Long and Short Strange Diaries (and other sordid tales from the past, present, and future)
walstib, ykwim?
What a long strange trip indeed: RI -> FL -> RI -> MA -> RI -> CA -> TN -> CA -> ? Horror stories from the past, to current trials and tribulations; from my takes on the environment, baseball, overpopulation, hippies, jam bands, politics, neurological disorders, sex, religion (yikes!), big money, and pop culture, to future speculations and musings on life after employment; with liberal amounts of sarcasm and dry humour on the side.
I got to see my beloved Red Sox for the first time this season. Things as they are, I don't get to nearly as many games a year as I would like to. One time I got a late start and then the local rapid transit broke down for 45 minutes. By the time I got to Oakland Stadium, the Sox were on the short end of a lop-sided score. I was walking along the concourse and was wondering why people were leaving so soon. I wasn't that late.
Well, things were different this time. This was the first game I had ever been to when my favorite Sox pitcher was on the mound. It was a beautiful, sunny day. I got there early with my friend and bandmate Tom. (It was his birthday.) We soaked up the sun while waiting for Nick to show up with our tix.
Nick's New Shirt
Never did I imagine I would be watching history nearly being made that day! Wake just kept serving up goose-egg after goose-egg after goose-egg! I missed Lowell's E, but thought to myself, "Well, he still has a no...STOP! Don't even think it!" Whew! That was a close one! I found myself wondering if he had issued any free passes. Um...nope. "Don't even think about it, Dave!" Said nothing, thought nothing. The 000's kept racking up. Then that hit came! SOAB!
#42 takes a mighty swing!
Well.... Wake was still spinning a gem, and on Jackie Robinson day, too. Unfortunately, when the Sox bats come alive while Wake is pitching, he has to sit, and that is not good for a knuckleballer, thus the H's, BB's, and R's in the final innings. Still a fantastic, memorable game. Let's hope that momentum continues tomorrow.
Wake showed the utmost in class during the post game interview when asked about his performance. Instead of talking about his masterpiece, he immediately shifted the focus onto Robinson before he said anything about the game.
Somehow, we were able to find a few minutes to drill a few shots of the Sawxheads that were in attendance in Section 209 yesterday. Nick, aka CaliGrown, and the Emperor of RSN-CA were there raising awareness for The Jimmy Fund, (as does Rocky Rhodes on his X-C trip in the Rolling Green Monster), as well as a few other Sawxhead friends of Nick's whose names escape me at the moment. Fenway West was in the house on his spring tour (4 games and a Dead show in 4 days), but alas, he was on the other side of the stadium.
CaliGrown408- 2nd from left
Emperor RSN-CA- middle Red Sox Sonoma- far right
Sunshine, beer $1 dogs, peanuts, friends, and Wake nearly tossing a non-no! What more could a Sox fan ask for?!
What more, you say? Well, we left Oakland heading for San Francisco, when I spotted a commercial truck with an interesting company name. I wondered, "Does A-Rod have a new side business?"
I'm not talking about most Christians, I'm talking about wackos like this:
I mean, we're all trying to get to the same place, right? We're all trying to get to the top of the mountain, that portal to the next realm, whether you believe it's heaven, or your next existence in another life time, reincarnation, or... whatever.
The point is, the woman in the video did more to scare folks away from Christianity than to attract them. No matter what religion, or tenet, or set of beliefs you follow, don't make fun or disparage other's beliefs. (Alright, a little fun, once in a while is OK, but everyone gets their turn at the whipping post. lol.)
This is a huge and deep topic that I will revisit at sometime in the future, but I wanted to briefly explain my reference to "Uber-Christians."
I'll leave with this thought. Christians say if you're not one of them, you're going to hell. Jews say if you're not one of them, you're going to hell. Muslims say if you're not one of them, you're going to hell. Since one cannot be all three, I guess that means we're all going to hell! (That'll be one helluva hand cart!) And I wish I could remember where I heard that.
