The Slobs are Winning, The Classy are Disappearing

...From the Sunday 16 November 2009 edition of the Denver Post by guest columnist Teresa Keegan...
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Police yourselves — and don't frighten the horses
By Teresa Keegan
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I wish I could place a 911 call to Saudi Arabia, directly to the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Members of this unapologetically strict group regularly patrol the streets of that nation's cities, enforcing rigid dress and behavioral codes. They have nearly unlimited power to arrest, detain, interrogate and even punish suspected offenders. Prudes and proud of it, these men mean business.
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Showing cleavage? Drunk in public? You're in a world of hurt. Prepare to be flogged.
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Now, why would I want foreign virtue police running lights and sirens to our shores? Because I am under siege and in need of backup. Some examples:
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Last summer, all summer long, up and down my street late at night drove the boom cars. With supersized subwoofers thumping and bumping, rattling windows and knocking dishes off shelves, they transformed my peaceful neighborhood into the epicenter of a quake registering 8.0 on the Richter scale. Best I could tell, the "music" blaring from these mobile stereos consisted largely of chanted profanities in praise of gang-banging and cop-killing
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As I was strolling through Washington Park recently, enjoying the glorious weather, approaching me on my left was a young female jogger (aka near-naked wiggler-jiggler). As she passed by me, she turned her head and spat, narrowly missing my shoe. I had the temerity to give her a disgusted look. She apparently took this as a direct challenge to her First Amendment rights, called me a vile name and trotted off.
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Last week I was crossing Colfax by the courthouse, in the crosswalk, with the "walk" light. A man making a right turn on red nearly ran me down. I expected, if not an outright apology, at least a glimmer of contrition, some microscopic acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Instead, he called me a vile name, gunned his engine and sped off.
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Forget the Preble's meadow jumping mouse. I vote we declare ladies and gentlemen an endangered species. Every day the evidence mounts: polite, considerate and classy native flora and fauna are being inexorably overrun by noxious invaders (scientific name: malus vulgare). I'm talking about the gross and stupid, coarse and crude, aggressively rude, right-in-your-face crowd. You've seen them in LoDo at let-out, drunk and screaming, cursing and brawling, vomiting on sidewalks, urinating in alleys. You've heard them on the shuttle bus, loudly regaling one another with lurid details of their latest amorous exploits. And you, of course, are not allowed to object to their nastiness.
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Even the gentlest rebuke, the mildest criticism, elicits from them a torrent of obscenities, raised middle fingers, sometimes even physical assault on your person.
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Make no mistake, jackbooted jerks are everywhere on the march, trampling graciousness and courtesy into the mud. Their coup de grace? The demand that we in the white hats forgo all remaining manners and morals, join ranks with their anything-goes standing army and goosestep to its cadences: loosen up, lighten up, get a life, get over yourself.
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My response? No thank you. I choose to stand and fight.
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You want to cruise down my street blasting Ludacris at 3 a.m.? Fine. Here's a little Lawrence Welk right back at you. You want to chug nine beers and barf down my back at the ballgame? Say hello to 50,000 volts of electricity from my little friend the Taser. You won't see a white flag from me.
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I realize I can't totally defend against the blitzkrieg of modern-day slob culture. But I can join with like-minded others in demanding baseline standards for public behavior. Leaving public spaces inviolate is not a new idea. Consider Mrs. Patrick Campbell, 19th century British actress, who said, "Does it really matter what these people do, so long as they don't do it in the streets and frighten the horses?" If Mrs. Patrick Campbell could magically time-travel to present day Saturday night LoDo, what would she say?
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Please stop, people. The horses are terrified.
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Teresa Keegan (tkeegan@ecentral.com) of Denver is a court clerk
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Amen ! This column sums up my feelings, observations, and beliefs completely. But it is hopeless to think it is going to ever stop. I shudder at the thought of what it will be like in 2030...
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*****

Winds of Change, Season of Change

This week was one that saw some change arrive for me. I found out that I was going to keep working for the foreseeable future and not get laid off. But I do change shifts from my past swing shift, usually 3:30pm to midnight, or later, to one that will run from 7am to 3:30 pm. I guess it will be alright although I positively despise having to awaken at 6am five days a week especially in the dark, cold, and snow of winter. But I have to look at it as a means to an end: getting out of Cheyenne and back to Denver. My plan is to do that as soon as possible in the middle six months of 2009. The timing of the act will depend on how much money I have saved up. And of course, the more the better as there are always unanticipated expenses when doing a move. By working through the winter, I perhaps can leave in as early as six and one-half months or by the end of May. I could move that up to earlier that month, or wait until later in the summer. Right now I believe the latest month for leaving will be September of 2009. I simply cannot imagine or bear the thought of dealing with another winter here whatsoever.

Speaking of winter, our first real blast (and I mean blast) came late Thursday evening into early Friday morning. A potent blizzard came roaring around 10 pm and dumped about six inches of heavy wet snow accompanied by fierce powerful winds. The trip home from work was a treacherous adventure as I lost control of the truck twice on the snowpacked icy roads, and once slid into a curb which fortunately caused no damage and was at a moment when no traffic was around. The switch to dayshift at work started Friday, so after only about five and a half hours home, I had to venture out in the dark and discovered drifts around 3' in height around the truck and windows covered with a thick glaze. This storm was short lived as it was gone in a matter of hours. But there was still a lot of snow around still at dusk on Saturday night although the streets were generally clear. It got down to a frigid 13 degrees this morning but warmed up to 52 degrees Saturday afternoon. And the upcoming week is supposed to be very nice with a 67 degrees afternoon forecast for Tuesday the 18th.

The past week saw a lot of wind. Most days and nights it howled, often with gusts in excess of 50 mph, and there were a few nights and days where gusts were in excess of 70 mph. One just has to bear it. The worst is still yet to come in January, February, and March.

Working over 16 hours in a 24 hour period left me exhausted as my body clock has to be reset for a major time shift which will take a good part of next week to accomplish. After completing my shift on Friday I went and had Mexican food at Guadalajara's, a joint on the main commercial drive on the north side of town, Del Range Blvd. It was okay but I have had better. I have been out to about five Mexican restaurants here in Cheyenne in the nearly two years I have been here and have yet to find one I am enthusiastic about, like what I have found in Denver with Santiagos, the Armadillo, and Little Anita's. I figure I still have about five to ten other ones to visit here in Cheyenne in the coming months, so maybe I will find one that is worthwhile.

I slept a lot after getting only about two and a half hours on Friday morning after that Thursday shift and before the Friday shift. I fell asleep on Friday night before 7pm and woke up around 3 am. After a few hours, I got sleepy again and slept from about 5:30 am until around 1:30 pm. I think I also am battling a little bit of a cold which is impacting me, so the rest was helpful with that. I have been sneezing alot and have congestion in my throat and sinal cavity which is difficult to loosen and remove with coughs. How I got it is an unknown as I am largely not exposed to possible risks, but I do touch door handles at work which may have been the source.

Saturday was largely a day of rest. I watched some college football in the afternoon and a good part of the evening. I did venture out around 5pm for about an hour to pick up a part for the truck at Checker; go to the post office; get gasoline; and pickup a submarine at Subway. The evening wrapped up with a look into the end of the Avalanche / Oilers game, which went into a shootout won by Colorado in a thriller.

The price of gasoline continues to sink like a rock, a shocking and stunning development. Even into early July we were around $3.80 to $3.90 per gallon here in Cheyenne which was a fast and furious increase from where it was last February at $2.30 per gallon. But as of today the price here in Cheyenne has fallen to $1.85 per gallon. I do not think its been this inexpensive since 2004 or 2005. And its likely to go lower. Up the road to the north 80 miles in Wheatland, the price is all the way down to $1.40 per gallon, and in Casper its around $1.65 per gallon !!! For the price to have dropped so precipitously and quickly is simply amazing. I know its going to go back up again, probably to even higher levels, but I am very surprised and grateful to have this enormous benefit. I am saving about $50 a month already which is a nice gift.

With the cold weather here, I am less than enthusiastic about getting my frozen cappucino lotte; so its back to home made hot cocoa. I also will try to drink some hot green tea regularly.

