Blog Hiatus Off

So in my sleep deprived state allow me to make a few observations. The first is one that only my military readers will get so bare with me. I have learned that one cannot fully comprehend the horror that is known as low quarters until you have climbed up San Francisco's Nob Hill in them. Walking down in them is no picnic either however the misery was not as great. I kid you not, if I could have cut off my own feet at the top of the hill I would have just to stop the pain. I guess that I should consider myself blessed because so far I have not taken a tumble down the hill yet but I still have seven more days of this so I am not out of the woods yet. Yes I am aware that there is a trolley however that brings me to my next point...

I have concluded...and I am not alone on this one...that San Francisco is the most unfriendly military town any of us have ever been to. So far members of our group have encountered everything from evil stares to assault with a cane and we have only been here for two days. Now I respect the right to free speech as much as the next gal but what would possess someone to bitch me out for being in the military. Last time I checked...the Coast Guard had very little in common with the Nazis and I am damn certain that I had nothing to do with the fact that this particular individual is homeless. Fortunately, my common sense prevailed and I did not stand around and try to convince him of this....I walked away and added San Francisco to my list of places that I NEVER want to get stationed at.

As busy as we have been over the past few days have been...the "real deal" hasn't even started yet. So on that note...I am calling it a night but will leave you with this....

Clearly someone was not crossing their fingers like I asked because the Yankees lost their past two games. The lose to the Rays wasn't too bad but I was saddened and slightly embarrassed by the lose to the Mariners.

If You're Going To San Francisco....

Well folks, in a few hours I will be making the drive to the airport to start my work trip to San Francisco. I will try to add a few posts but I will probably be kept pretty busy being prim and proper....and with any luck...charming.

Keep cheering for the Yankees and cross your fingers that the Colts start their season off right by beating da bears.

All You Need Is JC!

All I can say is thank goodness that the Yankees won tonight! We really, really needed this win. We just need to keep the momentum going!

I hate to say I told you so but....I told you that Joba would make all the difference! Sure he wasn't as amazing as he normally is but he got the job done. He pitched 1 and 1/3 innings out of the bullpen and no runs where scored. There is nothing more that we could have asked for. He pitched well and even when he got behind on the count, he didn't get frustrated or rattled. The commentators kept harping on him missing his velocity but he still looked phenomenal. Bottom line, it was his first game back, allowed one hit, no runs, and he in one inning managed to be a big part in the Yankees huge win tonight. How can there be any doubt that he is the real deal?

And how 'bout those beautiful HRs hit by the X-Man and A-Rod. I mean my goodness...Nady's almost broke through the damn roof. (OK maybe not but it sure looked like it could have.) And A-Rod is now 12 on the all time HR list...which doesn't redeem his bad habit of choking but makes me less angry at him. Jeter played well...if you overlook that whole dropped ball between him and Nady. You can't really blame him...he can't be damn near perfect all of the time. And Johnny Damon....I really do love this guy. He is a man who has been consistently good and that is why I love him.

And then of course there is Mike Mussina. He made it through 6+ innings and did it in great fashion. Tonight was his 267th career win and his 19th win against the Devil Rays. Mike is the one starting pitcher on the Yankee roster who has stepped up and tried to fill the gap left by Wang and Joba. It is a joy to watch him pitch...and it is even more of joy to look at his numbers. 17-7 this season is pretty damn amazing.

Overall...I couldn't be happier. I have said it before and I will say it again...when the Yankees play the way that the Yankees should...it is truly a beautiful thing.

So let's end with the whole Joba/Jesus thing. I know the "interview" that everyone is talking about and I find it amusing....especially since it never actually happened. It is a made-up interview that was posted on a blog. That being said...could you really blame God for being a Yankee fan?

I will leave you with that thought.

You Have Opened My Eyes & Lifted Me Inside By Showing Me Yourself Undisguised

Happy Labor Day! I hope that everyone had as great of a day as my Yankees did. Sure they almost blew an 11-1 lead but the point is that they held on and got the win. Enough of that...let's shuffle.

Set A Drift On Memory Bliss of You by PM Dawn (56): While I still don't get a lot of the metaphors used in this song, I get that is a pretty sad of longing. It sucks when you want something that you can't have. I think that in this particular song he can't have what he wants because he is a star and she is not. Seems pretty foolish now considering one must ask where is PM Dawn now but I guess that is what the gamble of life is all about. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose what could have been the one thing that could have taken your life from content to extraordinary. (Derek Jeter...I'm talking to you!) Imagine how much it would suck to run into that same person later on and realize that you blew your chance. Best Line: " I think its one of those de ja vu things or a dream that's trying to tell me something, or will I ever stop thinking about it. I don't know, I doubt it."

