Thursday, April 30, 2009

Grace in Small Things 98:365

1. that moment after you get into bed & move around trying to get comfy and you find The Sweet Spot. and your whole body just says "ahhhh..."

2. random memory surfacing: when Heather & i were kids, it was pretty commonplace over Summer vacation to find me spending a night (or three) over at her house. i remember one afternoon, we walked over to Friendly's for a snack. (this was back in the days where two 9- or 10-year-old girls could safely walk ten minutes away from home without cause for panic. ahhh, the good ol' days...) we got a plate of fries to share. now i honestly don't remember who grabbed the bottle of ketchup but whichever one of us did, shook it. and the cap was not placed back on securely by the last user. and ketchup went *everywhere*. in shock, the ketchup-shaker somehow managed to drop the bottle of ketchup onto the plate of fries, which promptly broke, sending fries and pieces of the dish shooting across the table as well. i still have no idea how we didn't get asked to leave.

3. being super busy at work certainly does make the day fly by anyway.

4. it may be warm here these days but it's so much more tolerable when the humidity is low!

5. being able to laugh at situations. sometimes that's all you can do!


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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Grace in Small Things 97:365

1. making my friends laugh.

2. May issue of Redbook in my mailbox!

3. Gosia's birthday.

at Epcot, March 2008.

4. somehow the Sox pulled a win out of their backsides tonight. instead of going into Tampa having lost our last two, we will exit Cleveland on a tenth inning comeback win in a game we were once losing 5-0. with the Rays starving for some victories & the way they get fired up over a series against Boston, i couldn't ask for a better way to arrive at The Juice Box tomorrow night for the first of four.

5. when i read or hear about the problems & pain & troubles in the lives of others, i am humbled by how blessed i truly am. my life is so good.


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seeing red

i couldn't be sure, but this morning, i *thought* i remembered seeing the Sox wearing red socks with their new road uniforms last night. of course, i considered that i could be suffering from exhaustion-induced delusions after it took two hours to complete just four innings of play. (point of reference for you: the Rays-Twins game started an hour after the Sox-Indians. at 9pm, when the Sox-Indians were wrapping up the fourth, the Rays-Twins were heading into the sixth.) couple that with the infuriating ending of the game and the fact that i could not find one iota of pictorial evidence of the "phantom" red socks, i was truly becoming convinced that i had wished for it so much that i actually dreamt it. or suffered a hallucination.

i turned to Twitter. oh how i love Twitter & all the information you could ever need right there at your fingertips! ask a question you cannot discover the answer to despite valiant efforts at research and inevitably *someone* can provide you with the elusive nugget of resolution! in this case, ChadNorthrup came to my rescue by pointing me to an article on the Globe's website that confirmed i was indeed not losing my marbles (yet) (at least in regard to this topic).

i, in turn, shared it with Nichole and the rest of RSN-West (her husband Daniel and her brother Steven) which led to a little discussion on the new versions of the Sox uniforms that debuted this year. i composed my reply to Nichole (who had shared that she liked the new road uniforms but was against the navy socks being worn with them, and the reasoning that the sock color didn't matter because you can't see them anyway with the way most players wear their uniforms was lost on her since she feels that the socks *should* be worn The Right Way and visible--a topic we both feel quite passionately about!) and then thought... hmmm... that came out rather well-phrased (in my own humble opinion). so after having allowed some time to pass, to see if i would adjust to the changes, i think i am ready to share my firm opinion:

i don't mind the road uniform--except that they had no red other than the Sox logo on the sleeve. turned the wrong way, the first thing i thought of was "Yankees" which i just couldn't get used to--especially when the guys wore the navy socks and the grey/navy shirts underneath. i mean RED Sox to me implies that red *socks* should always be there and that there should be some presence of red on the uniform that is visible. i like that they are wearing red undershirts & red socks now and i hope they do it more often than not. i liked the old-school look of the road uniforms overall, other than the obvious lack of red. now i am happy.

i also don't at all mind the alternate red home jerseys & navy road jerseys for Friday nights. but i *abhor* that hanging socks alternate cap. i want the traditional "Red B" cap that is undeniably the Red Sox. you can only push me so far with change for a team built on tradition & history.


and there you have it: alternate road uniforms have been accepted *when* the players wear red undershirts & red socks. and i never had a problem with the red and navy "Friday night alternates" (though i have never been a fan of the occasionally used green ones).

see? after my initial foot-stomping & resistance, i am ok with change. to a degree.

but that alternate cap? has *got* to go.

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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

the scream of rage you heard at 11:27pm was me.

E6 is a freaking curse. one game back & the Sox 11-game winning streak is over and the team committed no fewer than *three* errors. one by Lowell (i blame Lugo for messing with his mojo). one by E6, of *course*, that resulted in three runs crossing the plate later that inning when the Sox should have been swinging bats already. and the game-ending error committed by Lopez, who finally almost pitched his way out of a paper bag but bobbled a perfect throw by Youk who made an amazing play just to field that ball. runner crosses the plate. game over.

what is it about him that turns this team into a pit of despair?

i make no promises when the Sox arrive in Tampa.
::looks pointedly at Lugo::

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Grace in Small Things 96:365

1. i got a much better night's sleep last night.

2. it's not Monday anymore. which means we are one day closer to the weekend.

3. i got a "just because" card in the mail from my friend Michelle.

4. today was a very low-drama day at work.

5. a glass of nice cold cranberry juice.


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Ten on Tuesday: April 28, 2009



10 Words People Would Use to Describe You

1. quiet
2. laidback
3. devoted
4. silly
5. indecisive
6. compassionate
7. eclectic
8. optimistic
9. nonconfrontational
10. Sox fan

so sue me. the last one was two words. there was no way to condense it into one!

what do you think? the same ten words you would choose to describe me?

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the good, the bad & the ugly: Red Sox version 42709

the good: another sparkling performance by Wakefield and the Sox find themselves with eleven straight wins.

the bad: no decision for Wakefield.

the ugly: Papelbon's appearance on the mound is starting to give me the same nervous stomach i thought was reserved solely for Matsuzaka.

and in the bonus category of positively awesome, what about JayBay and his Clutchness (yes it *is* too a word!) of late?? i could watch him hit bail-us-out home runs all night long.

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Monday, April 27, 2009

Grace in Small Things 95:365

1. the way that ball cracks off the bat at the Indians' ball park.

2. the satisfying freshness & just the right amount of chocolate in a bite-sized York Peppermint Patty.

3. watching an industrious squirrel figure out how to thieve seeds from my bird feeder.

4. not being sleepy at work despite a less that satisfactory night's sleep.

5. crawling into cool sheets when you're totally exhausted.