I found this LOST parody on youtube today, but before you watch it, I must briefly explain something for those who have not been following the show. There has been a set of numbers that keep showing up in different episodes for different reasons. 'Hurley' played these numbers in the lottery and won bazillions of dollars. However, as soon as he won the jackpot, bad, really bad things started happening.
I imagine some may question how one could continue to play drums (a highly athletic endeavor) with a neurological disorder, and not be able to work.
During my leave of absence in 2007, I discovered 'Fibromyalgia', which certainly seemed to fit all the symptoms I had been experiencing, save perhaps the involuntary twitching. Still feeling like 10 pounds of shit stuffed inside a Dixie Cup after 8 weeks of resting and relaxing, I knew something was wrong. I went back to my neurologist at the time, who sent me to UCSF for a 2nd opinion. This doctor was a MS specialist who said this isn't MS, rather it is more 'Parkinsonian.' I went back to my regular neuro who sent me home on disability, and said I would start receiving treatment for Parkinson's. Health insurance issues prevented me from starting that treatment program until this year.
Going to a job is an 8 x 5 x 52 grind that is simply to overwhelming to even consider. I am almost constantly in fatigue and pain, usually requiring 10 hours of sleep per night. Attention to meds, CPAP maintenance, and other health issues (which can include inexplicable nausea and vomiting) chews up more time. Even if I was somehow able to drag my ass to work every day, I would not be able to give 100%, as evidenced by my work review of my last year at UCCR. I was on my way to being fired when I put in my notice. I could work part time, though, but State Disability Insurance prohibits that. I'll wait until those benefits run out before looking for work. (I may volunteer at Peace in Medicine in hopes of perhaps scoring a part time job there next year.)
Now I say I am almost constantly in fatigue and pain. On occasion, I will experience brief periods of time with little or no discomfort. A couple of hours during the day, on a good day. Maybe. If I stay lo-pro, well rested, and not stressed for a week or so, I may hit a stretch of a week or two where I will almost feel normal. Stress, teenage angst and drama, busy schedule of events in a short period of time, a hectic day of chores and fires to put out can all send me back into episodes of 'brain flu' or 'brain fog', chronic pain and fatigue all over again. Forgetting to take some of my meds is a serious reminder that something is most definitely amiss.
If I had been making my living playing drums in an average working, touring band for a living, well those days would be over. (Now if I had my own drum tech, maybe, but now we're moving past dreaming and into fantasizing! lol!)
I can play a 4 hour session and play well. (At least they haven't kicked me out of the band yet.) After such a session, I find myself completely wiped, needing extra rest for a couple of days. I would not be able to play rehearsals and shows on a regular basis, but I am still able to play. So I do. Wish I could do it more often, but that's the hand that was dealt me.
I am not the only drummer out there with Parkinson's or any other handicap, ftm. There is even a web site devoted to drummers with handicaps. As this disease progresses, if this disease progresses, I may turn to hand drums and percussion from the full kit. I will write more to tap into my creative vein. I have other artistic endeavors I wish to pursue, as well.
I say 'if this disease progresses.' I just received a copy of a letter from the UCSF 2nd opinion MS doctor to my original neurologist, (whom I have switched from because she does not accept Medi-Cal health coverage.) In it, she was questioning whether this actually is Parkinson's or not, while not offering a more definitive prognosis.
Well....Ohhh Kaaay. This is (may be?) a good thing? If it's not PD, then what? So then what? I have read that Effexor causes 'Parkinsonism', which presents similar to PD. Will I return to near normal after serious time away from it? I don't know. All I know is that I still feel like shit almost every day. I can get some stough done every day, but 8 hours of grinding for someone else? That just ain't gonna happen.
In any event, I would love to be playing drums every day, rehearsals evey week, and shows every month, but right now, that ain't gonna happen, either. I would trade the crud and the blue handicapped parking card that goes with it in for a normal job and life in a heartbeat!