Whenever You Call by Mariah Carey and Brian McKnight (34): Of all of the Mariah Carey duets, this one is my favorite. I think that it because I feel this song. I am not sure why but it gets me a little bit every time I hear it. I think that it is because while there is no doubt that it is a passionate song, it is not necessarily romantic. I usually think of my friends who are far away whenever I hear it. This song captures that feeling of never being too far away from the few people that you love unconditionally....and more importantly who love you back. So this song is dedicated to my long distance best friends whom I still feel strongly in spite of the fact that they are in Dallas, Denver, and Seattle. Best Line: "I won't ever be too far away to feel you and I won't hesitate at all whenever you call."

On The Way Down by Ryan Cabrera (41): For such a simple song, it is actually pretty damn good. I will admit that I didn't really get on board with this song when it first came out but that is OK. Better late than never. It took realizing that there is actually a lot of truth in the lyrics before I decided that I liked it and it was worthy of downloading to the iPod. I consider myself to be lucky to have been rescued and to have been saved from myself. This song always makes me reflect on that and be grateful that I did hold on. Best Line: "And on the way down I saw you and you saved me from myself".

Raise Your Hands by Bon Jovi (137): I am not sure that you can really appreciate the greatness that is this song until you have seen it preformed live. Sure it is awesome to rock out to when you are working out or driving around on an open road but it goes to whole new level when it is being sung out loud in front of a sold out crowd. It is impossible not "raise your hands" on command as well as sing out out loud at the top of your lungs. Of all of the things I remember most about seeing this song performed live, the thing that stands out the most is seeing a smile on each member of the bands face as they rocked this song out. They felt the electricity that this song created and made for on the best songs performed for the night. Killer song...vastly underrated in my opinion. Best Line: "But I...I ain't here looking for surrender, I'll raise the flag if you'll defend her, it's up to you".

Tonight I will leave you with one simple request that you cross your fingers that Joba will be taken off of the DL soon. The Yankees really, really, really need him back...even if it is in the bullpen as opposed to the starting rotation where we all know that he belongs.

Of Each Particular Thing Ask: What Is It In Itself? What Is Its Nature? What Does He Do, This Man You Seek?

While surfing my usual pop culture sites, I came across Entertainment Weekly's list of the Top 25 movies of the past 25 years. Being that my brain is fried from a day spent on an algebra exam...I am going to hijack their list and toss in my two cents.

#25 Shrek (2001): I have to say that I was a little blown away when I first saw this movie. It was a completely different approach to "fairytale" movies and it was funny. Everything about the first movie worked. Honestly, I don't see any room for improvement. Sadly...it seemed to spawn a whole bunch of crap cartoons so I guess if Shrek has a flaw...that would be it.

#24 A Room With a View (1986): Never seen it. But it is hailed as "Deeply romantic, it is the apotheosis of its genre: the exquisitely made chick flick." and that seems right up my alley.

#23 Memento (2001): Not a bad movie but I think that it is slightly overrated. Other than being told in reverse, I don't see anything particularly revolutionary about the flick. It did make me realize that Carrie Anne Moss is a horrible actress...made worse by the fact that Guy Pierce is such a great one.

#22 Rushmore (1998): It is hard to say what about the movie takes it from average dark comedy to cult classic but this movie will forever be in that category. While it is not one of my favorite films, it always makes me laugh.

#21 Schindler's List (1993): I will never understand why my normally cautious father felt the need to take me to see this movie at the age of 11. I left the theater crying, shaking, and unable to sleep for a few days. Don't get me wrong, it is amazing movie and I am certain that my reaction is the what the producers were going for...I just don't think that it should have been from an 11 year old who up until that point had no real idea the levels of cruelty that mankind was capable of.

#20 The Lion King (1994): No here is a great movie. I loved it before I even saw the damn thing and for one reason...Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Silly as it is considering that it was only his voice, but there it is. This was the first movie that made me start to question the greatness that was Disney. This was the movie that made me realize that no star of a Disney movie makes it to the ending credits with both parents in tow. OK so technically Disney didn't write the stories so it is not technically their fault but come on...they change so many details of classic fairy tales, couldn't they let Mufasa live?

#19 Casino Royale (2006): Raising the bullshit flag on this one. I cannot think of one good thing about this movie. It was a waste of two hours and more importantly...a waste of $15.00.

#18 Do The Right Thing (1989): I guess by the time I finally saw this movie...it had fallen to its own hype. I didn't see what the big deal was and can think of half a dozen similar flicks of the same genre that I would prefer to watch.

