Wicked good weekend in Bah Hahbah

Had a blast this past weekend in Bar Harbor, ME celebrating the nuptials of Nappi and his new bride Christine. Nappi, as you may know, was the best man at our wedding, and has been saving himself for all these years for the perfect woman. By all accounts he has succeeded, finding someone who matches him in wit and charm (though is certainly better looking).

The weekend was fantastic- great times with old friends, beautiful fall weather and enough wine and spirits to bring out the breakdancers in a bunch of old farts like us.

Mazel tov, dear friend, and thanks for a great party.

Cakes + Snarks = Fun!

Got a new favorite blog- Cake Wrecks. Don't remember how I came across it, but it's one of my daily stops on the interwebs now. Photos of unintentionally hilarious cakes, all done by so-called professionals (many of which seem to be from supermarket bakeries), and hilarious comments from the blog's author, one Jen Yates.

Definitely worth trolling the archives for some of the classics, like the Olympic Rings cake, the Fireman cake, and the iconic Naked Mohawk-Baby Carrot Jockeys cake.

Are you ready for some football ?

Despite the fact that it's far from what Big Jack (aka Gov. Markell) wanted, today marked the renaissance of sports betting in Delaware. As you may have heard/read, Delaware was ready to go full hog into sports betting this fall, but thanks to heavy lobbying from the big leagues (namely the NFL), the state was limited to offering only sports betting at the level it was offered over 30 years ago. This means (at least for now) the state can only offer parlay bets- combo bets with the point spread on 3 or more games. They're also offering modified spreads which offer bigger spreads for lower payoffs.

Stopped in at Dover Downs this afternoon and got my two $5 parlay tickets- one for a 3-team traditional parlay against the spread, and another one for a 3-team "teaser" parlay, which essentially expands the spread by 6 points per team. If both tickets hit, it'll pay off about $46. If they don't, the investment will hopefully keep the dream of sports betting in the First State alive and the ticket stubs will be a nice memento of the day it all started.

Adding insult to injuries

Leaving a lot of hanging promises on the blog these days (still trying to get around to reading more of that health care bill), so I have to deal with at least one of the unfinished stories from last week.

Went to Citi Field last week for the first time. Beautiful stadium, but as many Mets bloggers and fans have complained about, noticeably devoid of Mets historical artifacts. (Not that there's much history being made lately, at least the kind of history we'd like to have recorded). The game was against the Phillies, whose fans must have bought up every available seat on eBay and Stubhub. Thanks to injuries to almost the entire starting lineup, the Mets fielded a team that was barely recognizable to the casual fan. But the game featured the return of Pedro Martinez to NY, which alone was enough of a storyline to provide some intrigue for what was otherwise destined to be an old-fashioned beatdown of the home team.

It started off just that way, with the Phils jumping toa 6-0 lead in the first inning on two three-run bombs. But rather than allow us to be miserable, the Mets insisted on feigning competitiveness by chipping away at the lead one or two runs at a time. An inside -the-park homer, a few triples, a terrific diving catch in right, Phils manager Charlie Manuel getting tossed arguing a call... all great things to watch that kept the game interesting and kept us from leaving early.

Bottom of the 9th, score is 9-6 Phillies, Mets get a leadoff triple courtesy of an error, then score a run courtesy of another. A weak single followed, setting up runners on first and second with no one out, down by only two. Mets fans are now on their feet. The Phillies fans in front of us, who were gloating and loving life for most of the afternoon, suddenly were a miserable anxious mess. Runners take off with the pitch, line drive up the middle caught by the second baseman, who then steps on second and then turns to tag the runner from first. Three outs, inning over, game over, thanks for coming to the ballpark today, drive home safely. The Phillies fans are silent in disbelief. The Mets fans are silent in shock. Then, realizing what just happened, all 38,000+ yell in unison- some in joy, most in despair- and process out of the stadium together trying to explain to themselves what just happened.

Unassisted triple plays had occured only 16 times before, and only once before in history had one ended a game. It was amazing to watch, and something I'll remember forever. Unfortunately, it means I'll wind up remembering this season too, which is something like most Mets fans that I'd like to forget.

