In today's edition of "the stache" I'd like to give a shout out to the end of February, glad to see March in a few short hours from now. I have been searching all day for a topic to discuss and I think I stumbled onto a gold mine, "The Saturday Top 5." Every Saturday for as long as this blog exists I am going to give out a top 5 of random things that happen to float across my mind for the day. Today we are going to take a break away from sports to discuss my top 5 favorite vacation trips that I've taken throughout my life. Also if you have any suggestions for future top 5's or any other kind of "specialty days" let me know by placing a comment in this or any future blogs. I am open to talking about just about anything just let me know and I can get it done for you. On to the top 5:
1. Cooperstown/Niagara Falls (summer 2005)- I lump these two distinct places together because they occurred on the same family vacation. For any sports fan, and especially any baseball fan, going to Cooperstown, site of the MLB Hall of Fame is a must do in your lifetime. I would love to go back again. Just a really neat little town set in rural upstate New York. Words just cannot describe the feelings I felt here. Niagara Falls is simply breathtaking. You can see all the pictures you want to on the Internet, it cannot match the sure awe you get by standing less than 10 ft. away from them. Just a big WOW. We stayed at a hotel that overlooked the falls and you had the dull roar of the falls to go to bed to at night, simply amazing. Going on The Maid of the Mist is also a must do for Niagara Falls. I hope I get to go back.
2. Grand Canyon (summer 1994)- This one was awhile back but I'll never forget this trip. We took our Green Plymouth Van out to the Far West for this journey. This trip was minus my little sister who was born the following summer. I remember staying in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A place that never rains had a downpour the night we stayed there. This was a camping trip so every place we stayed at was in a campground, pretty exciting for anyone much less a 7 year old kid. The Grand Canyon, what can you say its pretty grand. You have to see it yourself to appreciate its shear massiveness, is that even a word? Who cares its my blog. The one thing I remember is that the squirrels were very friendly out there. They didn't run away from you like the squirrels do hear in the east. On the return trip we took the northern part of the loop, passing through Denver, Colorado and ended up stopping in St. Louis, Missouri and got to see a Cardinals game as well as the Arch, although we did not go up because it was under repair or something like that. I remembered we drove all the way from St. Louis to Atlanta in one day after we found out that we couldn't stay in Kentucky because of it being July 4th weekend. So that was fun.
3. Cruise to Mexico (Dec-Jan 03-04)- I could almost put this one up there at #1, but it'll do at 3. First time on a cruise, we "sailed" out of New Orleans down into the delta of the Mississippi River and out into the Gulf towards Cozumel. This trip included my grandmother, along with her mother and husband plus the 5 in our family. On this ship there was all you could eat pizza bars that were open for 24 hours, talk about cool. This cruise was pretty peaceful except for some little mishaps here and there but overall it was a good time to clear your head and just relax. Being out in the ocean with nothing but water around you is pretty intimidating and makes you pretty small. We got to go on a tour of the Mayan ruins in Cozumel as well taking some "mini trips" to some Mexican town. Pretty neat seeing all the vendors out on the streets trying to sell you something and just the overall culture of the place was pretty fascinating. Can't wait til my next cruise, it was a blast.
4. Boston (April 1999)- This was first and only trip on a plane. This trip was just my grandmother and I. It became a tradition where she would take my brother (4 years later) on his first plane flight to Pennsylvania, and then four years after that my sister got to fly to NYC with her. It was pretty cool flying above the clouds. I just remember the brick sidewalks and all the history of the city. Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre, Harvard, went on the Duckboats or whatever there called that take you on a tour through town and then take you on the water all on the same trip. Walking on Harvard's campus was really cool, got to see some really neat architecture on the buildings there and through other parts of historic Boston. Walked outside of Fenway Park, no games were being played but still pretty awesome to walk outside one of the most famous ballparks in all the world. I loved the history and the "mystique" that the city represented as it was one of the main cogs in the founding of our country. An unforgettable trip for sure.