I haven't been writing as much as I would have liked to. That is, outside of Fenway West, and even so, I have not been posting as much there, either. Adjusting to life sans the 8 x 5 x 52 grind is not the easiest thing to do. I didn't do a very good job of it last year, but at least I can blame Medi-Cal, Medi-Care, and Social Security issues that I had to deal with for the poor transition. The health insurance and public assistance issues have been mostly resolved, making it feel like I just shed a lead vest.
As much as I want to be writing more about the issues I listed in the sidebar (environment, baseball, overpopulation, hippies, jam bands, politics, neurological disorders, sex, religion, big money, pop culture, etc.), and I do have many thoughts and opinions on these topics, some controversial, I have not been able to harness them into cohesive essays as of yet.
The remainder of 2009 will see me attending to many health issues at UCSF (some already dealt with), getting Sierra graduated from high school in June and then moved in with her mother, (Thank Goddess! I love my daughter, but just like her mother, I can't live with her, they're too much alike! I just hope she leaves here with valuable lessons I've tried to teach her.) I have a 3 week trip to RI coming up this summer. I hope to get a number of objectives accomplished while there. There is my parents 65th anniversary celebration and family reunion for starters, photos of Mt. Hope Bay to be taken, baseball games at Fenway Park and McCoy Stadium to attend, old friends to catch up with, perhaps a Band of Brothers show or two (and in the 'Dave's Dreaming Again Department', perhaps a live guest appearance with them?! Joe, are you reading this? Is this even within the realm of possibility?)
Later this year, I will finally make the move to Sonoma County that I have been trying to make since as early as 1993. When I was married living in the East Bay and working in Marin, my ex was working for a supermarket that had a store in Rohnert Park. I wanted to move to Petaluma then, but marital difficulties dictated otherwise. Lived in Marin for several years, and finally had a brief 6 month stay in Petaluma, but could not find work up there at the time, so I returned to Marin. The company I was working for in 2005 moved from San Rafael to Petaluma. When the lease with housemate from hell expired that year, I was all set to move to Petaluma (finally!) when just shortly before I was to move there, my ex said Sierra has to come live with me. Well, I had been moved just before 8th grade, and we had already moved Sierra just before 7th grade, so I wasn't about to move her again, since I know first hand how difficult moves at that age can be. I got lucky and found a great, affordable rental, but as Sierra's graduation date draws nigh, I find myself scouring craigslist for affordable rentals in Sebastopol and monitoring falling rental rates so I can find another one of these elusive 'below-the-radar' affordable rentals.
OK, I digress. The point is, moving takes up a lot of one's time. I've been frantically trying to sell 'stough' that I do not want to schlep around with me any longer, (I rent, therefore, I move.) Have sold a number of items so far, and still need to get rid of more of that 'stough'; y'know, that 'stough' that you have no idea where it came from or why you still have it. There will be the requisite cleaning and repairing to get my deposit back. Yard sale, packing, moving...... Ugh, just the thought of it all is tiring.
One interesting development has arisen this year, perhaps a second, as well. Our band, Leadfoot Betty, and all band members seem to be very enthusiastic about playing music, playing well, and playing more often. We had a great session last month, let's hope we can follow up with another tomorrow. We had a great acoustic session here last week. Our new lead guitarist, Jimmy Brighton of the band Stackabones, has invited me to be the drummer in that band this summer when they go on tour in support of their forthcoming (4th? 5th?) CD later this year! Well don't I feel special! I never did think of myself as an 'accomplished' drummer, but apparently, others may think so. (Ah, special :-) The current drummer of that band is working with David Grisman and shan't be available for touring this year. Stackabones has also been known to perform as a 2-drummer band. If I haven't said it before, I'll say it now: I love playing in 2-drummer bands! (My favorite bands? Allman Brothers Band, Doobie Brothers, Grateful Dead, Max Creek, Pat Metheny Group, Little Feat, Jimmy Buffett & the Coral Reefer Band- all 2 drummer or multi-percussionist bands.) I need to find out Jimmy's definition of 'tour.' If he's talking about jumping in a bus and driving XC hitting dive bars along the way, no can do. But if we're talking about a tour schedule such as The Mystic one weekend, the HSMF another weekend, maybe The Catalyst another weekend; well, then we'll have a deal there!