I made my reservations for my rental car and have targeted my motels that I will be staying at for my vacation which is now but ten days away. One thing about now working earlier is that I will be able to work on Tuesday 25 November before going down to Denver. But in a trade off, I will have to take Monday 1 December off since thats when I am going return the rental car. I am truly looking forward to the trip and getting an opportunity to visit with and share activities with my sisters and their families, as well as see a friend from my past, Mark. I just hope the weather is cooperative. It is a little disconcerting to see the forecast for the upcoming week to have temperatures to near and above 70 degrees across the Front Range region. I cannot think that the next week, when I need to travel, will be as pleasant.

But I still have much to do in these ten days. I have to get thoroughly organized and prepared for the trip and vacation, making sure I think of everything I need to bring with me and then be sure to do so. Usually one forgets something for a trip like this, so I have to be fully aware of what I need to bring.

Sunday was another usual quiet day. Todd surprisingly stopped by briefly in midafternoon with his three rowdy pooches as he was out on a walk with them. It turned out to be a pretty nice day as the temperature reached 60 degrees. After watching NFL for a time, I went out around 5:30 to get the Sunday papers and make a stop at Walmart for a minimal amount of supplies for lunches. I may get back there later this week if I get around to it to further stock up on foods.

The remainder of Sunday evening was spent relaxing, and I went off to bed before midnight in preparation for the early arising Monday and the following four days ahead.

*****

Colorado Rockies Ship Matt Holliday to Oakland

Seeing Matt Holliday leave the Colorado Rockies was not a surprise, except for what team he was traded to, the Oakland Athletics. And the players acquired in the deal do not generate any kind of anticipation or excitement whatsoever. Nevertheless, it is a tremendous disappointment to see him go. Holliday may have been the best player in the history of the club, and would have been without question had he played his entire career in Denver. I am not angry, but some others truly are.

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I fully understand why he had to be traded, and the truth is unpleasant. Basically the ownership of the Rockies is financially unable and unwilling to sign players to long term contracts and to sums of money that are really obscene. The owners, the Brothers Monfort, have been burned three times seriously doing just that: with Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle in 2001, and with Todd Helton in 2002. All three deals turned out to be disasters.

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The Rockies simply lack the revenue to support a payroll much in excess of $75 to 80 million dollars. It took them those three expensive contract errors to understand that. The club only gets a limited amount of income from televison and radio, and it is of an amount that will never be more sizeable anytime soon. Revenue for naming rights to Coors Field will only increase marginally in the coming years with the contract in place for the future. Attendance for games will never return to the levels seen in the first decade of the club's existence except on a limited basis. The club is reasonable to budget for an average attendance of around 25,000 to 30,000 fans per game. The season ticket base will likely remain around 10,000 to 12,000 for the foreseeable future with swings of 20 % either way depending on how the club performs on the field and in the standings. While the internet holds some promise of new revenues, most of that will be kept by Major League Baseball and distributed in a shared way to all 30 clubs. Beyond that, there is little or any other revenue sources that can be increased.

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The Rockies made pre-emptive strikes with Troy Tulowitzski and Manny Corpas in signing them to longterm deals after only their rookie seasons. In hindsight, this is what should have been done is regard to Holliday. A deal should have put in place in '05 to keep him in Denver for several years, but it was not done due to the bad taste left in the mouths of the Monforts after the disastrous deals for Hampton, Neagle, and now Helton.

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I expect the Rockies to continue their strategy of signing promising young players to deals similar to the ones with Tulowitzski and Corpas. I believe similar deals with length of years in the same range (3 to 6 years) for C Chris Ianetta, 3B Ian Stewart, and OF Ryan Spilboroughs. If young up - and - comers like Dexter Fowler also excel, they may be signed to early deals.

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As for current players 3B Garrett Atkins, C Yorbit Torrealba, and CF Willie Taveras, I expect them to be traded in the weeks and months ahead. RF Brad Hawpe is another player I would not be surprised to see dealt, probably during the upcoming 2009 season.

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The pitching staff should see some turnover as well in the back of the rotation and in the long part of the bullpen. Lets hope Jeff Francis bounces back from a disastrous season. And hopefully the decent to good pitching we saw for much of 2008 from Aaron Cook, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Jorge De La Rosa will continue in 2009 for the most part. Who will be the 5th starter is one of the questions to answer before Opening Day. Candidates on the roster currently include newly - acquired Greg Smith, veteran Glendon Rusch, oft - injured Jason Hirsch, and often roughed up young Greg Reynolds. One has to think the starting pitching will be better in 2009, and if there is to be any hope for contending, the area where success will be have to be generated beyond expectations.

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The bullpen looks as if it is the best and most promising part of the club in spite of the departure of longime closer Brian Fuentes. Corpas, newly - acquired Huston Street, Taylor Bucholz, Jason Grilli, and Ryan Speier have the history and continued potential to to perform superbly overall in the upcoming season.

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The projection for the 2009 starting eight is an infield of Todd Helton at 1B; a platoon of Clint Barmes, Jeff Baker, and Omar Quintinilla at 2B (but one of these three could be dealt away); Tulowitzski at SS; and Stewart at 3B to replace the soon to be traded Atkins. Ianetta is now established at C, while the outfield now looks to be Spilboroughs in LF, newly acquired Carlos Gonzalez in CF, and Hawpe for at least the time being to be in RF. The bench will have OF Seth Smith, 1B - OF Joe Koshansky, C Edwin Bellorin, and one other OF. Dexter Fowler could get the job, but I believe now it is more likely he will start the season in AAA Colorado Springs until the need arrives for him to come and play regularly either due to a trade or an injury to one of the other Rockies outfielders. I have heard the Rockies would like to re-sign Scott Podsednik, but he is a free agent right now and may end signing with another club this offseason. Another veteran free agent OF will likely be signed to fill the reserve role if Podsednik moves on.

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There will be a big hole in the Rockies lineup with Holliday leaving. Helton is nowhere what he was several years ago, and Hawpe has yet to show any consistency over the length of an entire season. With Atkins likely gone as well, the offense will struggle to score runs a lot more often. And the ability to manufacture runs will be steeply limited with the departure of Taveras following that of Kaz Matsui prior to the 2008 season. I look for the Rockies to be in the bottom half of all NL team batting and hitting statistics in 2009.

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Most fans had high hopes for the Rockies coming into the 2008 season after their sudden and exciting National League pennant victory in 2007. The mood for the upcoming 2009 will be completely subdued. I would say at this time the Rockies are ticketed for a fourth place finish in the National League West in 2009. They will struggle to win 70 games. They will be thankful San Diego is in their division, as only the now hapless Padres are sure to be worse than Colorado due to the messy divorce proceedings ensnarling San Diego owner John Moores that will keep the Padres from any kind of improvement in 2009 from their disastrous 2008 season. It is amazing in some ways and not in others how these two clubs, participants in an exciting great memorable play - in game on 1 October 2007 to get into the NL postseason that my brother and I witnessed in person, have crashed to earth so fast and so hard.

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With others and my glum outlook, it is probably better than 50 - 50 that Manager Clint Hurdle does not survive the season, and a managerial change before midseason would not be shocking.

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Maybe soon, very soon, there will be a change of ownership for the Colorado Rockies and the Monforts will depart and not let the door hit their collective large asses on the way out. But it seems unlikely another owner with deeper pockets and a willingness to spend his own money will be coming anytime soon. There simply are not many of the kinds of individuals in the Rockies region, and the ongoing economic collapse and deep recession is paring down their numbers as we breathe.

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Lets just hope we are not doomed to become like Cubs' fans.... Another winter of our discontent is now here again for us Rockies fans throughout the West and nation...

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But I still plan to attend at least one - half dozen games in the upcoming 2009 season, largely with my good friend Matt but also hopefully with my younges brother as well.

