Our Great Urban Race

Taking a small detour from the vacation catchups....

For Terence's birthday this year we decided to run the Great Urban Race in Houston, ON his birthday (how perfect is that timing)!

In case you don't know what the Great Urban Race is... it is similar to the TV show The Amazing Race. Each team is given 12 clues to solve that require you to solve puzzles, perform challenges, and physically run your heart out in the city of your choice.

I made us some team shirts...had to represent Kiddy and Roma with Team Kadlec! Original, I know :-)

The race kicked off at Lucky's Pub in downtown Houston, everyone received their clues at noon and we're off. Our strategy...was to stay there, solve the clues, devise a plan, and figure out how the heck the Houston bus system works. We definitely didn't prepare enough for the race, who would have thought they would have us running all the way out to the Chocolate Bar!

After solving the clues, thank goodness for iPhones, we headed straight for the MetroRail and headed down to Hermann Park. We had to get to the Houston Weather Research Center to make an anemometer as proof of completion. Next we headed to the Lawndale Art Center to meet the Chipotle sponsors. I had to make a paper airplane (Terence coached me while on the Metro), then he had to fly it into a Chipotle target, two free burrito coupons as the reward! Woohoo Chipotle!

Next we knew we needed to get to a mile and half down Richmond, so we started hauling it, but like a mirage in the distance there was a bus. We started sprinting across an abandoned parking lot, holding our hands out to the opposing traffic, running across Richmond and hopped on the bus. We took it all the way out to a music shop where we  had to guess the lyrics to a popular song, then we walked to the Chocolate Shop. Took pictures of us feeding cupcakes to each other and then back down to Ervan Chew Park to learn some belly dancing. Sorry no pics of that!

Next we hiked it back down Richmond to CVS where we met the Houston Food Bank, we donated a few items and were on our way to the Timberline Fitness Center. Terence hopped on a stationary bike and went to the distance of an alegrba solution that we had solved earlier. We took a picture and headed over to St. Dane's bar to shoot some hoops.

After making a basket, we stopped at a Florist for some arts and crafts time. We made a rose out of tissue paper and a pipe cleaner we were off to the House of Dereon Media center. We got to load up on tons of promo CD's (glad we went towards the end of the day) and our last location was at Aerosol Graffitii studio. Terence and I got to spray paint our team name over one of their canvases. We completed all 12 clues with no penalties and we ran it into the finish line, which luckily was at the bar!

Our finish time was 3:39, only an hour after the first place team finished! We placed 31st out of 268 teams! Pretty awesome for our first urban adventure race :-)

6 things that have happened since last blog post...

It has been one of the longest blogging-free periods since my last post on January 23rd...I read it back and saw that I was sick the previous week.  Yup, it's been a while...I can't even remember being sick now!  Ha!

So, with our Europe trip merely a few hours away, I figured I should probably blog some sort of transition blog between our last blog and the mobile blogs we anticipate doing across the pond.  Best way to do it, why not do a bulleted list.  I'll do it as utilitarian as I can, who cares for entertainment value anymore...it's about information!  Ha...well here goes...in no particular order:

1. Debbie's long-delayed shuttle flight finally took off!  Two weeks straight of overnight shifts accompanied the flight.  In that two week span, we didn't get to see each other very much, or talk that much.  When we went out to dinner the first back-to-normal evening, it was like we hadn't seen each other in forever...which it had been!
2. Softball started!  Last summer I started filling in for a team down in Clear Lake, which turned from a part-time role to a full-time role late in the Fall.  This season I've joined a new team and games have kicked off!  We are 4-4 so far, with late games tonight.  The plan was to miss these games with our impending trip tomorrow, but I got all my chores done early and justified accepting to play tonight!  I have homered in my first at bat in the last two games...let's see if I prolong that streak tonight, or go down striking out (because I'll be swinging for the fence)!  Pearland Softball kicks off next week, so two nights a week (once we return) will be filled with my favorite rec activity!
3. Roma's getting into trouble.  Yes, Roma...the blog was on a road to being renamed Roma and Kitty, with Deb and I as mere supporting characters.  Anyways...got word Roma was not behaving with the big dogs at day care.  Apparently she decided she was going to become an adolescent (which our calculations peg her as right now) and she'd start rough housing...the funny thing is, she still knows when she's doing something wrong, as she still listens to her commands.  It's kind of like at home, often times she'll push our patience, especially when her and kitty are playing, until one of us send her to her kennel for timeout.
4. Trip planning...it's been long and tedious...but we are definitely ready.  Aside from a few hiccups that will undoubtedly cause issues in translation, such as, "the credit card these tickets are reserved under was stolen, so this is our new card."  We are ready though, we still have the stolen cards to present.  Cross your fingers on this one...otherwise we might be walking from Munich to Paris!  Ha!
5. Overnight in the hospital...not quite what it sounds like.  I have an ongoing job at a nearby 24/7 hospital/clinic and due to their constraints, we weren't allowed to do our testing during normal business hours.  We set up containment rooms which included plastic sheathing on the floors, walls, and ceilings...it was very Dexter-like.
6. Opening Day is coming!  Houston's opening day is on April 8th...woohoo...going to make this 5 years in a row attending the Astros opening day.  I wish I were able to be in Cleveland this year, it's going to be the year they win it all!  HA.  Hopefully after we get back I have time to put together my sham predictions for the upcoming MLB season.