Speaking of 2 drummer bands, there is a show that is seriously calling me! I just recently found out that the Doobie Brothers, The Allman Brothers Band, and The Grateful Dead will all be sharing the same stage on the same night at the Gorge Amphitheatre in WA. That would be one helluvan expensive show, but how could I not be there?!!
What's this? Romance?! Do I detect a hint of romance in the air?! It's been a while, so I can't be too sure, but those eternally hopeful and optimistic little bits that are left deep inside me seem to be astir....
That would be one most welcomed 'time consuming diversion'! (I don't want to jinx this, so I'm going to leave it alone until I know for sure just what this is I've been sensing lately. Whatever it is, it sure feels good!)
This year of 2009 looks pretty much booked. Lots to do and looking forward to getting all of that out of the way, and moved into a little affordable place in Sebastopol, playing music, writing, creating, loving, reconnecting, resting, and relaxing; things I have never been able to get nearly enough of over the years.
Andy Warhol said everyone will get their 15 minutes of fame.
So far, I've been on a nationally 4th ranked athletic team at a major university, and I have won a photography award at a National Park.
I was in the NYE midnight drum parade at a String Cheese Incident show.
I've met Bob Weir, Vince Welnick, and Bill Spooner.
I write for a small Red Sox blog that gets over 100 hits a day.
I played at The Summer of Love 40th Anniversary in Golden Gate Park.
Not a lot, admittedly, but more than some folks.
My next bit of notoriety? I have been laying down percussion tracks on the forthcoming CD by Stackabones, a band which has been around for quite some time, with 4 or 5 CD's out already.
I never really thought of myself as any sort of accomplished drummer, ykwim? I just did this for the fun of it, never expecting to see my name on a commercially released CD. Not only will my name appear on the aforementioned CD, I may even be playing with them this summer, as their regular drummer is currently working with David Grisman. Not only that, Stackabones has been known to perform with 2 drummers, a situation I am very familiar and comfortable with. So I won't be rich and famous, but this is far more than I ever expected.
(-: GRIN :-)
So yeah, I'm in a good mood today. Something else very nice happened today, but that'll have to be another post. (grin)
I recently, (finally!) set up a myspace page for my music:
http://www.myspace.com/walstib57
That page is primarily for music related posts, photos, and networking.
This is the myspace page for my current project, Leadfoot Betty:
http://www.myspace.com/leadfootbetty
Other places you can find me on the web (besides here): http://fenwaywest.com/ (Red Sox blog) http://stoughforsale.blogspot.com/ (My 'Stough' For Sale) http://people.tribe.net/walstib57 (tribe.net profile)
The ABC hit TV show “LOST” tells the story of the 48 survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 that crashed on a remote South Pacific island. I first discovered the show shortly after it began in 2004. Red Sox fans can be excused from not watching it from episode #1, as the Sox were on a rampage. After a shocking trade of Nomar Garciaparra, playing .500 ball for too long and falling more than 10 games behind those despised Yankees, the Sox had come to life and were bearing down on 1st place. They didn’t win their division, but still made the playoffs. They then proceeded to shock the pro baseball world by winning the pennant after being down three games to none in the playoffs, and about to lose the 4th and final game in the bottom of the 9th inning, when their epic odds defying rally began, a feat no other baseball team had ever done, and against the Yankees no less! There were still 4 games left to be played against St. Louis, but looking back, they were almost a moot point after that spectacular comeback over the Yanks. October 27th, 2004 marked the 1st time in 86 years that the Red Sox had won a World Series, so Sox fans were basically incommunicado until after that date.