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you can't buy love. or happiness. or, apparently, victory.

remember a week & a half ago when the vast majority of Red Sox Nation was all gloom-and-doom?

it feels like a million years & several lifetimes ago now. (Papi & Papelbon excluded because really...*what* is going on there??) and on the subject of millions, the Yankees can pick up all the CC/AJ/Teixeira they can scavenge from the free agent pool, but the fact still stands that their ERA is still the worst in Major League Baseball & Mike Lowell has made just as many home run trots around the bag without all the obnoxious & ego.

and the Yankees were still swept in Boston after leading each of the three games, all with their own unique flavor.

on Friday, we had The Drama: there were extra innings. and JayBay heroics on blown save for Mo with his two-run game-tying homer to the deepest part of Fenway. and a Youk walkoff sailing over The Monster & out into the night off of Damaso Marte, Part One.

Saturday brought The Epic: a back-and-forth four-plus-hour slug fest, of which the Tek slam was the crowning jewel. (did anyone else notice him chowing down on a pudding cup in the dugout later? was that his reward?). and because it was aired on FOX, of course we were treated to 93% coverage of the Yankees dugout while the Wonder Twins, Buck-and-McCarver blathered on about nothing for what felt like eternity. we heard a brilliant fan heckle with "that would have been a home run at your stadium!" when Jeter hooked a long foul, later followed by "this game could go on forever" right around the same time we all were thinking it ourselves. there was even an episode of Johnny-meet-wall (you'd think he'd have some memory of how to play it?!) when the clanging sound off the wall was more Damon than ball. and the cherry on top: Damaso Marte, The Sequel. because it's just that much fun to hear the enormous collective sigh from Yankees fans.

and on Sunday we wrapped it up with The Speed: an uncharacteristically low-scoring "fast" (by Sox-Yankees standards) game. Masterson giving us the best outing for Boston starting pitching. the utterly shocking moment when Ellsbury straight up stole home, leaving Tito momentarily dumbfounded, then busting up laughing. ESPN providing us with 412 opportunities to scream at the tv for Joe Morgan shut up. the pleasant surprise of seeing the promise that kids like Hunter Jones & Michael Bowden have to offer.

by the time all was said and done, the question of the weekend was who was the owner of the bigger ulcer: Girardi or Tito?

trick question!

it's *me* with the announcement of E6 joining the team in Cleveland.

in choosing to dwell on the positive, here is where the Sox stand: three-series home sweep. ten wins in a row. can they keep it up? and more importantly, can they continue their torrid hitting on the road? maybe pull off some wins for me in Tampa?

and the real question: how long before Youk starts pointedly complaining that he has no one protecting *him* in the lineup?

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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Grace in Small Things 94:365

1. an afternoon nap on my couch with baseball on in the background.

2. the fact that peanut butter M&Ms were created.

3. beating Brian in fantasy baseball this week! hee hee.

4. a homemade 4-berry milkshake since i had some frozen berries--blackberries, blueberries, raspberries & strawberries--i need to use up. so yummy!

5. the Sox swept the Yankees! the Sox swept the Yankees!


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Saturday, April 25, 2009

Grace in Small Things 93:365

1. watching more & more birds discover my bird feeder. and the squirrels digging in the leaves for any seeds the birds drop.

2. the way the sunlight filters into my bedroom & wakes me up naturally if i leave the blinds cracked open just a bit.

3. the late afternoon & evening turning out to be much cooler & more comfortable than the forecast predicted.

4. giving my pantry a thorough cleaning & reorganization. such a sense of accomplishment.

5. an epic Sox-Yankees game. high-scoring. lots of back-and-forth. grand slam for the Cap'n. and the Sox pulling off the 16-11 win! now no matter what tomorrow brings, the Sox cannot lose the series.


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Friday, April 24, 2009

Grace in Small Things 92:365

1. 11th inning walkoff homer for Youk & the Sox take the first game of the series from the Yankees!!

2. a tiny wobbly calf nursing.

3. uncontrollable laughter.

4. it is finally Friday.

5. surprise happy mail from Lil Foot's Mommy! Post-Its with my first initial on them!! a girl can *never* have too many Post-Its!


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no YES

yeah yeah. Grace in Small Things every single day. today we will add in some recent peeves. before i burst from pent-up ranting!

~~i got an email from my cable provider this morning, outlining some new changes to our service. one of them being: i will now receive the YES Network. (for those of you looking at your monitor in bewilderment, that would be Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network.) now they are not allowed to air actual games outside their regular viewing area but i will have access to all the other shows they have on their channel. woo.freaking.hoo. as if i am not subjected to enough nausea-inducing programming down here with the Rays?? whatever. where's my NESN channel! (this has probably been arranged by Lil Foot's Mommy's husband as retaliation for my involvement in Pocklock's program to rehabilitate her former-Yankee-fan friend.)

~~speaking of the Rays. it irritates me to no end that they changed their ticket sales policy for this season. each previous season, i have been able to log in on the date of the pre-sale and purchase the tickets i want for the entire season--all Red Sox games, obviously--at once. they get printed & mailed to me in early March and then i don't have to give it another thought til the games come up on the calendar. this year, the Rays only released the super expensive seats & the less desirable tickets for the pre-sale. the tickets i always get--third baseline, right on top of the visiting team's dugout--were not available. i checked through all of March, every single day, waiting for them to be released. i checked on Opening Day. i've been checking multiple times each day since then. i knew they weren't sold out, because if i clicked on the Season Tickets option, those seats were available for purchase. and they weren't just holding back the good seats for big games, like when the Sox or Yankees were in town. i checked a Wednesday night game against the Royals in June & they weren't for sale either! i know that they increased their attendance & all last year, but give me a break! there's no chance that they will sell out all their games this season and my money as a Sox fan is just as good as anyone else's. i'm glad i waited it out because my tickets for next weekend's series have been secured...yesterday! if this is their plan to keep more visiting team fans away from their games, that is truly pathetic.

~~will someone *please* explain to me how it is possible that a flight to Connecticut costs $400 when a flight to California on the very same weekend with virtually the same departure times would run me only $247?? i *have* to be in Connecticut that weekend but i checked the other "saved searches" i had, just to see if maybe that was a particularly expensive weekend to fly for some reason, which honestly would have made me feel better. nope! $150 less for more than twice as many miles! i. am. fuming.

~~dear local drivers: for the love of all that is holy! please stop waiting until the last second to pull out in front of me!! there was more than enough space in front of me to pull out before i got there and absolutely no one behind me. so why did you wait until i was right on top of you to turn into my path?? and could you really not have waited another three seconds for me to get by you at that point?! and don't even get me started on the fact that you find your gas pedal long enough to pull out in front of me, then immediately forget how it works as soon as you are in my lane.

~~could this week have felt any longer?! good grief. it felt like Thursday on Tuesday which made it feel as if Friday should have been here three days ago.

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Friday 5: April 24, 2009



Annoyance

1. What’s the most annoying sound in the world?
incessant cough... cough... cough-ing all the live long day. knives & forks screeching across plates. whining.

2. Which of other people’s mannerisms do you find very annoying?
people who tap their fingers constantly. people who tell you how sick they are, then proceed to touch everything on your desk.

3. What do you do that really annoys others?
walk...very...slowly... and i really don't often care where we eat so they ask & i always shrug & say "where ever you want" but the thing is? i truly don't care! if i did, i would say so.