Prochaine étape à Paris, Bruxelles, Francfort, et plus encore! Au revoir!

(Next stop Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, and more!  Goodbye!)

October Golf at Beacon Lakes Golf Club

Today I golfed for the first time in a while.  I had a couple scheduled opportunities canceled thanks to my recent thumb injury, but with it nearly back to 100%, I had the itch to get back on the links!  I roped in Andy, Spicer, Loi, and Mintz to come out...with it being a 5-some, we were somewhat limited on courses we could play, so we chose Beacon Lakes Golf Club in Dickinson.

Overall it was a great day at the course, but before I delve into that, I must tell the story of hole #5.  I had just snapped this photo of the hole...it was such a beautiful day today, I was planning on blogging or sharing some photos.

As I'm walking back to the cart to go grab my driver...BAM!  It was a golf ball that had just missed me by inches!  SPICER!  I was caught so off guard and it was a scary instantaneous moment!  As if he deserved a mulligan, he took one.  Here he is at the box.  I was standing next to the carts on the left...note the hole to the right!  I never let him live it down including me throwing golf balls at him unexpectedly...I had small victories seeing him jump nervously!

But the day was a good day overall game-wise.  I shot a 44 on the front, 45 on the back...a solid 89 for the day.  That's including 3-putting a whopping 8 holes!  Count in the 2 drops, I was quite fortunate to keep my day sub-100.  From my score you can see putting and a few stray shots proved to be the achilles heal of my day...my driving was the inverse of sorts...considering I had 9 - 300+ yard drives, including #16 when I overshot the 352 yard pin, and landing on the fringe of the 383 yard hole #17!  Best hole was #8 when I barely missed an eagle attempt on the long par 5...

The greens were quite slow, this was a common occurrence with us...burying the balls deep into the ground.  This was mine on hole #18.

I didn't win the lottery...

Today I got the email I was hoping I wouldn't receive...that I was NOT selected in the lottery for entry into the Houston Marathon in January 2011.  Apparently the interest in running the races (Full, Half, and 5k) were so high, a lottery system was the only "fair" system.  Bull!   For the past three years, I had registered without issue for the race.  Deb and I ran the half together in 2008. This year, I ran it once again, scoring my best finish in 2 hrs 12 minutes.  I was looking forward to running it once again in January.  But it's not going to happen.

The blog is anything but a place to rant, but please entertain my argument.  I don't think it's "fair" to create a lottery system.  As I said, I had no issues registering and from those that I know who ran it, they didn't either.  When the registration opened, everyone registered.  If you were serious about running, it's not that hard.  I even remember sending emails to those I thought would be interested, and all got in.  Plus, our old running group sent out reminders for runners.  Everyone got in.  When you take a step back, just leave it alone!  Or make it a bigger event!  Seriously, they could do three waves, instead of two?  Figure it out without alienating your former runners.  Participating in Houston's biggest sporting event was awesome, so much fun, and memorable.  Next year, Houston will be missing a lot of runners.  We are unhappy.  I still haven't found one of my friends who got in!  It's shocking how crappy a system is when you implement it to make it more fair.  While at the gym, I was watching the news and they were talking about the race lottery's intent to help diversify the racing pool.  Really?  I'm not even going to go there.

SO, on February 20, 2011...we'll be in Austin running the Livestrong Austin Half Marathon.  Deb and I both registered for the half marathon...it'll be a new route and race, but will still be 13.1 miles of running fun! 

Former President George Bush often shakes hands on the Houston course...I'm hoping for my favorite Austin resident during our race, Sandra Bullock!  One can hope...

