A bit of update is in order

These long blogging absences have got to stop. Apologies.

Fortunately for me, my unemployment period lasted less than 3 weeks, so hooray for me. Sort of.

I go from one large company to an even larger corporation, but a completely different line of work. I'm still trying to determine if it suits me well or not. The schedule is interesting in that I work nights for 12 hour shifts, 1900 - 0700, but I've adjusted to that, so long as I get a sufficient amount of sleep, which means I must sleep in until 2-3pm in the afternoon after hitting the sack around 7:30-8am. My schedule will stay the same: Wednesdays through Fridays, and working every other Saturday. Either way you cut it, if you're working the other side of the schedule, you're working half the weekend. Since I'm no longer a young party person, I don't really miss having Friday night off, I'd rather enjoy a quiet Sunday/Monday/Tuesday out and about, running errands and such.

Spring training is in full swing and couldn't be happier that the dawn of the 2010 Major League Baseball is upon us. Currently watching the debut of Stephen Strasburg in the Tigers/National game. Strasburg the bright spot in the game pitching 2 scoreless innings, now the Nats are getting smoked by the motor city kitties. No televised Red Sox game today (not until Sunday will there be next one) but they are looking good so far this spring. It's a shame a lot of the young kids won't make the club at the beginning of the season as there is limited space unless an injury occurs. With a rotation like Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Matsuzaka, Buchholz; starting lineup of Ellsbury, Pedroia, V Martinez, Youkilis, Ortiz, Beltre, Cameron, Drew, Scutaro; bench of Hermida, Varitek, Kotchman, Lowrie ; Bullpen of Papelbon, Okajima, Wakefield, DelCarmen, Ramon Ramirez, Bard, Bonser - that makes a full team of 25 (and yes that is all from memory). Much has been said about what is perceived to be a smaller offense - I don't believe the hype. Ortiz will be back to form much more quickly this season, Beltre, Cameron & Hermida will be better than expected so long as they mesh well with the team.

With our family's new Nintendo Wii, I HAD to get the current MLB video game. I'm currently embarking on a full 162 game season. I lost the entire first series against the Yankees, after leading in early innings, losing big in later innings as the Yankees are prone to do (as I was still learning the controls, so I will grant them that). Since then I have swept the Royals in that series, including a game-winning home run by Mike Cameron in the top of the 9th to win it 2-1, and CG shutouts by Beckett over Greinke and Lackey vs. the Twins (Mauer is rated 100 for contact and a very tough out).

On the music front, is it possible to already nominate 3 of the worst songs of the year? All equally awful: Bedrock, Hey Soul Sister, and Party in the USA (although there is an amusing mashup with Notorious BIG of Party & Bullshit by Hathberger).

For last year's worst song, I'd have to say Empire State of Mind because of the Yankee World Series implications. Ugh. Love NYC but HATE THE YANKEES.

Oh, and we taught Sierra to boo the Yankees. Good times.

10

Happy New Year!

Here's to a fantastic 2010! Unemployment is finally slowing, but caught up to me and nabbed me in its wicked net. Hopefully not for long.

The Red Sox are now Bay-less, but it's all about the name on the front, not the one on the back, and the Mets still suck.

Any bets on the next big RIP? Who would have guessed Michael Jackson... In 2010 I'll say Jay Leno gets it in a horrific green car mishap. Just kidding. Sort of.

The day we've finally waited for - P-Day

No, not Truck day, the day the truck leaves Fenway in February for Spring Training in Florida.

It's official (almost, but good enough for us).

Sierra is finished with her potty training!!!!

Well, like I said, almost. We're still doing the pull-up thing for overnights - she was completely dry one morning, and 2 days before that she chose her big girl undies over the daytime pull-ups.

But after almost 1 year of training and hundreds of pull-ups later, we are at the finish line. Our wallets and the local landfills are thanking her!

Now THAT'S more like it.

Just when I think you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this… and totally redeem yourself!

Yes I'm looking at you, Mr. Epstein. Signing John Lackey is a very good thing. Mike Cameron ain't half bad either (most of my Cameron memories are from the beginning of his career with the Mets, I thought he was going to go somewhere, maybe he'll finally get that ring with the Red Sox in '10).

Yankees might have murderer's row, but would you want to face a rotation like: Beckett, Lackey, Lester, Matzusaka (non-WBC year), Buchholz/Bonser/Wakefield?

Now, let's round things out with some hitters. Losing Bay and Lowell doesn't help, but there isn't enough Pepcid AC in the world that will help me through all the 1-run pitchers duels we might encounter in '10.

What happened to my team?

Ok, I know it's not MY team but Theo's team. But what in the world is going on with the Hot Stove winter meetings this year? Honestly... the Red Sox are passing on Granderson, Bay, and Hanley Ramirez in favor of Marco Scutaro, Boof Bonser, and Max Ramirez? Who? Are we going for the team with the goofiest names? How do you expect to compete with the Yankees with moves like these? This seems to echo last year's lack of fanfare when we passed on AJ Burnett, CC Sabathia, and Mark Teixeira. What team got them last year? And what team won the world series?

Call me bitter. Call me negative. But to be the best, you have to beat the best. This new lineup, sans Mike Lowell isn't giving me the warm fuzzies.

Updated 9pm: Also, I am NOT alone in this.