work work work

I have a three day weekend off from work, and we are all working anyway. Dan and the kids are busy doing work for money, including putting in full days today, on the holiday. I have been busy here at home - I cleaned both bathrooms (which were filthy) today floor to ceiling.

I am sad that the Wings have pretty much hit the salary cap and that most of our free agents are walking - though they signed the two most important ones in Zeterberg and Franzen during the regular season. It is actually sort of a joke seeing how much money some of these guys are signing for with other teams - Kopecky and Samuelsson in particular. I had to laugh to see how much money other teams are signing our third and fourth liners for in contracts. And while Hossa is a regular season beast, a true stud, he is certainly not worth that much more money than Hank Zeterberg, who is a much more complete player, and who actually shows up during the playoffs (unlike Hossa, who goes from being Hoss to Ghost Horse once the playoffs begin). I have the feeling Chicago just signed away their future with that contract, as they have some young studs that will have to be signed to contracts themselves in a year or so - and the Hossa contract is going to nuke their salary cap.

Gary Bettman - the worst thing to ever happen to the NHL - has wanted parity (which can legitimately be seen as a code word for mediocrity). That means that the good teams, the quality teams, have to be torn down. And that the money from the successful teams is sucked away and endlessly funneled to the bad teams in locations that just do not make sense like Phoenix. What a rotten business model! This is the first year that the Wings are really getting hurt by the salary cap, and as a fan I do resent it.

I should add that I do wish all of the Red Wings free agents well - and I do not blame them for going for the big money. At any time any of them could get a career ending catastrophic injury (due to the nature of the sport), and the contracts they have been signing will set them and their families up for life. I want them to suck in games against Detroit, but otherwise I hope they shine on their new teams!

At least the Tigers have been doing OK. First place in a terrible AL Central, with the dreaded Chicago White Sox breathing down the backs of their necks. The Tigers won a really important extra innings game against the Twins in the Terror Dome last night in 16 innings.

We have one week until our vacation, a week camping on a sand dune overlooking Lake Michigan - and I cannot wait! So peaceful. So beautiful.

done with the school year

Today was a half day for Steven, and the end of the school year for him. To celebrate we went out in the cold heavy rain and ate lunch at Applebees. He is happy, even though he has a lot of homework to complete over the summer for two of his AP classes.

I was going to catch the start of today's Tigers game before going in to Hell Mouth (work). But they are having a rain delay in Chicago. I have not looked at the radar, but it must be a pretty big storm system over the Great Lakes today for it to be raining hard in both Detroit and Chicago this afternoon.

I have to say that the Tigers are having a pretty decent start to their season - primarily due to some very solid starting pitching. It is great to see Justin Verlander doing so well, and starting to live up to his monumental potential - and even Dontrelle Willis seems to be turning things around - and if he does, that is a completely unexpected bonus. He has been so classy about his troubles and trips to the minors - it would be great if he can become a decent starting pitcher again! Edwin Jackson has been simply superb, and Rick Porcello shows a lot of promise. Armando Galarraga started out the season as our best pitcher, but had a poor May - but he seems to be turning the corner and improving greatly. Our new pitching coach is really doing a fine job with the staff!

And it is great to see them taking a series from their number one nemesis - the Chicago White Sox. I know the Sox are having a rough year, but it is still good to see the Tigers taking a series from them in Chicago. The Sox have owned the Tigers for years now - this series win might help the Tigers get over that mentally.

The last two weeks at work have been hellishly busy. I am glad I only have to go in tonight, then will have two nights off. I have been exhausted, and do not know if that is due to the thyroid thing, work being so busy, or some combination of the two. I have been having trouble reading, working on the computer, or doing much of anything other than sitting around in a tired daze.

the days since we got home

Dan and I both picked up a bit of a bug sometime somewhere on our trip. We have both been coughing and sneezing and having muscle aches, and I have been running a low grade fever off and on and have had some light diarrhea almost every day. Nothing serious, and no one has had to go to the doctor, and the kids have not caught it from us - but it has been enough to slow us down somewhat. Neither of us is a spring chicken anymore, and we have both been having health issues over the last few months (well, in my case more like the last few years).

I do not think that it helped that New York was in the high eighties and sunny all weekend, and back home in Michigan it has been mostly rainy and in the forties/fifties since we got back. Quite a change and shock to our systems, LOL.

Nonetheless, I am very happy that we went, and am glad my health was good enough to allow me to go. Yes, I had to take a lot of naps over the course of the weekend - but at least I could go. And being able to be at the wedding was a cause for joy.

On Friday I had to run a bunch of errands. On Saturday Bill and I planted some cold crop vegetables (onions, shallots, garlic, etc). and some flowers like pansies who like cold weather. We did a bunch of yard work as well.

Then we relaxed and watched the Tigers and the Kentucky Derby on TV.

Dan made burritos for dinner. I had requested Mexican food, since that would be our last dinner together before Cinco de Mayo (given that he works days and I work afternoons).

I really did not want to go to work today, as I do not feel 100%, but forced myself to go in. Luckily, it has been quiet. While I was at work the Red Wings lost their round two game two in triple overtime at Joe Louis. I am really afraid that they lost the Stanley Cup with that game.

At least Verlander seems to be pulling out of his season plus funk - with two great starts in a row. It would have been three great starts, but three games ago he had a really bad one inning meltdown. It is great to see him going - the Tigers will not do much unless both he and Galarraga have solid seasons.