Saturday Golf, a Round of Golf Two Years in the Making

Well, today I played my last round of golf with my aging irons.  This week, after weeks (more like months and years) of shopping, I finally purchased a new set of irons!  They haven't arrived yet, but they should arrive sometime next week.  Next round, I hope to shave a few strokes from my game (as most new clubs promise).  My current irons were a gift for my high school graduation over 10 years ago (okay, barely over 10 years ago).  They were a few years old at the time, so my decade plus technology will be history next time out!

Anyways, back to today's round, I met up with a former intern (Josh) I worked with over the summer of 2008.  I'm not sure exactly why we didn't play back then, but I'd imagine it had something to do with traveling and making arrangements for the wedding last year.  I remember the summer of '08 was full of trips planning the where, when, and such...  So, it has been around 2 years since we last worked together, so there definitely has been some built-up "smack talk" going on.  For some reason, I just enjoy it, whether I'm the underdog or the favorite, it makes for fun times out on the course.  (I think of my smack talking "racquetball" blogs in recent years, they did me no favors as I was destroyed often by Mr. Aaron!)

We opted for a mediocre course, Glenbrook Golf Course, a public course on the southeast side of Houston.  I had played here once previously, it was a round in which JR cleaned up...we left far too much money on the table for him that day!  Anyways, it's a challenging course.  There are a number of holes in which you have to hit over the bayou, a Houston thing.  It's the only city in which I've played over them...

Overall, I was actually happy with the play of the course.  The tee boxes, fairways, and greens were generally in good (and playable) condition.  There was a hole that was a little beat up, right off of I-45, that was definitely a distraction!  The view was far from my last round in Hawaii...passing cars and fumes were considerably different than palm trees and coconuts!

The front nine we actually tied, with the two of us sitting on 53's (on par 37).  I was quite disappointed, especially considering my last round.  I shot a 9, 8, and 7 on three holes.  Talk about putting myself in a hole (no pun intended)!  Geez, I took 6 drops!  That is something that hasn't happened in quite some time!

The back nine I was more on top of my game, more relaxed, and put together some great strokes.  With 5 pars, I closed the day with a strong 39...which was quite the turnaround from the front.  On the last hole, a par 5, had I turned my feet a little, I likely would have been on the green in two.  I was satisfied with the par, though.

My biggest mistake from the day came on the front nine...on the second hole I sliced the living daylights out of a ball.  The slice was reminiscent of my beginning days of golf...well, the ball was still up on a later hole that I was playing.  I didn't realize it and hit it...badly at that.  After 3 shots, I found the original ball from that hole...I drove it just short of the green.  Talk about bad luck.  A lost couple of strokes for sure...and a lesson for next time!

I would recommend Glenbrook for the challenge and the price.  On one of the, if not the, hottest days of the year (97 degrees), it was still an enjoyable day on the course.  More so because I won the two year old rivalry by 7 strokes, with my 92.  Next up...not sure, but I'm hoping I'm back in the 80s!

Futbol! MLS All Stars vs Manchester United

On Wednesday night, Deb and I joined a group of futbol fans for the MLS All Stars as they hosted Manchester United at Reliant Stadium.

Now, Deb and I are quite the rookies when it comes to soccer, as we have only attended one other professional soccer game to date.  This one wasn't as "small" as the Houston Dynamo games over at Robertson Stadium, but more commercial.  We were with over 70,000 fans in what was reported as the largest soccer game ever at Reliant.

Before the game started we got the rundown from JR and Jenn, as we carpooled, and were informed that the US was favored to lose by a good margin.  Who would have thought within seconds of the whistle, they'd be down by 1!

Eventually, they came back and made it more interesting, but it ended up being a blowout, ending 5-2.

Overall, we had a good time...Deb and I enjoyed the game...one thing we did not enjoy, the Metro on the way back to the car.  Holy crap, what a looooong line!  Then we all "crammed" on the train.  Funny, Deb and I definitely commented on how the train was not even close to full...I guess we are used to the subways in NY.

Cooperstown to save the 2010 MLB Season for me!

It's another disappointing year for me with my baseball teams...I'm really starting to feel like a Cubs fan, always saying "this is the year," then seeing the team faulter and fall out of the race.

