Thank you Jacoby Ellsbury

I just finished eating my free taco.  I don’t usually go to Taco Bell, but I have also never been known to turn down free food.  So I made a special trip over there.  It’s on the other side of town so it took 10 whole minutes to get there. It was fine, but you get what you pay for.  Thanks for lunch Jacoby, and congratulations on a great season.

Italian Lessons

I didn’t go to Italian class last week.  It meets on Wednesday nights, but the children have swimming on Wednesdays now, and last time the poor C-man almost fell asleep in class he was so tired.  So, I’ve made an executive decision and we are not going anymore until swimming lessons finish. 

I try to study a little bit every day, but I’m not getting very far.  To date sonno non parle italiano molto bene.  I’m not even sure if that’s right, but I think it is.  I have the class textbook.  I also have Italian for Dummies and a set of Berlitz cds.  I’ve finally admitted I am never going to listen to those in the car.  We don’t live in a very big town, so it doesn’t take long to get anywhere.  It was kind of distracting listening to these lessons in 5 minute increments.  So I ripped them onto my ipod thinking I would listen to them at the gym.  I go to the gym almost every day.  I would only be able to listen, not listen and repeat, but it seemed like a perfect solution. 

Unfortunately, it’s very boring to listen to them at the gym.  I just can’t keep up the same pace on the elliptical machine listening to how to say “I have a reservation” in Italian (io ho prenotato – I think).  I do much better listening to Sexyback, or something along those lines.  You know, workout songs. I can’t have Italian adversely affecting the number of calories burned, so I will have to come up with a new plan.  I suppose I could listen while I’m making dinner.  Or not.  I just feel like I paid good money for these things, I should listen to them.  

Meanwhile the children have learned nothing beyond vorrei un gelato per favore.  I think they will go far with that.

Boston 4, Denver 0

The Red Sox are the World Champions.  Wow.  I think I need to say that again.  The Red Sox are World Champions.  Feels pretty good.  If this is what it feels like to be the new Yankees, I’m all for it. 

Now I can finally wash my lucky t-shirt.  I’ve been wearing it since game 6 of the ALCS last Saturday.  It’s not actually as gross as it sounds.  I only wore it all day that Saturday.  And I had another shirt on under it.  I’ve just been putting it on to watch the game since then.  And for the Series I wore my Cubs NL Central Division Champs t-shirt under it.  I’m hoping some of the Sox good luck will rub off on the Cubs for next year. 

What a great series.  I know I said I wanted it to go seven games, but somewhere in the middle of game 4 I changed my mind.  So, I am very happy today and proudly wearing my Varitek t-shirt.  I’m trying to decide if I should get the Sox World Champs t-shirt.  The players were wearing them in the locker room last night and I like them.  I’m not sure I deserve it though.  I’ve only been a fan for the last 14 years or so.  Have I paid enough dues, or am I still considered a bandwagon fan?  Tom says I should get the shirt.  He says anyone who was a fan of the Sox during the Mo Vaughn years is worthy. 

So congratulations to the Red Sox.  What a fantastic year.  Congratulations to Mike Lowell, the Series MVP.  Finally, congratulations to the Colorado Rockies.  They played hard.  This series wasn’t as close as the sweep would suggest.  Two one-run games, and they came back hard in game 3.  They made me nervous. 

Next year, maybe the Cubs can make another run at the title.  Maybe next year we will finally see a Cubs-Red Sox World Series.  And maybe pigs will fly too.

How many more days until spring training?

Boston 3 Denver 0

Well, you wouldn’t expect a 5-run game to give you heart palpitations would you?  Man these Rockies are making me nervous.

 And the game started out so well too.  I turned it on for the pre-game show expecting the usual blather, and what do I see on my television?  Joe Girardi and, my most favorite of all the baseball players ever, Mark Grace.  I shrieked.  Tom came into the room wondering what was wrong.  I don’t think he was as happy to see them as I was.  And then during the game I get Tek-Money and Dustin Pedroia.  It was like Christmas!  It was the best game ever.  