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*****

Into the First Depths of Winter

Like with many if not most people across the nation, my workplace has started to see a significant downturn in business. No shifts were run last Friday (Halloween) and the same was true for today, 7 November. I expect this to be the case for the foreseeable future, and it is likely to worsen. A letter was posted 16 days ago stating layoffs would be coming and it is all too possible to have this happen in the next week or two. Whether I am included in the numbers to be laid off remains to be seen, but my age is working against me as well as my complete lack of seniority having been working there less than five months. But I am a good and hard worker and I seem to be on the good side of the manager which should work in my favor. I will just have to see what eventuates in the coming weeks and beyond.
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One of the big concerns about a layoff possibility is how it could impact my plans to move from Cheyenne to the Denver area next May. An early and prolonged layoff could force me to delay my move until next October or November, and the worse case scenario of having to delay the move until 2010 move becomes more possible as well, much to my ardent dislike.
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So this Friday was one free of any obligations. After staying up until around 5am the prior night/morning, I rested until around 2:30. I then went out into the icy cold wind to get some newspapers and enjoy a leisurely afternoon reading them at a nearby McDonalds. I made it back home around 6pm and spent the remainder of the evening relaxing, watching some television and surfing the 'net. I got to talk on the phone for about two hours with my youngest brother in some rich and informative conversation which was a nice treat. I prepared myself some chicken brocolli rice for a late supper and worked on my blogs.
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The weather this week turned seriously from warm Indian Summer - like Autumn into the start of harsh winter. After a record warm stretch in late October and the first days of November, winter roared in Wednesday and I mean roared in as winds howled with gusts in excess of 60 to 75 mph and a continuous sustained wind around 35 to 45 mph all of the last three days. We got a dusting of snow on Tuesday night but otherwise it has been mostly clear, but cold, with temps only making it into mid 30s Wednesday and Thursday and upper 40s today. Saturday is supposed to be slightly nicer, and then all next week it is forecast to be unsettled with highs only in the 30s and 40s with periods of snow and lots of wind. Sunday night and on through Monday should see our first real snow session as the last two were overnight events and amounted to less than an inch which melted away within an hour after sunrise both times. That will not be the case this time as it should stick around for at least a day if the forecast is correct. And nights from now on for the next five months or so will always be cold with lows below freezing for the most part.
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Saturday started out with a change of plans. After arising around 11am, I thought I was to be going over to Todd's to watch football, but when I called him I found out he was in Estes Park and would not be back today. So I settled in at home instead. Around 1pm I went out and was dismayed to find that my truck would not start. The battery had lost its charge so I had to juice it to get going. I have decided to deal with this on Sunday once and for all as there is a Checker not far from here. After getting going, I went and checked the mail at the post office and cruised down to B&R for my weekly frozen mocha cappucino. The weather was improved as the wind was barely blowing if at all after three days of terrorism. Skies were strongly overcast and the temperature was about 45 degrees. I returned back home to catch some more college football. Then I caught some reruns of movies half-heartedly before calling it a night.
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Sunday was a nicer day than earlier anticipated as the wind completely ceased and temps made it into the mid 50s under partly to mostly cloudy skies. After watching some NFL for about an hour and a half, I went out to take care of the battery problem. It took a little longer than I anticipated, but eventually I got a new replacement battery that is more powerful. I ended spending over $45 as the original battery was now 28 months past the initial purchase in spite of having been replaced in April 2007 a first time, making today's transaction the 3rd battery. I do not believe I will be purchasing a motor vehicle battery ever again at Checker, given this experience of annual failures with this product. While in the process, I stopped over at Family Dollar and got some soup, applesauce, cookies, and pop for the week ahead which allows me not to have to do the Walmart trip until another date in the next week or two. I do need to get some milk, bread, and bananas in the next few days. After the battery mission was completed, I got the Sunday newspapers and took them while having a chicken sandwich at Carl's Jr. Then it was back home by around 7pm to enjoy the SNF game and my other television I regularly watch this evening.
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Later I embarked on a lengthy post for my biography blog as well as watch some movies deep into the night, including Wild at Heart, Twins, and Flipper.
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I almost forget to mention how much I really enjoyed blogging all the election results and my observations and reactions last Tuesday 4 November and well into the early morning on Wednesday 5 November and keeping up on all the unsettled even afterwards. That experience was truly rewarding and enjoyable, and it gave me a sense of purpose over the short term which is almost always missing in my life at this time: I have long term goals and purposes but unlike most I rarely have a daily purpose outside of the mundane and trivial. Blogging is one noteworthy exception to that seemingly regular daily norm.
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The week ahead does not have anything of importance looming. I will probably work but 32 hours and have Friday off. I do have to get that Walmart grocery run done, but I have enough food for the most part to make it through the week with no problem. I still need to do that laundry I have been procrastinating on for a few weeks now. This Friday may be the best time to do this. But I also have thought about going down to Castle Rock to see my brother and his daughters. I have not been down there for almost four months now, so I am long overdue for a visit. I know he and his wife are seriously busy and stressed out with their workload and other numerous responsibilities. But maybe I can get them dinner like a pizza and occupy the exuberant girls briefly to allow him to focus on some other matters while I am there, perhaps even overnight on Friday into Saturday for a time.
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If this option does not eventuate, then it will be laundry Friday and perhaps the last Saturday of college football at Todd's. He will be gone to Utah the last two Saturdays in November, and has his monthly weekend national guard duty the first weekend of December which means the 15th is the finale this year.
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I also need to make all the reservations and plans for my upcoming Thanksgiving trip to Albuquerque which is now but 16 days away. I am greatly looking forward to it; hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate at all the key moments of the trip.
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*****

November Comes in Like a Lamb

We have made it to November, the eleventh and penultimate month of the year, and it is the month where any remains of Summer completely disappear into the gloom of winter for the next five months or so. Thankfully, the month started out with a nice surprise as we had a record high here in Cheyenne of 72 degrees, a temperature more typical of early to mid September. Days in the 70s in November are pretty rare for places at this latitude and at over 6000' in elevation, but we may cross the treshold again on Sunday. But the big changes are nearing as by Wednesday it will be near 40 degrees for a high with lots and lots of wind and a chance of precipitation in the form of snow. It is forecast for there to be a large number of record high temperatures across the Great Plains on Sunday before the cooldown starts. But it was a nice stretch this last week as the last five days have been at least ten to fifeen degrees above normal overall relative to normal which is usually means highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 20s. November sees a decline in normal highs from 50 to 42 and lows from 27 to 19 through the month. And although the forecast is for a much warmer than usual winter ahead, I suspect we will get at least a few days where the lows drop close to zero and the afternoon highs fail to make freezing during November and more often for sure in December. Brrrr !

The workweek was shorter than expected as we were given Friday off meaning I only got 33 1/2 hours in which is disappointing. I enjoyed the extra day off and did run a few errands: mailing the gift for J & C at the post office; stopping by TV repair place to get some info; stopping by the newsstand; talking for awhile to Brant on the phone; and spending about two hours in Barnes & Noble doing some reading and browsing. I had some tomato soup and French bread for dinner and spent the rest night surfing the 'net and watching some TV.

Saturday was spent entirely at home as I did not venture out. After getting a good nights sleep I just relaxed watching college football and surfing the 'net. I had some oatmeal for breakfast and I fixed a box of Hamburger Helper for supper.

I think I have eaten Hamburger Helper probably about 4000 times in my life. I have tried every variety, and some of those have been discontinued. Lasagna is my favorite, and the stroganoff with the dried slices of potatoes is my least favorite. Sometimes I make my own version of hamburger helper by cooking some beef and mixing in something of my own choosing like rice, noodles, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cheese, or a can of soup like Cream of Mushroom. Nevertheless it is a filling meal and easy to prepare. I used to fry the beef in a skillet on the top of the stove, but in recent years I place it in a covered glass dish and microwave it for eight minutes, stopping it midway to stir. It doesn't seem any different than frying it stovetop. It may cost more money to run the microwave for 20 -25 minutes to fully prepare the dish but it requires less attention as I do not have to keep constantly stirring it like when it is in the skillet. I wish there were more that had a vegetable element to them, but it not like vegetables will keep in a box. Hamburger Helper and its cousins Tuna Helper and Chicken Helper are godsends for longtime bachelors like me who lack the discipline, skill, and motivation to cook fancy meals. I am sure, however, that there are many strong rebuttals and rebukes from some about my choice of HH on my menu. I probably eat Hamburger Helper about twice a month; Tuna Helper about twice a month, and Chicken Helper about once every two months.