Tigers/Red Wings - getting ready for the New York weekend

The Red Wings start round one of the playoffs tonight against the dreaded Blue Jackets. Why would a Red Wings fan dread the Blue Jackets you ask? Because they are young, talented, and hungry; they had our number and gave us some mighty beat downs in the regular season; they have a really hot and very talented young goalie who is good enough to win series all by himself. And they have a hideously ugly blue wasp mascott... Of all of the teams in the Western Conference, they along with the Sharks had me worried. My beloved Wings might not make it out of the first round this year.

The Tigers are temporarily tied for first place in the AL Central, along with the Kansas City Royals. I know that probably will not last very long, but I do like the team far better than the team they put out on the field last year, even though most of the players are the same. Last year was infuriating because they often looked so lackadaisical and lazy out there - just not a good effort far too many times in far too many games. This year their chemistry is obviously much better, and they keep trying even when down by quite a few runs. Eating the fourteen million dollars to get rid of Gary Sheffield was probably well worth it - the hard working team that scrapped their butts off from 2006 has returned in spirit at least. And watching Armando Galarraga will be a joy this season - he is really coming into his own as a fine young pitcher.

Very sad about the death of former Tigers pitcher Mark Fidrych in an accident. He was one of those rare souls who find joy in life and in whatever life handed him. A truly special human being, and a true original.

Dan went in for more blood tests on Tuesday. They came back better than the first worrisome round, but still not good. They had wanted him to take a course of ciprofloxacin, a powerful antibiotic before the second round of tests. And the antibiotic did improve his blood levels - just not enough. The next step for him will be a biopsy in two weeks. And then I can talk freely about what is going on...

Sheesh. I just realized that tomorrow and Saturday are my last days off before Dan and I go to New York for the following weekend for a wedding, and parts of those two days will be eaten up by Steven's soccer game, a trip to the library, etc. I got up early today to start laundry - and that is a task I am a million miles behind - so I can at least attempt to get started packing on Saturday night - for things like a dress for the reception, Dan's dress shoes, and my camera - all things I will not need before the trip and can pack away ahead of time in preparation.

Tigers home opener

Today was one of the biggest unofficial holidays in the greater Detroit area - Tigers home opener.

Thousands of kids play hooky from school and tens of thousands of adults play hooky from work to gather in the streets near the stadium and party, watch the game in sports bars and party, or just catch the game on TV at home or at the homes of friends and relax.

It is a day which (hopefully) marks the end of the long Michigan winter, and (hopefully) an end to snow until next October or so. Our hopes are usually in vain, but spring forth every year anyway.

This year's opening ceremonies remembered the great George Kell, and also the young Angels pitcher who was just killed by a drunk driver. What a freaking tragedy - he was only 22 years old, with a long and full life ahead of him.

The game itself turned into a blow out on the part of the Tigers over the Rangers. They saved our best starting pitcher, Armando Galarraga, for the game, and he pitched a gem of a game. We are finally seeing a healthy Miguel Cabrera, and he is a monster - a beast - a genuine stud. Wow, can he ever hit a baseball!

I got to watch most of the game on television, but then had to take Steven to a doctor's appointment. He is doing much much much better, and looks to making a full recovery from his post-concussion syndrome.

And that is such good news~!!!!

thank God

The Tigers finally won a game tonight. Of their three games, this one had the second solid start by their starting pitcher in a row - but the bullpen did not blow this one.

The season record is now 1-2, and may we reach .500 at some point this season!

The sun came out today, and most of the snow melted. The spring flowers are blooming in a crazy orgy of purple and blue and white and yellow in my yard right now. I love those little flowers.

All in all, the world seems like a better place tonight. ;-)

wow, it might be be a long baseball season for Tigers fans

Now they are 0-2. The first game was lost through poor starting pitching; the second through terrible relief pitching and poor managing on the part of Leyland.

It is all looking just like last season's bitter disappointment all over again. (Though at least we do not have to put up with Gary Sheffield and his ugly mouth this year, which is a huge improvement).

My great fear: it might be be a long and wretched summer for Detroit Tigers fans.

snow; spring; MLB is underway!

After a snow free march, we are certainly getting snow in April. Just a handful of days after my early bulbs starting blooming, we got about half a foot of really wet slushy snow. We are getting flurries today - I have been watching the flakes coming down all morning, and dreaming of sunshine and baseball and tulips, even as the ground is covered with snow.

The Tigers had their season opener last night up in a domed stadium in Toronto. It is good it was not the home opener, as that would have probably been snowed out. I could not watch the game due to being at work, but from what I have heard, it was a very ugly loss. Justin Verlander apparently pitched a very bad game, which does not bode well for the 2009 season. Well, hopefully he can pull it together as the season goes on. From what I hear, Curtis Granderson had a great game, and deserved his nickname Grandy. What a great young player he is, and a wonderful and well grounded young man on top of it. The home opener is this Friday, and rain is in the forecast.

Today I am on the second to last step of being weaned from the beta blockers I have been taking to protect my heart through all of the thyroid issues. I am now down to taking one pill every other day for a week, to be followed by stopping taking them all together. So I am slowly (much more slowly than I would like) on the mend.

George Kell has passed away

I learned today that long time Detroit Tigers player & broadcaster George Kell has passed away.

Very sad news. A big chunk of my childhood was spent watching/listening to Kell and Kaline - gentlemen both - broadcasting Tigers game.

My prayers and thoughts are with the Kell family and friends today.

And the world is now a lesser place...