It's been awhile

I've been busy and this little place I've carved out here never really gets much of my undivided attention. It's still not going to while I am busy hanging with the new nephews, checking out the new(er) lake house and trying to get my own things in order so Nicole and I can find a home of our own together. With all of that being said, I figured I had five minutes today to write this up and insert a quote from a Yahoo Baseball interview with Hunter Pence.


Q: Do you play World of Warcraft?
HP: Yeah. That's my hobby.

Q: I don't know too much about it — other than from the "South Park" episode — do you?
HP: The "South Park" episode is really funny, actually, and that's the only thing most people know about it: "Oh, you're a nerd in a basement." But really, it's for the competitive edge in me. I always have to be competing. There are different things you can do in the game, but all of what I usually do is play with my brother [Howie]; it's a way for us to keep in communication. It's like, two versus two where we go and battle two other people. You put your team together and battle it out.

Q: You've created your own avatar?
HP: Yeah, yeah, you have to have own character. There's, like, three different ones from which I choose, but my main one is a mage.

Q: OK. What does a mage do?
HP: They blow things up [laughs].




I hope you are reading Nicole.... Not only does Hunter play WoW, but he loves South Park too!

So Close, Yet So Far Away...

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.... which is about 4500 letters, give or take.

At any rate, without further adieu, I bring you:

"The Astros will return home to the Lone Star State on March 28 to play a pair of exhibition games vs. the Detroit Tigers. The Friday, March 28 game will begin at 7:05 p.m., while the Saturday, March 29 game starts at 1:05 p.m. The Astros open the 2007 season on the road on Monday, March 31 at 6:05 p.m. at PETCO Park against the San Diego Padres."

Game Day Promotions:

2/29 Astros Caps (USSSA) First 5,000 Fans

3/6 Lunch Bags (Kraft) First 3,000 fans

3/8 $1 Hot Dogs (Tyson) Limit 2 per person, while supplies last

3/16 Astros Visors (Best Western) First 2,000 Fans"

Credit to Astros.com

What?? No Kaz Matsui Bobbleheads?? No Miguel Tejada B-12 vitamin night?? Drayton better come up with something better than lunch bags and hot dogs which, coincidentally (or should I say suspiciously), come within 48 hours of one another. If all I am going to get for raised ticket/beer prices this year is a questionable pitching staff and Uncle Drayton lifting the burden of one day of school lunches (left over dollar dog complete with lunch bag two nights earlier) for the kids I don't have -- well, I just may keep my ass on the couch this season.

November, December, January, Feb...

What is a baseball fan supposed to do with themselves over the course of a Winter offseason? Here in Houston options may be limited. The Texans are 4-5 coming out of their bye-week, but who is really paying attention to a team that regularly has their backside handed to them and has never posted a winning season. Admittedly, I am. Their poor showing over the last couple of years has started to catch my eye and there's no better time to hop on the bandwagon then when a team is at rock-bottom.

The Rockets ended last night against the Lakers with a 6-3 record. That might look nice on paper, but the supporting cast still can't seem to shoot the ball worth a damn and the defense looks like it left with Van Gundy. McGrady is out for at least a week (but who really knows) after suffering some nerve damage in his elbow. I'm not sure this is going to keep me sane the end of February.

The beginning of the baseball offseason is always a two-sided coin. After 162 games and a frustrating season it's nice to have a break from a team who can't seem to score any runs. People always seem to be a little more optimistic about their teams chances (unless you are the Royals or Pirates) because moves made during the offseason by a savvy GM can turn a team around. Unfortunately, a person can only read/sit through some of the same tired offseason speculation (read: insert Boras clients whoring themselves around) before they feel like a pigeon streaking across homeplate dodging a Randy Johnson fastball. So now is the time for all baseball fans to cross their fingers, hope for a few solid offseason signings, and board themselves in their basement to try and avoid all of the fawning over the Yankees by the four letter network.

So, if you're stuck in the Winter offseason doldrums, let me suggest finding yourself a beautiful woman who loves baseball and whiskey (right?!?) as much as you do to help get you through some of these cold, lonely offseason nights. Ridiculous sunglasses - not included. Unless your name is Nicole, in which case, "Hi!".