4. In what way has your own behavior recently caused you annoyance?
nothing really recently, but i do hate when i get so mad that i cry. and then i get mad *that* i'm crying. which makes me more angry. and hello, vicious cycle!

5. Who’s the most annoying person you know?
ha! no. comment.

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Thursday, April 23, 2009

Grace in Small Things 91:365

1. when i got home yesterday, there was a note tucked in between the door & the frame of my apartment. that's where the management office always leaves us information. i thought for sure they were going to tell me i had to remove the little bird feeder i had outside my window, because i couldn't think of anything else they could possibly have found "wrong." much to my surprise when i opened it, it was a note from the owner. starting in June, he is decreasing our rent by $50 a month through the end of the year at which point we will go back to our current rate. and this is on rent that has not increased a cent since January 2009. let it be said that true generosity still exists.

2. super yummy dinner (excuse the poor photo quality, i took it with my phone):


3. employee lunch yesterday! with apple pie a la mode for dessert. yum.

4. tickets for both Friday *and* Saturday have been secured for next week's Sox-Rays series. whew.

5. it's almost Friday... i think i might make it to the weekend after all...


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loaded statement

boy did Real Simple ever hit the nail on the head with the quote of the day that landed in my inbox this morning:

The mother of excess is not joy but joylessness.
(Friedrich Nietzsche)

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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Grace in Small Things 90:365

1. this positively brilliant post by Pocklock: Becoming a Red Sox Fan in 12 Easy Steps!

2. friends who will listen to me rant when i need to.

3. two Sox games! two Sox wins! seven in a row! i *knew* we'd come around.

4. picture-in-picture option on my tv.

5. Sox tickets (finally!!) secured for next week's series in Tampa!


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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Grace in Small Things 89:365

1. this news story about Big Pappy, a 100-year-old man who wanted nothing more for his birthday than tickets to a Sox game & to be the bat boy again as he was for the Boston Braves as a young man.

2. a new Yankee Candle catalog. you know, because i need more candles like i need a hole in the head.

3. first customer at my new bird feeder! a pretty red cardinal. =)

4. cheeseburger. yumminess.

5. evening walks.


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Monday, April 20, 2009

Grace in Small Things 88:365

1. Red Sox swept the Orioles! that should be a good confidence booster that will hopefully carry over the next couple of series against the Twins & the Yankees.

2. no bills in the mailbox today.

3. saw an episode of Big Bang Theory that was a repeat but "if you haven't seen it before, it's new to you" right? and it was *funny*.

4. the sound of rain falling through the leaves outside my window.

5. a Monday that went by very quickly!


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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Grace in Small Thing 87:365

1. perfect weather all weekend. it's rare this late in April to have comfortable weather three days in a row! usually there are more hot & humid days with a few comfortable ones sprinkled in as we close in on our second season of the year in Florida. (for those of you not versed in Florida's verion of four seasons: Hot & Humid, Hotter & Even More Humid, Hurricane, and Perfect.)

2. a sparkly clean apartment.

3. a fine outing by Jon Lester resulting in the Sox guaranteed first winning series of the season!

4. an especially inexpensive grocery week which allowed me to sponsor two friends in the March of Dimes walk they'll be participating in two weeks from now.

5. "Self respect cannot be hunted. It cannot be purchased. It is never for sale. It comes to us when we are alone, in quiet moments, in quiet places, when we suddenly realize that knowing the good, we have done it; knowing the beautiful, we have served it; knowing the truth, we have spoken it." (A. Whitney Griswold)


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Saturday, April 18, 2009

Grace in Small Things 86:365

1. K gave me a blogging award on her blog dedicated to those who love blogging & encourage friendships through it! i have to say that i have made some wonderful friends thanks to my blog. i love that it brings me into contact with people i might otherwise never have met and who i cannot imagine not knowing now! i would very easily pass this award right back to her in addition to also naming Lil Foot's Mommy, Nichole and Pocklock.

2. Sox win again! three in a row now!

3. lazy Saturday morning. i needed one of those, i think. just laid in bed with my laptop, preusing some blogs til almost 9! i *never* do that.

4. the Yankees-Indians game. because any time i turn on my tv to see the Yankees getting crushed 22-4 is a day to be noted. ;-) seriously, those days happen in sports sometimes. even when it's your own team, you reach a point in some games that you have to just groan & laugh at the sheer ridiculousness. (keeps you from crying anyway! heh.)

5. staying on top of my to-do list! ToodleDo makes it so easy! thanks for sharing the link Andie!


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has anyone seen my panic button?**

how quickly we forget that one start ago for Brad Penny, we were singing his praises for collecting only our second win on the young season. less than a week later, the boos are raining down on him? i think it's time to take a collective deep breath & give him the benefit of the doubt before we treat him like the reincarnation of Eric Gagne.

so no, the panic button is not about Brad Penny nor about Boston's stutter-step start out of the 2009 gate. it's about... the alternate cap.

(photo from the Boston Herald)
what is the deal with that stupid red button on the top? they had some extra red fabric lying around & needed a place to use it to prevent waste? what about using it to add some red to the Yankee-ish basic road uniforms instead?! all i know is that when i see those new Friday-night hanging socks caps, my eye is drawn immediately to that red button.

perhaps it should come with a warning label: press only in case of emergency! in which case, we *did* run the risk of seeing a field full of Sox pounding in unison on the top of their heads during the top of the second last night. you know... when the Sox found themselves staring down the barrel of a 7-0 deficit following a painful inning from Penny. after that Markakis slam, things looked a bit grim. but in the wise words of Don Orsillo: it's still early in the game.

and yes it was!

by the end of the second, the score was far less imbalanced at 7-4. and the insanity of the night danced on.

there were moments of intensity: Youk taking a pitch off the noggin* and the presence of Javier Lopez on the mound; moments of sheer joy: Pedroia finally located his swing and Nick Green's double to deep center, plating two to tie the game up at 8; moments of brilliance: Ramon Ramirez getting Wiggington out on one pitch after Lopez put on both batters he faced; moments of crazy: not one but *two* hits with super ball effects for Tek allowing him to reach base safely; moments of frustration: what was with the magically elastic yet pin-hole-sized strike zone last night??; and moments of absolute beauty: JD Drew deciding to actually swing his bat for a change and collecting both a solo homer into the bullpen and a triple that later resulted in him crossing the plate.

bottom line is the pen (minus Javier Lopez) pitched well last night, Sox defense was top-notch and the bats were singing. by June, we could be thanking Brad Penny for this rough outing, forcing the bats to wake up and thus being the catalyst that sparked the season for the Sox. really though, sometimes these crazy comeback games just happen--and i'm betting the Orioles wish they'd quit happening when they're the ones facing the Sox.

i think i'll save *my* panic button for the news that Lowrie may be looking at season-ending surgery on that troublesome wrist. while i do think that he maybe should just call it a season & get it done rather than prolonging the inevitable & doing longterm damage, we all know that means we're that much closer to the certain return of E6. shame, since i'm growing fond of Nick Green now. hmmmm...