Of course I have no idea what Girardi or Gracie said in the pre-game show because I was too busy calling everyone I know to tell them Girardi and Gracie were on TV.  Too bad they couldn’t have done the play-by-play too.  I really can’t stand Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.  G&G would have made a nice change.  But I guess they are both color guys, so that doesn’t really work does it? 

I’ll have to tivo tomorrow’s game since we are meeting some friends for dinner and I don’t think we will be home before it starts.  Plus now I have to watch the pre-game show and actually pay attention.  Wow, this is great.   I love this game.

Boston 2 Denver 0

I just checked the weather in Denver, high of 53, low of 41.  No snow.  So, we’ve got that going for us.

 Game three tonight from Mile High Stadium, although I don’tthink they call it that any more. I’ve got my Jason Varitek t-shirt on, and my red striped sox.  I don’t have any actual red socks.  Perhaps I should knit myself some.  That would be a good project for me.  But I wouldn’t have them ready for tonight.

I have to change out of this shirt for the game though.  The last time I wore it during the gamethey lost.  I have to put my Cubs t-shirt on and then my McLaren t-shirt over it.  That’s what I was wearing last Saturday when the comeback started against Cleveland.  Can’t mess with a good thing.

 I’m not sure about this game tonight.  I think the Rockies are going to comeback hard now that they’re home. Plus there’s a whole lotta left field in Denver, and I love MannyRamirez, but you and I both know he’s not the best defensive player out there.  Plus, Ortiz is starting at first base, and Youkilis is sitting out.  Ithink I would have done that differently, but Terry Francona doesn’t take my calls, and besides, I’m sure he knows what he’s doing. 

 Jacoby Ellsbury is leading off tonight.  He stole a base in game 2, so now we can all have a free taco on Tuesday. I was calling him Taco Boy after that play the other night.  I think Pedroia moves down to the second spot.  Dice-K is on the hill.  Oh boy.  He makes me nervous.  I think I’m glad we have this two game lead.  We might need it.

 

Go Sox!

Sox vs. Rockies

The World Series starts tonight.  I’m wearing my Cubs Central Division Champs t-shirt.  I’m hoping if I wear it some of the Red Sox good luck will rub off on the Cubs for next year.

 I’m very excited about this series.  As I mentioned before I’m a Cubs fan first, but also a Red Sox fan.  I married into that one, so I’ve only been following the Sox for the last 14 years, but I feel like I can call myself a fan.  I think I’ve put in my time.

 The thing is, if you are a Cubs fan or a Red Sox fan you have to really savor these post-season moments.  They don’t come around very often.  And as far as the World Series is concerned, the Red Sox are lucky enough to be going for the second time in recent memory but fans cannot get complacent.  You never know, this may be the last one for years and years.  Just ask the Cubs.  Last time they won the pennant was 1945.  That hurts.  So enjoy this one because it may Never Happen Again.

 I hope it goes 7 games.  I want to revel in my Red Sox fandom for as long as possible. 

 Plus every game we play now brings the start of spring training one day closer.

 

Go Sox!

The Red Sox Win!

The Red Sox win!  (I think that bears repeating).  I knew they could do it.  After they went down 1-3 I said now we have them right where we want them.  It’s just like 2004 all over again.  My husband, and most of my friends, ok, all of my friends thought I was crazy.  But I was right.  Ha ha.  

What a great game last night.  After Dustin Pedroia hit that home run I told Tom “I have to go to Boston now and kiss him”.  He told me to go right ahead.  After he hit the bases clearing double I was ready to marry him.  Tom told me he would understand. 

So now we take on the Rockies.  Not sure who has momentum on their side now.  The Rockies have won something like 20 of their last 21 games.  Plus they have had a nice long rest and a chance to scout out the BoSox on TV.  The Sox have been playing their hearts out, and pulled out yet another miracle come from behind victory.  So they are flying pretty high as well and have a 3 game winning streak of their own going. 