I won't say it's impossible, but it's unlikely, that either the Indians or Astros make it anywhere this season.  Cleveland is keeping the AL Central cellar warm, while Houston is doing just barely enough to stay in front of the Pirates.  Pittsburgh is en route to it's 18th straight, and MLB record, losing season...it's not that bad for me yet, but it's not good either... Cleveland is sitting at 41-57, while Houston is at 40-58!  If they went on to win their next 64 games, they'd be okay, probably win their divisions.  At this point, I say blow the teams up! 

Similar to an earlier posting this year, trade your chips away...bring in young talent and build for the future...  Houston is old and overpaid, so take what you can get... Get out from your big contracts, dump your worthless schmucks, and bring up the mediocre talent that's in the minors.  Cleveland needs a kick start to remind them they are not that bad! 

Anyways, as crappy as the 2010 baseball season has been for me, I'm no less of a fan...always love the game.  I think I'm addicted to baseball news more than ever, if you can believe it.  MLBtraderumors.com is my outlet for reading, with MLB.com and ESPN.com/MLB now a distant second and third. 

And to top it all off, we are going to Cooperstown this year!  We weddings in the fall to attend, with the first over Labor Day weekend in Syracuse, NY.  We strategically decided to book our flights through Albany so we can take a day and spend it with Baseball immortals!  Debbie thought of taking the extra day to go there, not me...she never ceases to amaze me.  It's hard enough sitting through baseball games in Houston, it's another thing to spend a day with me oggling baseball history!  Can't wait!

Another thing I can't wait for...2011...it's gonna be the year for the Tribe!  :-)

Another First...Soccer! With the Houston Dynamo...

Cinco de Mayo was fun downtown with drinks and dinner at Guadalajara Haciena del centro. It was a little pricey, but the margaritas were quite refreshing... Later we headed to the Roberston Stadium to see the Houston Dynamo take on FC Dallas. My soccer questions started early, like "what's FC mean?" It means "football club." Soccer is not my expertise...and my experience playing was limited to one summer in NY playing on our company indoor soccer team. The Earthquakes were not that great! Plus I sprained my ankle pretty badly. But anyways, soccer here in Houston...

I had some experience with the Black Iguana margaritas previously...during our fun golf game out in Pasadena last year. I went with beer, Deb and company went with the margaritas...


We didn't get to hear the celebrations as the Dynamo lost 1-0. On the bright side, the Astros won...haha, they have won 1 game in their last 10. That's a totally different subject!

Overall, we had a good time out there at the game. I definitely would be down for going again...but then again Minute Maid Park is air conditioned, so we'll just have to check out the weather reports before the game!

Aeros game...hockey in Houston, I'll cosign that!

It was a fun Friday night hanging out with friends at the Houston Aeros game followed by drinks downtown at the Flying Saucer. It was my first hockey game, ever...

So I was completely out of the loop, it was hockey. I kept calling the puck a ball, the ice a field, and used the wrong terminology completely! Doesn't help when JR is making references to baseball, basketball, and probably soccer in there, too! Only bummer from the game, there were NO fights! Ugh, what kind of hockey game has no fights?!

They had this thing in between the 2nd and 3rd periods (FYI, there' three 20 minute periods in the game) called Chuck-A-Puck where you can buy these rubber pucks and throw them onto the ice and trying to land them inside a helmet at center ice. You throw from anywhere on the lower level. When I realized what was going on, it was too late...they sold out of pucks. One guy did it and won himself $500!

Later we went to the Flying Saucer downtown... Not sure how, but we had never made it there. Great beer menu...we'll definitely be going back more in the future. The Black Butte Porter was quite tasty and made me think of Deb's Double Chocolate Stout cupcakes...yum!

As for other topics of conversation, we got into learning some new slang. It was a fun night out, I'm sure Deb would cosign that! http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cosign

Saturday Golf...

It feels like it was so long ago when I was on the course...clear skies, perfect 70 degree weather, and a solid showing...

I played with Andy, Spicer, and Mintz at Clear Creek Golf Course in South Houston...and we were sure to start the wagers before we even teed off on #1. The bet was simple...$1 per hole. If there were a tie, the hole roles over and the winner of the next hole gets both, and so on. The last time we played, JR played instead of Mintz...we all felt hustled as we had a $5 bet on "closest to the hole" on two par-3's. He of course won them both and some well placed tie-breakers on others. He won over $60 that day!

This time around we all had an "agenda" not to lose it all and not to let another win big! On the first tee box all four of our tee shots were well placed and either hit or just missed the fairway...signs of a competitive morning of golf! The first three holes were tied, with Andy winning 4 holes when he got a birdie on #4. On hole #5 I managed a 315 yard tee shot...only to bogey the hole (darn!!). After the first 9 holes, Andy won 4, I won 3, and Mintz won 2. Spicer...unfortunately some unlucky breaks.