Saturday evening was spent the same way the day was as I caught more college football including Texas Tech defeating Texas on the last play of the game. I largely did nothing else of any significance. That will have to change on Sunday.

I have started to work on my autobiographical blog http://dob5-31-58thestoryofmylife.blogspot.com/. One must have special permission to enter into the site and read it. If you are interested, please email me at mtzperspective@mail.com to let me know you want to read it so I can send you an invitation.

Sunday was a day similar to Saturday. We had another record high as the temperature reached 71 degrees under partly cloudy skies with a warming southerly breeze. This is probably the last 70 degree day here until perhaps sometime in the second half of March at the earliest, but more likely mid - April. I rested until late morning and then watched football which included another disappointing loss for the Denver Broncos with their fourth defeat in five games to drop their record to 4-4, still good enough for first place at this point in the AFC West. I slipped out afterwards to make a small grocery run at Albertsons and get the Sunday papers. I stopped at Subway for a footlong and read the papers.
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Today was the first day after the end of Daylight Savings Time and it was noticeable as darkness came around 5pm. I always strongly dislike the end of DST as it is very disappointing for darkness to come much earlier so suddenly. I sometime would like on the western edge of a time zone so the change is not so abrupt. One thing I would like to see is to have DST extended in November to the first Saturday night /Sunday morning for the changeover after the first Tuesday of the month instead just being the first Sat pm/Sun am changeover we have now. I think it is important to have Election Day conducted while DST is still be observed for the safety and welfare of voters and to help assist in late afternoon turnout. Maybe Congress will consider this at some point in the future.
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Sunday evening saw nothing special as I watched my TV shows while keeping track of the SNF game between the Patriots and Colts. The night ended around 2am as I retired for a nice nights rest.
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The week ahead is one that initially will focus on the elections. I will record the Monday Night Football game between two of my favorite clubs, the Redskins and the Steelers to enjoy after I get home from work. Then I am taking Tuesday off and will blog live starting around 4:30 pm and will stay with it through at least midnight and maybe beyond, reporting anything I find out from news sources such as CNN, ABC News, NBC News, MSNBC, as well as local sources such as KMGH, KUSA, KTWO, and KCNC. There are too many internet sources I will be looking at to list here. I believe I will be largely happy and satisfied with the anticipated results that occur in this election; more so than anyone with the close exception of 2006. This is the tenth presidential election I have followed since when I was a boy and probably the one that is bringing me the greatest level of excitement and anticipation ever. I was not able to be so involved in 1976 with the Jimmy Carter election, but it seems somewhat like that one was similar to this one with an honorable GOP candidate being exceeded by an exemplary Democratic one also. The elections in 1968, '72, '80, '84, '88, '92, '00, and '04 were very disappointing, and '96 was another one like '76 and this year as a Republican that was highly respected and decent was exceeded by a simply better Democrat. In '68 I was pulling for Humphrey; in '72 McGovern; in '80 Anderson; in '84 Mondale, in '88 Dukakis; in '92 Perot; in '96 Clinton; in '00 Nader; and '04 Kerry. So it looks like '08 will be only the third time that I will have been happy with the results. And it looks to be sweeter if the results for the Senate and House turn out to be as good or better than expected.

Later in the week I will record the CMA show; the Broncos game at Cleveland; and the TCU - Utah game. I also need to pay the monthly bills for the rent, cable, internet, and cell. For all of that it runs about $625 or so. And as usual there is the ever endless task of trying to get the place more neater and organized that seems to always be on the plate but never gets done. And next weekend will definitely require me to face the ugly fact of having to do the laundry after procrastinating on the project for a few weeks now, with it being done perhaps on Friday if that is another day off. I also see The Dark Knight is showing at the Dollar Movie Theatre so I may have to take that in while I have the chance to. I have to remember to bring my free movie tickets gift card I got from my sister earlier this year with me to Denver the next time I go down there or with my to Albuquerque later in the month so I can take in some newer films at some of the nicer theatres there.

I also need to make reservations for my motel rooms and car rental for my upcoming trip to NM Thanksgiving week. The itinerary as of now is to leave Cheyenne Tuesday afternoon; spend that night in Centennial; pickup the rental car Wednesday am and leave my truck at either Matt's or Hank's; drive Wednesday afternoon and early evening to Albq; check into the motel probably around 8pm; and make plans for Thursday. I will stay through Sunday morning and spend that night in Denver so I can return the rental car Monday morning and return to Cheyenne that Monday afternoon to return to work. Of course the itinerary is flexible and is contingent upon the weather so I may have to make changes as needed.

I also have to do that Walmart grocery trip, but I think I can delay that until next weekend with the exception of picking up some bread, milk, fruit, and vegetables which I will need sooner than then.

*****

Philadelphia Phillies Take the 2008 World Series

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies on winning the 2008 World Series with a four games to one game victory over the young overachieving upstart Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa Bay, much like the Colorado Rockies in 2007, tremendously overachieved and went much farther than most everyone could have anticipated. And, unlike the Rockies, they will be back strongly in contention in 2009 and have to be among the favorites to win it all next season.

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But for now, it is Philadelphia's moment to shine as the city gets a championship for the first time since the 1984 Philadelphia Stars won the second United States Football League title over the Arizona Wranglers in, somewhat ironically, in Tampa. It was a game that I attended !

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The Phillies are probably a one year wonder. In 2009, certainly the Mets will not fail a third consecutive time, and the other three clubs in the National League East will be improved, particularly the Florida Marlins.

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The Phillies clearly are a great team with excellent leadership from GM Pat Gillick and Manager Charlie Manuel. Manuel is a name from the memories of my past, as he played for the Albuquerque Dukes baseball club in 1974 and hit 30 home runs for the Dukes that summer. I believe I got to go to about 4 - 5 games that season and I seem to recall seeing a game where he hit one out over the left field wall in the drive in parking area that used to be above and beyond the left field fence.

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Only about 95 to 100 days until pitchers and catchers report !

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http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3672202

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Manuel

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Charlie_Manuel

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*****

Tony Hillerman, 1925 - 2008

I was introduced to Professor Tony Hillerman's unique fictional tales (described as tribal mystery) that are set on the Navaho Indian Reservation when I was in high school, as assignments included reading his books The Blessing Way and Dance Hall of the Dead and doing reports on them. The books had compelling characters and intriguing plots that kept one's interest. Later on, I read a few other of his books after they were published in the 1980s and 1990s, but it never seems like I find time to indulge in fiction with everything else I like to read and keep up on in the nonfiction genres. Hillerman was a decorated combat veteran of World War II, a journalist at and editor of The Santa Fe New Mexican (among other newspapers), and a Professor of Journalism at the University of New Mexico. He had 22 books of fiction, several three-in-one volumes of nonfiction, 12 books of nonfiction, and five books of photos published over his long illustrious writing career with one more book of fiction that may be published posthumously. He was honored on a number of occasions professionally for his works and also by the Navaho tribe. Hillerman leaves his wife of 60 years, Marie; six children; and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hillerman

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http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/N-M--author-Hillerman-dies-at-83

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http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-hillerman27-2008oct27,0,4517561.story

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*****

In Memory of My Mother on the 75th Anniversary of Her Birth

*****

October Going Out Like a Lion

The most unpleasant weather feature that comes with living in Cheyenne made its first real appearance this autumn for much of this past week as strong winds blew almost every day from Monday through today. We had our first cold days on Tuesday through Wednesday with temps never making 40 degrees and a small dusting of snow covering vehicles and vegetation, but not streets and sidewalks. That will come soon enough. Fortunately things did improve as it got much warmer by Saturday with a high temperature that neared 70 degrees but accompanied by continued ferocious west and northwest winds all day and night that I could hear through the vents. The forecast for the week is for a brief noticeable cooldown on Sunday then back into the low to mid 60s for the next several days, including Halloween surprisingly. Keeping winter at bay as long as possible is always a positive in any way.

