Thursday, July 31, 2008

this fanny is still for manny, though i wish he would SHUT IT!

so i have to admit, it's becoming very hard to be a manny fan. He says some daffy things, and to some daffy people, and even i have to confess, i'm beginning to see (and be okay with) the very real possibility that manny isn't going to be a red sox much past this afternoon.

That is all i have to say, because it's so long and drawn out that i don't have the fortitude to type the entire thing, but if he's so unhappy, and he's such a detriment in the clubhouse, then the sox have no choice but to deal him.

For the record, i do not for one minute belive the current loss has anything to do with manny's behavior. if pro ball payers can't separate themselves from off the field activities for nine innings then they need to find new work.

If Drew, and Crisp, And lowell' and varitek, and ellsbury's current hitting slumps are the result of manny's behavior, i'll eat my hat. If wakefield's getting shelled vs the yankees, and the same with Dice-k a few days ago are the result of manny being in their head, then they are not as good as we thought they were. Just as it takes a team to win a ball game, so too does it take the team to lose it.

That being said, I'm beginning to see that the list of cons with keeping manning is beginning to be longer than the list of pros. If manny were to zip it and simply pay ball, i don't think so much venom would be sent his way. But that ship has sailed, and now we're on the verge of sinking.

I don't expect the sox to pick up his contract options, and after yesterday, i think the possibility is even there to be dealt today. too bad, because this is also what we got out of manny:

* 9x Silver Slugger Award winner (1995, 1999-2006)
* 12x All-Star selection (1995, 1998-2008)
* 2x World Series champion (2004, 2007)
* World Series MVP Award winner (2004)
* Led AL in batting average in 2002
* Led AL in home runs in 2004
* Led AL in runs batted in in 1999
* Has the most career grand slams of any active player



in 2004 alone, he

• hit a two-run homer on April 25, providing the Sox all the offense they would need to win 2-0 and complete the three-game sweep in New York.

• went 4-for-5 with two homers and five RBI against Texas on July 10.

• hit grand slams on August 20 and September 10, giving him 17 for his career, fifth-most all-time.

• had two homers in the Red Sox' 10-7 win on August 31, as they opened a big series against Anaheim.

• led the American League in home runs (43), at-bats per homer (13.2), slugging percentage (.613), and OPS (1.010). He also ranked second in extra-base hits and at-bats per RBI, third in RBI, and fourth in total bases.

• joined David Ortiz to become the first pair of teammates in baseball history to each have 40 homers and 40 doubles in the same season.


2004 Postseason Highlights
• hit safely in all 14 of the Red Sox' postseason games. Dating back to 2003, he hit in 17 straight postseason games, tying the major league record.

• drove in at least two runs in each Division Series game, hitting .385 with two doubles, a homer, and seven RBI over the series.

• In the ALCS, Manny hit .300 with a double and three runs scored. He was 2-for-3 with three walks in Game 4, and was 2-for-6 in Game 5.

• went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Game 1 of the World Series. In Game 3, he hit a home run in the first inning to give the Sox a 1-0 lead. Then in the bottom of the inning, he helped Pedro Martinez out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam by catching Jim Edmonds' fly ball and throwing Larry Walker out at home plate.

• batted .412 in the World Series and was named MVP. He became the first World Series MVP in Red Sox history, since the award was not given out before 1955.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

wedding outfit update

Alrighty, so i've got the pattern, and i've got the fabric. I've also gotten the invite, and the event takes place on September 13, 2008. That means i have just about six weeks to finish the dress and the shawl.

here are the latest photos of the shawl. It's more like a stole, since it's not as wide as i thought it would be, but i think it will look nice. I'm going to block it when I've used one whole hank of malabrigo lace weight- i think that will be an ideal length.




Incidentally, This malabrigo lace is much nicer than the frog tree i used on the last project. The price point is better also- frog tree is rather spendy, and it doesn't have nearly the yardage a hank of malabrigo lace, and the malabrigo is a bit less scratchy to me. but- live and learn, as they say.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

today's post is brought to you by the the number 4 and the letter k

sunny days, chasing the clouds away! Here is what i love about sesame street: everything.

There is no children's show that is more clever, creative, educational, and relevant than Sesame street. Any way you slice it, it is a show that fosters learning, tolerance and humility to children. Very often i wonder if more adults should watch the show more often.

What i enjoy about sesame street is how famous people enjoy working on the show also. there's a wiki list here.

And have a look at this great song feist did.


Right now i'm on my way to where the air is sweet.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

This fanny is for manny.

I'm really sorry, shoving the travel secretary notwithstanding, it seems that people are more than interested in smashing manny ramirez to little tiny pieces.

have you seen this gem? I'm really sorry, but where is his credible witness? This is really beginning to be bothersome to me, when his own media seems willing to hang him out to dry. This could have been left exactly where it was posted, but no, TATB has to post the link, and make baseball and manny fans like me all agitated.


This seems to be as much hooey as crazy bob lobel dished a few days ago. Perhaps i'm missing something, and there is some credible person backing the guy up on this, but sometimes i wonder if people (the media) get off on making up stories about him.

I get it, manny gets a free pass sometimes; alright, often even. but come on. I'm aggravated with myself because i'm so heated up about it, because it's so far removed from useful sports reporting but WTF? If you are a sports reporter, report the fucking box score, and the fact that many was pretty good in the night's game. Don't fucking try to get your stupid fucking blog picked up nationally on the coattails and at the expense of a famous person.