#17 Jerry Maguire (1996): Call me crazy but this is still one of my favorite movies EVER. It is another example of what kind happen when everything works. Tom Cruise was charismatic and sexy and vulnerable to the point that I was in love with Jerry halfway through the movie. Renee Zellweger made Dorothy endearing and yet strong. But the best part of the movie had to be Cuba Gooding, JR. It was by far his greatest role. Throw in football and cameos by a few pros and you have an amazing film. Don't hate it for sparking so many overused catchphrases...love it for being a love story that is also about believing in a long shot and seeing dreams come true.

#16 Boogie Nights (1997): Mature though we thought that we were...my friends and I were not mature enough to sit at Adam's house one Friday night and watch this film together. There must have been 15 teenagers in the room watching this movie...and of course Big Red...otherwise known as Adam's dad. By the end you had a bunch of girls who were confused, titillated, and terrified of what they had just seen, a bunch of teenage boys who left Adam's house feeling less than adequate thanks to the history making prosthetic penis, and a father who couldn't believe that he agree to let us watch it and prayed we wouldn't tell our parents where we had scene it.

#15 Edward Scissorhands (1990): I have to admit that the first time that I saw this movie, I didn't see its brilliance. Now that I have seen it like a 100 times, it really gets better every time I watch it. While everything that Johnny Depp does is wonderful...the same can be said about Tim Burton. Put them together and you get cinematic greatness. Don't believe me...Google their joint works as they speak for themselves. Not a bad movie on the list. That being said...I still cry every time I see this movie...as Edwards wins and breaks my heart with his big naive eyes. How could you not want to give him a big hug?

#14 Crumb (1995): Never seen it. In spite of its position on this list...can't say that I ever will.

#13 Goodfellas (1990): Talk about an amazingly violent movie. I have only seen it twice because it is a bit too much for me. It is two hours of Millie laughing at uncomfortable moments because I don't know what else to do. Ray Liotta is phenomenal in the movie....probably his finest work.

#12 The Matrix (1999): How hot was Keanu Reeves in this movie? Holy shit it is worth watching it just for him alone. Moving on...The Matrix was wonderful however it was ruined by the shitty sequels that followed. The thing that got me about this movie was that in spite of the fact that Neo was incredibly sexy, I couldn't not separate him from his role in Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure and thus kept expecting him to say "Whoa Duuuude!"

#11 This Is Spinal Tap (1984): Here is another movie that I just don't get.

#10 Moulin Rouge (2001): I seriously love this movie. Once again...another fine example of the greatness that happens whenever everything works. (For more info, read my previous post )It made me laugh, made me cry, and still does every time I see it. I really, really, really, love this movie. Really.

#9 Die Hard (1988): Bruce Willis was such a bad ass back in the day. This movie is great if solely for the reason that it produced one of the greatest line in bad ass history...and shame on you if you don't know what it was.

#8 Silence of the Lambs (1991): I am very disappointed that this movie is only #8. It still gives me the chills. All you have to do is just mention its title and people start talking about the amazingness of the movie.

#7 Hannah and Her Sisters (1986): Never seen it...doubt that I will.

#6 Saving Private Ryan (1998): I learned a very important lesson when I first watched this movie...do not trust the fine folks at Blockbuster to do their fucking jobs and rewind the film. I popped the movie into the VCR and it started with Tom Hanks overlooking a bloody beach. I looked at my viewing partner and we were like "Wow...what a great way to snag the audience." No bullshit, no previews...just carnage.

#5 Toy Story (1995): OK so it was super cute and entertaining and all that...but it was slightly traumatizing. After watching this movie I actually started to feel guilty for every toy that I had tossed away without a second thought.

#4 Blue Velvet (1986) Never seen it but might make the effort to see it being that I usually enjoy all Dennis Hopper films.

#3 Titanic (1997) It is hard to watch this now because once you have seen a movie a zillion times, it can lose a bit of its awe. That being said...I still love it and I bet that you do too.

#2 The Lord of The Rings Trilogy (2001-2003): How in the hell can this not be #1? I am not going to dwell on this nor am I going to waste a lot of time explaining why it is great...since damn near everyone has seen the movies at least once. I will simply saw that it is one of...if not the greatest stories of all-times, turned into the greatest trilogy of all times...and how could anyone possibly disagree with that?

#1 Pulp Fiction (1994): Truly great for its time (or so I am told...it was a few years after that before I actually saw it) but doesn't withstand the test of time. Whenever I try to watch it now, it no longer seems cool. After it lost its initial shock effect...it was pretty much done.