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My past week improved as it went along. My sadness, depression, and malaise over my mother's passing ever so diminished as time elapsed and I kept busy at work. I ended up with just a few hours of overtime but also learned I would get paid for taking a couple of days to grieve the loss which is a small compensation for the tragedy. I continued to have trouble with the battery in the truck as my vehicle would not start without a jump on Wednesday. My juicer died which created an inconvenience. I had to take the battery out after I got home early Thursday morning and put it on the charger overnight to renew its power which was unpleasant in the icy cold winds blowing that night. Fortunately it took the charge and the last three days have been without incident. But I remain concerned the problem will recur soon and I may be looking at replacing the battery in the coming weeks.

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Saturday was a nice relief as the sunny skies were very much welcomed in spite of the hostile winds. I arose about 11:15am and then headed over to Todd's after stopping for my weekly frozen cappucino mocha from Baskin Robbins with a coupon to make it less costly. We ordered some pizza to tide us over through the afternoon. I departed about 5:45pm. This was probably the last time I get to go over this season to watch college football at his home as his schedule for the remaining coming weeks is largely prohibitive with the possible exception of the 8th and 15th of November. Hopefully we can continue the practice in January when Mountain West Conference basketball gets into the full conference game schedule on Saturdays.

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It was back to the home unit where I relaxed through the evening surfing the 'net and watching some more football as well as parts of the Sabres / Avalanche game won by Colorado on a shootout; and parts of the 3rd game of the World Series that started late due to rain and was won by the Phillies after 1:45 local time in the City of Brotherly Love. Later I caught parts of SNL as the political sketches were quite enjoyable. Supper consisted of eating the leftover pizza from earlier in the afternoon. I retired for the night around 12:30.

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Sunday saw me awaken around 9:30 am. I headed over to Safeway around 10:15 am to pick up some milk, bread, bananas, and the Sunday newspapers. It was quite colder than Saturday as the temperature was right around freezing. The wind had also calmed down significantly from Saturday's sustained 35 mile per hour winds with 50 mph gusts to something like 15 and 25. I got back home and just relaxed. I really should go do the laundry but I am totally unmotivated to take on the task that requires me to haul three bags of clothes plus baskets, hangers, and chemicals down the flight of stairs to the truck and drive across town to the laundromat. I need to do it soon but there will come a day in the next few weeks where the time will be right. Instead I watched NFL and surfed the 'net until around 4:15 when I laid back on the recliner and took a nap for about 75 minutes. I then enjoyed Sunday TV while keeping the World Series game four on the small television: 60 Minutes; the debate on PBS between Chris Rothfuss and Mike Enzi for one of the US Senate seats; Desperate Housewives; and Brothers and Sisters. Supper consisted of the rest of the leftover pizza. I caught the end of the game as the Phillies pounded the Rays to take a 3 -1 series lead with a possible worlds championship to be completed tomorrow (Monday 10/27) evening. I continued to surf the 'net and less than half-heartedly listen to the television until I retired around 2:30am. It was 19 degrees outside when I called it a night.

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The week ahead does not seem like there is anything that needs special attention to be paid to unlike the last two weeks. I imagine I will only get the most minimal of overtime, if any at all, this week at work. The weather forecast is for improving conditions and much above normal temps with less wind through the end of the week. Even Halloween is supposed to be nice and mild which seems to be the exception to what we normally experience here in the Front Range region. Maybe I can find the motivation and energy to work on some projects around the place and do some further organizing and straightening up. I can also think once again about making a trip down to Denver to possibly see my nieces and their father as well as Matt, and check into some businesses like Newsland, Microcenter, Best Buy, and elsewhere to see what or if there are any products that I am interested in. I also need to get that bleepin' laundry done and get the recycling taken care of while the weather is favorable. And a trip to Walmart to restock with food is on the horizon, either this upcoming weekend or the next.

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One thing I will be doing with great interest is following the economy and markets this week. I believe this week may be the worst yet with quite a few shocking developments, downturns, and unsettling news. It will be darkest before the dawn that is on the horizon that starts with the elections next week that I will be deeply focused on as well.

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*****

A Long Difficult Week

I am grateful in a very small way for this weekend to arrive. While I am not physically tired, I am mentally drained and still hurting after hearing the news of the passing of my mother. The news was quite unexpected and was devastating to me as well as my siblings. I will not go into any details here but suffice to say the following hours and days were very difficult. I took Tuesday off from work after hearing the news and only worked two of the three remaining days of the workweek. I largely spent the time during the week away from work in reflection and I was upset quite often. I really wish that things could have gone different and ended much differently. The passing of one's parent gives one serious pause to think about many things. I believe I will be in this mindset for quite some time, which means a strong lack of focus or concentration on other matters.
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As Saturday arrived, I continued to have trouble sleeping as has been the case the last few days. I got up around 9:30 after having gone to bed last night around 2:30. I largely was cathartic until I drifted off into a nap around noon that last until around 4am. After I arose, I went to get myself a frozen coffee to try to snap me from my lethargy. I had the television on to college football and Game Six of the ALCS, but my attention was poor at best. Around 7pm I got some energy and motivation and did some straightening up; washing dishes and utensils, scrubbing the range top and its pieces, gathering up and taking out the trash, shaking rugs, picking up around the main room, and letting some air in. For supper I had a couple cans of chile.
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It was a warm day as temps made it to the mid 70s under partly cloudy skies with only a light breeze. Thankfully the last few days have been pretty nice after a stretch of rather cool unsettled weather. But as is usually the case in mid to late October, changes are again on the horizon as the forecast for most of the upcoming week to be noticeably cooler and probably very windy. Some precipitation will fall, possibly in the form of snow, but it will not accumulate at lower elevations and largely melt quickly. I have had to only use the heat for about eight hours so far, but that may have to increase this next week with the cooler temps. I still believe that I will not have a bill for 1 December as I still have a credit balance of over $97 from the crediting back of my initial deposit. And some of that credit will still be applicable for 1 January bill hopefully.
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Sunday I spent the entire day at home. I meant to go out and get the newspapers and pick up a few items at the grocery store, but I never got to it for a couple of reasons. I awoke around 10am and watched football which was particularly enjoyable to see one of the worst teams in the NFL, the St Louis Rams, absolutely and completely slaughter and kick the butts all over the place of the Dallass Cocaineboys, who were utterly hapless. To see the epitome of all evil get trounced is thoroughly rewarding and pleasing. May it continue eternally. I then watched on and off the late game between the Colts and Packers. Later I got a call from one of my sisters whom I have not talked to in some time and we had a rather lengthy and satisfying conversation and discussion. I then focused on the ALCS Game Seven between the Rays and Redsox which was a close and entertaining game won by upstart and enthusiastically young Tampa Bay. For supper I had Spanish Rice with a can of tomatoes mixed in. I am drinking a lot of juice to try to be healthful. Among my favorites I try to keep on hand is grapefruit, grape, orange, plum, and blueberry-pomengranate. I am even considering trying to regularly drink prune juice. When I go shopping next time, I need to pick up a jug of apple cider which I deeply savor. What I really need to do is purchase that Jack LaLanne juicer and start grinding up my own mixture of various fruits and vegetables and apply juices and water to make them of varying thicknesses from that of a smoothie or shake to a juice of their own.
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This upcoming week is one that will be more routine than last week with a full week of work planned and not much else. I do need to get to the post office to mail J's & C's gifts. And since I did not get to the store over this weekend I will have to make a pit stop to grab some bread, milk, bananas, and anything else that catches my eye. Other than that it will be time to hunker down and hang close to home with a blustery and windy few days lying ahead.
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*****

An Incredible Extraordinary Game Four Victory by the Phillies

I did not get to watch it, and I am down about that ... but this was perhaps one of the better games in the playoffs in recent years. I believe this article by longtime Philadelphia denizen and baseball columnist Jayson Stark does a fantastic job of capturing the experience and moments as good as it could be. Barring a major Dodger comeback, the Series is returning to The City of Brotherly Love for the first time since the memorable epic 1993 World Series fifteen years ago, against either the defending champion Boston Redsox or, more likely, the upstart wunderkind Tampa Bay Rays.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3642376
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*****

Myself, an Island of Calm in a Vast Unprecedented Storm

I feel real fortunate to be in the position I am currently in. Sure, things are not perfect or ideal, but compared to many others I am in a status of relative fortune. Compared to some of the lows and hardships in the past I have suffered through and endured, I am in a good place. I have limited liabilities and no assets that are tanking or imperiled. I have a comfortable home that clearly meets my needs and I want for nothing. I have a cabinet and freezer full of food and a somewhat comfortable bed to rest and sleep in. My motor vehicle, while 31 years old, runs fairly well and is completely mine. I live in a sleepy boring town that is strongly averse to risk and change for the most part and is all but insulated from the growing financial collapse and crisis being witnessed and felt around the globe. Indeed, sometimes its better not to have much and nothing really of value relatively speaking. Things are pretty good for me compared to many others, and I am grateful for that as things worsen for many.

