Rod Beck's sudden death is pretty shocking. He was my favorite pitcher when he was on The Sucky Team. I'll miss his intense gaze, the way he dangled his arm before a pitch and..the wild hair.
In the early 90's, there seemed to be a lot of amazing pitchers with holdover hair from the 1980's. Dennis Eckersley, Rod Beck, and Juan Guzman are three that come to mind. O.K., and Randy Johnson. Once you saw it, you started seeing it everywhere.
I called their "do" "the hair blob." Each of these pitchers had their own personal hair blob style, but the basic look was a big old patch of hair pooching out below their cap. A hair blob isn't just long hair. It has volume, as well. Eckersly's was stringy, Beck's was puffy, and Guzman's was emproducted. People used to ask me: it's the 90's and your baseball crush is still wearing jeri curls. How can you think he's cute? I guess the answer is: have you looked at him and watched him pitch? He's fine, and he's fierce.
I'm not that tuned into baseball these days, but it seems like there might not be as many good hair blobs around as there used to be.
June 26, 2007
June 23, 2007
Ants
It's that time of year, people. Ant season. I'm up early because there was an ant trail across my pillow and the ants were tickling me.
When I finally got up, I saw a huge mass of ants on the floor. They'd absconded with a piece of Nose's kibble and were trying to get it through a very small gap between the baseboard and the wall.
Very funny, my tiny friends.
They got a squirt of Begley's Best cleaner and a flush down the toi-toi.
Last year the ants were so bad that mr guy had to come home from vacation to clean up the ant invasion because it was freaking out the catsitter. I'm hoping he doesn't have to do that this year.
When I finally got up, I saw a huge mass of ants on the floor. They'd absconded with a piece of Nose's kibble and were trying to get it through a very small gap between the baseboard and the wall.
Very funny, my tiny friends.
They got a squirt of Begley's Best cleaner and a flush down the toi-toi.
Last year the ants were so bad that mr guy had to come home from vacation to clean up the ant invasion because it was freaking out the catsitter. I'm hoping he doesn't have to do that this year.
June 10, 2007
Haggis
And yes, on our last day at the deinstall Shee Jimmy and I shared some haggis. It had great mouth feel, and had nice crispy bits like a really great pan-fried hash, but the flavor was a little strong for me. If you like the taste of liver, this is for you.
Outside the restaurant, I made friends with two opposing flavors of older Scotsmen, and a young woman on the street who joyfully suggested I get my American or Canadian ass into Belushi's to do some karaoke. Next time, young lady, next time...
Day 3 and 4
Deinstalling the forklift show is best summed up by these photos. Lotta workin:
And a beer:
Offscreen: Dolly the Sheep, whose taxidermed loveliness slowly rotates in a plexiglas vitrine in another gallery in the museum. The employee entrance is just beyond her, so we passed by several times a day. This gave me great pleasure.
And a beer:
Offscreen: Dolly the Sheep, whose taxidermed loveliness slowly rotates in a plexiglas vitrine in another gallery in the museum. The employee entrance is just beyond her, so we passed by several times a day. This gave me great pleasure.
Day 2 -- Continued
Our feet took us other places: to the land of really awful Scots souvenirs:
and up for a closer view of the castle:
and the view from the castle.
We did the things that all tourists should do. We bought the products of Scottish sheep. We found the dog statue and ate at the restaurant named after the dog. With other Americans. One thing I learned on Day 2 is that there are so many clueless tourists in Edinburgh that the locals kindly put ordering instructions on the walls of their establishments in the hopes that fewer of us annoy them. I'll remember this the next time I go.
After lunch we went to the forklift exhibition, and then out for a cream tea.
Perhaps it was all the walking, but I was hungry often in Edinburgh and there's always something good to eat around the corner. It's a food town, and I was in heaven.
Somewhere after the tea we needed to get back to the hotel and do some work to prep for the following day. We proofed captions for the next venue and ate (again).
and up for a closer view of the castle:
and the view from the castle.
We did the things that all tourists should do. We bought the products of Scottish sheep. We found the dog statue and ate at the restaurant named after the dog. With other Americans. One thing I learned on Day 2 is that there are so many clueless tourists in Edinburgh that the locals kindly put ordering instructions on the walls of their establishments in the hopes that fewer of us annoy them. I'll remember this the next time I go.After lunch we went to the forklift exhibition, and then out for a cream tea.
