EsoxLazer

I love the game for so many reasons that I really don't know where to start.... I love the bond that it created with my father and I...going out to play catch and field grounders or take some batting practice. I didn't really have much in common with my father growing up so baseball was one of the only things that brought us close. When my dad and I stepped onto the baseball diamond we became best friends and didn't have any differences or arguments. I always smile when I see a boy and his father playing catch or heading in to a baseball game...for myself and many of my friends, those times spent with our dads on the diamond or at Brewers games are going to be some of the longest lasting memories long after our fathers have passed. The history and tradition of the game are so deep and rich(not always for the best but I think you understand my point)...many of the storylines have not only been interesting but have been a good gauge of whats going on in America at a given point. On that same note, I love the way that baseball has been a constant no matter what is going on...look at the time around 9/11 and how the Yankees, much as I may hate them, brought such relief, joy, and distraction from an unthinkable event in American history. It brought a semblance of normalcy to an otherwise completely chaotic time and I doubt that any other sport could have done it in the same way. It gave the people of NY, and anywhere in the US for that matter, something to rally around and celebrate. The smoothness of the game at the major league level is just a complete joy to watch. Ive played and seen plenty of baseball at many levels and what these guys can do, even the ones that we rip for being terrible, is just so far beyond what is done at the college and minor league level. The way that a SS or 2B receives and gets rid of the ball on a double play, an outfielder hosing someone at the plate from deep in the outfield(Jesse Barfield anyone?), the quick release of a catcher gunning down a runner trying to take second, the confidence and command that pitchers show when they are on top of their game and absolutely unhittable...those are the things that always make me smile and shake my head in disbelief. I have said it before on the board but I think that everyone loves the game for different reasons. Although I enjoy stats and know they are important, I don't try to think too much about them. To me, the game is too beautiful and there is too much going on for me to boil it down to a set of numbers(and yes, I do realize that the #'s are integral to the game). The way that everyone watches and appreciates the game is different and that in and of itself makes it so enjoyable. The game of baseball has given me so much...many times I have had some terrible things going on and baseball has been my savior...a reason to get away from it all and a means to rid myself of a great deal of negative energy. I don't think I can really describe it but I am sure that some of you know what I am talking about. Most importantly, I love how I feel like a little kid again when I walk into the stadium, around the concourse, and up over the ramp to my seats to see the field for the first time each season. Sorry to get a little long-winded there...its hard to keep it short when it means so much and is so close to my heart.

Crazyk...not too sure about the Roomba because I have never used one, but one thing that I can recommend is the Furminator. Its like no other dog brush that I have used. My parents have 3 dogs running around the house and the dog hair was absolutely insane...vacuuming everyday got to be quite the pain in the rear end. The Furminator gets more hair and dander than any brush I have used. I think you can find them at most pet stores but my mom got hers off of ebay for pretty cheap. If its just a few problematic months, it may save you some money.

I guess I'll finally throw $.02 into the vent thread. This loss is really bugging me, not because they gave up those 6 runs, but because they couldn't do anything to add any insurance. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Brewers do something similar to this against the Cubs last year? Put up a big number early and then slowly let it evaporate into a walk-off situation for the Cubs? Maybe its not the loss thats bugging me as much as the Cubs fans are. I'm over on a Phish message board trying to defend the Brewers to a bunch of morons. All they keep talking about is how the Crew is worried about the Cubs creeping up on them and that Milwaukee is too young to be playing this well and will come crashing back down to earth. All of us know that this stuff is mostly false but coming from the Cubs fans it drives me nuts. Most of the Brewers fans that I know have been pretty even tempered about the season whereas the Cubs fans I know were writing them off completely last week and are now talking about the playoffs since they have gotten to the magical .500 mark. Oh yeah, one last thing...Bruce Froemming was absolutely terrible and inconsistent today. I am starting to hate the umpiring at this level...these guys are starting to think that they are bigger than the game. You are gonna hear it back there from time to time, be the bigger man and let it go in one ear and out the other...quit following players and talking/yelling to them after they have turned to go back to the dugout. If a guy goes nuts and over the top, fine, throw him out and be done with it. If you ring a guy up on a questionable pitch and he lets you know about it with a few words before going to the dugout, let it go and move on. Sorry, it was my first vent and I had some pent up stuff to get off of my chest. Thank you for giving me the forum to do so.

I donated a car in absolutely terrible condition to the Teen Challenge. I would have to call my mom to get the information as she was the one that found it for me quite a few years ago. I donated a 1992 Ford Probe with 243K miles on it that had been totaled out and brought back to life twice. I don't think that it was much of a tax break, but since I just wanted to get rid of it, the tax break was far from my biggest concern. If you cannot find anyone to take it and just want to get it out of the yard I would either look up Teen Challenge or else look in the paper for one of the salvage guys to take it. They normally tow it and will pay you a few hundred bucks. Probably not what you were looking for but it gives another option if you can't find anything else. Good luck.

You are going to have an absolute blast. I'm deathly afraid of heights but did it anyway hoping that it might do something to alleviate the fear. Although it didn't do anything in that regard, it is definitely one of the coolest things that I have ever done. The best feeling is the second you leave the plane....you never feel like you are falling. You feel like the wind is pushing you up further into the air. I went through SkyKnights in East Troy. It was already pretty pricey or else I would have gotten it filmed...looking back I really wish I had payed the extra for the camera man. Have fun and make sure to bring a disposable camera with you...you can tuck it into the inside of your jacket and bring it out while you are under the parachute...it makes for some great pictures. Another thing that I would recommend is that if you have a choice of what time you get to go, go as late in the day as they will allow. We went just before sunset on the last jump of the day and the view was nothing short of breathtaking. Have fun and let us know how it goes.