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Since I became enlightened and well read when I was in my late twenties and early to mid thirties, I have dreamed of the end of the American model of capitalism and its strong seemingly invincible core based on Corporatism and the Corporacy. I have believed since then that the economic model of Extreme Capitalist Market Absolutism was wrong and largely immoral and unjust. Putting corporations ahead of people was plain wrong. The situation and environment has only been exacerabated by strongly growing income inequality and mass wealth accumulation by a small group of wealthy individuals and families that were not paying their share and contributing to the nation and the well being of its overall citizenry. Capitalistic models being followed in Europe, particularly in Scandanavian nations, seemed to me the better alternative. Communism is flat out a failure and I am opposed to it firmly and the Communist Capitalist system being utilized in Red China is just as bad and inhumanely destructive. You might label me a socialist, and I probably am, but I favor the mass break up of large corporations and the maximizing of competition to fully realize the potential of capitalism. It does not necessarily have to remain an ideal in my opinion. I largely believe businesses should be limited to doing business in just one or a few states, and those businesses that must have operations across many states should be strictly regulated and probably be ran in a partnership with either the federal or other governments. Examples of this are railroads, commodities, and other primary level business activities. While I never seriously thought this could happen, the current economic collapse and crisis might eventually result in an economic system here in the US that is closer to my ideals and values, but there is a long way to go for that to still happen.

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Enough pontificating. It was a less difficult week at work as only two and one-half hours of overtime accumulated. I got good rest overall and the lessening of work hours is making me feel better overall. The weather was fairly nice during the first half of the week but went downhill starting Thursday. Friday it only reached 42 degrees and the wind was strong and cold. That night fog dropped in and a misty rain started falling that continued into Saturday and increased in intensity. Snow is expected overnight Saturday into Sunday as it cools from the highs in the mid 30s to temperatures that will support snowfall. It supposed to get better by around Wednesday but the trend overall is down as is the norm.

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I spent the day off primarily at home. It certainly was a day outdoors fit for neither man nor beast. I did walk over in the rain to the DQ to get a frozen cappucino latte in mid afternoon. Later I removed my battery from my truck again to put it on the charger for several hours as I have been having to jump the truck for the last four to five days probably because I left the brake pedal partially pressed down which left the brake lights on the rear of the truck on all night last Sunday or Monday night without me being aware of it. I need to remember to get that taken care of when I go to get my repair work done in the coming weeks. For dinner I prepared myself some rice and red beans which I find always tasty as I grind up some very sharp cheddar cheese into the mixture after its done cooking to add even more to the rich flavor, although the beans leave me bloated and flatulent.

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For the most part I watched college football and the superb ALCS game that went into extra innings. I also surfed the 'net and worked on the blogs; put away the fans for another six months or more; mounted all the loose pictures of relatives (mostly nieces) onto the posterboard frames I had gotten in recent weeks; and did a little straightening up. Todd had some obligations away from his home on Saturday but we talked on the phone and made plans for me to come by Sunday to watch the NFL since he has the NFL Sunday Ticket on his DirecTV. I hope to have that for myself to enjoy some year, but I think being able to go out to a sportsbar to watch is probably the preferable option. Here in Cheyenne there are probably about ten places at least that have Sunday Ticket, but when I get back to Denver next year the choices are numerous and offer a lot of variety in atmosphere.

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Sunday saw the cool cloudy foggy weather continue with some occasional snow showers that resulted in no accumulation. I arose about 11:30 and had some cereal for breakfast before driving over to Todd's about 1:45. I watched parts of four NFL games that were fairly competitive but as the Jaguars / Broncos game got somewhat boring I focused on seeing the Arizona Cardinals defeat the fading Dallass Cocaineboys. I ordered a pizza for a late afternoon meal from Papa John's and hung around until about 9pm visiting and catching the evening game while checking in on the NLCS that was decided early as well as the Avalanche / Oilers game that was tied until the final seconds. On the way home I made a pit stop at Walmart to pick up some bananas, applesauce, milk, and a peach pie for the week ahead. The remainder of the evening was spent relaxing as I was tired for some reason and starting to feel like I was under the weather. Maybe I just need a good solid night of sleep which I will embark upon around 12:30am.

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It will be a cold night as things start to clear and a morning low near 20 degrees is possible and Monday will only see a high around 42. That means when I take my breaks at work when I go outside I will have to bundle up. But some nice Indian Summer weather will emerge by midweek with highs in the mid to upper 60s with no precipitation in the forecast for now. This week will be less than a full one as I am taking Thursday off. A little break now and then is good for the spirit as the routine gets to be boring week after week.

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Not much else to look forward for the upcoming week. I have no other projects or objectives other than just to make it through the week. Just staying on top of the ongoing economic crash will keep me busy and occuped enough...

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*****

October's First Weekend

We are into the first weekend of October and changes are blowing in the air. After a three week span of nearly ideal weather with warm temps and mostly clear skies here across the Front Range, a cool and wet few days loom ahead as the transition from Summer to Winter starts in a small way. At this point, the change is short-lived as nice weather will be back by no later than Tuesday with temps bumping back up from beneath 60 to around 70 before another forecasted change that is even more powerful comes in Friday and next weekend that even includes a chance for snow showers from Cheyenne south to Colorado Springs from Friday night into next Sunday. Here in the Magic City of the Plains (as Cheyenne likes to fancifully label itself), leaves are changing colors en masse and starting to tumble down. All the late summer rain in August and early September kept the prairie and foliage much greener and lively than usual which is making the change of seasons seem a little more spectacular with the intensity of the colors greater than what I think I normally perceive.

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After another long week of work that had its ups and downs with some really late nights, I was glad to have Saturday finally arrive. I rested until around 2am and it seems each weekend I feel better as compared to the prior and past weekends since I started this job. My hands and wrists have improved and although they are still stiff when I waken, the intensity of stiffness, pain, and numbness is considerably less than in past weeks which is a positive I greatly welcome. I had a couple of bowls of cereal and halfheartedly watched some college football until about 3:30 when I decided to run a couple of errands. I checked the post office box first and then made my way to the local Grease Monkey to get an oil change for The White Knight that was long overdue. It only took about 25 minutes to get the job done. I then made my way down Lincolnway to Baskin Robbins for a frozen Mocha Cappucino that I got to use a dollar coupon for. Then it was on to Family Dollar to pick up some shampoo and some two liter bottles of Coke that were being sold for just one dollar each which is at least about one - third less than I ever see anywhere else. I also picked up some inexpensive gifts for my young nieces J and C in Castle Rock that I will have to get a large envelope for and mail off in the next few days. I then crossed the parking lot to stop into Murdochs, a western and country supply store that has a large inventory of products for ranchers, farmers, horsemen, and pet owners.

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I always think when I go into a store like this how great it would be to own horse property and a nice size piece of land of my own. Maybe someday, but the idea of continuing to live simply with little if any outside responsibilities is also a favorable option as ones freedom is clearly greater than the former option.

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I got back home around 5:45 and settled in for a relaxing evening at home watching some college football and the MLB playoffs. I participated in a fantasy hockey league draft that took about an hour and briefly talked to my hardworking good friend Matt on the phone. Todd had his monthly national guard weekend duty so there was no going over to his house to watch football for the first time in about a month. For dinner I prepared some bratwurst sandwiches, boiling the sausage and adding mayonnaise, swiss cheese, heated sauerkraut, and mustard to the Kaiser rolls and meat. I also worked on my blogs and surfed the net. I opened the window and the front door to let some ventilation in.

