Everyone has the experienced the moment or time in place where they really feel like they are living. Or at least I hope they have. For some, it might be the thrill of skydiving. Maybe it's the thrill of high stakes poker. For others it might be watching their favorite team. I had one such moment earlier tonight. There I was standing on the track, running 2000 and 1000 meter repeats and sucking wind beyond belief. I'm standing there in the pitch black, not another human being in site wondering what in the hell I was doing -- when it started pouring rain (editors note: first rain in about six months). I just started laughing -- and ran another few laps. I couldn't help but smile; I was completely and utterly miserable but at the same time, there's no place I rather would have been.
(That said, enjoying a glass of scotch and watching The Office, which is what I am doing right now, is a pretty darn close second.)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Interesting Night
So I am sitting outside at the new most excellent (organic) pizza place that just opened in town with Coach Phil and the owner of the restaurant. Coach Phil is a renowned beer brewer and the resident expert on all things beer related, so we were sampling some local microbrews . In walks an elderly couple who knows the owner. The Old Man sits down to join us in sampling the beers and I notice he's wearing a sweat shirt that says "Rat Dog." I jokingly ask him if he's a fan of the band (thinking maybe it was a brand of clothing I was unfamiliar with) and he says to me, "You know Rat Dog? That's my son's band." Turns out his son is Bobby Weir of Grateful Dead fame. So he proceeds to regale us with really interesting stories about the Man himself. Probably not a big deal for most of you, but if you are a fan of the Dead, it was pretty cool. Only in California.....
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Five Year Anniversary
I talk a bit about my own bout with cancer but as many of you know, The Wife is a cancer survivor too, and today marks the fifth anniversary of her surgery for cervical cancer. Congrats, Wife, on this milestone, who's one tough lady. This day five years ago was one of the roughest days of both our lives. Without question, her diagnosis was tougher on me than my own. One memory I will never forget from that day was my boy Billy Z walking into the waiting room at the hospital, completely unannounced, and sitting with me for the duration of her three hour surgery. It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. So, thanks for that Diamond, if you are out there. And please leave a shout out for The Wife in comments if you would; I think she'd appreciate that.
That's about it for tonight. I had a 13 hour day in San Diego (where the weather was 80 degrees and freaking perfect; per usual and am shelled. Think I might also be coming down with something from all this freaking marathon training. More tomorrow.
That's about it for tonight. I had a 13 hour day in San Diego (where the weather was 80 degrees and freaking perfect; per usual and am shelled. Think I might also be coming down with something from all this freaking marathon training. More tomorrow.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Top Sporting Events
On the heels of my somewhat popular post from last week concerning my favorite concerts of all time comes another "list" -- this one being favorite sporting events I've attended in my lifetime. In no particular order, the list is as follows:
-- World Series game number five, 1997: Yankees vs. Dodgers. otherwise knows as the "Willie Randolph" game. Yanks won in a comeback, the stadium went berserk and sitting in the stands was one wide eyed little Kid. This one pretty much solidified my lifelong love affair with the Yankees. Thanks for that, Old Man.
-- Rose Bowl, Michigan vs. Washington, 1986. Otherwise knows as the Steve Emtman game. The dude beat us almost singlehandledly. Probably sounds weird to be listing a Michigan loss as one of my favorite games, but at the end of the day it really didn't matter much: it was my first Rose Bowl, I was there with my closest buddies and come to think of it, it was my first trip to California. Note that this entire list could probably consist of Michigan games, but at the end of the day this the one that really stood out.
-- The Hambeltonian, 1983. What in the world is the Hambeltonian you ask? Well, think of it as the Kentucky Derby of harness racing. I was big into horse racing in high school (I will allow my father to elaborate) and this was the big race of the year. Part of what stoked me about this is that my parents thought I was at SAT class but instead I was at the racetrack, where I proceeded to win $200. That might be about the most dangerous thing I ever did, which pretty much explains my high school years in a nutshell. Only downside to this short tale is that after this race, horse racing became a bit of a, umm, consuming passion for a few years. But alas, that's a story for another day.