System failure- Information Overload

Lack of posting recently certainly does not reflect lack of postable material. So much great stuff from the past few weeks, almost don't know where to start. Had a terrific week of vacation last week, spending time with my baby sis and her great family, then a few days at the Funny Farm with the McD's. Wrapped it up with a day and a half in Lake George, a place where I spent many a summer night playing mini-golf and skee-ball. Had a blast introducing my kids to things I did when I was their age and bringing them to places that haven't changed a bit in the 30 years that I've been going there.

Big thanks to Bucket for hosting me on my first trip to Citi Field. Was there on Sunday for a game you may have heard about, but more on that later...

My Prerogative

It goes without saying that everyone's got their likes and dislikes. But there are some things we all dislike that probably confuse us and everyone else, because it seems like we should like them. It's been a while since I dropped a Top 5 list on you, so I figured that this would be a fun way to get back into it.

Here then, without further ado, the Top 5 Things I'm Supposed To Like But Don't (in no particular order):

1. Harry Potter- Maybe it's not fair to list this, because I haven't read anything beyond the second chapter of the first book, and have only seen one of the movies. But that's my point, I guess. I'm a sci-fi/wizardry guy, raised on Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons. You'd thing I'd be all into Harry. No desire at all.
2. Mustard- I'm a self-professed foodie. Love to eat, love to cook. Love flavors, especially strong flavors. Hate mustard. Can't stand it. I want to like it, because it's got cool varieties and goes with other things I like, but I just can't do it.
3. Modest Mouse- Might not be fair to put anything music-oriented on this list, because tastes there vary so much, but Modest Mouse is a band that based on other bands I love, you'd think I'd like. Every time I go to iTunes and buy something, or look at a band or track I'm interested in, Modest Mouse is on the list of suggestions for me. They've got critical acclaim and modest (pun intended) commercial success. But for some reason (I think it's the vocalist), I just can't get into them.
4. Scotch- Similar to mustard, this is something with a strong flavor that I really want to like, but can't. I love me some cocktails, and enjoy nothing better than sitting around with friends with an after-dinner drink just telling great stories. Scotch seems like the perfect fit there. I enjoy bourbon, and have had some really good scotches over time, but for some reason just can't develop a taste for the stuff.
5. Boston- I've been to Boston a few times, however maybe not enough to develop any kind of passion for the city. I love cities, especially the historical parts of them. Love the architecture, love the neighborhoods. So Boston should be just the kind of place I'd love. But of all the big cities I've spent time in, Boston fails to generate the attraction for me that all the others do. I love NYC, love Chicago, love SF and Seattle. Even like DC better than Boston. Go figure.

There's my list. Anything you can think of that you'd consider something you're supposed to like, but don't?

Day Laborers

Had a little microeconomics session at the dinner table last night. Owen was lamenting the fact that his bank account balance was not quite at the level he would like it (a pain many of us are feeling, right?). I was lamenting that there were certain odd jobs around the house that I needed to get done, but just didn't have the time to do them. Supply, meet demand.

We went about the discussion in a very business-like manner. I explained to him the job I needed done- the "tomato garden" (in quotes because it's less of a garden and more of a compost pile because of neglect) is an absolute mess. It's overgrown with weeds, has tomatoes rotting on the vine, and because it is at the end of the driveway, it is a visible sign of my lack of commitment to it. I told him the entire garden needed to be cleaned out, however he saw fit. All I asked was that the patch of ground be clean dirt by the time he was done.

I estimated that the job would take him about an hour, and I asked him to submit a bid for the work. He asked for $7, I countered with $3, and we settled on $4. I told him that he could subcontract out some work if he wanted to, and that if he did, he would pay his subcontractors from the lump sum I paid him.

Brendan of course wanted in on some action too. We had a similar discussion about detailing my car, so while Owen is doing his job today, Brendan will be detailing the interior of my car for the same price. We'll see how all this works out, but if all parties are happy by this evening, it could be the start of a new business relationship.

Beachin' it

Just back from our first ever trip to the Outer Banks, NC. Ciaran (or as the kids like to call her, Atti's Owner) and her brother Aidan rented a house there for the week and were kind enough to invite us down to visit.

