August 12, 2005
...and I need a life
After posting the previous message and telling you how boring pre-season football is...I ended up watching the rest of the game starting late in the second quarter. In case you wonder, the Rams beat the Bears 17-13. Yes, it was dull but it was more interesting than channel surfing all night. Gee, I am pathetic. I had plans, (yes, I really did) and they fell through. Then I had a backup set of plans but I just didn't feel like fighting traffic after this long two day work week. Oh, well to paraphrase Scarlet O'Hara...there's always tomorrow.
NFL Pre-Season Football
It's Friday night and I am flipping channels on the TV. As I come upon the local Fox affiliate I see the Saint Louis Rams and Chicago Bears playing their first pre-season "exhibition" game. What is more worthless than pre-season football? Well the only thing I can think of is the Rams and all other NFL teams requiring their season ticket holders to pay full price for these worthless games. I may have said it before but sports is nothing but big business.
And to top it off one of the world's nicest guys but worst play-by-play announcers is doing the game. Jay Randolph himself is calling the game for the Rams. "Indeed, Indeed". If you need an explanation of that post something and let me know.
And to top it off one of the world's nicest guys but worst play-by-play announcers is doing the game. Jay Randolph himself is calling the game for the Rams. "Indeed, Indeed". If you need an explanation of that post something and let me know.
August 10, 2005
RIP Peter Jennings
Peter Jennings will be missed. I do not watch TV news in general because I believe it to be shallow. But, when I did I had gotten to the point where I would watch ABC's World News Tonight with Peter Jennings because it was more balanced than NBC's or CBS's evening newscasts.
I just learned Mr. Jennings never graduated high school, but you would have never known it. I particularly remember him ushering in the new Millennium with his coverage of the New Year coming to various world Capitols on New Year's Eve 1999.
My condolences to the Jennings family and the Jennings children in particular. Peter Jennings is gone but will not be soon forgotten.
I just learned Mr. Jennings never graduated high school, but you would have never known it. I particularly remember him ushering in the new Millennium with his coverage of the New Year coming to various world Capitols on New Year's Eve 1999.
My condolences to the Jennings family and the Jennings children in particular. Peter Jennings is gone but will not be soon forgotten.
I'm Going Back to Work
Well it's been a great three days of PTO (Personal Time Off) but tomorrow I am going back to work. I have the next two days scheduled off but with the heat and humidity and people not wanting to get outside I might as well work.
Monday was a good day I drove to Southern Illinois to see the campus of SIU (Southern Illinois University). It is much larger than I expected, but then it's enrollment is larger than my Alma Mater (University of Missouri). I visited the main library, the football stadium and the basketball arena. (I guess that shows my interests, huh)? I then left Carbondale and headed east through the towns of Crab Orchard Lake and Marion. Highway 13 looks like a long strip mall between the communities. But, the lake was much wider than I expected. The lake is probably two miles wide from what I saw. And, it looks like maybe a good place to build a summer home. Marion is the home of a large maximum security prison, but you would never know it. It looks like a thriving town based on all of the stores and businesses I saw. I guess the state of Illinois is spending quite a bit of money at the college and the prison and the locals have benefited. I made it back to the Saint Louis area about seven in the evening and went to one of my favorite, and possibly St. Louis' neatest watering hole. The name of the bar is Fast Eddie's Bon Air. The beer is cold and the food is cheap. After this long day I made it home and slept very well.
Tuesday the neighbor across the street HM and I went to lunch. HM worked for years as a sales rep and knows all of the best restaurants and bars in Saint Louis. The restaurant we visited was called Cunettos and it was excellent. It's on the hill (the city's Italian neighborhood) and the service was excellent as was the food. I had a baked Lasagna and a couple of Michelobs. HM had a fancy salad and a VO Manhattan. It was a good time. After that I played golf at Quail Creek. I had my best round ever at the course turning in a 44 for nine holes. As I have said before I am a terrible golfer, so to shoot a 44 and have my best round ever was worth celebrating. I went down to the Casino Queen and played blackjack for several hours. After all that I broke even.