-- The first time I saw Michael Jordan play live. Not sure what game it was; I saw him play dozens of times during my Chicago tenure (I even saw him at my gym, playing pickup games). It wasn't until that game though that I realized I was witnessing the modern day equivalent of Babe Ruth, and that this was an experience I'd one day share with my grandkids. And oh yeah: he scored fifty points that game. That much I do remember.
-- Every one of the Little Boy's baseball games. I don't mean this in a corny way either; I can't tell you how much pleasure I get out if watching him play baseball. It has nothing to do with how well he does or doesn't play (and I must say that he's constantly improving and getting pretty darn good). It's his complete and utter love of the game. The best part is the look in his eye after he makes a great play; it trumps any feeling I get out of watching professional sports.
But enough about me -- let's hear from the peanut gallery on this one.
--
-- World Series game number five, 1997: Yankees vs. Dodgers. otherwise knows as the "Willie Randolph" game. Yanks won in a comeback, the stadium went berserk and sitting in the stands was one wide eyed little Kid. This one pretty much solidified my lifelong love affair with the Yankees. Thanks for that, Old Man.
-- Rose Bowl, Michigan vs. Washington, 1986. Otherwise knows as the Steve Emtman game. The dude beat us almost singlehandledly. Probably sounds weird to be listing a Michigan loss as one of my favorite games, but at the end of the day it really didn't matter much: it was my first Rose Bowl, I was there with my closest buddies and come to think of it, it was my first trip to California. Note that this entire list could probably consist of Michigan games, but at the end of the day this the one that really stood out.
-- The Hambeltonian, 1983. What in the world is the Hambeltonian you ask? Well, think of it as the Kentucky Derby of harness racing. I was big into horse racing in high school (I will allow my father to elaborate) and this was the big race of the year. Part of what stoked me about this is that my parents thought I was at SAT class but instead I was at the racetrack, where I proceeded to win $200. That might be about the most dangerous thing I ever did, which pretty much explains my high school years in a nutshell. Only downside to this short tale is that after this race, horse racing became a bit of a, umm, consuming passion for a few years. But alas, that's a story for another day.
-- The first time I saw Michael Jordan play live. Not sure what game it was; I saw him play dozens of times during my Chicago tenure (I even saw him at my gym, playing pickup games). It wasn't until that game though that I realized I was witnessing the modern day equivalent of Babe Ruth, and that this was an experience I'd one day share with my grandkids. And oh yeah: he scored fifty points that game. That much I do remember.
-- Every one of the Little Boy's baseball games. I don't mean this in a corny way either; I can't tell you how much pleasure I get out if watching him play baseball. It has nothing to do with how well he does or doesn't play (and I must say that he's constantly improving and getting pretty darn good). It's his complete and utter love of the game. The best part is the look in his eye after he makes a great play; it trumps any feeling I get out of watching professional sports.
But enough about me -- let's hear from the peanut gallery on this one.
--
Weather
This is the best time to be in the Bay Area; it is our Indian Summer and the weather is far nicer than our "regular" summer. It's just perfect out and if nothing else, a bit too hot. Saturday's temperature hit 88, which made for a rather uncomfortable 18 miler run, but that's a story for another day (my nine mile run yesterday wasn't much better). However, according to the weather this morning, the rainy season is upon us. The rain usually starts around now and ends in, oh April or so. It's not quite a bad as it sounds but there are moments when it becomes a bit much. One of the things I have learned these past three years is that California is a very tempermental State. Not enough rain and you quickly get wildfires and drought. Too much rain and you get mudslides and flooding. The Santa Ana winds blow in and all of a sudden a small fire becomes massive. We didn't have any of these problems in New Jersey. All that being said, and at the risk of sounding like a complete Homer, I do think this is the coolest State (and place) in the continental United States (that I have experienced, anyway) and if I had to move, I'd be bummed (to say the least).
In other news, one more week of Fall Ball (the Boy's baseball league). I am the coach and it's been a lot of fun but time to say goodbye to baseball and move on to other pastures. The Boy is obsessed with baseball to the point where it's a bit much; he needs a break. Almost halloween, too, which is always a lot fo fun. I'll post pictures from later in the week.