The back 9 started off a little rusty...blame it on the hot dogs we had at the turn perhaps. On hole #14 I knocked another 305 yard drive, but my long drive of the day came on #18...319 yards. That one I was proud of! Andy was able to win another 5 holes on the back, I won 3, and Mintz won 1. The 18th hole was a tie...so we all ended up on the putting green...on the second sudden death, my par on 18 held up to win the final hole!

It was a great day on the course all around. I didn't lose big, I had some great drives and putts, managed 4 pars (kind of low), but didn't do any worse than a double bogey (which meant I didn't collapse on any holes)...I was happy with my 91; a stroke above my former handicap of 18 but wouldn't know what it really is now...

Can't wait to make it out on the course again soon...I'm up for golf anytime, so drop me an email and I'm there!

My Second Half Marathon; Aramco Houston Half Marathon - Jan 17, 2010

On Sunday, January 17, 2010 I completed my second half marathon.

This year was a little different than in years past as I didn't participate in the local running group, Pearland Fit. I wish I had, I missed out on the experience of running and making friends. Plus the extra training time and motivation. Reason was our wedding, of course, which kept us out of Texas for the entire month of October. I was insistent on running it, though, knowing I wouldn't be as prepared in years past.

Two and a half years ago, Debbie and I decided we'd train for our first half marathon. I have always loved running, even post-knee surgery in 2002. In years since I've listened to the doctors encourage me to switch to biking or something...but for me, I just love running, so the thought of running a half marathon alongside Debbie was exciting. In early 2008 we completed our first...the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Our time was around 2 hours 35 minutes. I remember that race because around mile 12 I looked over to Debbie and said, "I could totally run a full marathon." I would get flagged by Google sharing what her response to me was. I was determined. (That's us back in 2008 after we ran it together...)

Later that summer, we both joined Pearland Fit again...I was in it for the full, Debbie was back for the half. This time around, though...it didn't go as smoothly as in years past. Training for a half marathon and a full marathon take a lot of dedication and effort. That summer and fall I was playing softball every week, hitting the golf course often, and working out a ton. It was only a matter of time that with all the activities I was bound to hurt myself. One softball game put a thorn in my tire, when I tore my quad muscle. It was then I had to catch up to my training and found myself developing plantar fasciitis, which derailed me altogether. I bowed out of the race...

So...I decided I was not going to even try for the full this time out...I'd go for another half marathon. Granted I'd have to work my training around the wedding planning, the wedding, honeymoon...and then the crapfest that developed (which I don't feel like going into...). I had a lot of obstacles this year, but I wasn't going to let them be my excuses. To race day...I wasn't as anxious this time around...I definitely was thinking "avoid injury, finish fast, leave it all out on the course!"

Immediately following the gunshot I screwed up. I double pressed the "start" button on my Garmin, which meant I didn't start my watch. It is a runners best friend, as a GPS-based watch it shows you your pace which is a great tool. Around 1/4 mile in I was checking my pace and realize the time was stuck at 1 second! Well, I started it and continued on my race.

Miles 1 through 4 were great. My legs felt great, my knee was still keeping quiet, and I enjoyed every second. The thousands of people that come out to support their friends, family, strangers, and fellow Houstonians were out in force. The signs of inspiration helped, the cheering and yelling felt like they were all cheering for me, and it was great. The next 5 miles or so I did well, but slowed my pace slightly. Running along Studemont and Montrose there were just loads of people on both sides going crazy. I just loved all the people there...I remember it from 2008, but this time I was on my own and needed that extra bit of support. Debbie and I were there pushing each other then.

Miles 10 and 11 were probably my hardest...my knee woke up some (but never was beyond bearable), my ankles were starting to feel the uneven roads, my hips were starting to say hello...I definitely felt it. But my breathing was great...which I swear is the key to running long distance. As long as it's under control, you can go as long as your body will take you. Mile 12 I had a good laugh. I thought back to 2008 when I made those "marathon" comments...this time I laughed and said to myself, "pshh...I'm quite satisfied with a half marathon!"