*i do love Beckett, but he might maybe could take a pointer from Danys Baez on how to properly react when you pitch near a batter's head. granted Baez actually made contact with Youk's big shiny dome, but there was no doubt he felt terrible--and i truly felt bad for him too. no hard feelings at all for Baez.

**alternate title: you're not in Texas anymore, Orioles! seriously though. the O's seem to be a magnet for high-scoring contests this year: 10-5 win over the Yankees, 11-2 loss to the Yankees, 11-3 loss to the Rays, 10-9 win over Texas and a 19-7 loss as well, prior to last night's 10-8 Sox win. that's six out of ten games played that one team involved put up double digits! crazy!

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Friday, April 17, 2009

Grace in Small Things 85:365

1. blogs that allow me to opt-in for email notifications of follow up comments.

2. Friday!!

3. seeing a pair of cardinals. *always* makes me think of my Gram & Gramp.

4. a huge comeback win for the Sox! i love exciting games like that.

5. laughing as i watched a squirrel escape the claws of a cat. the squirrel made it up into the tree, circled slowly around the trunk and while the cat sat staring at the spot she last saw the squirrel, the squirrel jumped across to another tree, high over the cat's head. the cat never even noticed & just sat there continuing to stare at the same spot.


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these days are but a drop in the bucket

after living through the Sox getting hammered night after late late West Coast night, there was nothing sweeter than to see Tim Wakefield come out on Wednesday, pitch a complete game, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning, and come away with a win. Wakey, who never sees much in the way of run support (though the sleepy Sox bats coughed up 8 runs for him this last go-round), is the senior staff member of the team, and has been around through it all. he gets alternately criticized & praised, depending on the fickle nature of his particular brand of pitch, but he's like a trusty corner stone. rarely rattled and always willing to take one for the team. despite the unpredictable nature of a knuckleballer, i find some sort of security in his starts. *he* is a familiar & reliable presence, even when his flutter ball fails him.

(photo from Yahoo! Sports)
while it was awesome to finally see the Sox win one and start hitting the ball with some productivity, Wakey's outing showed me something else. something a bit more subtle. it showed me something about George Kottaras. more specifically it shows me that Wake is comfortable pitching to him. i'm convinced that, though he would never say so, Wake just never had the right chemistry with Josh Bard. to see the knuckleball floating & fluttering precisely the way it ought to, making big league hitters look like they're swatting at butterflies, and Kottaras handling that incoming pitch like a master was exactly the medicine i needed going into the off day.

yesterday, all was quiet for my boys, a much-needed day of rest to hopefully reset with the pleasant taste of victory lingering in their mouths. and what could make that kind of Sox-less day even better? the Yankees getting knocked all over The House That Babe* Didn't Build in the afternoon followed by John Danks of The Other Sox continuing his dominance of all things Ray**.

now the Sox are back at home. they're starting at a more comfortable time. they've had a day to clear the shadows from their minds. and it looks like i'm going to have to be "baseball enemies" with Bart and J-Dawg for the weekend. with upside down standings & all, i by no means think that the Orioles will be a pushover, but i do look forward to the friendly banter sure to spin off the matchup.

as frustrating as 2009 has kicked off for the Red Sox, there's no gloom-and-doom here at Broken Road where the Sox are concerned. the season is young. Spring is still trying to remember it's no longer Winter in some places. things are just getting thawed out, with the promise of warmer days in the coming days. we're seeing glimmers of it already. by the time we're watching baseball on long lazy Summer nights, the awkward fits & starts of Spring will be nothing more than a distant memory.

*here's an interesting tidbit for you: it took the Babe two years to earn the $2600 that the most expensive seats will run you for one game at new Yankee Stadium.

**for lack of Sox of the proper color last night, i opted for the paler variety. which means i got to sit through Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum announcing the game. they are *still* whining about the AJ Pierzynski interference call from the end of last season. because, you know, it was during a pennant race and the Rays lost that game. correct me if i'm wrong but didn't the Rays (oh boy is this going to be painful) win the division, win the American League and go to the World Series?? so why are they still whining about this again? maybe the White Sox are somehow responsible for the Sunbeams losing to the Phillies... in which case AJ may be one of my favorite new players despite his infamous unlikeability.

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Grace in Small Things 84:365

1. being treated to lunch out at work today.

2. a good post-work nap.

3. what makes for a good baseball day when the Sox are off? losses for the Yankees and Rays of course! ;-)

4. realizing that a new good habit has officially been established.

5. perfect sleeping weather. which i am going to take advantage of right now.


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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Grace in Small Things 83:365

1. more memory in my work computer!! i can actually have more than one thing running at a time now!

2. a strong outing for Tim Wakefield finally gave the Sox a much-needed win. there is nothing more fascinating to me in baseball than when the knuckleball flutters!

3. seeing some determination pay off.

4. a very comfy cozy bed for snuggling up in at the end of the day.

5. feeling content.


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fool me twice, shame on me.

after one lousy mishap over a year ago, i always double check the label on my container of yogurt now on the mornings the flavor is strawberry cheesecake, just to be sure that's what it really is & NOT strawberry banana, before i take a bite. ditto for french vanilla to be sure it isn't a sneaky banana creme.

::shudder::

i shall not be made a grossed-out, breakfast-starved girl for a *third* time!

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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Grace in Small Things 82:365

1. rain. we need it so badly here.

2. cozy grey rainy evening relaxing at home.

3. barbecue glazed chicken. mmmmm...

4. nice cool breezes after the rain.

5. the e-trade baby. very few commercials make me laugh every time. that baby slays me.


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Ten on Tuesday: April 14, 2009



10 Signs That You're Getting Older

1. i cannot stand "music" with screaming in it.
2. the first kids i babysat are now 29, 26 and 24.
3. i am so much more comfortable in my own skin.
4. it has been almost 15 years since i graduated from high school.
5. my tolerance for irresponsibility is almost zero.
6. i go out of my mind when i see kids wearing their pants hanging around the mid-thighs.
7. i can't check the first box in the age section on forms anymore!
8. i actually have confidence in myself.
9. i pay attention to things like getting enough fiber and wearing sunscreen.
10. i would rather put money in the bank than go out every weekend.

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Grace in Small Things 81:365

1. May issue of Real Simple!

2. *and* the May issue of Good Housekeeping!

3. quick & easy dinner. minimal clean up.

4. new tv episodes on a West Coast 10pm start for the Sox. too late for me to watch so at least there was something on to entertain me in the absence of Sox.

5. Midnight Jasmine candle that smells *almost* like orange blossoms.


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Sunday, April 12, 2009

Grace in Small Things 80:365

1. Roy Halladay, when asked what he would do if he were made Commissioner for a day: move the Red Sox to the AL Central.

2. Easter Sunday!

3. Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs.

4. all the little kids at church dressed up in their brand new Easter best.

5. the satisfaction that comes from checking everything off my weekend to-do list.