In other news, one more week of Fall Ball (the Boy's baseball league). I am the coach and it's been a lot of fun but time to say goodbye to baseball and move on to other pastures. The Boy is obsessed with baseball to the point where it's a bit much; he needs a break. Almost halloween, too, which is always a lot fo fun. I'll post pictures from later in the week.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Random Thoughts
-- Anyone watch that new Christian Slater show? If so, thoughts? I've heard it's pretty good. Not sure if I have the bandwidth for another show, but I can be sold.
-- My boy Scooter raised a most excellent point in his comment: Yellowman was definitely concert number five on my list of best show. I've seen Yellowman dozens of times, mostly with Todd and Scooter, and each has been unbelieveable in their own right. I emailed with Yellowman a few years back; turns out he is a major Panerai (watch) collector, as I am (qualifier: I love the brand. I would not categorize myself though as a major collector).
-- Next week's "list" -- the top five sporting events I've attended of all time Put your thinking caps on now; this one requires some thought.
-- Best reality show of all-time? For me, Survivor. For my son, The Amazing Race. For the Wife, the Bachelor. Anything egregiously missing? (egregious just doesn't fit into context when applied to reality TV, does it?).
-- Just downloaded the new Cure album today. To me, the quintessential 80's band but not sure how they hold up today. Stand by for a review.
-- On the topic, I also downloaded Johnny Cash, Live from Folsom Prison. Has there ever been a better opening in the history of recorded music than "Hello. I'm Johnny Cash."?
-- Ran on the track with the kid's tonight. Workout consisted of 1/2 mile warmup followed by 2 x 400 at 6:00 minute pace, 1 x 1000 at 6:45 and 1 x 2000 at 7:30. then the whole thing again. It's harder than it sounds. The best thing though about my track nights is being out there with my kids. They absolutely love it; they throw a baseball around by themselves; they yell "go daddy, go" every time I pass by, and ever fourth lap or so they join me for a slow jog around the track. We have a great time together, it's become a weekly ritual and I am sure this is a memory that will last a lifetime. And I have to say, they both show great potential as runners, most especially the girl. She ran a quarter mile with me tonight at 8:00 pace and she was running pretty effortlessly.
Anyway -- that's about it for tonight.
-- My boy Scooter raised a most excellent point in his comment: Yellowman was definitely concert number five on my list of best show. I've seen Yellowman dozens of times, mostly with Todd and Scooter, and each has been unbelieveable in their own right. I emailed with Yellowman a few years back; turns out he is a major Panerai (watch) collector, as I am (qualifier: I love the brand. I would not categorize myself though as a major collector).
-- Next week's "list" -- the top five sporting events I've attended of all time Put your thinking caps on now; this one requires some thought.
-- Best reality show of all-time? For me, Survivor. For my son, The Amazing Race. For the Wife, the Bachelor. Anything egregiously missing? (egregious just doesn't fit into context when applied to reality TV, does it?).
-- Just downloaded the new Cure album today. To me, the quintessential 80's band but not sure how they hold up today. Stand by for a review.
-- On the topic, I also downloaded Johnny Cash, Live from Folsom Prison. Has there ever been a better opening in the history of recorded music than "Hello. I'm Johnny Cash."?
-- Ran on the track with the kid's tonight. Workout consisted of 1/2 mile warmup followed by 2 x 400 at 6:00 minute pace, 1 x 1000 at 6:45 and 1 x 2000 at 7:30. then the whole thing again. It's harder than it sounds. The best thing though about my track nights is being out there with my kids. They absolutely love it; they throw a baseball around by themselves; they yell "go daddy, go" every time I pass by, and ever fourth lap or so they join me for a slow jog around the track. We have a great time together, it's become a weekly ritual and I am sure this is a memory that will last a lifetime. And I have to say, they both show great potential as runners, most especially the girl. She ran a quarter mile with me tonight at 8:00 pace and she was running pretty effortlessly.