5. Washington D.C./Baltimore (summer 1998)- This was a family trip of 5 to the nations capital. Did all the standard things you do when you go to DC; Lincoln memorial, Jefferson memorial, Smithsonian, Vietnam wall, Korean war memorial, FDR memorial. The thing I remember a lot about this trip was that there was a lot of walking, a lot of walking. It's rough when you got the heat of summer beating down on you plus dealing with an 11 yr old(me), 7 yr old, and a 3yr old. A lot of complaining was done by my younger siblings, I suffered mainly in silence I guess but I probably did my fair share of whining. The Jefferson Memorial was a long walk. The Washington Monument was everywhere. Did not go to the White House. The Smithsonian and the FDR/Korean War memorial were really cool cause of the setup of the structure. The Vietnam was very moving, even for someone who was 11. I've always had a sentimental heart for places with historical significance, movies as well. Plenty of history happening in DC. Also on this trip we went to Baltimore and Annapolis. Went to an Orioles game at Camden Yards, which is by the way one the most beautiful ballparks around. Loved this trip as well as all the other I went on.
Honorable Mentions: Virginia Beach/Willamsburg, Michigan/Upper Peninsula/Canada, Jekyll Island, Charleston S.C., Disney World/Sea World, and many many more others.
I hope you enjoyed the latest installment of "the stache." I'd like to thank my family and especially my mother for organizing all of these trips. Without her these would not have happened. Until next time, Hugs and handpounds.
mb
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Final Friday February
"The stache" would like to give a shout out to my little bro who celebrates his 18th birthday today. Happy Birthday my man ! I'll see ya in a couple weeks.
Yes, we are at the end of the dullest month for sports, the month of February. Let's break it down for you if you need some refreshers on the ineptitude of this dull and drury month. Start off the month of the Super Bowl but thats only 1 day and we forget who played a week later unless you spend your days watching SportsCenter than you are reminded every 2 and a half minutes about the game. For someone who is a big fan of college football, major league baseball, and the NFL, February is a plain struggle. This year was particularly tough for me because for whatever reason I was really pissed off all the time during this month and I don't know why. Basketball is alright but it doesn't mean anything until March and April anyways. I guess if you are a big NASCAR fan you have something to look forward to. For those of us still in school, February is such a long ways away from the end of May. There are no breaks or major holidays. Thank goodness its only 28 days. On Sunday March begins and I can feel my outlook and disposition improving as we bear down on this month. March brings us the conference tourneys for basketball as well the Big Dance concluding a month from now. This I feel will be a pretty unpredictable tournament this year. Unlike last year where we had 4 #1's in the Final Four, this year will not produce the same results. Who will be there? We'll just have to glue ourselves to our couches over these next few weeks to see what the result will be. Also be on the look out for some bracket breakdowns by yours truly. I will dissect each region and give my picks to reach Detroit for the Final Four. March also brings us down the homestretch of the NBA season as we begin to see who will be making the playoffs and the matchups that will come as a result. My hometown Atlanta Hawks are desperately trying to hold onto the 4 spot and have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. March also brings us closer to the baseball season and reminds all of us out there that baseball really is a kids game despite all the recent negative publicity the sport has received.
I hope you have enjoyed the latest installment of "the stache." Any suggestions for future topics don't hesitate to give me a shout on the home page. Hugs and hand pounds.
mb
Yes, we are at the end of the dullest month for sports, the month of February. Let's break it down for you if you need some refreshers on the ineptitude of this dull and drury month. Start off the month of the Super Bowl but thats only 1 day and we forget who played a week later unless you spend your days watching SportsCenter than you are reminded every 2 and a half minutes about the game. For someone who is a big fan of college football, major league baseball, and the NFL, February is a plain struggle. This year was particularly tough for me because for whatever reason I was really pissed off all the time during this month and I don't know why. Basketball is alright but it doesn't mean anything until March and April anyways. I guess if you are a big NASCAR fan you have something to look forward to. For those of us still in school, February is such a long ways away from the end of May. There are no breaks or major holidays. Thank goodness its only 28 days. On Sunday March begins and I can feel my outlook and disposition improving as we bear down on this month. March brings us the conference tourneys for basketball as well the Big Dance concluding a month from now. This I feel will be a pretty unpredictable tournament this year. Unlike last year where we had 4 #1's in the Final Four, this year will not produce the same results. Who will be there? We'll just have to glue ourselves to our couches over these next few weeks to see what the result will be. Also be on the look out for some bracket breakdowns by yours truly. I will dissect each region and give my picks to reach Detroit for the Final Four. March also brings us down the homestretch of the NBA season as we begin to see who will be making the playoffs and the matchups that will come as a result. My hometown Atlanta Hawks are desperately trying to hold onto the 4 spot and have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. March also brings us closer to the baseball season and reminds all of us out there that baseball really is a kids game despite all the recent negative publicity the sport has received.