 Beckett goes on Wednesday.  This is going to be good.

 Oh, I’m so excited.

One More Thing

After the race 4 cars were found to have fuel temperatures outside the normal range.  In plain English, the fuel was too cold.  Two of those cars finished in front of Hamilton. If they were disqualified, Hamilton would win the title. 

The stewards decided no penalty was warranted.  So McLaren are appealing the decision, trying to get the championship turned over to Hamilton.  I don’t think it will succeed, but this season, I guess anything is possible.  Watch this space…

Brazilian GP Report

I haven’t had a chance to watch the race yet, though I know the results.  Well, there is good news and bad news.  I’ll give you the bad news first:  Fernando Alonso did not win the World Drivers Championship.  The good news is:  neither did Lewis Hamilton.  I know this is small minded and petty, and even childish, but there it is. Hamilton really really bugs me.  Not since Damon Hill has any driver made me this crazy.  There’s no good reason for it either.  I’m sure he’s a perfectly nice guy in real life. But since I don’t know him in real life, we’re left me being small-minded and petty. 

And so the winner is: 

 Kimi Raikonnen

Congratulations Kimi.  While the boys at McLaren were busy fighting themselves he just put his head down and yanked the WDC out from under them.  Oh, and Hamilton choked.  He could have had this sewn up in China.  All he had to do was stay second behind Kimi. But the team got greedy.  They decided he should win the race and the championship all at the same time.  They wanted the  exclamation point on the end of the sentence.  Not just Lewis Hamilton, first ever rookie WDC.  They wanted Lewis Hamilton, first ever rookie WDC!  So they left him out too long on worn tires, and Hamilton came into the pits too fast and beached his car.  Oops, how embarrassing. 

Then yesterday, well, he got greedy again going into turn 3.  All he had to do was slot in behind Alonso and ride the wave all the way into the history books.  Instead he tried to overtake, and went wide.  Lucky for him he managed to get back on track, but in 8^th position.  Kiss your championship goodbye Lewis. 

I haven’t looked, but I wonder if the British press has started ripping him apart yet.  They are so good at the build them up to tear them down thing over there.

 The season has finally come to an end.  Now we just have to wait and see how the driver situation sorts itself out.  To me, it looks more and more like Alonso is planning to stay at McLaren.  I think he and Dennis are playing contract chicken.  Dennis wants Alonso to say “I want out”.  Meanwhile, Alonso is saying “I have a contract with McLaren”.  It looks like Alonso wants to force McLaren to break his contract if they want to get rid of him.  It looks like they plan to make some kind of announcement in the next two weeks.  I hope whatever they do, they do it soon.  The suspense is killing me.

Brazilian Grand Prix Preview

Ok, let’s see, am I ready for this weekend. 

• Silver nail polish on (toes only)
• McLaren shirts clean and ready to go (one for Saturday, one for Sunday)
• McLaren hat located and ready to go 

Yep, I guess I am ready for the season finale in Sao Paolo this weekend.  Not excited though.  Not excited at all.  A big part of me doesn’t even want to watch.  Or at the very least, wants to cheat and find out the results before I watch so I can prepare myself.

I just don’t think this is going to end the way I want it to. I think Hamilton is going to win the WDC this weekend, and I’m not happy about it.  I really want Alonso to win, but he’ll need some help for that to happen.  Here’s Formula1.com’s list of championship permutations.  It doesn’t look good.  Especially since I just want this to be a nice, normal race.  No rain, no weird penalties, no gremlins in the engines or funky appeals after the fact.  Just a good, old fashioned, straight up car race.  I want this decided on the track, not in some room in Paris somewhere. 

All in all, I have a very Chicago Cubs kind of feeling about all this.  That “well, I know this is going to go badly, but I have to watch anyway” feeling.  Who knows, maybe I’m just sad to see the season come to an end.  It’s a long slog until the next race.  March 16 to be precise.  I already can’t wait.