coming up fast

Looking at the calendar today, I realized that not this Saturday, but the Saturday after that...so nine days (not counting today) from now, I'll be on a plane for St. Thomas.

Time is flying by. I talked to my mom the other night and she mentioned something about packing and it didn't occur to me how close our trip is. Granted, I'll be up Friday night packing for the trip, but still. I can't wait to get out of Wichita for some time. It'll be great.

Ban the DH

A quick follow up on my previous post. I think that the designated hitter should be banned from baseball. All the stides that players have made in terms of conditioning, the pitchers are starting to become more able to bat. Granted, most pitchers aren't going to hit anywhere near .200 for a season, but still, they are starting to become a batter that can't be overlooked.

In fact, just this afternoon, Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs (a pitcher) hit a home run. Granted this guy is pretty big and built, but think about it. Five or six years ago, a pitcher wouldn't have thought 'hey, I think I'm gonna swing for the fences.' Now, it is very possible for that to happen. At any rate, pitchers are starting to hit, and the American Leauge should follow suit and get rid of the DH in favor of their pitchers hitting.

If you think about designated hitters today, all they are are players who can no longer field any position very well anymore and still have some need to make millions and millions of dollars a year. And for what? So every eighth out they can stand up at the plate and swing at the ball. Shit, I would do that for free. You wouldn't have to pay me millions to do that. Granted, I wouldn't hit it four hundred feet, I can barely hit it one hundred. But these guys aren't playing baseball anymore, they are just taking glorified batting practice.

So shame on you Mike Piazza, and Jim Thome, and Frank Thomas, and Travis Hafner, and Gary Sheffield (granted he still plays positions, just not very often), and the rest of you who think that it is okay to continue to 'play' baseball just by getting off your old, lazy asses and swing at pitches.

Get off the fence!

You're either for it or against it, there is no fence sitting on this topic. A 'hot button issue' if you will. Both sides, pro and con, can make excellent cases for themselves, but there is no fence sitting.

There is no line in the sand for you to sweep away with your feet to blur the line...no, this issue is spray painted on the concrete with several layers. Argue as much as you and try to be diplomatic...it won't work. This is like the hatfields and mccoys, the democrats and republicans, communists and capitalists. It is one or the other, not both.



The issue?


The designated hitter.

Just about that time

So it has been over a month since I was home and got to see Zoie...and I suppose its time to post some pictures from when I was home with her. She was sticking her tounge out at me and I tried to get a picture of it, but to no avail...instead I got this one of her making this face. Quite humorous.








Being just about ten days old when these pictures were taken, she was sleeping a lot during the day. She obviously takes after this uncle as I to enjoy sleeping during the day. I held her for about two hours and we slept for most of it.








She of course has her older brother, Garrett, who is growing extremely fast. I still remember the day my dad called to tell me when he was born...I was drinking (heavily) at the Seabiscuit with Trace, Ben, Joe, and Brent. That was a fun night (as early as it was). His second birthday is coming up at the end of May...time just flies. He doesn't really remember me because it had been seven months since I had been home, but he recognizes me in some pictures, but the problem is that I don't have my beard anymore like I do in the pictures, so he was confusing me with Chuck, much to our amusment. Anyway, while I was home, I celebrated my birthday with my parents and helped me open my present.

Garrett really likes cheetos, and so does his mommy. Here they both are enjoying them on Michelle's lunch break. My mom swears up and down that he looks a lot like I did when I was a kid.
We are looking forward to seeing the kids and everyone else again in May down in St. Thomas. Time is just flying towards the first week of May. Plans are starting to fall into place for the wedding and we can't wait to get out of Kansas for a good week.

Something else I don't get

There are quite a bit of things that just baffle my mind. Like why the designated hitter is still around, or why people take such interest in basketball. And then there is people like paris hilton and that whole lot of whores. Just seeing them on tv makes me feel dirty and in need of a shower.

One thing that has just recently confused the hell out of me is the Hollywood walk of fame. I thought that these stars that are embedded on this sidewalk were reserved for important people. People like louis armstrong, the andrews sisters, julie andrews, the beatles, the beach boys, random members of the barrymore clan, etc. etc. You know, people who matter in the annals of Hollywood and who have contributed to movies, tv, music, and so forth. people like humphy bogart and jack benny, Big Bird and Mel Blanc (anyone who watched loony tunes knows that name)

And then they (and who decides who goes on this walk of fame bullshit? because they are in dire need of frontal lobotomies) add people like paula abdul, halle barry, sandra bullock, drew carey, celine dion...oh yeah people, the list goes on. It is horrible. Fucking brittnay spears is on the walk of fame....brittnay fucking spears. Honestly, I am glad I don't live anywhere near that city. I would fear for the lives of others if I did. I would be convinced to nightly go and raid that walk of fame for those who weren't worthy.

What happens when someone comes along who makes a difference in music or other form of media and there is no room left? What then? Who would decide to pull peoples star off. Hell, they could make a reality show out of it. Vote for which star you want yanked off the sidewalk. Give it a few years and that show would end up with a star.

This is what makes me happy to live in Wichita...I only have to deal with religious freaks who think that the current situation (police action, war on terror, war, whatever) in the middle east is a result of god killing innocent people because we as a whole have turned our back on him...but that is another rant completely.