After watching too many years of police and law dramas (Hill St. Blues, LA Law, NYPD Blue, and the bazillion incarnations of CSI and Law & Order), I was ready for something different. I had been expecting LOST to be a real life drama about survival (think Tom Hanks in “Castaway”), but by the time I realized it was as much science fiction as it was real life drama, I was hooked. Besides dealing with a horrifically traumatic experience (surviving a plane crash), the survivors must deal with immediate needs such as medical treatment, water, food, and shelter. As the show progresses, they slowly come to realize that help is NOT on the way. Temporary needs turning into permanent needs present dilemmas. These dilemmas are harshened by the fact that there are violent, predatory others already living there, and that there are many inexplicable discoveries such as a centuries old pirate ship and a small plane wreck in the middle of the island, a highly involved and detailed science project, supernatural beings, and a polar bear; all on a tropical island.
Besides being lost in a geographical sense, the characters discover that many of themselves are also lost inside. Backstories are interwoven throughout the tale, illuminating aspects of each character that the audience would not otherwise be aware of. At least one of the survivors seems to have ‘found’ himself on the island from the very onset of their ordeal. These backstories also show how interwoven the lives of the survivors had been, unbeknownst to them.
One of the main characters is Jack Shephard who is a brilliant surgeon with a strong need to fix as many patients as possible. He has flown to Australia to pick up his dead father’s body. Sawyer, another survivor, is a loner con-man who was seeking revenge in Australia, and had the opportunity to share a few moments in a bar with Jack’s father before he died. The following exchange happened in Australia sometime before September 22, 2004, the date of the doomed flight.
Shephard the elder comments that Australia is as close to hell as you can get.
"We're in hell, huh?"
"Don't let the air conditioning fool you, son. You're here too. You are suffering. But don't beat yourself up about it. It's fate. Some people are just supposed to suffer. That's why the Red Sox will never win the damn Series.”
On or about October 22, 2004, less than a week before the Sox actually did win the Series, the following dialogue occurred between Jack and Sawyer:
Jack: That’s why the Sox will never win the Series. Sawyer: What’s that? Jack: I said, ‘That’s why the Red Sox will never win the Series.’ Sawyer: What the hell’s that supposed to mean? Jack: “[It’s] just something my father used to say—[he] went through life knowing that people hated him. Instead of taking responsibility for it, he just put it on fate. Said he was made that way."
Con-man Sawyer does not reveal to Jack that he spoke with his father at the bar back in Australia. He keeps this to himself, waiting for the right time to barter the information for his ever present ulterior motives.
The Red Sox won the World Series as season #1, episode #8 was wrapping up. The writers then worked this into episode #9, which originally aired on February 16, 2005.
[S]o the writers [knew] at the time they wrote that episode that the Red Sox had won the World Series, providing some irony to the comments by Christian and by Jack. The Red Sox win in 2004 proved that they were not "destined" to lose, and the team's ability to win over enormous odds resonates with the difficulties facing the castaways on the Island.
After the survivors of the crash discover that there is a colony of people already living on the island with homes, medicine, and some modern conveniences and technology, Jack is held captive by these “Others” as the survivors have taken to calling them. The survivors are scared, confused, ‘lost’, and very wary of all their mysterious surroundings. The “Others” are wary of the survivors, as they do not want to be found by search parties. While being held by the “Others”, Benjamin Linus, leader of the colony, trying to prove to Jack that they indeed do have contact with the rest of the world, tells him that since they have been on the island, George W. Bush had been re-elected, Christopher Reeve passed away, and the Red Sox won the World Series. Jack laughs and says that he almost believed Linus up until he said that the Sox won the Series. Linus says that it’s true and shows him a clip of Keith Foulke tossing the ball to Doug Mientkewicz for the deciding out.
In season #4, a search party eventually lands on the island. In one episode Jack asks the helicopter pilot if the Sox really did win the Series, to which the pilot replies, "Don't even get me started on that, I grew up in the Bronx". Jack mentions that he has not seen a Red Sox game in over 100 days.
The show is not an easy one to follow, especially if you have not been watching it from the beginning. Although the show started airing over 4 years ago, only a couple of months have passed on the island since the crash. Themes of fate and destiny, and faith versus science are a constant. It has a cult-like following with Internet fans sites and discussion groups too numerous to mention. Many of these fans discuss and analyze just about every detail that occurs during the show, seeking any possible relevance in determining the importance of events that occur or which direction the story will take.