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It will not be long before I cannot do that for a number of months. Hopefully that end will not arrive until around after Thanksgiving or close to Christmas as I am reading that the upcoming winter will be warmer than usual with about a normal amount of precipitation (snow) over the next three to six months. Let us hope so as the reports of upcoming higher utility bills is quite unsettling and angering.

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I have decided to make the move back to the Denver area in 2009. The earliest window under consideration, all things remaining predictable and the same over the next seven months, would be during the month of April or May. The latest month that would be under consideration would be next October or November. I will not be moving in July or August due to the heat and the risks and toll it would take on me physically to labor in such conditions. Factors that would make me delay from May would be if the economy gets worse or shows little improvement; or if my work hours drop off during the winter and I am unable to put away sufficiently more money which would make the temptation of working through next summer and racking up some big paychecks to save to further buttress me during the move and the months afterwords while I get onto my economic and situational feet; or if some unforeseen circumstance occurs which forces my plans to be delayed. I still hope to move on to the Pacific Northwest in the coming years, but I will hold off until someone I know moves up there such as Brant, Matt, or Hank. I know one thing I am looking forward to is having to deal with the Cheyenne winter only one more time and perhaps the Great Plains winter and summer of The Front Range for just about another three to seven years.

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Since I am on a body clock schedule with this job that keeps me awake until around 5 am, I do not get to bed until around that time again.

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Sunday saw me awaken somewhat earlier than expected as I was unable to sleep after about 10am. I had some toasted frozen waffles for breakfast and watched some NFL ( San Diego at Miami) for about two hours before I drifted off into a nap on the recliner until about 4pm. I then caught the end of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers / Denver Broncos game which did not have the excitement value of games in recent weeks. The weather did change to a cool steady rain as the afternoon got later. I went out about 5:45 to go to the grocery store, Albertsons, to get some milk, bananas, a pie, and the Sunday newspapers. Afterwards, I stopped into Arby's for a couple of beef and cheddar sandwiches and to read the papers. I drove back home around 8:15 in the steady rain. Upon returning home, I settled in to watch the Angels / Redsox game and clip coupons. Among the coupons I found was one for a photo session at Walmart. This may be a possible idea for Xmas gifts for relatives, but I am concerned that such a gift will make me seen conceited and somewhat egotistical and selfish. I will have to see if I get any feedback that is contrary. The game went into extra innings and kept me away from watching Sunday Night NFL between the Steelers and Jaguars, as well as compelling me to put the Sunday Night TV programs onto the DVR for later viewing which I spent doing after 11pm.

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If this upcoming workweek is a little less of a grind, maybe I will drive down to Denver on Saturday and spend the night in a motel and get away from here in Cheyenne. There are about three or four businesses ( Newsland, Best Buy, Microcenter, among others) I need to stop into and check out. I will just have see how I feel and how much rest I get during the week. Although the weather forecast is gloomy, it will not be anywhere near enough of a concern to take into consideration for a small trip.

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*****

A Belated Look at the MLB Playoffs

This is a little late, but here is my outlook for the first round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Playoffs, the Divisional Series. In the National League, I picked the Phillies and Cubs. I thought Philadelphia would easily handle Milwaukee, winning the series in three or four games. The only reason the Brewers made the postseason was because of another monumental collapse by the New York Mets in September as the Brewers largely staggered though the final five weeks of the season and were fortunate Hurricane Ike took the sails out of a streaking Houston Astros club by forcing postponements and relocations of key games at a critical juncture. At the end of the regular season the Phillies had about the best team on paper and had demonstrated that on the field with a prolific offense, solid defense, better than expected starting pitching, and the best bullpen in the game led by the unbeaten Brad Lidge. Philadelphia is my pick to go all the way in the NL as they have more than enought to upend the Cubs, or now LA, in the NLCS.

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As for the Cubs, at the time of this post they have been eliminated in a three game sweep by the seemingly upstart Los Angeles Dodgers. I thought this series might go five as I saw it largely evenly matched, but the Cubs looked old and tired much as they had down the stretch in the final six weeks after a strong first four and a months into the season. LA caught lightning in a bottle for this series and overwhelmingly outplayed Chicago surprisingly. I thought the Cubs would step it up for the postseason but they had clearly lost it and badly underperformed in all aspects of the game as the cracks in their armor I saw in August and early September became inevitably clearly and obviously evident. In some ways they were victims of overwhelming expectations that put an enormous amount of pressure on everyone of the players that was all but impossible to meet as clearly Chicago had the most to gain and the most to lose in this postseason. It is going to be a long cold hard bitter winter in Chicagoland as the second century dawns without a world championship for the Northside Windy City baseball club and its eternally disappointed fans. I believe the Pirates will win another World Series before the Cubs ever do again. Can the Dodgers maintain this momentum in the NLCS ? Possibly, but they will be likely facing a club with virtually no expectations in Philadephia which should slow LA down.

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As for American League, the Anaheim Angels, like the Cubs, had the best record in their league and were a clear favorite to win the AL pennant. I believed they would oust the defending champion Redsox in five games in a hard fought largely evenly matched series. But Boston has jumped out to a 2-0 series lead with two road wins at The Big A and seems all but sure to oust the Angels making for an upset. Anaheim has had their chances but has failed to take advantage of opportunities in the first two games as they did during the regular season, and K-Rod blew at least a hold in a epic manner with the Drew home run off him in the 9th in game two. Can Anaheim come back ? It seems unlikely, but its not impossible with the team they have. But I now think Boston will take with two games upcoming at Fenway.

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Meanwhile, the upstart Tampa Bay Rays are doing just what I expected in rather easily handling an obviously overmatched and fatigued Chicago White Sox in probably three games. Chicago had to work very hard with two extra games after the normal end of the regular season Sunday just to make to the ALDS. The young Rays are pretty much doing everything right in all aspects of the game and they continue to live the dream and pursue the impossible -- worst to first. Their run this year is simply amazing, much like the Mets in '69, the Pirates in '79, the Mariners in '95, and the Rockies last year. I cannot see the White Sox stopping them. It seems we are headed for another classic all AL East ALCS for yet another year with the Redsox defending their pennant against the young Rays. Will youth be served, or will experience overcome ? I think the Sunshine Boys will continue their march towards a sweet destiny.

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In conclusion, at the start of the playoffs my picks were for the Angels to meet the Rays and the Cubs to face the Phillies in each of the league's championship series. I now think it will be Tampa Bay and Philadelphia in the World Series with the Rays taking it all.

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One other thing...isn't it sweet and great not to have the New York Yankees in the playoffs...

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*****

Paul Newman, 1925 - 2008

Saturday brought sad news of the passing of the incomparably great actor and humanitarian Paul Newman at the age of 83 from cancer. One of my favorite actors, Newman had a long successful Academy Award winning career in film with roles that spanned over five decades. Newman served in the US Navy during World War II as a gunner. Later in his life Newman was an owner and enthusiast in motor sports. His greatest contributions were as a philanthropist, giving millions to charity and worthy causes for years. Newman was also a fervant political activist who worked for a variety of progressive causes. As I matured, I came to greatly respect Newman's work and enjoy his many films, often trying to attend their debuts in the theatre. Over his long career in film he is nearly unmatched in his craftsmanship and consummate expertise as an actor. Among his nearly 65 films that are most noteworthy are the Silver Chalice;The Long, Hot Summer; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Exodus; The Hustler; Hud; Harper; Cool Hand Luke; Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; WUSA; The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean; The Macksintosh Man; The Sting; The Towering Inferno; The Drowning Pool; Slapshot; Fort Apache the Bronx; Absence of Malice; The Verdict; The Color of Money; Fat Man and Little Boy; Blaze; Mr. and Mrs. Bridge; The Hudsucker Proxy; Nobody's Fool; Twilight; Message in a Bottle; Where the Money is; Road to Perdition; Our Town; and Empire Falls. My personal favorites are Slapshot; Road to Perdition; Cool Hand Luke; and Nobody's Fool. Newman played roles that were often described as being anti -heroes. He disdained the glitter and pomp of the Hollywood lifestyle and lived away from it in rural Connecticut. Newman is survived by his wife of over fifty years, actress Joanne Woodward; five daughters, and two grandchildren.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Newman
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/movies/28paul.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/movies/28newman.html
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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-newman28-2008sep28,0,7543479.story

