Big Day in the Evil Empire

Yesterday the Yankees traded for Marte and Nady.  We were told yesterday that they had given up Ohlendorf, Tabata, Kontos, and Coke.  I thought that was a FABULOUS deal.  Today we’ve learned that Kontos and Coke are out, and McCutchen and Karstens are in.  Makes the deal a little less great.  McCutchen is pretty good and could have helped the team.  I’ve never been a big fan of Karstens, so let him go.  I still think it’s a great deal for the Yanks.  Ohlendorf and Karstens have been passed by at least 5-7 other pitchers in my mind on the organization’s depth chart.  Tabata has been an enigma.  Reports were he came to camp this spring out of shape and lacked the proper work ethic.  Add to that the fact that he is hitting below .250 (with NO power), has been suspendedtwice by his manager for attitude problems, has been injured, and even considered walking away from the game and what you have is an extraordinary talent who just doesn’t get it.  Now, he might start to get it… just look at Josh Hamilton, but I’m willing to guess there are at least 50 or so guys like Hamilton or Tabata that don’t turn it around for every one that does turn it around like Hamilton.  I wish the kid the best of luck.  Maybe this will kick him into shape.

Oh yeah, there was also a game last night.  Joba was everything he was supposed to be.  Dominant.  9 Ks.  7 innings.  3 H.  1 BB.  A Giambi Shift single was the difference.  Good.  I hate shifts like that, and can’t see why teams play them.  Boston learned why last night.  1-0 Yankees.  Awesome.

Game 2 of the series today.

Today Was An Awesome Day

I guess technically it’s yesterday now, but today was an uber awesome day.  You know the Messman is serious about something when he starts breaking out the German.  Let’s run through why today was awesome:

-Finished the draft of a message brief I was working on.  Our computers at work have been having a lot of trouble, and Microsoft Word froze just as I was leaving for lunch… I thought I had lost all the work I had done that morning, but my computer pulled through and everything was fine.  Awesome.

-Lunch with Tre.  Awesome.

-Stopping by to see Marlene.  Awesome.

For those of you who don’t know Tre or Marlene, they are great.  Spending time with either one is enough to make a day awesome.  Luckily for me, they work in the same building, so when I get to see one, I usually get to see the other.  It’s like a double whammy of uber super awesomeness.  Awesome.

-Laila quoted me on her gchat message.  Awesome.

I consider this to be hitting the big time.   Laila is quite popular and has many friends.  Her gchat message must be one of, if the THE, most read messages on gchat.  Awesome.

-The Yankees won, completeing a 3 game sweep of the Twins.  Awesome.

-The weather was incredibly wonderful today.  Awesome.

This was a seriously awesome day.  Thank you to everyone who helped in making this day awesome.  You are awesome.

Smile Once in a While!

I’ve been thinking about smiling.  I love to smile (in fact I’m smiling right now!), and you should smile too.  A lot.  Even if you have to force yourself to smile, do it every now and then.  If you pass someone on the street, smile and say “Hi.”  A smile can brighten someone’s day and make them happy, even if they aren’t feeling great.  Few things can be more powerful than a smile, and it is something we can all do quite easily.  If you haven’t smiled yet while reading this… SMILE!  NOW!

My Role in the Yankees Win

The Yankees continued their hot streak last night, defeating the Twins 8-2, and I’m proud to say that I played a crucial role in the victory.  The Yanks were losing 2-1 when I turned the game on in the sixth inning.  The Twins had just taken the lead in the top half of the inning… but I was not watching the game when they did.  As soon as I started watching, the tide turned.  Abreu hit a two run homer and the Yanks added another run on a Cano single, giving them a 4-2 lead at the end of the inning and decisively turning the tide.  Yes, Abreu and Cano deserve some credit too, but my contribution should not be overlooked.

Things I Like #20: Ocracoke Island, North Carolina

See previous entry for why.  I LOVE this place.

Did You Miss Meeeee??

I’m finally back.  I’m sure you were all eagerly awaiting my return.  During my three week odyssey of vacations and conferences I was on the ground in the following states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana.

The highlight of my time away was camping for a week on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, or as their new marketing campaign touts… OBX (Outer Banx).  My dad as been going to the island of Ocracoke for somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 years, meeting friends there to camp every summer.  It was a tradition that continued until I was about 15.  Since then we’ve only managed a couple of trips.  The island is an amazing place and holds a special place in my family’s hearts.  There are certain places that will always feel like home.  Places that, no matter how long it’s been since you visited, make you feel like you never left.  Ocracoke is one of those places for me.  It felt incredible to be back there.

Here’s a rundown of a typical day in the life of the Mess while caming on the beach:

Wake up just before dawn… completely naturally (ie without an alarm)…

Quick workout in the tent… finishing as the sun is breaking over the horizon

Walk over the sand dune to the beach to see the sunrise

Met by dad on the beach after about 20 minutes… dad bring the fishing gear

Fish with Dad for a few hours…

During the fishing mom comes over the dune with the dog, who has a blast running around on the beach…

Mom heads back to the campsite after about a half hour, leaving dad and I on the beach.

Head back over the dune with dad after hours of fishing… Mom usually has a fire going and breakfast (pancakes / french toast most likely) cooking on the fire… Eat breakfast and any fish that Dad caught… my brother wakes up about now…

Relax / nap / read in the shade… cuse it’s very hot in the sun

About 1 PM head over the dune to the beach with the whole family… bring the tarp to set up shade…

Spend a few hours chilling on the beach… swimming in the warm ocean surf… playing in the sand… sometimes take a nap…

About 4 PM head back over the dune… get everything settled…

Head for the local variety store to pick up ingredients to make dinner… then come back and start a fire and cook dinner… YUM!

After eating dinner we relax a little more in the shade… read our books… play some board games… hang out…

Watch the sunset over the sound…

Then go to bed, wake up, and repeat for a week.  What a life.  WHAT a life.