Happy Birthday to my Partner in Crime

Once uponst a time...

I was having a very bad day. I immediately picked up the phone and called my best friend, Christel and after a few short minutes, everything was right with the world... or at least not so overwhelming that I could make it the next few hours without tequila shots or going postal at work...

I looked at my coworker and pointed to the phone and said. "If you don't have one of those, I highly recommend picking one up."

"One what?" she asked.

"A Christel," I replied. "She fixes the Rubiks Cube that is my brain when life comes along and jacks it all up... or at least one side of it."

For all the times you have arranged my Rubiks Cube to get me through another day, I thank you. Thank you for being my partner in crime and joining me on all our adventures- adventures that started with silly things like Endless Quests for alcohol as minors, to boys and weddings and kids, baseball trips and *sigh* growing up!

Happy Birthday, Christel!!!

MVP

CONGRATULATIONS DUSTIN!!!

Of COURSE he's the AL MVP, and you wanna know why?

Because Dustin Pedrioia isn't scared of anyone. He plays like a little boy who wants to win a big, shiny, trophy and not like a money hungry, 'roid raging asshole like a lot of players. He LOVES the game- he is a 5 foot 9 man with an 8 foot swing. And they are afraid of him. Because he's a scrapper and they all know he'll do what he needs to, to win.

I'm so excited for ya, Dustin, and I second the motion of our Large Father,

"Congratulations, Badass..."

Potpourri...

(That is Spanish for a bunch of random crap all thrown together in one blog post..)

So, YAY! Obama won and I couldn't be happier. I am so proud of my country for finally fucking getting it right this time. I think it is great that he almost took Texas- a place where I have felt for years I was wasting my time voting because you know it's going Republican... I feel good, I feel energized. I am SO happy we are getting Bush O-U-T. I am excited for the future. And more than anything, i am so happy I can look at MY baby brother, who is of a very similar heritage to Obama and say "See- you CAN do anything!"

Change. It will be slow, I know that, but its already started. And we can only go up from here...

While I don't normally like to discuss politics or religion with most people, I do so now hoping that we can all agree that change was needed and support our new president elect.

*****

I made my hotel reservations for my BOSTON trip in May of next year with my friend Christel and although I don't have baseball or airplane tickets, it was AMAZING to see my name with a reservation number next to a BOSTON address! I was giddy with excitement for a whole day.

I have started my research and am assembling a list of MUST DOs while I'm there. yes, some are super touristy and I don't care. I have dreamed of this trip since I was 13 years old. If I want to go see the Freedom Trail that I did research projects on, I'm gonna! So, here is my list- if you are an expert or local, please feel free to comment or add suggestions:

1. Fenway (duh)

I'm hoping to go to at least 3 games- 2 Mets and a Toronto, but not just the games, I also am going on the tour.

2. The Freedom Trail

It's ridiculous how excited I am about this...

3. Harvard

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

4. Charles River

Want to take some kind of sight-seeing cruise. Yes, Christel, ME- on a little boat!!!!

5. Pub crawl

if I can find an organized one, great, if not, a will make my own! The Cask, Cheers, Sam Adams Brewery, Boston Beer Works, Game On! Any other must sees?

6. Union Oyster House

Mmmmm. Chowder.

7. Walk through parts of the Emerald Necklace

What say you?

*****

Got to go now.. My BFF's BF is having a Pub Golf themed birthday party and I'm off to figure out how to make argyle look mildly slutty... Ta ta!

Well...

Now that I have had 10 or so hours to sit in silence and process it, I can officially say, “I’m okay.”

I will be okay. It was a great season and really, I can’t thank the Sox, Sox fans and friends I’ve met this year enough. Beginning on a March morning when I was up at 5am to watch the opener in Japan and ending last night probably when we had bases loaded in the 8th and couldn’t bring anyone home to save our lives…. We have won and lost and had fights, and laughs… I have watched games on TV and in person, I went to the Cincy series, I saw them in Houston and in Arlington. It was all awesome.

We made them all work for it. Manny or no Manny- injured Mike Lowell, JD Drew down for a long time, Beckett not being Beckett- we made them all work for it. The Yankees have been playing golf for 3 weeks. We never gave up- not even down 3-1. We showed the world what it means to wear a Sox uniform. I am so proud.

I feel like I have earned a Red Sox stripe or a battle scar. I have always felt like I needed to pay my dues to be considered a ‘real fan’. And now I do feel like I have a scar to show for it. Cause that, my friends, hurt real fucking badly.

I know, I know… Next year. Of course there’s next year. And we’ll kill them. I know that. So for now, we put the bats up, pull the winter coats out and wait. The boys deserve some time off, I will pay attention to people again. And I will dream of next season and all it will bring me…

I still believe, I still have faith.

GO SOX!

A PostSeason Pep Talk...Kinda

Well, Saturday's game blew. I have an ulcer from 5 hours of constant stomach clenching- No, the bottle of vodka I drank while watching it has nothing to do with it, thank you very much.