Count me in with the group that loves them. Its always interesting to read random threads about them because there are so many different opinions. I personally couldn't disagree more with whoever said that they don't have any soul or that they fell in love with Garcia and wanted to emulate the Dead. Aside from the fact that they are a "jamband" and that the fanbase is similar(which is debatable), I don't see all that many similarities. I guess thats the great thing about music though...everyone sees and hears it differently. I saw them for the first time in 96 and instantly fell in love. They were completely different from anything I had been listening to and although I had no clue what the hell was going on I knew that I needed to hear more. Before the harder drugs started to find their way backstage the shows were far more consistent and tight. After 40 some shows I was really upset when it ended(a rough weekend in VT) but glad for what I had gotten a chance to see and experience over the years. Maybe someday they will get back together, maybe not. Regardless, their music turned me onto many different bands, I had countless unforgettable experiences, and I met a ton of great people along the way. P.S. Stealin Strings is a great band that is definitely worth checking out...Ive seen them a few times and will be seeing them again as soon as I get the chance.

Mothership...send me your address and I'll send you a few microdawgs that I have and dont use. You can buy a little kit to do your own salt impregnating if you want to go that route. If you like them and want to pick up a few more, Bass Pro usually has them on sale for around 5 bucks. The musky sized versions can get pretty pricey since they get ripped apart pretty easily...just gotta get good at melting them back together once they get torn to shreds. I think I have a bunch of the other Bucher soft plastics and some smaller hybrid baits that I can send as well(hard plastic body, soft plastic tails). I really don't do much bass fishing anymore and would rather someone get some use out of them instead of them just collecting dust.

Mothership: Although not a stickbait, Musky Innovations makes all different of sizes of Bulldawgs, an all rubber jerk/pull bait. Their MicroDawgs and SpringDawgs are pretty small and I know plenty of guys that have been doing really well on them for bass on the local lakes. If you want, e-mail me at elazenby19@yahoo.com and I can send you some drawings of mods that Ive made to make them weedless. They are a great bait and extremely versatile...can be fished shallow over or in the weeds, dropped along the breaklines, and with a little creativity texas or carolina rigged. Take a look at muskyinnovations.com to see their different sizes and colors.

I got a call this morning from my girlfriend saying that she was driving near my parents house and heard a big explosion and then saw a ton of flying debris. I called my parents right away and my mom was pretty shook up by how loud it was and how bad the house shook...luckily, I don't think they had any damage. They live right on 109th and Wells so they are right in the immediate vicinity of the explosion. I just moved out to Colorado this week so I am pretty much out of the loop. If anyone could post more info when it becomes available I would greatly appreciate it. What a terrible accident. My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected.

Sorry, should have elaborated on the internet thing. I just don't have a wireless router yet. Ill be running over to grab one from Best Buy or one of those places tomorrow probably. I'm really interested in the virtual console and being able to check out some of the other capabilities that you need a internet connection for. I think I'm in love with the golf...as someone mentioned, its nice that its a finesse game. I'll also be picking up Tiger Woods tomorrow and I hope its the same way. Does anyone know if they are planning to release RBI Baseball or Blades of Steel for the virtual console? I'm also hoping for one of my favorite games of all time, Cobra Triangle, to make an appearance.

Thanks a lot. This thing is a blast to play. I'm gonna have to fight my dad for the controllers though...he is absolutely floored by the boxing and has been playing non-stop for the past few hours. No such luck on the wireless internet...Ill guess Ill have to go to Best Buy to add that. Thanks for the help. Eric

I'm pretty pumped up to get a Wii tomorrow. I got to play one a few weeks ago and I was pretty impressed...Zelda is the only videogame that I really ever got into but I can see myself playing this one quite a bit. Any game recommendations from the guys/gals that have the system? How does the virtual console work? If I pop in my Zelda for gamecube does it use the motion sensor controls for swinging the sword or do I have to use the regular buttons? If anyone has any advice for first time set-up or anything like that, let me know. I have a feeling I won't be getting much done in the next week or so, although with exams coming up that might be terrible. Thanks a lot.

I have a question for all of you guys/gals that have played the Wii. If you had just one long weekend to play the Wii after never having played it before, which games would you recommend? I am going to be dogsitting next Thurs-Sun and I will have my first chance to play this system. I'm a huge Zelda fan and have been playing a lot of Twilight Princess for GameCube but don't think a weekend would be enough time. How is Tiger Woods? Any good baseball games? Do they have Mario Kart or anything similar? Lastly, does Blockbuster carry a lot of games for Wii? Thanks for any help/advice you guys can offer.

Southpaw, where do you play?

I'm pretty bummed about not being able to make it to Summerfest this year. It will be the first time in many, many years that I haven't made it down there. Its not so much Summerfest as its the fact that many friends and old acquaintances come in from out of town and we all get together for a week of parties, concerts, and baseball games. They have some pretty good deals to get in at a discounted rate but they are making it harder and harder each year. I am pretty annoyed with the lack of handstamps/wristbands for acts at the Marcus. I guess thats just the way it goes with big business these days.

Wow, just when I didnt think it could get any worse... Got a call from my dad this afternoon saying that my mom got some very abnormal test results back from the doc and that she has to go to the Urologist. Cancer is somewhat common in my family so I am fearing the worst but hoping that I am wrong. I'm trying my hardest not to worry about it, but its gonna kill me until she gets in to see the doc in a few weeks. A few other things have had the stress level through the roof lately, but this is the icing on the cake. Nothing to do now but say a few prayers and hope for the best.