Random Thoughts.....

TC is in the other room playing Harry Potter Lego, and, not being a "gamer" myself, I thought I would take advantage of the situation and blog!  So, lucky you, here are some random thoughts that have been knocking around  my wee brain for the last little while.......

Why oh why do I continue to support The Toronto Maple Leafs?  After all, they haven't won the Stanley Cup in 44 years.  Heck, they haven't even given us anything to really cheer about since their improbable run in 1993. And now it looks like they're going to miss the playoffs for the sixth straight year!  This is supposed to be the mecca of hockey for cyrin' out loud!  Honestly, if I was married and my wife treated me this badly, I'd leave her!

If you blinked, you missed the Mike Napoli era in Toronto.  Last Friday the Blue Jays traded Vernon Wells to the Angels for Napoli and Juan Rivera and promptly flipped Napoli to the Rangers for sometimes closer Frank Francisco.  So the Jays now have 3 unreliable closers in their bullpen (Francisco, Octavio Dotel and Jon Rauch).  Not sure what Alex Anthopolous' game plan is, but oddly, I still trust him 100%.

Speaking of Vernon Wells, I was sad to see him go.  He's been my son's favourite player for 10 years.  Looks like the Mini-Meanie needs a new favourite player.  Hmmmmmm, might I suggest Kyle Drabek who should start the season as the number 4 starter in the rotation?

And speaking of the Mini-Meanie, he'll be celebrating his 14th birthday next week.  So here's an early shout out to the birthday boy.  Now, what to get him.........

Evil Russ is the freakin' man!  Just sayin'.

Steven Tyler as a judge on American Idol seemed kind of strange when it was announced, but it turns out, it's kind of cool.  He's certainly taking the sting out of losing Simon.

I finally got around to watching the Harry Potter movies.  TC and I plowed through the first 6 on DVD last week.  Here's how I'd rate them from best to worst - Prisoner of Azkaban, Half-Blood Prince, Philosopher"s Stone, Goblet of Fire, Chamber of Secrets, Order of the Phoenix.  I can't wait to see the next one.  I think there's a theater nearby that is still playing The Deathly Hallows Part 1, so TC and I are planning to go this Sunday.

 

Chris Medina is my new hero.  If you want to see why, click here.

Do we really need 4 weeks of American Idol auditions?? A couple of 2-hour episodes would suffice. Hollywood Week, the Semi-Finals, and Finals are the meat and potatoes of the show anyway.

I hate snow. I hate shovelling it. I hate driving in it. It seems like everyone I know is going somewhere sunny for a vacation over the next couple of months. I'm insanely jealous.

Selling a house is a little more stressful than I thought it would be.  Not sure I like it.  And I think I'm driving my real estate agent crazy.  Good thing she's a friend.  But if you're looking to buy or sell a house, I guarantee you won't find anyone better!  If you want to check her out, click here.

I discovered this past weekend that I can't dance. We fired up Just Dance 2 for the Wii at my Mom's this past weekend - I was a train wreck! But my kids had a good laugh.

When the hell is David Cook going to release his new album?? I'm starting to get impatient!

My daughter, my sweet sweet angel, is having a friend sleep over this weekend.  For the ENTIRE weekend.  Two pre-teen girls in my itty-bitty house for an entire weekend......perhaps I should stop blogging and start working on my eulogy??  God help me.

I have a new favourite word - Prolly.  As in, if I met you in a bar, I'd prolly kick your teeth in.

Roberto Alomar - Hall of Famer

If you were even a casual fan of the Blue Jays in the early 90's, then it should come as no surprise that today, Roberto Alomar was elected to the Hall of Fame.

In just his second year of eligibility, he got into the Hall with an overwhelming 90% of the writers vote, which ranks among the highest of all time.

Robbie is easily the best position player that has ever suited up for the Jays (second place isn't even close) and it's nice to see him get his due.

Alomar was an integral part of the back-to-back World Series teams in 1992 and 1993.  His game tying homerun off Dennis Eckersley in the 92' ALCS is argued by some to be the most important hit in Blue Jays history (although I'll still go with Joe Carter's Series winning homerun in 93').