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Easter Sunday

He lives triumphant from the grave;
He lives eternally to save;
He lives all glorious in the sky;
He lives exalted there on high.

He lives to silence all my fears;
He lives to wipe away my tears;
He lives to calm my troubled heart;
He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives my kind, wise, heav'nly friend;
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives and while He lives I'll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest and King!

He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives my Jesus still the same;
Oh the sweet joy this sentence gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!
("I Know That My Redeemer Lives" v 2, 5-8)

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Saturday, April 11, 2009

find a Penny, pick it up.

i've been really intrigued by the starting pitchers the Sox picked up during the off season. i am positively enamored with John Smoltz & the possibilities he could bring to our rotation if he can get healthy. the potential makes me giddy when i see him hanging out in the dugout chatting with JayBay or making room at the dugout rail for Mike Lowell upon his return from a trot around the bags, a congratulatory clap on the back, followed by animated discussion, smiles and laughter. i love that he fits right in here with us.

(photo from Yahoo! Sports)

but it will be Summer before the Sox will even entertain the notion of introducing Smoltz to the field in 2009. today was the debut of the other starting pitcher the Sox scooped up while the snow still fell in Boston: one Brad Penny, coming off an injury-plagued 2008. i love that the Sox have so much depth at pitching that they could pick up some arms that were a gamble on the health front: Penny, Smoltz, reliever Saito.

i hoped for a dazzling first impression, what with the three straight losses and all, but how much can you ask of a Number Five starter from the National League with health concerns? when he gave up two homers to Mike Napoli, i chalked it up as par for the course, a little disappointed, but figuring i should keep my expectations a bit lower, all things considered. and when i noticed that he kept shaking out his throwing arm between pitches, i was a little concerned, wondering if this was just a quirk he'd had all game that i'd missed til then or if maybe some trouble was brewing. but the slumbering Sox bats stirred just a bit and a couple of homers from JayBay and one that just squeaked over the outfield wall for Mike Lowell* later and suddenly Penny was on the winning side of things. he gave us six strong, socks** pulled up high and proud--hooray for Sox socks worn right!--and ended up setting himself up to earn a win for Boston by the time he departed. no thanks to the high-thirty-something-pitch ninth inning that Papelbon*** contributed before finally sealing the deal.

i can't help thinking that if he can pitch like this, if the risk turns to reward and this is the Number Five guy we get to trot out there... just, wow. it's just one start right now but i can't seem to help wondering where this might lead.

closing thought: in other "keeping the expectations low" areas, it did not go unnoticed by me that birthday boy Tek went 2-for-3 with a double today.

this team, with all cylinders clicking in rhythm, has the potential to be a lot of fun to watch in a highly competitive division. if we can just get into that groove, the smattering of teasers i've picked up on so far fills me with so much anticipation. i love this point in the season where the possibilities are endless and the players start to show you glimmers of what could be!

*i ♥ me some Mike Lowell but those flip-up sunglasses he was wearing today only accentuated his eyebrow...er...situation.

**i spent the game trying to decide if having actual red socks (instead of navy) would help to improve these new road uniforms. i'm not crazy about them--all that navy & grey just reeks of Yankee to me--but i do like them worlds better than that atrocity of a hat they wore last night. it just seems strange to me that the only red you see is from the lone Sox logo on one arm, the B on the cap and maybe a red undershirt here or there. when Bay hit his first one out of the park this afternoon, i felt my stomach sink...until i remembered that the navy & grey was *us*. i missed seeing the red!

***you know how the players have to slowly stretch their endurance at the beginning of the season? well my fan-endurance was not ready yet for a nailbiter from our illustrious closer. i thought that final at-bat was never going to end. i'm just not used to such an un-Papelbonian outing and it's really not fair to make me dizzy from breath-holding as i peer out nervously between my fingers a mere five games into the season. my stamina just isn't built up to mid-May form yet. sheesh.

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Grace in Small Things 79:365

1. started a new bottle of Bath & Body Works shower gel. Black Raspberry Vanilla. mmmmm...

2. Sox on FOX (tee hee) but no Joe Buck! maybe the baseball gods took pity on me after the Rays series earlier this week.

3. a small bowl of Cappuccino Fudge Blast ice cream topped with some Cool Whip.

4. a sweet surprise text from Alison. just to say hello & that she missed me. good friends who know the value of a few genuine words are so hard to find. i am so lucky to be blessed with a friend like her.

5. random childhood memory surfacing: a mid-Summer vacation in Cooperstown, NY with my dad & brother. we stayed in a local motel instead of making it a daytrip and we walked over to a little soft serve ice cream shop. the small kind of place that only has a serving window with picnic benches outside. it was a warm night, the air heavy & still. i remember being so hot while we walked--it was maybe a ten-minute stroll from the motel but when you're a kid that feels like hours--and i just wanted my promised ice cream. we finally got there and i got a vanilla-chocolate swirl cone. we sat at one of the tables to start our cones. the ice cream melted faster than i could eat it and it dripped a bit over my hand but i didn't care. once we got the ice cream down close to the cone, we began to walk back to the motel as we crunched on the cones and slurped up the remaining drips of ice cream. the walk back seemed cooler & my mood was so much more content. just from a simple treat. it's always been about "the small things"...


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but i'm going to go with: the Angels needed this win.*

things i could blame tonight's loss on:

--Wakefield's Matsuzaka impression. need proof? i give you somehow getting out of a no-outs bases-loaded situation without giving up so much as a single run.

--the Sox inability to hit the ball anywhere that there isn't a fielder standing with an open glove.

--the fact that Tek was out of the lineup tonight. don't look at me like that! he currently leads the Sox in the home run category**. go ahead, look it up. i know you don't believe me. it's ok. go! i'll wait right here.
...
back now? ok. by the way? i told ya!

--anyone coming out of the pen, not named Ramirez or Papelbon.

--those ridiculous new alternate hats. and their goofy red buttons on the top. who pitched this idea? Lugo??

--it's only April. the Sox choose to win their West Coast games in October instead.

*truthfully, i know that the Angels really needed this kind of game to honor their fallen teammate and i really don't begrudge them this win. that being said, i'm really not liking this whole last in the division thing*** so, much as i wish the Angels could have a few wins in a row to bolster their spirits, it's going to have to wait til the Sox leave town because it's time to get some wins in our W column.

**could alternately be filed under: Things You Didn't Think You Would Say After 2008. (not that i am complaining one iota!)

***for real, Sox fans. i'm not one to panic in the first week of April, but do you not feel like you're looking at the AL East standings in a mirror or something?! Toronto-Baltimore****-New York-Tampa-Boston.

****i would like to personally thank the Orioles for handing the Rays a loss tonight. much obliged for your contribution toward stuffing them back down to the bottom of the American League from whence they came.

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Friday, April 10, 2009

Grace in Small Things 78:365

1. my faith.

2. the Sacrifice made on my behalf.

3. the gifts of love, given to me, of which i will never be deserving.

4. forgiveness.

5. that i was raised in a family that went to church & lived a Christian lifesytle.


