Sox, intimately familiar with Boston's Fenway neighborhood and conversant with the online practice of blogging.

But should you strike out on these topics, never mind. The book is still a good read and, let's face it, in Vermont and the rest of New England (otherwise known as Red Sox Nation) most readers will have at least some knowledge of the team and therefore an appreciation of its recent (and long-awaited) success on the diamond.

And, as a bonus, David "Big Papi" Ortiz, the team's superstar slugger and larger-than-life personality, adds a bit of zest to a plot that's already as tricky and slick as an unassisted triple play."
- A.C. HUTCHISON, The Rutland Herald


This is a well-crafted review from Nora of Horse Circle.

Check out frequent updates on the book blog, here.

*Editor's Note: In my original post, I wrote that Nora's last name was Ocala. Why? Because I'm an idiot. Clearly. Ocala is where she lives in Florida, but I completely misread this, looking at her profile information on her blog. What can I say? I don't know Florida all that well. My apologies!

Leeny and Steve - Be Nice

So, I thought I would do some shameless promotion for two of my friends: Ilene Altman AKA Leeny and Steve Equi AKA Steve. They just put out a fabulous new CD of children's songs entitled, Be Nice.

The songs are super witty, smartly written tunes, sure to get your kids (or kids you might know) tapping their little toes. It's a nice alternative to the crap that's out there (speaking of, one of my favorite songs on the album is Stinky Diaper). Well, as I have no experience with the children's market, I can only assume the music is crappy. But I do know this: Leeny and Steve's CD is the bee's knees! The crown jewel of the children's music world!

Warning: Don't be surprised if your child or the child you know begins eating their fruits and vegetables after listening to this CD. You might find that said child begins to demand quiet time as a result of exposure to Be Nice. If you prefer loud, sugar-hyped kids, this CD is not for you.

It's Coming, Folks!

"The weather out there today is hot and shitty with continued hot and shitty in the afternoon. Tomorrow a chance of continued crappy with a pissy weather front coming down from the north. Basically, it's hotter than a snake's ass in a wagon rut."

- Adrian Cronauer, Good Morning, Vietnam

True Quam

Ever notice that commercials involving high definition televisions or "sexy" electronics portray the male as this kid in a candy store with his female counterpart rolling her eyes in the background as if to say, "Oh, brother!" or "Honey, you know we can't afford that!"

I've never known a woman who was bored or annoyed with cool televisions. Am I missing something here?

SHUT OUT

I love shutting out the Yankees in their own backyard. I also love it when one of our pitchers gets to complete his game. Congratulations, Lester!

Speaking of congratulations ..

1. My cousin got engaged. Yay, Erika!

2. Did you read about this? I almost cried.

3. After nearly 24 hours of no water, my friend Kara's water supply was restored. Whew!

Happy 4th of July, all! Be safe.

God Help Me

I am addicted to the USA Today crossword.

Today is a holiday, so I have to wait 3 stinking days until a fresh one appears.

There is a silver lining.

Well, the house deal we had in place didn't pan out. The seller was not willing to budge on repairs that were major safety concerns. We even agreed to split some of the cost with him, but he was not flexible. We decided to back out, knowing that the market is still very good for buyers right now. It's hard to let go of something you have your heart set on, but we were already spending so much before moving in, we thought that it wasn't worth it in the end. The good news is that we were able to get our deposit back in full, as what we were asking the seller to do was pretty serious. Also, our agent is very familiar with our needs now, so I think the process should be a bit quicker moving ahead.

Since we backed out, we've found a number of awesome listings and we are excited about looking at new places. Some of these homes are in mint condition, which is great because we can take our savings and use it toward decorating or even leave it in the bank!

To read about our fun flat tire adventure this weekend, go here!