God i'm so mad i'm swearing like crazy.

to be clear, i don't condone the shoving of the travel agent guy; but come on, all the other "incidents" lately have been 100% exacerbated by the media, including nesn (dennis eckersly)

Are we interested in a pretty tight AL and AL east, or are we only interested in manny? How bout this? he's one of only three players who had hits in anaheim, is that not more relevant?

that which doesn't kill me.....

blah blah blah.... Trouble is, this might do just that.

So Dear Sarah and Ernest are getting married in a few weeks! And since they are so kind, they've decided to let their soccer hooligan friends join them for the ceremony and reception. As is the case with all girls, (and probably for guys as well), i'm beginning to agonize over what to wear.

For me, shopping for clothing almost always ends in tears. It's so unpleasant- especially when one is shopping for an important event outfit. So, in an effort to avoid some unhappiness, i've decided to make a dress to wear. This could be a tall order. But on top of that i've decided to knit myself a shawl to wear instead of a sweater. yipes. This is a pie in the sky plan, and it could very well end in as many tears as shopping; but why do something the easy way, when you can make it oh so much harder for yourself?

So. i think it will be something like this one: B4723, though i've never used a butterick pattern before. Also, the fabric it calls for is not the kind of fabric i've purchased (This dear readers is why you should never buy the fabric first).

This is the fabric i've settled on. it's rather casual, D'you think too casual for a wedding outfit? I figure the cut of the dress will make up for the casual print, i hope? I'm planning on making it this weekend and next so perhaps i'll post photos and take a little opinion poll.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Boy we sure can squeeze a lemon

bob lobel publishied this gripping article in the globe today.

The thing is, Manny isn't the first loon in the sox clubhouse- he just happens to be the most talented loon. He's also not the first to say things to reporters about their contracts- papelbon has done it as recently as this past spring. A contract isn't based on a player's personality- if that were the case we would still have dave roberts, orlando cabrera and we would still be saddled with kevin millar and shea hillenbrand.

Contracts are based on performance- Manny's has been pretty consistent, and consistently good. Additionally, anyone who thinks a player in a contract season is going to throw an at bat (bob lobel) is on qualudes.

I don't appreciate the shoving incident any more then anyone else, but if I'm an asshole to a kid in the warehouse, I've got to appologize to the kid, not to the whole town. True, John henry has his hands full when dealing with manny and his personality foibles, but henry has benefited from manny as much as manny has from the free pass he gets. John henry's team is better with manny. the sox will not be as good without manny in the batting order. Henry will have to decide if the personality is too big a con for the long list of pros manny has to offer.

Sure manny gets a free pass often enough, but he sure enough does get a much greater ration of shit when people are hacked with him (and historically it seems lobel has always been keen to dish out rations). As fans we are never willing to look at things based on wins and losses. We want our players to do goofy spots on nesn, we want them to be good with our kids, hustle down the first base line. We want them to give interviews with cheer; and when they do, we want them to use good language. We want them to be likable.

That is naive and the recent article illustrates that the media is a major reason why it's perpetual. I want Manny back next season, and i'm willing to pay him an appropriate amount of money to hit bombs.

Monday, July 14, 2008

sox finish out the first half on top!

So, edgar and i went to the ball game yesterday. I scored a pair of tickets from a very gracious vendor, Source 4. we had a good time, the recent rennovations to fenway allow a nice breeze to blow in from right to left, so it's not nearly as hot as it used to get. But i'll be glad when they renno those old grandstand seats. yipes. I'm not terribly tall, and still there was nowhere for my short legs to go. the Sox won, despite papelbon's best efforts to give it away in the ninth.

I got a nifty new camera pecifically for the game, and boy am i glad, it takes fab photos!I a should have taken more of the batters, but i didn't, i'm a dumbhead. I also should have taken some of us (even if for no other reason but to get evidence of a yankee fan at fenway having a good time!) dear readers you'll have to be satisfied with game shots.
This of course is manny ramirez, he drives others crazy, but not me, this fanny is for manny.

here's pedroia catching the throw comin'down


and sally's future son in law ellsbury (she just has to figure out a way for him to get in touch with her daughter).


oh, i nearly forgot; dice-k matsusaka pitched.
He doesn't throw gas, so it's a bit hard to watch sometimes, because he's a moderately finesse style pitcher, I rather find hardball pitchers more comforting, but he got the job done, and he was very good, since the offense seemed to have phoned it in a bit. Note to Sean Casey- no more stretching singles into doubles, you aren't nearly as fast as your mom told you.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

tea wallet 2.0

A short while ago i posted the tea wallet on a crafting site. Sometimes i'm moderately disappointed because there have been some misrepresentations with other tutorials. i'm going to hold off posting version 2.0 there until i get the pdf made. Truthfully, a pdf really shouldn't be necessary, because it's as easy peasy a project as there is, but sometimes directions are useful.

so without further ado (and without further sour grapes) here it is, tea wallet 2.0



These ones are a bit different, rather than slots for tea envelopes, they've simply got a pocket and a flap cover. This is to accommodate nekkid tea bags as the GlitterKitty so lovingly calls them (she's the person for whom these were made). i really enjoy making things like his because they are a great way to use up scraps. They are a fun project.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

My shermy sherm is so handsome!

so here's my sherman.

He's a terribly handsome cat, though i have to admit, i'd rather like it if he would stop being social while i'm in the bathroom.

he's a good cat, he's very pleasant, and he doesn't even scratch or bite very often, unless i tease him.

Friday, July 04, 2008

tote bag mania!

So i needed to make a new tote bag for myself, it was supposed to be like this one here but as it turns out, it's not really like that one at all, the shape is very different. But i rather like this one anyway.

it's smaller thatn the big satchel bag i use when i go on interviews, yet it's large enough to carry a small knitting project and all the other crap i've gotta cart around. it's quite sunny and bright, rather cheerful. i like it.