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for me.

i have always been struck by the power of the Good Friday Tenebrae service. the service is done in seven parts, one for each of the seven times Jesus spoke while on the cross, as His crucifixion is told again through the Gospels and the prophet Isaiah. after each of one of His statements is retold, the lights in the sanctuary are dimmed a bit and a candle is extinguished on the bare altar, until all that remains is the one lit Christ candle and a single red rose. this part of the service has always been the same for as long as i can remember.

the church i belong to now has an added element that i never experienced before attending here.

the church is in darkness at this point, except for the lone Christ candle and a spotlight on a seven-foot-tall cross. everyone in the church forms a line and approaches the cross, taking a nail from the basket and placing it into the cross. as Christians, we all know the story. we've heard countless times about the Crucifixion. we know Jesus died on the cross.

but to approach the cross... to hold a heavy nail in the palm of your hand... to stand before it and place the nail into the rough wood with your own fingers... it really drives it home. *i* did this. it was *me*. not just the vague abstract me but the real life me. every wrong thing i have ever done in my life... every wrong thing i will ever do... it wasn't just for "me". it was for *me*.

after the last nail is placed into the cross, the Pastor takes the Christ candle from the altar and walks back up the aisle with it to the back of the church and out of the sanctuary, as the spotlight on the cross fades to dark. in the silence, a bell tolls 33 times, one for every year Jesus lived. there is a loud bang to symbolize the rock sealing the tomb.

for a minute or two, everything is silent and dark. there is introspection, contemplation, sadness. it is incredibly powerful. i find it difficult to believe that any Christian could *not* be moved by this service.

and then the Pastor re-enters the church. he stands in the back with the lit Christ candle as the congregation whispers the Lord's prayer. there is no Benediction because the service is not over. the story doesn't end here. we are merely waiting for the conclusion. we are waiting for Easter morning. as the hymn "Go to Dark Gethsemane" says, "all is solitude and gloom..."

but in that one candle, flickering in the darkness, we have hope.

tonight we leave in total silence. tomorrow we wait. we wait for Sunday morning...

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Good Friday

Sometimes they strew His way
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King.
Then "Crucify!"
Is all their breath,
And for His Death
They thirst and cry.

They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save,
The Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He
To suff'ring goes
That He his foes
From thence might free.
("My Song Is Love Unknown" v 3, 5)



It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When He had said this, He breathed His last. The centurian, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man." (Luke 23:44-47)

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Friday Fill-in: April 10, 2009



Friday Fill-in #119

1. Anonymous...what a lame way to make a nasty remark that you don't have the nerve to sign your name to.

2. the Easter lily is a very happy-looking flower.

3. Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, and kill you with kindness.

4. i cannot choose between orange blossoms and the start of baseball when when i am asked what I look forward to most about Spring.

5. Who needs therapy when there is blogging!

6. Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs MUST go into the Easter Basket!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a quiet evening at home after i attend the Good Friday Tenebrae service, tomorrow my plans include getting my grocery shopping done and Sunday, I want to celebrate the joy of Easter!

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Thursday, April 9, 2009

things i can take away from today's Sox game

1. some things don't change. one of those things is the way a Matsuzaka start stresses me out.

2. these idiot announcers are convinced his name is Matsuzaki.

3. well... so far Matsuzaka hasn't killed me with one of his starts. yet.

4. it is April 9, the season is five days old and i am already sick of hearing about Carl Crawford. "Carl Crawford is the fastest man in MLB. Carl Crawford is a hands-down Gold Glover in LF for 2009. Carl Crawford is one of best guys they have ever seen hold a baseball bat. Carl Crawford poops sunshine & rainbows." =P it's amazing any other team in baseball can win a single game without him!

5. there was a fantastic play made by Mike Lowell in the top of the 8th. a diving grab that surely prevented extra bases. and he got right back up with no ill effects.

6. i am really starting to be intrigued by newcomer to the pen, Ramon Ramirez!

7. there is still plenty of proving left to do, but two home runs in three games from Tek to kick off 2009 sure does make me smile!

8. only fifteen more games to go against the Rays. and if all goes according to plan, i will only be subjected to eleven more Rays tv broadcasts.

and that, as the wise Forrest Gump said, is all i'm gonna say about that.

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Grace in Small Things 77:365

1. that i have a soft, compassionate heart that has not been hardened by my life experiences.

2. the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

3. being humbled.

4. twilight.

5. an Easter card in the mail from my Dad.


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i'm going to rant. consider yourself warned.

you know what really chaps my hide?

Rays "fans".

seriously. you've watched baseball for, what? three months out of your whole life? up until last August, you didn't even know you *had* a baseball team. evidence: the same 45 people showed up to your games for the last decade. (and this email is *not* directed at those people, nor those who got interested last season & are actually making an effort to learn more about & find enjoyment in the game; *those* people i believe truly qualify as real live fans.) the rest of the crowd were all fans of the away team or baseball fans on vacation looking to catch a game while they were in town.

so. today you're going to stand at my desk and whine about:

a) how boring the game of baseball is.

b) how it's not fair that the AL Champs have to open on the road in Boston.

c) how no games should ever be played in Boston at the start of the season because the weather is too crappy in April for baseball to be played there.

d) how there's so much less to watch than during a football game.

e) how long the game is.

f) how you can't imagine how *anyone* could ever watch an entire season of something as mundane as baseball.

there might have been more but i tuned out.

let me help you "fans" out with these dilemmas you're facing:

a) baseball isn't boring if you understand & enjoy it. just because you can't wrap your mind around the subtleties of the sport doesn't make *it* stupid.

b) as a couple of my fellow Sox fans shared in an online conversation i was reading: after winning (that's *winning*, not just playing in) the World Series in 2004, the Sox opened 2005 on the road at Yankee Stadium. after winning the World Series in 2007, the Sox got to open 2008 in JAPAN. the Red Sox have not opened a season at Fenway since 2002. so in a nutshell? get over it. just because a team hasn't won a championship in 11 years of existence doesn't mean they are entitled to win the World Series, and just because you got to the World Series last year doesn't mean you get to start the season at home. you go where the schedule takes you because there are 29 other teams in the league to consider when they create a schedule.

c) baseball is meant to be played outdoors. not in that abysmal pit of warehouse. sometimes it rains outside. sometimes it even snows in April (just ask the White Sox & Indians fans!). rain delays & rain outs are part of the game of baseball. that's why we have double headers and make up games.

d) i am a football fan as well so it's not like you can engage me in a baseball vs football face off. so, since i love them both, i can very neutrally point out to you that there is *just* as much happening in a baseball game at any given moment as there is in football. and for as many "dull" moments as there are in a baseball game, during pitching changes or mound conferences, may i remind you that there are just as many during football games during timeouts, huddles and play reviews every five minutes.

e) again, as a football fan, let me assure you that the games last roughly the same amount of time: three hours on average, sometimes two & a half hours--and occasionally there's overtime which is the same thing as going to extra innings. just because there's a clock in football doesn't mean the game goes any slower without one, and may i remind you that fifteen minutes on the football clock usually take about 30 to actually play anyway.