Perhaps it was all the walking, but I was hungry often in Edinburgh and there's always something good to eat around the corner. It's a food town, and I was in heaven.
Somewhere after the tea we needed to get back to the hotel and do some work to prep for the following day. We proofed captions for the next venue and ate (again).
June 9, 2007
THE CRISP REPORT
O.K., let me digress a bit here to say that the crisp thing has gotten out of control in Britain.
I reported earlier in this blog that in 2004, England's Kettle Chips had port and stilton chips and our Kettle Chips distributors did not provide them to the American market. Sad, but a blip on the screen compared to the flavors we're missing now.
Currently there are regional ingredients and flavor combinations available to Scotsmen that we have no hope of replicating.
I reported earlier in this blog that in 2004, England's Kettle Chips had port and stilton chips and our Kettle Chips distributors did not provide them to the American market. Sad, but a blip on the screen compared to the flavors we're missing now.
Currently there are regional ingredients and flavor combinations available to Scotsmen that we have no hope of replicating.
Taw Valley Cheddar and Carmelized Shallot crisps
Feta Cheese, Olive, Lemon and Thyme
Sundried Tomato and Basil
Feta Cheese, Olive, Lemon and Thyme
Sundried Tomato and Basil
Honey Roast Wiltshire Ham
Firecracker Lobster
That's all I'm saying.
EBURGH DAY 2: POUND CITY
I'd hazard to say that somehow a week's worth of entertainment happened on our free day with a minimum of effort. We got up early for breakfast, and headed down the street to do some shopping. Edinburgh is a great city to walk, and our feet took us past Pound City.
My people!
Red hair, Confidence and a gross of ceramic babies with binkies can all be yours for a pound at Pound City (slogan: "It Is a Pound")
I came away with a Pink Panther notebook and a Chinese brocade pillow cover. Could've used confidence but was worried about bulking up my suitcase so soon.
Shouldn't Confidence have no actual mass?
My people!
Red hair, Confidence and a gross of ceramic babies with binkies can all be yours for a pound at Pound City (slogan: "It Is a Pound")
I came away with a Pink Panther notebook and a Chinese brocade pillow cover. Could've used confidence but was worried about bulking up my suitcase so soon. Shouldn't Confidence have no actual mass?
EBURGH, DAY 1
Last week I was in Edinburgh with Shee Jimmy for the deinstall of the company forklift exhibition. What follows is the blow-by-blow.
I love everything about flying but the flying part. Airplanes are cool and weird, airports are wonderful places to people watch. The views can be amazing. Virgin is lovely to fly on, especially when you're in Economy Plus. And then there are the one or two times during every flight when my strong preference is to be on the ground. But it was fun.
Shee Jimmy and I arrived at the hotel and decided we really had to keep moving and get some food. We ended up at the restaurant with the sulky bartender and settled in for a mixed plate of what-you-got and some pureed minestrone (a culinary first!).
Then we somehow kept walking around, hoping that if we stayed up until bedtime in Scotland we'd beat jet lag. It pretty much worked. We walked along the Leith, and up and around alleys, taking pictures. Edinburgh is a supermodel. No bad angles. So lovely. And a little offbeat.
Eventually we ended up at our home away from home, Indigo Yard. We planned our strategy for our free day (see the forklift exhibit. find the dog statue) and marveled at the hair straightening iron vending machine in the bathroom.
As we made our way back to the hotel, it was 10:30 and still light.
I love everything about flying but the flying part. Airplanes are cool and weird, airports are wonderful places to people watch. The views can be amazing. Virgin is lovely to fly on, especially when you're in Economy Plus. And then there are the one or two times during every flight when my strong preference is to be on the ground. But it was fun.
Shee Jimmy and I arrived at the hotel and decided we really had to keep moving and get some food. We ended up at the restaurant with the sulky bartender and settled in for a mixed plate of what-you-got and some pureed minestrone (a culinary first!).
Then we somehow kept walking around, hoping that if we stayed up until bedtime in Scotland we'd beat jet lag. It pretty much worked. We walked along the Leith, and up and around alleys, taking pictures. Edinburgh is a supermodel. No bad angles. So lovely. And a little offbeat.
Eventually we ended up at our home away from home, Indigo Yard. We planned our strategy for our free day (see the forklift exhibit. find the dog statue) and marveled at the hair straightening iron vending machine in the bathroom.
As we made our way back to the hotel, it was 10:30 and still light.
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