One of the most dissected details is the recurring appearance of the following numbers: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. These were the winning lottery numbers chosen by one of the characters, they were important numbers as part of the science project that was discovered on the island, as well other appearances. Interestingly, the Yankees retired numbers include all of the numbers: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42. The Boston Red Sox retired numbers are 1, 4, 8, 9, 27, and 42. Furthur investigation reveals that executive producer Carlton Cuse is a Red Sox fan, and executive producer Damon Lindelof is a Yankees fan. Lindelof has described the use of the Red Sox win in LOST as therapeutic. (Therapeutic? He uses his favorite team’s biggest choke ever in his show and he calls that therapeutic? He must be one glutton for punishment!)
So, is Jack a Red Sox fan? I have not been able to find proof positive that he is. He lives in Los Angeles, but I suppose it is possible he went to med school in Boston. Viewers have not learned that much detail of Jack’s past, but judging from his reaction to Linus telling him about the amazing Sox comeback (Sox fans, think about this for a minute…. how would you react if you were in Jack’s shoes?) and his reaction to seeing the Foulke to Mientkewicz final out (Damn! I can’t believe I’m on this island when the Sox finally won it all!), I would think that he is indeed, a Sox fan. He even sought reaffirmation from the helicopter pilot.
Will Jack’s apparent citizenship in Red Sox Nation have any significance in upcoming episodes? Hard to say. As a Sox fan, I would hope so, but I wouldn’t need it to enjoy the show. Season #5 begins airing on January 21st.
There's not a whole lot of Sox content in this post, but it was a great night, nonetheless. A good friend (Tom, the Giants fan and band mate) gave me a ticket to see the Ratdog/Phil & Friends with Jackie Greene NYE show last night. We had a good crew together (including 5 of 7 in our band), got in line early, and got some choice (general admission) seats. Dead NYE shows are always marathons, so I made sure I was well rested and well prepped for what turned out to be an epic night.
There were a lot of Sox shirts and hats all over. One of the first (or so I thought) I saw was in Sox blue, but when I saw the front of the shirt, it said Grateful Dead in the same font as Sox unis. 'Good idea for a shirt', I thought
The most noticeable hat of the evening was sitting on the head of a true Dead icon. I don't know if this guy went on tour with the Dead, but at Bay Area (CA) Dead shows before Jerry died, he would don a heavy, full bear suit with flashing lights all over it while carrying a spinning ball also covered with flashing lights and walk all over the venue. These days, he wears just a vest with lights, and as he passed by our section, I noticed he had a Sox hat on! Cool, way cool! (I have see if anyone got a photo of him. Will post if found.)
Jackie Greene came on first at 6 pm and played a great 1 hour set. His Dylan influence is noticeable immediately. Phil & Friends with Jackie Greene came on and played a huge set. Barry Sless also played both sets. The 3rd set of the night was just Phil, Bobby, and John Molo on drums playing a mostly acoustic, but very tasty set. Next up was Ratdog. All bands were firing on all cylinders. The last set started just before midnight and went on past 2 am, featuring almost all of the members of both Bobby and Phil's bands.
Didn't get to sleep last night 'til the morning came around, slept 'til way past noon, and am still feeling quite Dead {grin}
It's no biggee anymore. I left my family in RI in January of 1985. The year before was probably the last holiday season that was any where near normal for me, except for perhaps 1 or 2 during the early part of my marriage. I left in a cocaine haze, lived in my van for several months, and have spent the rest of my life trying to attain some semblance of a normal life: family, kids, half decent career, some success in some interest, hobby, or sport. There have been several fleeting moments where I thought I might be getting close at some, just never got the cigar. I've also spent more time looking for jobs, homes, housemates, and significant others, and putting out fires than I care to think about, much more than any person should ever have to in one's lifetime.
