Holiday Weekend

Happy long holiday weekend, all. This has been one long ass week and a break could not come at a better time. Taking the Little Boy to a Yankee's-A's game tomorrow and beyond that, not sure. Probably some Cross Fitting, swimming, running and who knows what else. Hopefully will even get the Paddle Board out on the Bay. I love that thing but don't use it nearly enough. Maybe even some reading, if there is time; anyone have a good recommendation?

Mount Everest

I've been slightly obsessed with what's been going on on Mount Everest these past few days. If you haven't heard the most recent news, four climbers died over the weekend, making it one of the worst disasters in the history of the mountain. The pictures, which mostly come courtesy of Outside Magazine (who, per usual, have been absolutely killing it with their coverage) have been extraordinary. One picture showed nearly 300 people queued up for a summit push and climbers who have made the descent are starting to say that the traffic is responsible, in part, for several of these deaths.

I think what's happening on that mountain is an absolute joke, bordering on travesty. People who are incapable climbers at worst, amateurs at best are shelling out $60,000 per head for the sole purpose of saying they've climbed the world's highest mountain. To me, that represents everything that's wrong in the world of "sport."

"Vanity" climbing has always struck me as a bit of a joke but it's gone well beyond that. Base camp has been desecrated with litter and people are not just dying but endangering the lives of others. I imagine Sir Edmund Hilary is doing 180's in his grave.

I'm not sure what, exactly, can be done to bring about an end to this nonsense but I think something has to give.  Will be interesting to see Outside's perspective on the matter as the story takes shape over the next few months.

All I can say is that if the next 300 or so who are lined up to climb really want to impress, maybe they should focus their attention on an adjoining peak; a K2, Lhotse or Annapurna. They might not be tallest, which might not necessarily resonate in today's society, where the urgency always seems directed towards the "biggest and best" but without question, those are real climber's peaks.

Damn Yankees

I'm not exactly certain what's going on, but I do know that the Yankees season is in serious jeopardy if they don't get their act together. Losing 6 of their last 7 and getting shut out by the Royals at home? Unacceptable.

The problem, as has been the case for the past several years, is their pitching. Kuroda's last few outings have been terrible. I think there is enough evidence to say that Hughes isn't all that good. I'm concerned that hitters have figured out Nova. Which leaves us with CC and ... Andy Pettite. I'd feel better about that if we were looking at the year 2004.

Also, Tex needs to wake up and Arod needs to find some power. We are .500 at the end of May. ALl is not lost yet but they need to wake up soon. And Girardi better sound the wake up call or he will soon find himself replaced by Donnie Baseball (I'm writing this post form Los Angeles .. and I can tell you that they love Mattingly in these parts).

Ok, diatribe over.

Let's Go, Yankees!

Visit with the Parents

Well, the parental units have departed. Hope they agree that a good time was had by all - was sorry to see them go. We had our usual fun-filled weekend that included:

-- a Giant's game with the Little Boy

-- a swim meet

-- Little Boy baseball game

-- swimming and tennis

And who knows what else - we are always on the go doing something. 

Highlight for me though running with the boy from Mill Valley to Stinson beach via the famous Dipsea trail. It was a 7.2 mile run and he kicked ass - arguably faster than me. 

The other highlight was the solar eclipse. Any of you see that? We saw it with special goggles and it was a site to behold. One of the coolest things I've ever seen; the kids and I were absolutely mesmerized. 

Teeth

Poor Little Dude had seven teeth pulled this am. According to the Mrs. everything went smoothly and he is home resting. Hopefully, his grandparents will spoil him later this afternoon. Poor kid; when I left the house this morning he was literally shaking he was so scared and tears were just falling flowing from his eyes. I am extraordinarily sympathetic because I had a ton of dental work when I was a kid - and I mean a ton. Enough so  that it's probably the cause of my thyroid cancer.

Anyway, send good vibes to the Little Dude. I promised as a reward to take him to the Giants game tomorrow night and let him pick the seats.

(update: pictures of said teeth attached)

The Little Boy and Baseball

The Little Boy is putting on a good show for his grandfather, baseball-wise. Over the past two days he's gone 3-4 at the plate with a bunch of runs scored.

But where he's really made his mark is in the field. Be forewarned I'm going to sound like an obnoxious parent, but I guess that is part of what this blog is about. Anyway, the Kid has just been money at second base. He must have made five or six fielding plays yesterday and he made them all seem pretty effortless. It underscored to me the importance of defense in youth baseball, because without some of those plays it could have been a different outcome. One thing about that Little Dude that stands out: he's got exceptional hand/eye coordination.Now if only he could put on some weight and muscle........

Howard Stern on AGT

Like virtually every other Howard Stern fan in the country, I sat glued to the television last night for his debut on America's Got Talent. I expected him to exceed expectation but truth is he was very, very good. And I think as he settles into this role, he's only going to get better.

I had a conversation with my mother of all people about Howard, who called him a sellout. I could not disagree more. Prior to being selected as a judge for AGT he's spent countless hours judging performances on show's like American Idol, Dancing with Stars, The Voice, and yes, AGT. His analysis is generally spot on, and always funny. And I think that's exactly what he's going to bring to the table for the public at large these next few months.

Also, he's arguably at the twilight of his career and I suspect he wants to show the country that he's not the ogre that he's been made out to be these past few decades. I think people will be surprised that he's actually thoughtful, passionate and charming.

He probably won't be for everyone and there will always be detractors (including, surprisingly, my mother) but I know I haven't been this excited for a show in along, long while. I predict it/he will become a sensation.