We headed south Thursday afternoon, arriving there late in the evening in with enough time for an evening dip in the pool. Started Friday with a trip to Duck Donuts (fresh hot donuts hand-dipped in toppings and full of donuty goodness) and then walked the few blocks from the house to the beach. Great waves, plenty of sun- a perfect beach day. Capped it off that night with a shellfish feast- a take-out, cook-it-yourself steamer pot of lobster, crab, mussels and clams that was fantastic. Headed back to DE on Saturday with a little sunburn, great memories, and an appetite whetted for a return trip sometime soon.

The Ballad of Lucky the Fish

I'm only about 75 pages into the 1000+ page health care bill, so it might be a while before I can post about my thoughts there. In the interim, I give you the tale of 3 fish that touched our lives and our hearts last week.

St. Joe's church carnival, last Wednesday. Three kids with a penchant for games of chance but without the skill to procure stuffed blue bears or Hannah Montana posters find their way to the Fishbowl Toss. A seemingly simple game, but plenty of players had come and gone before them with nothing more than a frown and a dollar less in their pockets. Nevertheless, the fearless 3 made their way to the table and offered the barker their fare.

First up was young Molly, who took aim with the first of her five table tennis balls and barely reached the table that held a baker's dozen of small fishbowls. The second ball was somewhat more on track, but careened to the side harmlessly. The third toss was wildly off-line, yet somehow struck the side of the backboard, caromed back toward the fishbowls, and landed squarely into the middle bowl of the second row. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Next up, Owen, who had no problem reaching the table but couldn't get the bounces to go his way- until the last throw. Soft toss, one bounce, nothing but bowl. Winner number 2.

Then Brendan, who after watching his siblings hit paydirt thought he was in for a fish for sure. Alas, despite his best attempts, he was unable to find the bottom of the bowl with any of his tosses, so he went away empty handed- at least for the moment.

After they finished, Molly and Owen walked over to the side of the booth to claim their prizes. The kindly folks in the booth offered to hold the fish for a while while we rode some rides, but the excitement of winning was just too much for the young champions. They each were handed a large plastic bag- the contents of which being about a quart of water and a solitary goldfish- and were delighted to have them (...for about ten minutes, at which time said bags were handed off to the closest adult).

Back to Brendan, who initially dealt with his defeat at the fins of the fish well, but after seeing the spoils unto the victors decided that this game of chance was worth further investment. He proudly stepped up to the booth for a second go-around, offering yet another 8 bits to the fish peddler. Upon seeing the desire for victory in his eyes, she took mercy on the boy, and decided it was her and God's will that a fish be unto him, balls be damned. So after the last ball tossed landed harmlessly between two fishbowls, she proclaimed "It's good enough- you win!" Fish number 3, now proudly secured.

We walked around for a bit more, stopping to chat with several friends and acquaintances, some with fish of their own. After a bit though, a situation developed that demanded attention. It seems one of the first-to-be-acquired fish had risen to the occasion quite literally, and was now resting in a permanent state of quiescence at the top of his bag. The suggestion was made that we simply trade this fish back in to the fish peddler for one that seemed perhaps a bit more alive. A valid suggestion, to be sure, but the fish booth had been depleted of its stock. We waited patiently for reinforcements to arrive, but before they could, tragedy struck.

It was now apparent that Brendan's fish was also in full horizontal recline. Down to one fish, and with no replacement options in sight, the command decision was made to abandon the first two fish in the nearest trash receptacle and head home with the lone survivor.

After some protest by the shorter members of the family, I proclaimed that this fish belonged to no individual now, but to the family. "He shall belong to all of us, and he shall be called "Lucky", for he has survived the afflictions which have befallen his brethren".

Lucky came home and was transferred from his plastic-walled home into a luxurious 14"x16"x8" tank. He was offered the finest flakes in the house, and devoured them readily. All turned in for the night, with dreams of Lucky and prayers for his comrades.

But in the morning, before the rise of the sun (or the sons), Lucky's luck ran out. He was found motionless, floating along side a few uneaten Goldy Flakes, as peaceful as the morning itself. Molly was downstairs with me, just in time to witness Lucky make his final passage into his porcelain grave.