In addition to his two World Series Championships, Alomar was a 12-time All-Star, earned 10 Gold Gloves, 4 Silver Sluggers, and was named the ALCS MVP.

This is a great day for fans of the Jays as Alomar will be the first player elected to the Hall of Fame who will be inducted as a Blue Jay.

Congrats Robbie, you deserve it!

Our Excellent Jays Adventure

Hey everyone,

I haven't posted anything in what seems like forever and for that I apologize - life just seems to get in the way from time to time.

Anyway, I still have no time today for a "proper" blog entry, so I thought I'd quickly share with you my son's favourite day of all time - the Toronto Blue Jays 2008 Home Opener!

Oh, and Happy Halloween everyone!

Enjoy!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game......

There are so many "firsts" in life that you never forget. Your first day of school. Your first car. Your first love. Your first kiss.

But all of these pale in comparison to your first baseball game!

And so it is that I am extremely thrilled to have shared that experience this past weekend with the future Mrs. Meanie's son, Connor.

However, what was even better, was watching my son Christian take take his future step-brother under his wing and teach him the ropes - helping him pick out a souvenir t-shirt, showing him where the bullpen is, showing him how to read the scoreboard, and more importantly, how to use your licorice as a straw!

Yes, this past Sunday, I took my boys to the Roger Centre to see the Jays play the Yankees.

An afternoon at the ballpark - Baseball. Souvenirs. Hot Dogs. Popcorn. Peanuts. Coke. Pizza. Does it get any better for 12 and 6-year old boys??

It was so cool watching Connor as he observed everything with wondrous eyes that only a 6-year old possesses. As we sat on the top level of the train he marveled at being able to see the roof of the train station. He was in awe at the height of the roof in the Skywalk (the walkway that connects Union Station to Rogers Centre).

And then there was the Rogers Centre itself. To a 6-year old, it must have seemed like the grandest place on earth!

As I mentioned earlier, my son Christian took it upon himself to be the best big brother he could be and enhance Connor's first trip to the ballpark. And I couldn't have been prouder of him for doing it. I have been doing my best to raise him to become a man. A good man. And eventually, a great Father. And based on what I saw Sunday, he has been paying attention.

Connor looks up to his big brother so much so, that on Sunday, he decided that he finally likes hot dogs. And why?? Because Christian was having a hot dog!

Seeing that it was Connor's first game, we introduced him to everything! The street meat outside the Rogers Center. He got to meet and have his picture taken with the drummer dude who rhythmically plays and sings "Let's go Blue Jays". He got his first program. His first Jays cap. His first Jays T-Shirt. And ultimately found a favourite player - Travis Snider.

Connor was thrilled to watch his new favourite player - Travis Snider - run down a fly a ball and make a spectacular catch in left field. He was even happier to see him throw the tagging runner out at home.

We also introduced him to his first seat at the ball diamond. Section 236, Row 1, Seat 6. Yup. First Row! We prefer the 200 level because the seats are cushioned, and they have cup holders - which come in very handy when you have a bucket size Coke!!

The only downside to the seats we occupied is that they weren't in an ideal location for catching foul balls. But that didn't stop Connor from sliding on his glove every time a "lefty" came to the plate - just incase. We never did catch a foul ball (although two dropped right in front of us and one flew just over our heads), but after almost every one, Connor chronicled in great detail (and with actions) how he would have caught the ball had it arrived in our section.

The only thing better than lots of junk food and souvenirs at a ballpark, is when the home team wins. And the Jays didn't just win, they spanked the Evil Empire (Yankees) 14-8!

Connor couldn't wait to show his Mom (the future Mrs. Meanie) all the neat stuff he accumulated throughout the afternoon. Programs, pictures, a t-shirt, and the item he coveted the most, his new ball cap!

I'm all about creating memories for the kids. Sometimes (like Sunday) it costs me a fortune, but at the end of the day, it's worth every penny. My goal, my job, is to teach these boys how to be men. How to be Fathers. And my hope is that when my boys have kids of their own, that they'll remember days like Sunday, and will want to create these types of memories for their children. If they do that, I will have succeeded as a Father, and my Grandchildren will reap the benefits.

Until then, I will leave you with these words of wisdom..........

Let's go Blue Jays!