f) because some of us understand what we're watching and we enjoy it, whether you comprehend that or not. i truly appreciate that baseball (or football or *anything* really) isn't for everyone, so why must it be "boring and stupid" just because *you* don't find something enjoyable?? can't we just say that whatever it is just isn't for us? because someone somewhere enjoys it and that needs to be respected.

are we straight now, baby unbearable adolescent junior-high-maturity Rays "fans"? (babies are actually cute, which you are not, so sorry, you don't qualify as babies.)

better yet? STOP WATCHING. if you're that freaking miserable, turn. it. off. it's really not that difficult. i do it all the time: basketball games, golf, tennis. if it doesn't interest me, I CHANGE THE CHANNEL. i am not such a dimwit that i continue watching what bores me.

i will take a Yankees fan any day of the week over a Rays "fan" because at least the Yankees fans *get it*. we may not agree on some things but a Yankees fan (and i don't mean the people who wear the gear as a fashion statement here, but the actual *fan* of the game) understands the game with all its subtleties & nuances. they appreciate the game of baseball for what it is. and most of them have been watching it for more than ten minutes.

i get it that baseball isn't for everyone and you know what? that's fine. but i love it. i understand it. i look forward to it every off-season with much anticipation. i watch as many Sox games during the season as i possibly can. and when my team isn't playing? i will even turn on the games of *other* teams. i actually feel like an even happier person when there's baseball to be watched. so if it truly is that much agony for you to watch it? do us both a favor & find something else to watch. we'll both be happier for it.

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Wednesday, April 8, 2009

there are 160 more to go. this is my mantra.

a handful of random Sox-related thoughts following tonight's game:

1. these idiots that announce the Rays games on tv make me long for a game covered by a team of Morgan-Buck.

2. i wish i were kidding about that.

3. at one point during the game, we were left staring at Joe Maddon in the dugout for a solid two minutes. while the game was being played. and the Rays morons were doing a phone interview with BJ Upton. who isn't even with the team right now.

4. they later mentioned that you could email them with questions.

5. i hunted down the link and asked: "What we would like to know is WHY must we look in the dugout between every pitch or stare at Maddon for five minutes while there is a game being played? Can't we please just watch the action on the field??"

6. i am absolutely serious about that.

7. what game was that umpire calling?? i want to know how the same exact pitch was called a ball & then a strike, back to back.

8. that was a particularly painful start for Lester.

9. i still ♥ Jon Lester.

10. i am kinda hoping that Saito was doing a spot-on 2007 Jeemer impression.

11. after that face-plant diving catch Rocco Baldelli made in right, i am safely convinced that he isn't Julio "E6" Lugo, The Embedded Ray, 2.0--welcome to Boston, Rocco! i think you'll fit in here just fine.

i can't believe i am about to say this but we can't get out of Boston quickly enough. the Rays cheerleaders announcers have actually made me look forward to a West Coast Sox trip. now if only the Sox would do a promo wherein they mail out complimentary Tums to Sox fans the night before a Matsuzaka start. my authentic replica Tito ulcer is getting stretched out & warmed up for its debut tomorrow. and now if you'll excuse me, i need to go brush the dust off my Terry Francona "i'm-so-stressed-out-i-need-to-rock-in-a-corner" move. i have a feeling i may need it several times whilst The Nibbler runs up his pitch count.

have i mentioned how much i love baseball season?

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Grace in Small Things 76:365

1. a reprieve from the HOT! HOT! HOT! with a couple of days in the 60s and nights in the 40s.

2. the way my Easter lily smells.

3. May issue of Everyday With Rachael Ray in my mailbox.

4. being well taken care of. there were many many years that i didn't feel safe, secure & able to breathe and i never take it for granted that i feel those things now.

5. reading in bed.


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The Commander welcomes the Rays to 2009.

he has a 10K parting gift for them. and the only thing golden about it was his performance. i wasn't thrilled about Mother Nature's plan to make me wait an extra day so she could rain all over Fenway but that game was worth waiting for!

(photo from the Boston Herald)

there may still be 161 games left to play, with one win being a drop in the bucket, but i'll take a drop to having our bucket being dry any time! something about starting the season with a home opener like that just feels like we're kicking it off right!

you know what else doesn't hurt? solo shots for Pedroia (was it high & inside? anyone know? i was still trapped at work when it happened.) and Tek. one good game does not an improved season make for the Cap'n but i'll take getting off on the right foot & hoping it's a sign of things to come!

(photo from the Boston Globe)

at the end of the game, we saw Not-So-Big-Game James and, if you're ::cough cough:: lucky like me, you learned (much to my dismay) that it really is possible to miss Joe Magraine because *wow* is his replacement painful. i didn't think it could get worse than the old Rays tv team but i stand (very unfortunately) corrected. i think i'm actually looking forward to the West Coast trip because it means i won't be listening to those two sportsholes anymore.

Spring is here, Sox are on & i couldn't be happier.

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Grace in Small Things 75:365

1. Opening Day! Opening Day! let there be Sox! and a win! ahhh... life is good.

2. all the new blogs i have discovered thanks to comments left by new visitors as a result of being named a Blog of Note.

3. hearing that my God daughter was so excited about the Easter gift i chose for her.

4. the cool kitchen tool that Daniel found for me. it's called a Citrus Trumpet and i have been just amazed by it ever since i saw him use one when i was visiting. he searched & searched and finally found one for me! what a great little surprise!

5. Heather for being such a thoughtful & understanding friend.


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Ten on Tuesday: April 7, 2009



10 Least Liked Foods

i am truly not a picky eater but there are some foods i just do not care for. and may i say that i have at least tried everything on this list, except for 9 which i wholly admit i am basing purely on the the fact that i just cannot bring myself to even taste it.

1. any sort of hot cereal--oatmeal, cream of wheat or rice or any other grain, grits. bleh. my Gram used to even try to bribe me by putting raisins in it but i would just fish them out & leave the cereal.
2. bananas--just... ::shudder::
3. spam--even just the smell of it is enough to turn my stomach!
4. red cabbage--which my Gram used to make with spam. one of the few things she made that i would outright refuse to eat.
5. winter squash--butternut, acorn, hubbard. doesn't matter. if it's in a mushy orange pile, i'll pass. i love yellow Summer squash and zucchini squash though!
6. mushrooms--actually i will tolerate them if they are cut up teeny tiny & mixed in so well that i cannot see them. but if i find them, i'm picking them out!
7. bologna--gives me an instant headache. just one single bite.
8. liver--or heart, tongue, brains. oh, let's just say "internal organs" ok?
9. veal or lamb--i just can't bring myself to eat baby animals.
10. Cheerios--five years working in daycare with infants and picking up either the dusty remains or a soggy slimy drool-soaked O that looked innocent enough until you touched it... yeah, Cheerios just have never been the same since.

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Monday, April 6, 2009

Grace in Small Things 74:365

1. i thought i got a stain on my favorite pair of pants but i pre-treated it & got it right into the wash and it came out!