Just short of mile 13 I had to pick my head up and be on the lookout for my supportive wife. I didn't want to pick my head up, I was just ready to be finished! But I picked up my head and saw her. She saw me and started jumping up and down!! It was the perfect culmination of all the thousands of cheering people I'd seen along the previous 13 miles...it gave me that last boost of energy. I smiled, waved, and charged forward (not seen in the pic, though). The last 1/4 mile was definitely great. I weaved in and out of a few people...as if it made much of a difference in the final standings! At 13.1 miles, I raised my arms and crossed the finish! I finished right on target with my goal, in 2 hours, 12 minutes, 16 seconds. Just a touch over 10 minutes/mile...I was more than satisfied!

(started in second wave, 10 mins, 9 secs after first gunshot, which is why there's a discrepancy in the clock time)

It was a great day and a great event. I'm sure there's more half marathons in my future, but for now I'm satisfied...

(Man, do I look exhausted or what?!)

Ailing Back...Aging Blows!

Well it was bound to happen...another injury. :-) I never used to get injured...football and baseball yielded nothing much. (You can't count the ball that hit my knee when I was like 9, that doesn't count!) Oh well, now it seems I have something new every week, which is quite honestly, sad!

I can't be for sure what happened as it started when I woke up yesterday. It was bad. I don't want to say I hurt it sleeping, otherwise I'm doomed! The pain was probably from racquetball the night before. Two straight hours of blood, sweat, and tears on the court...leading to yet another defeat. When I sprained my ankle in May, at least it was part of us winning the softball tournament. This time, I was a loser and got hurt! (No details this week, I can't find any new excuses!)

I am not one for seeking medical help for pain, but I had to. As old man Aaron hurt his back earlier in the year, I had a recommendation and was in for an afternoon appointment. Found out I strained a number of muscles in my back, which are causing the nerve fibers around my rib cage to scream. In addition to all the aching muscles! Yesterday everything was hurting, especially deep breaths. I have a couple of follow up therapy sessions this week and hopefully the pain will subside soon. She said 6-8 weeks to be gone, so just in time for the wedding! I'm shooting for sooner, so I an get up and back into all my activities!

Last night Debbie can quote me saying "I am going to have to hold off on softball until after wedding." Today my back feels better, so I'm not so sure that I'll have to. But I will get home later and my "voice of reason," aka Debbie, will be there for me. She'll straighten my crazy thoughts out! Looks like no more softball or racquetball until November. This is all for the sake of being painfree for our wedding and honeymoon. That is, unless I do something that only I could do, like hurting it while sleeping!

Racquetball "Showdown"....more of a "letdown!"

Last year I took up racquetball and I really enjoy it. It's a solid hour, to two hours, of high intensity cardio. It's exhausting and a wonderful stress reliever. Here is a representative picture of a racquetball court:Here are the rules and other information from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racquetball

Lately I have been playing with Aaron after we took a bit of a hiatus earlier in the year. He hurt his back, I hurt my foot...we were bunch of 20-something old men per say. Anyways, over the last four sessions I've done well. In the first outing since our injuries healed, I was 5-0. Then we tied, going 1-1-1; with the tie being left at a 10-all situation (we lost the court due to time). Then last weekend we split it again going 2-2 or 3-3...it was another tie. For some reason I dubbed yesterday's match, "the Final Showdown."

Long story short, well, it was anything but. I was a big disappointment out there. Lost the first and second games...found some fortune in the third, but proceeded to lose 2 more in a row. My serves were not doing the same thing as usual (good backspin, hugging the back wall) and my returns were awful! Plus I think Aaron is learning how to hit those "wall huggers" and was all over the low returns. Much of this is mumbo jumbo, but it all equates to some fun on the court.

We are already planning the next match next Monday. This time I will do one thing different, I won't be trash talking him all day at the office. It bit me hard in the end!!!

NOTE: And after linking to the Wikipedia page I found the following: "The serving player must bounce the ball on the floor once and hit it directly to the front wall — making the ball hit the floor beyond the short line otherwise the serve counts as a fault[6]. The ball may touch one side wall, but not two, prior to hitting the floor; hitting both side walls after the front wall is a three wall serve, and a fault." This not only was my bread and butter serve, but an illegal serve! Considering it was an agreed upon "game variation," previous games are not void. All this means is my work is really cut out for me now! I hate to lose! :-)

Stick a fork in 'em, the Indians are done!