I hope you have enjoyed the latest installment of "the stache." Any suggestions for future topics don't hesitate to give me a shout on the home page. Hugs and hand pounds.
mb
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thoughts on the Braves Offseason
Tonight I'm going to get into a more specific topic, the Atlanta Braves. There has been a lot of criticsm from fans this offseason over some of the moves Frank Wren (GM) has and hasn't made. I think the team that we ended up with is going to be better than the one many of the fans wanted. Garrett Anderson is and will be much better than Ken Griffey Jr. this year. Take these stats over the last 3 years.
Anderson- 2006: .280, 17 HR, 28 2bs, 85 RBIs, .756 OPS in 141 gms
2007: .297, 16 HR, 31 2bs, 80 RBIs, .828 OPS in 108 gms
2008: .293, 15 HR, 27 2bs, 84 RBIs, .758 OPS in 145 gms
Griffey Jr.- 2006: .252, 27 HR, 19 2Bs, 72 RBIs, .802 OPS in 109 gms
2007: .277, 30 HR, 24 2Bs, 93 RBIs, .868 OPS in 144 gms
2008: .249, 18 HR, 30 2bs, 71 RBIs, .778 OPS in 143 gms
If you look at some of the numbers they appear to be fairly even on the surface. But Anderson has a few advantages one is that hes 3 years younger than Griffey 36 to 39. Anderson is more consistent offensively, you dont know how long Griffey's body will hold up and it hasn't really ever since he left Seattle 10 years ago, I believe all those years he spent crashing into walls and playing on the hard surface in the old Seattle Kingdome have torn up his body. I think this is the smart move and a player who can hit lefties (.290 last year compared to Griffey's .209). Plus at 2 million this guy is a great value. Not quite in the category of Bobby Abreau, whom the Braves also pursued but a great value nonetheless.
The other big move was the signing of Derek Lowe over A.J. Burnett. First off the Braves actually saved money on this deal getting Lowe for 4 yrs- 60mil compared to the 5yr- 80mil deal Burnett wanted. Although Lowe is about 3 yrs older than Burnett, 35 to 32, Lowe has shown no signs of breaking down and has thrown nearly 200 innings more than Burnett has over the last 5 years, when both were full time starters for their respective clubs. Lowe has had postseason success with the Red Sox, pitching the clinching game in the 2004 World Series. The thing is that you can count on Lowe to be there when it matters, you don't know what Burnett you are getting. He could be on, when hes nearly unhittable, or he could be off a be out by the 3rd inning and on the Disabled List. Now that hes got his money we'll see how he performs. We will definitely be crunching the numbers on all of these guys this year. I'm optimistic that things will turn out just fine. The depth is finally there for this squad.
Well I hope you enjoyed this latest installment from "the stache." I'll be back soon with some more riveting knowledge for you to digest. Hugs and handpounds.
Mb
Anderson- 2006: .280, 17 HR, 28 2bs, 85 RBIs, .756 OPS in 141 gms
2007: .297, 16 HR, 31 2bs, 80 RBIs, .828 OPS in 108 gms
2008: .293, 15 HR, 27 2bs, 84 RBIs, .758 OPS in 145 gms
Griffey Jr.- 2006: .252, 27 HR, 19 2Bs, 72 RBIs, .802 OPS in 109 gms
2007: .277, 30 HR, 24 2Bs, 93 RBIs, .868 OPS in 144 gms
2008: .249, 18 HR, 30 2bs, 71 RBIs, .778 OPS in 143 gms
If you look at some of the numbers they appear to be fairly even on the surface. But Anderson has a few advantages one is that hes 3 years younger than Griffey 36 to 39. Anderson is more consistent offensively, you dont know how long Griffey's body will hold up and it hasn't really ever since he left Seattle 10 years ago, I believe all those years he spent crashing into walls and playing on the hard surface in the old Seattle Kingdome have torn up his body. I think this is the smart move and a player who can hit lefties (.290 last year compared to Griffey's .209). Plus at 2 million this guy is a great value. Not quite in the category of Bobby Abreau, whom the Braves also pursued but a great value nonetheless.