Finally, today I went to see my grand nephews and they were as much fun as ever to be around. But, their other Grandma (Ma-Ma) picked them up and they left at noon. So, we celebrated Grandma's birthday (my baby sister) with a big Chinese lunch. If you ever want a pick me up get down on the floor with a four year old and a two year old. I guarantee you will come out of it feeling great!
All in all a good vacation!
Monday was a good day I drove to Southern Illinois to see the campus of SIU (Southern Illinois University). It is much larger than I expected, but then it's enrollment is larger than my Alma Mater (University of Missouri). I visited the main library, the football stadium and the basketball arena. (I guess that shows my interests, huh)? I then left Carbondale and headed east through the towns of Crab Orchard Lake and Marion. Highway 13 looks like a long strip mall between the communities. But, the lake was much wider than I expected. The lake is probably two miles wide from what I saw. And, it looks like maybe a good place to build a summer home. Marion is the home of a large maximum security prison, but you would never know it. It looks like a thriving town based on all of the stores and businesses I saw. I guess the state of Illinois is spending quite a bit of money at the college and the prison and the locals have benefited. I made it back to the Saint Louis area about seven in the evening and went to one of my favorite, and possibly St. Louis' neatest watering hole. The name of the bar is Fast Eddie's Bon Air. The beer is cold and the food is cheap. After this long day I made it home and slept very well.
Tuesday the neighbor across the street HM and I went to lunch. HM worked for years as a sales rep and knows all of the best restaurants and bars in Saint Louis. The restaurant we visited was called Cunettos and it was excellent. It's on the hill (the city's Italian neighborhood) and the service was excellent as was the food. I had a baked Lasagna and a couple of Michelobs. HM had a fancy salad and a VO Manhattan. It was a good time. After that I played golf at Quail Creek. I had my best round ever at the course turning in a 44 for nine holes. As I have said before I am a terrible golfer, so to shoot a 44 and have my best round ever was worth celebrating. I went down to the Casino Queen and played blackjack for several hours. After all that I broke even.
Finally, today I went to see my grand nephews and they were as much fun as ever to be around. But, their other Grandma (Ma-Ma) picked them up and they left at noon. So, we celebrated Grandma's birthday (my baby sister) with a big Chinese lunch. If you ever want a pick me up get down on the floor with a four year old and a two year old. I guarantee you will come out of it feeling great!
All in all a good vacation!
August 02, 2005
Baseball in General
Welcome to the Baseball Hall of Fame Ryan Sandberg and Wade Boggs! I saw both of play during their prime and both are well deserving of the honor. Sandberg was always a Cardinal killer and his 1984 season was unbelievable. He carried the Cubs to the playoffs on his back.
I saw Boggs play against the KC Royals on several occasions and he had as sweet a swing as you can imagine. He had some problems with womanizing but who really cares. He had three thousand hits and deserves to be in the Hall.
Both Boggs and Sandberg chastised today's players on their greed. The criticism from both was well justified.
Along those same lines Rafael Palmiero screwed up. He too has 3000 hits as well as 500+ Home Runs. But, he will have a problem with the purists in getting into the Hall. Does he belong there? Probably. But will he get in on the first ballot five years after he retires? Probably not. I think there will be issues with how many of those home runs made it out of the parks based on how many were hit with steroids. Time will tell
I saw Boggs play against the KC Royals on several occasions and he had as sweet a swing as you can imagine. He had some problems with womanizing but who really cares. He had three thousand hits and deserves to be in the Hall.
Both Boggs and Sandberg chastised today's players on their greed. The criticism from both was well justified.
Along those same lines Rafael Palmiero screwed up. He too has 3000 hits as well as 500+ Home Runs. But, he will have a problem with the purists in getting into the Hall. Does he belong there? Probably. But will he get in on the first ballot five years after he retires? Probably not. I think there will be issues with how many of those home runs made it out of the parks based on how many were hit with steroids. Time will tell
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