Trick or Treat

Tomorrow is Halloween. I've always said that once Halloween arrives, it's New Year's before you realize it. The next two months go by so fast.

I love fall and that's probably why I enjoy Halloween so much. I love carving pumpkins, roasting pumpkin seeds, the crisp fall air & the sound of leaves crunching underfoot. Halloween symbolizes so much about fall to me.

Nowadays, the whole dressing up & scoring candy part of the holiday is handled by Miss Payton. This year she is Tinkerbell & yesterday she hit West Farms Mall & hauled a ton of candy.

Today's costumes are a far cry from what I wore growing up. Who can ever forget those flimsy masks, with the sweat building up on the inside & the elastic strap that either snapped or ended up pulling your hair. Those plastic capes that described the character didn't help matters.

Here are a few costumes I wore over the years:

A Cyclon from Battlestar Galactica:



Darth Vader:



Hooded Cobra Commander: (Since this was a homemade job, I only have a photo of what the costume was based on. I took a blue towel, cut holes for eyes & spray painted the Cobra logo on the forehead. Pair that with a blue sweatshirt & voila, Hooded Cobra Commander.)



I've also gone as Bugs Bunny (I think, when I was really young), a bum & a soldier dressed in all camo. I'll need to consult with the parents & photos to help fill in the blanks.

If you want to rediscover your old costumes, check out RetroCrush.com.

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I'd like to wish Brian & Linds a happy 1st anniversary!

A Bummer

Today is my boss' last day. Todd hired me back in 2004 & has obviously been my boss since then.

This is the first time I've been sad because of a boss leaving. Todd is a friend, not just my boss, and has been a great influence for me.

When I was at Foxwoods, I was quite happy when my first real boss was fired/forced out. He was a jerk to everyone & that move was a long time coming. I hated my boss when I left Foxwoods, so that was a positive. At Mystic Seaport, I liked my boss up until the point I was laid off & he gave me 10 minutes to pack my stuff. I liked my boss at the Courtyard, but I wasn't sad when I left.

I will miss Todd greatly. Not seeing his office door open when I walk in on Monday is going to be tough. I wish him the best of luck at UMass.

20 Years Ago Today

Wow, am I getting old. On this night 20 years ago, the seed would be planted that would eventually sprout into this blog.

I won't describe the game, my thoughts on it, where I was, what I was doing, etc. That will come soon enough on a page dedicated to the event. I will however link to some interesting articles & videos. Enjoy.

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From Ken Burns' "Baseball" documentary:



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The entire 10th inning, recreated on RBI Baseball:



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Coverage from the Boston Globe:

An Error Turns 20

Shaughnessy: One Strike Away

The Gamer

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Here's the ball & the story behind it.

Where's the Oystercatcher?

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to play another round of golf at the Fishers Island Club. (Many thanks to UK for the invite!) My team did okay (4 under, no bogies), but due to the threat of darkness & the need to return to the mainland before dark, I have no idea how that score ranked compared to the other teams.

Although I didn't play my best round, I did hit one of the best shots of my life. On the second hole, a 170 yard par 3, I sank a 105 foot putt for birdie. It was obviously all luck, but I was still pretty excited. Here's the hole:



The ball was on the front right edge of the green & the pin was located in the far back left. Unreal.

Just to the left of the 14th tee is a rocky beach on the edge of East Harbor. For years, I could walk over to this area & see an Oystercatcher, a rare shorebird. I always enjoyed watching her scurry around the rocks, never flying away. Hopefully she just moved onto another beautiful location on Fishers.

It's Officially Basketball Season!

Now that the Mets are done & baseball season is over, it's time to focus on UConn Mens Basketball.

Thankfully, expectations are not quite as high this year as they were last year. (The loss to George Freakin' Mason in the Elite Eight was just as tough to take as last night's Mets loss.) This team is young and will be fun to watch.

Ouch

Wow, that was tough to watch.

Obviously, posting the same exact post I posted before Game 6 didn't work. A disappointing end to a great season. The bats failed at the wrong time. They had plenty of chances to win this game.

The worst part? This AMAZING catch by Endy Chavez is now wasted.



At least I won't have to watch baseball until next spring, even if Tommy Lasorda tries to talk me into it. I now feel hatred for the Cardinals like I haven't felt since the mid-80's. Even though I won't be watching, I'll be rooting for the Tigers.

Trying Again...

I'm very much aware that the magic of Game Six was much more than this one play, but this will do in a pinch.

Some magic is needed tonight at Shea & what better than this to help stir up the ghosts.

Looking for Some Magic

I'm very much aware that the magic of Game Six was much more than this one play, but this will do in a pinch.

Some magic is needed tonight at Shea & what better than this to help stir up the ghosts.

New & Improved

I decided to delete the old blog & start fresh. I hadn't updated it in so long (2004) & it really died in early 2003. So I'll go in a new direction & just post random thoughts, pictures & videos here, as well as link to some interesting things.

Any & all feedback will be appreciated.