What a disappointing year it is for people in Washington, they have the Nationals who are just terrible, or in Pittsburgh where they've traded nearly every opening day starter away, but not Cleveland right? WRONG! They traded away Ryan Garko the other day and now Cliff Lee, their ace. Go figure I'll have to wait one more year (at least) to see the Indians try for a ring. Another year where they are touted as being the best in the AL Central down the tubes... I guess it was meant to be since we'll be on our honeymoon during the World Series. :-)

Maybe the Astros? I won't jinx them, but they've been playing some great ball of late. I'm in for at least 2 games next week. Maybe they will win their first game I will attend...they have lost every game I've been to all year!

I'll try and update wedding and honeymoon later. Honeymoon plans have really started coming together. Wedding isn't that far away!!!

Beer A Mids Season 1 Coming to an End

This Thursday is the last week of my first season playing with the Beer-A-Mids. It's been a lot of fun so far, and playing close to home (in Pearland) is a much better than when I was out nearly in Katy! We have two more games to go but I don't know how the playoff picture is looking. Heck I can't recall our record!

Last week I had a good week, hitting my second homerun of the season. Oddly enough it would have been an out had they not called the previous homerun hit by our team a double! In our league only one homer is allowed per game, per team. Had they had the call correct, I would have been the third out of the inning...my three RBI's wouldn't have been there, and the next three runs later in the inning wouldn't have counted. The other team argued it later, but really...if they really were trying to be honest, they should have said the first one really WAS a homer!

All in all, it's been great thus far...

The funniest part of my stats is that I'm batting a robust 0.567 and that falls BELOW the team's average! I find that quite funny! This week I'm going to see what I can do about raising my average...singles, doubles, gap shots...anything! I'll keep you all posted!

50th Birthday, Wedding Stuff, & All Star Fanfest

Last weekend we headed up to St Louis to celebrate Debbie's mom and aunt's 50th birthday! Debbie and her sister did an amazing job planning, decorating, and more for the event! I'll leave the details and photos for Debbie to blog...

We also took care of wedding stuff, including doing our menu tasting for our reception. I think we were impressed by nearly all our preliminary selections...and narrowed it down to some great dishes. One more thing we took care of was our wedding cake fillings, icings, etc. I can't say I'll ever get to eat enough wedding cake!

Then on Sunday it seemingly was for me. We headed to the America's Center in downtown St Louis for the All Star Fanfest, part of the MLB All Star Game celebrations. There was so much there from Hall of Famer's signing autographs (like Harmon Killebrew and Tony Perez, for instance), a travelling HOF exhibit, interactive baseball games, and more. It was pretty sweet. We didn't have all day to spend there as we all head home that evening, but we got a few hours of fun in. We did the speed pitch (including Debbie, her cousins Robbie and Bryan, her aunt Pat, and myself). Debbie and Pat threw in the 30s and 40s, Bryan in the 50s, and Robbie and I in the 70s. I don't know where it came from, but somehow I still have 78 mph in my arm! That is off my once 89 mph throw from my high school days, but wasn't all that bad for my 27 year old arm.

Ditto to the wedding photos, the party photos, and now the Fanfest photos...Deb has them! She is off in Denver this weekend (remember this is our busy busy month!)... I did find one photo taken at the State Farm Homerun Derby exhibit, check it out:

Beer-A-Mids Softball

Two weeks ago I joined a Pearland softball league, the Beer-A-Mids. Back in May I played in a tournament with Dannenbaum Engineering (you can find the old post) and met some folks that set me up with this team. We play down in Independence Park in the heart of Pearland. It’s where Debbie and I play tennis (when the weather isn’t 100+!!!!). Each week we play two games, anywhere between 6:30PM and 10:30PM… One of the funnier elements of our league is the beer fines, something none of the other teams I have played on have. If you strikeout it’s $3, if you pop out its $2…other fines for double plays, last outs of the inning, etc. It’s pretty funny…striving NOT to make the last out for instance!

Anyways, the first week we split the two games. I went 2 for 7 overall, with one hit in each game and a pair of RBI’s. I blame the heat, my recovering ankle (from the sprain), and well, the layoff! Ha…no excuses, it’s beer league softball, I just didn't do so hot! Not to mention, I ended so many innings and such, I raked up $8 in fines from the first week! What a crock! Carrying a 0.286 batting average into the second week was cool and all, but I had my redemption. I went 7 for 9 with 6 RBI’s last week, capping off the night with a HR, two doubles and a 5 for 5 second game. Again we split the night…winning and losing one. Playing .500 ball right now, but I think over the course of the eight week season, we will compete for the title. Maybe…

All in all, the new softball league is a lot of fun, with a great group of guys. Plus, I am really enjoying getting out there and playing. Since my baseball career never happened, this is as close as I’ll ever get…beer league softball! I’ll update later today or tomorrow how tonight goes!