2. kielbasa, sauerkraut and pierogies for dinner. ::drool::

3. friends that understand my dismay at the postponement of Opening Day for the Sox. sharing the disappointment makes it easier to wait (still) one more day.

4. being able to brighten the day of a friend with the smallest of gestures.

5. i got my Easter lily today! i love getting one easch Easter.


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Sunday, April 5, 2009

Grace in Small Things 73:365

1. Palm Sunday. i love all the Holy Week services, each their own personality.

2. real live baseball on tv. even if it's not my team playing, just to have actual meaningful baseball being played is a wonderful thing!

3. finding that the comforter i have had my eye on went on clearance for 75% off this week. they only had one left and it was a queen size one! perfect!

4. having leftovers in the refrigerator meant i ate yummy food today without *any* effort at all.

5. lazy Sunday afternoons.


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Opening Day 2009

The effect of bat on ball can be explained by physics.

The effect of baseball on America?

That's chemistry, my friend.
(unknown)

...and once again, there is meaningful baseball on my tv.
::deep sigh of contentment::

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And I Quote: April 5, 2009

"If there's a crisis, you move forward. You get the rest of us to move forward, because you've seen worse. You've survived worse and you know we'll survive too. You say you're all dark and twisty. That's not a flaw. It's a strength. It makes you who you are."
(Derek Shepherd to Meredith Grey, Grey's Anatomy, Season Five,
"Elevator Love Letter")


if i've said it once, i've said it a hundred times now: i totally identify with the character of Meredith Grey. and i think it's awesome that as she evolves & grows stronger, i see the very same things in myself. my own "Dark & Twisty" doesn't define me. and it was never a flaw. it is what has made me stronger now too. it makes me who i am.

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Palm Sunday

All glory, laud, and honor
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
The people of the Hebrews
With palms before thee went;
Pur praise and prayer and anthems
Before Thee we present.

All glory, laud, and honor
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
To Thee, before Thy Passion,
They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now High exalted,
Our melody we raise.

(All Glory, Laud, and Honor, v. 3 and 4)

19 Palm Sundays ago, i was confirmed... whoa.

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Saturday, April 4, 2009

Grace in Small Things 72:365

1. being up early enough to see the sunrise.

2. the colors of the sky before the sun actually rises.

3. the way the horses i passed on my way to my hair appointment were standing, noses together, looking like they were whispering.

4. changing up the ratio (slightly) of my darker & lighter highlights & liking the way it turned out.

5. seeing Jed Lowrie hit the first home run at the Mets' new field--a grand slam, no less!--in the last Spring Training game of 2009. i don't care how meaningless the game was in the scope of the season, a grand slam is always exciting and i sure don't mind that the Sox finished up the preseason with some fire in their bats.


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Friday, April 3, 2009

Grace in Small Things 71:365

1. feeling like i am so far removed from my Former Life that sometimes it almost seems as though it happened to somebody else.

2. rain rain rain.

3. blueberry muffins.

4. having a busy morning at work which made it fly right by.

5. that the scratchy throat i had on Wednesday & Thursday was all but gone this morning. either it really was allergies to something blooming after all or it was the world's lamest attempt at a cold. whichever, i'm just glad it didn't amount to anything!


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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Grace in Small Things 70:365

1. the baseball phrase "[player] is on his horse" -- makes me laugh every time i hear it.

2. i got a very sweet email from a friend yesterday. she is one of the most thoughtful people i know & i'm so glad that blogging brought us together. i really look forward to meeting her in person one day!

3. mmmm... stuffed shells for dinner.

4. having a menu plan.

5. a very easy commute home because for some reason traffic was unusually light.


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Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Grace in Small Things 69:365

1. something really funny that my God daughter said when i was on the phone with her mom. and now i can't remember what it was anymore. this is why i should write these things down immediately! suffice to say it was funny & we got a good laugh.

2. listening to the Sox pull off another rally for a late-inning win. even if half the guys won't be with the team when they break camp on Friday, a Sox win always feels good.

3. managing to go a full day without biting that same spot on the inside of my lip every time i eat. maybe now it can finally start to heal. i don't know what it is about biting the same spot over & over but it was getting kind of old!

4. my iPod.

5. halfway through my four-day work week.


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check me out!



first it was Chele and then it was Krystyn and today it's me! so funny that we all got tapped so close together!

that being said, i just spent 25 minutes deleting spam comments from my blog so i will be turning on comment moderation for a while, just until things settle down a bit. ;-)

and in other news: i managed to impale my finger on a fork this morning while i was putting a spoon in the dishwasher. it's not easy being this graceful! =P

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Red Sox at Braves, Spring Training: March 30, 2009


Jason Bay taking batting practice.


in which Mike Lowell wonders where the hole was in his glove during fielding drills.


John Farrell watching Matsuzaka warm up before the game.








YOOOOOOUK!


seems Youk jumps in the air with every pitch...?


make us love you, Rocco! (and he did: with a two-run homer!)



From Sox @ Braves, Spring Training, Disney's Wide World of Sports (March 30, 2009)

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Animal Kingdom: March 29, 2009












there is a new baby Colubus monkey! six weeks old. and so adorable!


see him peeking between mama's fur?






See the entire album: Animal Kingdom (2009)

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Snapshot from Along the Broken Road: March 2009

photo of me

i never wear hats because i think they look funny on me. but i borrowed this one for a while at the game because it was so bright outside that i had to either squint (even with sunglasses on) or spend the game shielding my eyes with my hands.

1) current candle scents: Chrysanthemum. Sweet Violet.

2) what i am currently reading: same two books i've been reading forever now: "America Alone" (Mark Steyn) and "Faithful" (Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King). i'm almost done with "America Alone" though!

3) newest music i added my playlist: just "You Found Me" by The Fray.

4) movies i saw: Inside Man. The Bourne Identity.

5) something yummy i made this month: No-Bake Cheesecake.

6) the last place i ate out: Zaxby's.

7) something that made me cry: no tears shed this month!

8) something that made me laugh: March 1, the sermon at church was about love--all the different kinds of love in our lives, from chocolate & baseball to our loved ones to God's love for His people. i know, i know. what possibly made me laugh? well, Pastor G said he often gets couples who come to him requesting his officiant services for their wedding. he chats with them for a while and always asks how they got to this point in their relationship. the answer is almost always "well...we fell in love" as if it was something that just happened to them completely out of their control, kind of as if they were walking along & suddenly fell into a ditch without any warning, as opposed to a conscious decision made by two people committing their lives to each other. i know it was a serious topic but the mental image of two people just randomly falling into a ditch cracked me up.

9) something i looked forward to this month: a long weekend during which i saw the Sox play a Spring Training game at WDW against the Braves.

10) something i am thankful for: being well taken care of.

11) something i want to remember about this month: that even though i may encounter difficult people during the day, the choice is mine to make how i respond to them. i can either react in kind, perpetuating the poor attitude, or i can act with grace, despite the way they choose to act.

12) a photo i took this month:

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