The other big move was the signing of Derek Lowe over A.J. Burnett. First off the Braves actually saved money on this deal getting Lowe for 4 yrs- 60mil compared to the 5yr- 80mil deal Burnett wanted. Although Lowe is about 3 yrs older than Burnett, 35 to 32, Lowe has shown no signs of breaking down and has thrown nearly 200 innings more than Burnett has over the last 5 years, when both were full time starters for their respective clubs. Lowe has had postseason success with the Red Sox, pitching the clinching game in the 2004 World Series. The thing is that you can count on Lowe to be there when it matters, you don't know what Burnett you are getting. He could be on, when hes nearly unhittable, or he could be off a be out by the 3rd inning and on the Disabled List. Now that hes got his money we'll see how he performs. We will definitely be crunching the numbers on all of these guys this year. I'm optimistic that things will turn out just fine. The depth is finally there for this squad.
Well I hope you enjoyed this latest installment from "the stache." I'll be back soon with some more riveting knowledge for you to digest. Hugs and handpounds.
Mb
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
1st Post
So this is my first of I hope to be many posts on this blog. The popularity of it will determine the frequency to which I write on here. I will be talking about the various random things that run in and out of mind. A lot of sports topics will be covered, as well as my thoughts on scholastic happenings, political things that irk me, and any other thoughts that come to me. I will try to keep it as interesting as I possibly can. Don't come on here looking for jokes, unless you got some good ones you'd like to share with. Here's the beginning of my writing career, just letting you know that so you can say you knew me when I was a poor, undergrad living in dorm room the size of a kitchen.
Just a few things today, wow what a boring slate of classes I have this semester. Operations Management, Business Law, please just kill me now. There are some exciting moments in some other classes, but once you've taken one business class you've pretty much taken them all with a slight variance in some more than others. Just finished and writing a paper on the book "Do the Right Thing" by James Parker, former CEO of Southwest Airlines. Good, easy read, would recommend it to anybody involved with the business world or are thinking about getting into it. Had a 3 mile tempo run this afternoon, done in 18min. Solid workout for outdoor season beginning in a few weeks. Looking forward to the upcoming workouts and trying to regain some of my lost speed and eager to set some PR's in the 1500/800 this final track season of mine. Other things of note, include the first day of the Lenten season, Ash Wednesday. Being a Catholic adult, its strongly encouraged by the church to give up something and to do a little extra. I've decided to give up meat on all wednesdays and fridays until easter. Fridays it is already a requirement to have no meat so I decided to throw in an extra day. Also going to eliminate deserts and any "unhealthy" snacks as well as do some extra reflection/prayer on a daily basis. One more thing before I let you go, Atlanta Braves began Spring Training play, today couldn't be more excited with antisipation for this season. We've made some good signings and I think we got a contender.
So I hope you enjoyed this somewhat if you found it boring, than don't come back, just kidding, I'll give yall another post soon. Hugs and hand pounds.
mb
Just a few things today, wow what a boring slate of classes I have this semester. Operations Management, Business Law, please just kill me now. There are some exciting moments in some other classes, but once you've taken one business class you've pretty much taken them all with a slight variance in some more than others. Just finished and writing a paper on the book "Do the Right Thing" by James Parker, former CEO of Southwest Airlines. Good, easy read, would recommend it to anybody involved with the business world or are thinking about getting into it. Had a 3 mile tempo run this afternoon, done in 18min. Solid workout for outdoor season beginning in a few weeks. Looking forward to the upcoming workouts and trying to regain some of my lost speed and eager to set some PR's in the 1500/800 this final track season of mine. Other things of note, include the first day of the Lenten season, Ash Wednesday. Being a Catholic adult, its strongly encouraged by the church to give up something and to do a little extra. I've decided to give up meat on all wednesdays and fridays until easter. Fridays it is already a requirement to have no meat so I decided to throw in an extra day. Also going to eliminate deserts and any "unhealthy" snacks as well as do some extra reflection/prayer on a daily basis. One more thing before I let you go, Atlanta Braves began Spring Training play, today couldn't be more excited with antisipation for this season. We've made some good signings and I think we got a contender.
So I hope you enjoyed this somewhat if you found it boring, than don't come back, just kidding, I'll give yall another post soon. Hugs and hand pounds.
mb
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