Anyway -- that's about it for tonight.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Favorite Concerts of All-Time
I went for a run tonight after a very long day, and was listening to The Clash, who have a new album out, The Clash Live from Shea Stadium. Hard to believe that the Shea Stadium show was more than 25 years ago -- especially as I was there. Which got me to thinking of my all-time favorite shows. Without a whole lot of thought, I'd list them as follows:
4. My first Grateful Dead show at RFK in 1985 or so. It wasn't that it was that spectacular of a Dead show; I went on to see another 20 plus shows, many of which had much better sets, but this one was, shall we say, enlightening. Love 'em or hate 'em, there was nothing like the experience of a Dead show. Nothing. Hard to believe that I live in the same town/county as most of the Dead. I've even seen Bobby Weir at our local pool.
3. U2 Live at Pier 84, circa 1980. This was right after the debut album, Boy, and there could not have been more than 2,000 people in attendance. It wasn't remotely sold out. In fact, at the time I was just as excited to see the opening band, The Alarm ("The Stand"). If I am not mistaken it was one of their first US shows and they were absolutely transcendent. There was no question they were going to be a major, major, arena-style band and even at a relatively young age, Bono was tremendously charismatic. This was a show for the ages.
2. The above Clash show, live from Shea. This was my first big arena show and the Clash were and remain today my favorite band of all-time. This was one of the best line-ups ever: David Johansen, followed by Black Uhuru, followed by the Clash and then The Who. In the pouring, driving rain. And while The Clash were beyond fantastic, The Who put on quite the show as well. I still get chills thinking of their rendition of "Love Reign O'er Me" in the rain. Epic.
1. The Smashing Pumpkin's Last Show in Chicago, circa 2004 (I think). Not sure if it was the fact that it was a much heralded show and yet I managed to somehow get a ticket though my good buddy. In the VIP section. Where I proceeded to befriend and hang out all night with actor Bill Zane. Who invited me to the after party. Where I hung with Bill Corgan until 3 in the morning (see why it's my favorite show of all-time?). But all that being said, the music carried the day. The Pumpkin's played all their classic, they played 'em loud and they were having a lot of fun. It wasn
't at all funeral, but rather a celebration of their work.
Anyway, there's more -- a lot more -- but those are four that really stand out. But enough about me -- what about y'all?
4. My first Grateful Dead show at RFK in 1985 or so. It wasn't that it was that spectacular of a Dead show; I went on to see another 20 plus shows, many of which had much better sets, but this one was, shall we say, enlightening. Love 'em or hate 'em, there was nothing like the experience of a Dead show. Nothing. Hard to believe that I live in the same town/county as most of the Dead. I've even seen Bobby Weir at our local pool.
3. U2 Live at Pier 84, circa 1980. This was right after the debut album, Boy, and there could not have been more than 2,000 people in attendance. It wasn't remotely sold out. In fact, at the time I was just as excited to see the opening band, The Alarm ("The Stand"). If I am not mistaken it was one of their first US shows and they were absolutely transcendent. There was no question they were going to be a major, major, arena-style band and even at a relatively young age, Bono was tremendously charismatic. This was a show for the ages.
2. The above Clash show, live from Shea. This was my first big arena show and the Clash were and remain today my favorite band of all-time. This was one of the best line-ups ever: David Johansen, followed by Black Uhuru, followed by the Clash and then The Who. In the pouring, driving rain. And while The Clash were beyond fantastic, The Who put on quite the show as well. I still get chills thinking of their rendition of "Love Reign O'er Me" in the rain. Epic.
1. The Smashing Pumpkin's Last Show in Chicago, circa 2004 (I think). Not sure if it was the fact that it was a much heralded show and yet I managed to somehow get a ticket though my good buddy. In the VIP section. Where I proceeded to befriend and hang out all night with actor Bill Zane. Who invited me to the after party. Where I hung with Bill Corgan until 3 in the morning (see why it's my favorite show of all-time?). But all that being said, the music carried the day. The Pumpkin's played all their classic, they played 'em loud and they were having a lot of fun. It wasn
't at all funeral, but rather a celebration of their work.
Anyway, there's more -- a lot more -- but those are four that really stand out. But enough about me -- what about y'all?
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