We'll end by saying that I am super pissed off about today's Yankee game. In spite of this...I still love them so. It is because of my love for them that I find myself unable to make a decision regarding the final game. A friend can get me a ticket to the final game a Yankee Stadium. The ticket will cost me more than my monthly car payment and that is a tough pill to swallow. Yet, it is going to be a historic moment and I cannot help but get giddy at the thought of going. So I am asking you...my loyal readers...to help me make up my mind. Let me know what you think, either by comment or email.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

Holy Smokes...what a Yankee day. To be quite honest...I spent most of todays game cursing...cursing the damn heat, cursing the damn Red Sux fans, and cursing at the some of the Yankees. So in the end when they finally pulled through... it was a most welcomed surprise as I had almost lost hope.

By now we all know the outcome of todays game...so I am not going to spent any time on that...other than to say THANK GOD! Instead I am going to focus on a few of the things that I was able to observe only because I was actually at the game.

Let's start with Derek Jeter. I love him and forever will. That being said...painful though it is to admit...today I saw an example of the fact that he is not the player he once was. (This is a fact that I have been arguing against for the past two years.) He had a great day offensively but not so much defensively. He failed to turn a play that should have been a breeze and he didn't dive for a ball that would have been a no brainer in the past. I'm not saying that he didn't have a good game!!! I am just saying that I realize now that people are right...Derek often plays well offensively or defensively but rarely both. I don't fault or judge him in anyway for it...but it must be tough for him. He need not worry...I still love him just the same.

Moving on...let's move onto A-Rod...who has returned to the status of Yankee Enemy #1 for me. I couldn't help but join in with the rest of the Yankee fans who boo-ed him after once again left 2 runners on base. I couldn't help but think "All he needed was a damn base hit." Isn't that kind of like fundamental baseball? I don't know...but I couldn't help but think it. (Jason Giambi made it look easy in the 9th...just saying.) That aside...I don't blame the Yankee fans for boo-ing (the fact that I am also boo-ing him has nothing to do with it) as he is not delivering. There is no doubt that he is one of the greatest playing the game right now..but what is good is it to be great when you can't do it consistently? A fellow disgruntled Yankee fan made a very insightful statement today...he pointed out that it doesn't matter how many Yankee dollars Alex is making to wearing pinstripes...he will never be a Yankee. I couldn't agree more.

Let's talk about Yankee fans in general. I was SHOCKED today when I realized that we were pretty evenly matched by the Red Sux fan. It was the final Yankee-Red Sux showdown at the stadium and yet there were far too much red in the crowd. I know that our chances are slim but there is still hope damn it. Our odds are not going to improve with the fans abandoning the team like they did today. It was a travesty today that you could hear the "Let's Go Red Sux" cheers over the "Let's Go Yankees" in Yankee Stadium. My feelings were actually a little hurt by it. Luckily I was in a lively section so we were screaming and cheering and boo-ing with reckless abandon which is what being a proud fan is all about.

All of this being said...I had a blast today. I love the city...I love the Yankees, and there is no better way to watch the Yankees than to do from the comforts of Yankee Stadium. Today was my last trip to the Stadium and I will be honest...I got a little emotion as I left. I know it is just a game and they are just a team...but they are my team and they make me happy...even with the way that the season is playing itself out.

Now end on the best part of today...

It was fate that I was supposed to see him today. How else can you explain my last minute decision to get off the train scary Harlem? How else can you explain my sudden decision to check my seat first before going to go buy stuff? FATE...that's how you answer. As I walked up the ramp to check out where I would be spending the next five hours...I noticed that there was an abnormally large group of people hovering near the bullpen. There was a brief break in the crowd and I laid eyes on Joba Chamberlain for the first time up close and personal. And what a moment that it was. I have no doubt that it is a moment that I will keep with me as I follow him through his long Yankee career.

I cannot fully explain the way that I felt as I watched him pitch in the bullpen. I was shaking, had to remind myself to breathe, and even felt my legs almost give out as I tiptoed to get a better shot of him. It is one thing to watch him pitch on tv or from high in the stands, but it is another thing to see it from ten feet away. I was so mesmorized by him that I didn't realize that Joe Girardi was standing three feet behind him until I review the pictures on the train ride home. I can still hear the sound that the ball made as it hit the catcher's glove...and it really is an amazing sound. I can still remember the electricity that went through me when I first saw that it was him. But more than anything...I still get butterflies just like I did the moment I saw him give a small smile after he threw his final pitch. I am such a sucker for those moments of joy and this was one of those moments. Joba will be back this season and he will be great.

Just Praying That We Don't Get Swept

I'm bumming hard folks...bumming really hard.

Fucking Ponson...who the hell walks in a damn run?

I can't even be pissed at the Red Sux...as the Yankees played like shit tonight and did not deserve to win.

Damn It All.