We still think of Lucky sometimes, and talk of the time we shared together. His tank has been cleaned and put away, waiting for perhaps a new friend to come along. There won't be another Lucky though- at least until next year's carnival.

A bitter pill

I feel obligated to post something on the current debate over health care reform, but feel uninformed enough at the time to do it. After about 45 minutes of searching online, I finally found the actual text of the bill before the House, and I plan to look it over this weekend. Should you care to do the same, you'll find it here. Hope you've got a lot of free time this weekend- the bill is 1018 pages long.

I realize that most bills are quite lengthy, and that most congresspersons don't read the bills they vote on for that reason. This one better get their full attention, because if the media is right, the content within could radically change our system.

More to come...

How to build a running playlist

Just redid my running playlist tonight- long overdue, as I've been listening to a playlist I made for the last FinkBowl and not a true running playlist. While I won't share the entire 157 songs that made the cut, I will share what I feel makes a good playlist specifically for running, with some examples of songs on my current list.

1) Length- Thanks to digital technology, gone are the days of 12-18 song mixes you burned onto a disc, or *gasp* recorded onto a cassette (that you'd have to flip half-way thru a decent run). A good list needs to not be your whole catalog but should have enough songs for variety. This way, you can familiarize yourself with the tunes without getting sick of them. I think anywhere from 100-300 would work.

2) Song tempo- Obviously a big factor. Songs that are too fast will throw off your pace, and too slow will just bore you. Sometimes you've got to pick alternate songs from your favorite artists to fit the tempo criteria ("Cracklin' Rosie" over "Sweet Caroline", Neil Diamond, "The Way You Move" over "Hey Ya", Outkast)

3) Song length- Pick shorter over longer- you want to keep moving, not get bogged down by a long guitar solo or a bunch of "wiki-wiki-wiki-wikis". ("White Lines" by Grandmaster Flash over "Jam On It", Newcleus)

4) No Radiohead- A great band, but I've yet to find a Radiohead song that's acceptable to run to.

5) Good starts- Songs that get going quickly work great. I consider them either 'take-off songs', that start a little slow and rev up, like "Portions for Foxes", Rilo Kiley, or "Paint it Black", Rolling Stones, or 'blast-off songs' that come hard right out of the box, like "Panama", Van Halen or "Monkey Wrench", Foo Fighters.

6) Slow but steady starts- Some songs start slow, but because they have at their base a driving beat, they build and become motivating. Pick these over similar songs that start slow and build but don't really have that driving beat. ("Where The Streets Have No Name" over "Bad", U2)

7) Good memories- As long as the tempo and length are adequate, some songs that may not exactly rock can work if they generate some emotion or memories. I've always liked "Rain on the Scarecrow", John Mellencamp and "Around the Way Girl", LL Cool J, so when they come on I get lost in 3:40 worth of memories, which gets me that much closer to the finish.

8) Bang your head- Nothing helps you bust through "the wall" better than some loud metal or hard rock. Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, Kiss, or Jane's Addiction would all be acceptable choices. Might I suggest "Jesus Christ Pose", Soundgarden? Or if you're a little more daring, try "Unsung", Helmet.

9) Classic songs- There are some songs, like Talking Heads "Once In A Lifetime"and Springsteen's "Born to Run" that belong on any running playlist by virtue of their pedigree alone.

10) New blood- Classics are fine, but find a few new songs that fit criteria #2 and 3 to keep your playlist from developing that not-so-fresh scent. Perhaps "Percussion Gun", White Rabbits, "Around the Bend", The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (which you might know as the "iPod Touch commercial song"), or "The Good Old Days", The Lodger.

There you go. Now go open up your iTunes, pick a bunch of songs that fit this list, go to the iTunes store and buy 10-20 new songs, then sync your iPod, strap on your shoes and hit the road. No more excuses.

Stuff you should hear

I never got around to doing a "Best of 2008" post back in January, probably because I was too busy playing all the new Wii games the kids got for Christmas. But if I had, I'd have submitted as my nomination for the "Best Podcast of 2008" the "Stuff You Should Know" podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. (I assume you can get the podcast from the site, but I get it and all my other podcasts directly thru iTunes.)