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-09-27-newman-obit_N.htm
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http://www.holeinthewallcamps.org/

http://blogs.usatoday.com/entertainment/paul_newman/index.html

http://www.usatoday.com/life/2008-09-27-newman-timeline_N.htm
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*****

A Glorious Autumn Weekend

September 2008 is drawing to a close over the next few days and Mother Nature has given us across the Front Range region a long stretch of spectacular weather. It has been largely warm and sunny for the last two weeks and the forecast is for that to continue through the first weekend of October. I enjoyed my Saturday off after a long week of work that included about nine hours of overtime. I rested until about 12:30 and then headed over to Todd's to watch some football after picking up my weekly frozen cappucino latte at Dairy Queen and checking the mail. I was a little sore after working with my quadriceps tight and in pain after doing some squats to install window glass into frames as part of my work on Friday night/early Saturday morning. I stayed at Todd's until close to midnight,watching parts of many games and "dining" on pizza from Papa John's. After I got home, I surfed a little on the 'net and watched televison briefly before retiring around 1:30am.

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Sunday was a repeat of Saturday weatherwise and just a few degrees cooler under brilliant clear blue skies. The trees in the forest canapy are now turning colors and beginning to shed their leaves. I awoke around 11:30 am and then watched the Broncos' game which was a disappointing defeat to Kansas City. I then caught the end of the Marlins / Mets game which saw NY miss out again on the postseason by losing their finale for the second consecutive year. Around 3:30 I went out to get the Sunday papers. I enjoyed some ice cream at Baskin - Robbins while reading them. I then went up to Barnes & Noble and browsed for about 45 minutes before going over to Walmart to get some milk and bananas. Unfortunately they were out of bread which means I will have to pop in again midweek to get some as my supply will last only a few more days. On the way back home I made a pitstop at the recycling bins and got rid of all the newspapers and aluminum pop cans that have been cluttering the vehicle for many months. I will have to do a complete recycling mission before the cold weather firmly kicks in. Upon returning home, I largely did little and relaxed for a couple of hours watching 60 Minutes, a little of Sunday Night NFL, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers and Sisters. I then put up my three shelves that I have been procrastinating on for nearly four weeks and moved the items on them. I need to pick up a couple of sealable storage totes to put my towels and linens in so they do not get dusty. As the evening continued I watched my two other regular television shows, Baseball's Golden Age and Amazing Sports Stories. I finally tired around 2:30am and retired as another long workweek looms ahead.

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*****

...And the Days Go By... I can feel 'em Flying like a Hand out the Window as the Cars go by...

Plenty of long hours and overtime marked this week of work that wrapped up on Saturday in the pre-dawn. The problem with such long hours is that is leaves one with no time for much of anything beyond sleep, eat breakfast, check the email, listen to the news, prepare for work, go to work, work, come home from work, take a shower, have a light meal, check the email and surf the net, and watch a few television shows, and go to bed. This is my schedule five days a week and it rather monotonous and overly routinized. This last week saw me work until 4am, 3:30am, 3 am, 2:30 am, and 1:30 am. By the time I can fall asleep it is usually after 5:30am. Thankfully it is now dark at that time as recent weeks have seen an obvious lengthening of night. This does help a little in getting me to fall asleep.

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Saturday morning I got home from work around 4am and drifted off to sleep once again sometime after 5:30 am. I arose around 1:15 pm. I had previously arranged to go over to Todd's to watch some football. I first stopped to get a frozen cappucino at Baskin Robbins, a tasty treat which also helps me become fully alert. Todd ordered some pizzas to eat and we watched some college football until about 7pm. I then went back home in the darkness amid a good driving thunderstorm which was somewhat surprising given we have reached the latter half of September. The remainder of the evening was quiet and relaxing as I surfed the 'net and watched a variety of television. As I had gotten a little less sleep the prior morning, I went to sleep around 1:30.

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Sunday was a day where I lacked any energy for much of the day. I languished about the place until after 7pm. I was so unmotivated that I never got the Sunday newspapers. When I finally got the oomph going, I went over to Walmart for the monthly grocery shopping. I found most everything I needed but they were out of bread which may force a return trip before weeks end unless Safeway has a good bread sale this week. After putting away the groceries, I had some meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and the remaining two slices of my Hawaiian bread for supper.

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I am thinking that for college football watching at Todd's next Saturday that I will pickup either some guacamole for nachos or get the big shrimp ring which I have not partaken of in several years. Pizza is great but a little variety is nice also. For the most part I do not do variety in my meals at home during the week. Breakfast is cereal with nonfat milk but I do have toasted frozen waffles about once every two weeks. And with colder weather nearing, oatmeal will be back as regular menu item as I will probably consume it about three days per week starting in later October. I am also planning on adding Cream of Wheat to my diet. I do not believe I have eaten this since sometime in the mid - 1970s. Lunch at work is pretty consistent: three sandwiches on wheat bread with either peanut butter and grape jam, or I have a lunch meat sandwich with that Carl's shaved sliced meat or some ham or turkey and mayonnaise; a couple of sandwich cookies; a banana; a cup of cinnamon applesauce, and a bottle of diet green iced tea with citrus flavoring. As the colder weather comes, I believe I will get some of those microwavable cans of Campbells soup to partake of as well. When I do get home from work, I am usually too tired to prepare anything difficult, so often I will either have some bread and oleo; or a can of pasta; or two burgers, chicken, or fish sandwiches; or some instant mashed potatoes; or a can of vegetables like spinach, carrots, corn, or a mixture; or a can of soup. Once in awhile I will make myself some tuna or hamburger helper, but usually this is too heavy for me to have so close to bedtime. Noodle and rice mixes are also an option I partake of at least once or more per month. I also think that with the colder weather I will start buying frozen pot pies and pizzas to bake in the oven for those late suppers as the heat generated from the oven will be helpful rather than detrimental as it would be in the warmer months. So it is a rather straightforward and standard fare I largely follow for the most part every week.

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Sunday evening wrapped up with some television watching. I caught the final inning of the final game ever at Yankee Stadium and there were some sentimental and thoughtful moments and words in the postgame. I then watched NFL highlights before switching over to watch Lost as that show is now in syndication which gives me an opportunity to see episodes I never saw when they were originally aired a couple of years back. I am also looking forward to the syndicated reruns of Boston Legal starting next weekend which are always thought provoking, entertaining, and wryly humorous. i wrapped up the evening doing some straightening up of the kitchen: putting away some pots and dishes; filling the recycling containers with the various containers that have accumulated in the last few weeks; shaking the rugs; sweeping the floor; and organizing the counters and shelves somewhat better. Right now the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom are pretty well organized while the office is still a major work in progress and the living room is about 65-35 good. I then watched my regular programs of Baseball's Golden Age and Amazing Sports Stories. I halfheartedly watched while I worked on my blogs and surfed before retiring around 3:30am.

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The final full week of September is now underway, and the changes brought in by Autumn are now clearlye evident. I see a lot of trees changing colors and it will not be long before the vast forest canapy starts to lose its leaves here in Cheyenne and elsewhere. We have been blessed with a nice run of warmer weather this last week as temps made it into the low to mid 70s everyday, and the forecast is for more of that all this upcoming week. Other than my perennial endless list of small projects and tasks around the place, I do not have anything I really need to do this upcoming week. I am considering going to Denver for the weekend on Saturday 4 October and Sunday 5 October to check into a few things and just escape Cheyenne for 36 hours. It would be nice if I could rendezvous with HBL and the girls for a lunch or dinner; or join Matt for a cold one at a sports bar. We will have to see if their schedules and obligations will allow for that. I will not make a decision about this probably for another nine or ten days.

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Its amazing to think that there are now but about 100 days left in 2008. Time flies when one is always is busy and the perception that time moves faster as one ages is always being reinforced in one's everyday life. So much to do, so much that one wants to do, and so little time it seems...

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*****