The "Lowly" Indians

Over the weekend the Indians were shut out TWICE, spanning 19 innings (that's a span of three games!) without scoring a run. I have been giving the Astros crap, but they have listened to me and improved. They are sitting in 5th place in the NL Central only 3 games under .500. However, the Indians have not.

Today the Indians enter with the worst, yes the worst, record in baseball. Not just the AL, but all of baseball! Sitting at 11-21 is terrible. Now comes my defense of the worst team in baseball...targetted at Cheryl and her trash talking "Nationals" propaganda. See the Nationals winning percentage sits at .345 where the Indians winning percentage is at .344. That's one-thousandth of a point separating these two basement dwellers.

Last week when the Nationals and Astros played, I read the recap and the way it started made me laugh, "...two last place teams vying for a win..." Go figure the game was suspended in the 10th and neither team will pick up a victory until July when they finish that game! But over the weekend the most depressing read was about the Indians getting shutout twice:

"In the first two games, the Tigers pitched consecutive shutouts in Cleveland for the first time in nearly 101 years. Hall of Famer Ty Cobb was 21 years old when the Tigers did it on July 3 and 4, 1908."

It's sad when you have to compare the Indians play to games over 100 years ago! The first line was so accurate..."the Indians are digging themselves a deeper hole every day."

I think I might go home and watch the Major League movie series, at least the Indians WIN! Ahhh...

Astros Game...Anyone Suprised that they LOST!!!

With Debbie working nights today and tomorrow, it was just me and some of her Nasa coworkers and spouses. Had a good time hanging with everyone and we had some great seats! I'm on a good streak so far this year...every game has been in the 100-level! Tonight we sat in Section 127 right behind 1st base. Check out the photo...

Great seats, eh?

Tonight was pink jersey giveaway night for all ladies 16 and over. Well obviously that was not me, so I was out of luck. But after we gave up on catching a home run ball in the Crawford Boxes, I saw one of the ticket ladies give a jersey to a guy. So JR and I went up to her and asked for one...and she was happy to oblige and gave us each one! So even though Debbie didn't make it to the game, I got her a nice pink jersey!

Had a great time talking baseball and taking a night off from...well, nothing! Even the dome was OPEN in 90 degree weather, it was a nice time at the park...aside from the 'Stros losing. Not that I was really surprised...but the Indians did win! So it was an okay day in MLB.

Softball Tournament Champs (Team Dannenbaum)

This past Saturday I played in a softball tournament for Team Dannenbaum. The tournament was with the Texas Land Surveyors and engineers or something...I don't really know. It was a last minute thing and I jumped all over it. Myself and a few others were "contract employees" for the day...and we definitely helped bring home a victory. FYI, my friend Owen works over at Dannenbaum...(it's questionable who copied who with the blogs, but you can find his "Meet the ---" over at "Meet the Parkers" link on this page)

Anyways, the tournament was a double elimination format and got started at 10am. Our first game was at 11am, with us charging to victory in a sudden death 8th inning. We then played two more games in a row at noon and 1pm...both winning by greater margins. 17-1 or something in game 3. Then we had a break...we had the only other undefeated team set for 430...Jacobs. It wasn't even close...we kicked them over with force!


With Debbie working all weekend, she was unable to attend the tournament, but since we made it all the way to the finals she got there just in time to see the last and final game. They were a bunch of trash talking "surveyors" or a-holes...whatever the were...came down to an exciting 7th inning. We led by 4 runs going into the bottom of the last inning. They were able to score 3 and the final out was recorded on a sinking line drive to left. They stranded the tying run at 3rd base! With that, we were champs!


Overall it was an awesome day...loads of fun and of course winning made it that much sweeter! Down sides to the day were me striking out...yup, I struck out. I watched a ball land squarely on the plate and was rung up looking. Laughing and in disbelief I still am. Oh well, I had a good day at the plate. I hit a few triples and had other base knocks. I was trying to go yard but just couldn't get enough elevation on the ball.

Aside from that you can see the ankle brace I reluctantly brought to the game. I usually always have that and my knee brace with me. This time going into third base the base shifted underneath me and I rolled the ankle over badly. It's still quite swollen today as I'm nursing a mild sprain (assuming that's all it is for now...)


Oh well...we were victorious, an undefeated 5-0. When it comes to pain, it's all worth it when you walk away champions!