The podcast is a free download, a twice weekly production offering up presentations of articles that can be found on the website. The articles address questions on various topics, such as "Is spontaneous combustion real?", or "How do credit default swaps work?". The information is decent, but the hosts are not experts in any of the fields they present, so sometimes facts are a little off. And the hosts admittedly lean a little to the left, so depending on what topics they choose, the information they present can have a definite liberal bias.

What makes the podcast so great though is the rapport between the two hosts. Their style is at its worst funny and at its best hilarious. They are both smart guys, with a great fund of pop culture knowledge that they stir into their discussions. The end product is usually one with a little bit of education and a lot of humor, and at just about 25 minutes a show, the perfect length for the ride to work. Check it out- you might learn something, and you'll laugh even if you don't.

Maybe someday I'll be able to work from home

Had my first real experience with e-medicine the other day. Saw a patient on Monday who had a nasty boil on his leg that I drained. He called 2 days later, saying it looked worse. We asked him to come in right away, but he declined saying that he was at work, about 30 miles away. He instead asked if he could just send pictures, because he had a very good digital camera and wanted to just e-mail some shots to us. Given that the alternative was him likely not getting his leg looked at at all, I said, "Sure".

I'll spare you the photos, but they were of good quality and showed that his leg certainly looked worse. With that knowledge I advised him that if he couldn't come down to us, he should get himself to the nearest clinic/ER near him.

There's obviously a good big of hands-on stuff that I do, but I'd guess that the majority of the information I gather for each patient encounter is either historical or visual . I can see a day soon when most of that information is gathered without me being in the room. But as long as the FDA says I'm the one with the prescribing power, I've got job security, baby.

It must be summer

Must be summer if I'm home alone again. Kids and Erin are off for a short trip to upstate New York. They were at Niagara Falls yesterday, stopping at Corning today to tour the glass factory, then will be heading home. No definite plans for the rest of the summer, but more of these short trips are likely.

Must be summer if the Mets are swooning again. Went to the game on Sunday in Philly. Took the boys, which was fun, but was treated to a miserable offensive performance by the Flushing nine. Looking more and more like it's time to rebuild and start anew.

Must be summer if things are slow around the office. Not too busy these past few days, which in some way is good because it allows me to catch up on the pile of paperwork on my desk (not to mention the neglected blog you're reading now). But for any small business, too many "not too busy" days in a row make you a little concerned for the bottom line. Fortunately it seems swine flu may be back again in the fall- job security, baby!

Human Nature

It takes the death of the King of Pop to bring me back to this blog after more than 2 weeks away. I'm finding through e-mails, IM's, and media coverage that everyone's got an opinion on the death of Jacko. (Even PTI devoted a short segment to his passing last Friday.) Not surprising at all, given the fame and infamy that defined his life. So I couldn't let the opportunity pass without throwing my two cents and silver glove into the ring.

I've always liked MJ. Never a huge fan, but appreciated his music and marveled at his talent. I listened to "Thriller" while I was cutting the grass this past Saturday AM, trying to identify what it was that drew so many people in. What struck me as the most identifiable reason was the passion in his voice. The songs are good, the lyrics are well written, but it's the passion in his voice that seems to set MJ apart from everyone else. Listening to the album, there's no doubt that Billie Jean is certainly not his lover. (And there was certainly never any doubt that the kid was not his son ;) ) Thinking further, it becomes easy then to see that same passion in his dancing, and also easy to see how his misguided passion completely screwed up his personal life.

I think it can be argued that Michael Jackson is the most famous person since Jesus. More than Elvis, more than the Beatles, more than Princess Diana. Michael transcended music- he crossed age barriers, race barriers, cultural barriers. For that reason, to the chagrin of many, his death will be a huge story for the media (and bloggers) for quite a while.

At your service

Earlier this school year, I tried to help Owen improve his penmanship by offering him a challenge. He was getting B's in penmanship, but only because he would rush his work. Whenever he took his time, his printing and handwriting were fine. So I offered to him that if he finished the year with an A in penmanship, I would be his servant for the weekend.