Maybe I expected too much. I expected Josh to get up there, step on some throats and make some Rays cry 'uncle'. Instead, after every pitch I was screaming at the screen "For fucks sake, someone show him a CALENDAR!!! He doesn't know it's October!!!!" That could be the only explanation...

At least he knew- this from an article in The Globe by Amalie Benjamin...

He followed that with a somewhat profane assessment of his last outing: "I pitched like [expletive]. I gave up eight [expletive] runs."

That's right, Josh. You did pitch like shit. You did, in fact, give up eight fucking runs.

But I forgive you. I believe in you. I know that this is going to piss you off so badly that when you do get to pitch in Game Six, it will be the final game and those Florida Asshats are going down.

Now go get Tek to stop taking notes and start taking some fucking BP, would ya?!

See you this afternoon boys, make momma proud...

Boys and Clothes...

May I just take a moment, before all the hoorah of Game One in Tampa ensues… Before we go storming into the Trop to crush some mohawked Rays… before I start screaming at my TV, then making out with it, depending on the play… and say how much I love seeing my boys in their civilian clothes? Spotted these photos of the boys leaving for Tampa and had to pause…

I love how they have to dress up in a jacket or tie for their team rides- have always loved that. Loved it in high school when the boys had to wear ties on game days… There’s something about it that says, “I can be sliding into second with baseball dirt from my nipples to my knees on minute, but be hot as hell, all dressed up and ready to go 5 minutes later. Who do you want me to be, Angela? Hot Jon or Baseball Jon? Maybe hot Jon will take you dinner and put on the uni for later…”

Errr… sorry. Maybe that was TMI.

But really. Just LOOK at them! It also makes me giggle just a bit to see Mr.Beckett and his belt buckle. THAT, right there my friends, is a Texas boy!

Cheers to Paps and Mikey… Although this is a pic from last year, it never ceases to make me smile. This photo says “Here’s to the dreams we are about to crush when this bitchin’ plane lands and I get my work clothes back on!”

Here, here.

Roadtrip to Compton

The day started innocently enough. As I was driving to work I heard a commercial for the monster truck races this weekend. A few minutes later, the children’s father called and said it would be fun for the boys and could I go buy the tickets. Easy enough. I got to work and googled the nearest location to buy the them. It was 2 miles from work in an area I’m unfamiliar with because I go the opposite direction every day.

At lunch time I followed the directions which led me to freaking East LA- Compton, if you will. Graffiti, bars on all the doors and window, stores with chains and signs in a language I didn’t understand, people all over the street corners and I’m pretty sure I saw someone sitting on a cement block smoking a crack pipe- I could give better confirmation if I knew for sure I had seen an actual crack pipe before…. Anyway.

I ended up at an old, broke ass auto parts store and walk in- in my cute sweater vest and skirt, heels and giant purse-bag in the crook of my elbow. I was greeted by a nice man with gold teeth who had tattoos across his knuckles.

“Hey Lady, you lost?”

Um. Nooo. I don’t think so anyway… Then it happened. As soon as the words came out of my mouth I felt like everything went into to slow motion and I had an out of body experience.

“I’d like to buy tickets to the monster truck races.”

I’d almost whispered the request like I was looking to score some rock or something… Seriously? Did those words actually come out of my mouth? And did they really come out of my mouth here- in Austin-Compton? Who am I? Where am I? I like to tell people that because I was born in Detroit, I am totally a city girl. I’m waaaay more street than you think I am. All of a sudden… not so much.

The man said something in Spanish to a few guys behind him and they all laughed at (I’m assuming) me, then he proceeded to tell me they only accepted cash for those, NOT the debit card I was thrusting at him in hopes of hurrying this exchange along. He pointed outside and told me I could go across the store to the gas station.

Awesome. Crack pipe city. So I went across the street to the dirty gas station and stepped across a girl who sat straight legged near the door screaming into her cell phone and chain smoking. This time I was greeted by the man who was behind glass.

“Hey lady, you lost?”

WTF? Do I look lost? I didn’t bother answering, I was making a frantic sweep of the store for the ATM- I wasn’t going to ask him either. As I headed to the back of the store someone asked if I needed anything. I wish now I would have answered with something to make all of us more comfortable… Something like, “Yes, I need a shiv and a forty. And do you know where I could get a good safety pin tattoo? Cause I am totally about to buy tickets to the fucking Monster Truck Races…”

I didn’t. I got my cash and left as quickly as possible. I went back to the auto parts store where I noticed a few men watching me through the windows. I’m sure they were just making sure I got back safely….

My cashier took my cash and handed me the tickets.

“You have fun at the trucks, Lady!” More laughter from his friends.

I hightailed it out of there and got back to work, tickets in hand. Monster truck tickets. Score! While I won’t be attending, I can only imagine the kind of fun to be had. My boys are beside themselves. They are 7 and 4 and the thought of mud and motors and racing and sweet jumps almost makes them pee with glee.

I just hope they appreciate the adventure Mommy got to go on to procure them for them…