After B's in both the first and second trimester, it wasn't looking good. But he persevered, worked harder at it, and with the help of some mystery "bonus points" (I know for a fact his teacher knew of the challenge), he got an A in the last trimester and somehow managed an A average for the year.

So, of course, he called me as soon as he got out of school this morning (half-day for their last day), advising him that my servitude was about to be called upon. Since I'm on call this weekend, I told him it was in his best interest to wait a few weeks to call in his winnings, so we'll do it sometime soon.

He's proud, I'm proud, and the way I see it, it saved me from paying for grades. Only problem is, Brendan's now trying to come up with some scheme to indenture me. Maybe I'll offer him Molly.

EXTRA!! EXTRA!! Green Lantern Dispatches of Lex Luthor, No Comment Yet from Superman

Just watched some tennis commentators talking about how excited Roger Federer must be now that Rafael Nadal has been ousted from the French Open. Federer, despite his recent success, has never won the French and has lost to Nadal in the finals there the last 3 years.

It made me wonder how much athletes who have a particular nemesis in an individual or a team find their victories bittersweet if they haven't had to defeat their nemesis to get there. This first came to me about 10 years ago. The Mets, who had been the whipping boys of the Braves for most of the 90's, finally made it to the post-season in 1999 but were beaten a step before the World Series by the Braves. The next season, the Mets and Braves both made the playoffs again, but the Braves lost in the first round. The Mets won their series, and subsequently advanced to the World Series, but it seemed "cheaper" in a way because they didn't have to go through the Braves to get there. (Yankee fans need not comment on the final round of the playoffs that year.)

You think Federer is happy Nadal is out, or will he always be questioned if he does win because "he didn't have to play Nadal"?

Just call me "The Snake Whisperer"

Was out cutting the grass today and out of the corner of my eye saw a rather large black snake sneaking along the base of the house into the front flower bed. About an hour later, I had finished mowing and was trimming along the back of the house and came upon the same snake, stretched out right in front of me, just sunning himself.

After a brief thought of just chasing him away, I decided that no matter how docile this guy might have been, he needed to go. So I went back to the shed, grabbed the hoe, and went back for him. He was no longer in the spot he was, but I figured he hadn't gone far. Found him just a few feet away, coiled up under the steps to the back door.

Our hoe has two sides- a standard blade side, and an opposite side with two prongs (kinda looks like a claw hammer). I reached under the steps with the hoe, pulled him out with the pronged end, then went to work with the blade side. He never stood a chance.

Pretty freaky, because even after I gave him that beat-down, he was still writhing somewhat. So I got the garden shovel, took it to his neck and rendered him headless, to which he responded by still writhing. He did stop moving enough for me to stretch him out- I paced him out at just over 4 feet long, and by his looks (and how much shovel it took to get all French Revolution on his neck), I figure he was a good inch and a half in diameter.

My brief internet research tells me he was likely a black rat snake, harmless and possibly helpful, as he was probably feasting on the field mice that live in our yard. While that gave me some regret, since mice are more of a nuisance than he would have been, I think the kids would be more OK with seeing a mouse in the basement than a snake in their playhouse longer than they are tall.

Blog fodder

The cruel irony about having plenty to blog about is that it often means there's no time to do the blogging. Marathon training has picked up lately (although you'd never know it from the official finkathon blog, which has suffered the same neglect as this one has), and am still in the throes of getting this new business off the ground. This week's tasks- getting the bank to lend me some money, getting worker's comp insurance and a business license, and figuring out how I'm going to do payroll.

Lots of resources available online for small businesses, and despite never having done this before, I think I'll be able to do most of the management myself. Love to hear any tips you might have, especially things you wish you knew at the beginning.

To infinity...and beyond!

I remember STS-1 well- watched it live in my 4th grade classroom and have been fascinated ever since. Haven't seen a live launch in many years, but thanks to this series of interconnected tubes, I can watch them whenever I want. No matter how many times you see it, it never gets old.

Here's STS-125 heading out on its way to repair Hubble. (From about 2pm yesterday)