I was married for 3 years when we split. Sierra had just turned 3 about a month earlier and doesn't really remember us ever being together. We also knew going into that last season that I would be moving out shortly afterwards, we only delayed it for Sierra's sake.
My brother and sister-in-law moved to California about two years later. While we have spent some of the holidays together, most of the time Sierra would spend those days and their eves at her mom's house. I was always welcome to come over, but don't forget that my ex-mother-in-law and ex-sister-in-law are fucking assholes from Hades. We were always civil towards each other, but because of our tumultuous relationships, those days were always fraught with some tension.
So I would kick back at home, and enjoy the extra day of sleeping late. As the years passed on, those extra days of sleeping late became more precious. I savored not having any responsibilities for one more day. I got used to it. I found out this past year just exactly why I needed them.
The original meaning of Christmas has been totally lost on this generation of instant gratification. It is all about who has the biggest light display! If sales are off from the previous year, the holidays are a disaster! Oh financial woe! Buy! Buy! Buy! If you don't, you're not doing your civic duty! Let's get drunk and screw* at the office party! (These days, I'll skip the gettin' drunk part and cut right to the chase.)
Maybe getting laid off 2 days before Sierra's birthday and 2 weeks before Christmas one year had something to do with this indifference? Is it any wonder some don't give an R.A. about 'holidays'?
As mentioned in an earlier post, for years I felt that missed social and employment opportunities fueled my depression, when only recently have I begun to consider that perhaps my depression hindered me from obtaining those goals. I've spent a lot of time alone over the years because of this, and not just at this time of the year. It may sound sad, but like I said, you get used to it, especially if you need it. (Please- no pity, no tears, no wailing or gnashing of teeth. I'm good with it. Really.)
Sierra is at her mom's house this year. It's raining and cold outside tonight, but I'm dry, fed, medicated, and warm (enough.)
Sometimes you just get one raw deal after another, and maybe just once in a while, just maybe, you get a pair.... you get used to it.
It is September of 2012. The Red Sox have been dominating the AL East since 2004, having won 5 of the last 8 World Series by an astounding margin of 20 games to 6, and setting a new Major League Record for most wins in the regular season in 2010 along the way. Terry Francona has been a brilliant manager and has been receiving all star performances from Pedroia, Youk, Bay, Ellsbury, Papelbon, Beckett, and Dice-K. Even Wakefield is still throwing that screwy knuckleball and doing it well! He's 46 years old, but Hoyt Wilhem and Wilbur Wood both pitched into their late 40's, and Satchel Paige pitched until he was 53, so why not Wake? He still gets 175+ innings per season and 4.20 has been his highest ERA since 2007.
And Lester! Jon Lester! His fairy tale continues as if he's living in some parallel universe. He has been dominating the Junior Circuit like no other lefty since Randy Johnson was in Seattle. He has become the ace of the staff, not an easy thing to do with a staff that includes All-Stars and Cy Young winners Beckett and Dice-K. He's won no less than 18 games in each season since 2009 and lost no more than 9 in that same time span. He's struck out at least 175 batters and has had an ERA no higher than 3.15, a remarkable feat considering that Fenway is a difficult park for southpaws, to say the least. He has 9 shoutouts and 2 no-hitters since 2008, and a Cy Young Award of his own last year. He even made it into the 7th inning with a perfect game going on that was broken up by a cheap infield hit that was questionable to all but the 1st base umpire whose view of the play was somewhat obstructed. Tito racked up yet another early exit that day arguing Lester's case, but to no avail. This has been a Red Sox dynasty even more impressive than their run in the early 20th century when that team won 5 World Series in 15 years before the infamous, but almost now forgotten sale of Ruth to the formerly despised Yankees.
The Yankees on the other hand....
Ah, yes, the Yankees. The once great and proud Yankees had fallen on hard times. After completely missing the playoffs in 2008 for the first time since 1994, Hank Steinbrenner continued to screw up the club so badly into 2009, that their (remaining) fans were calling for his head on a stick! Even Joba Chamberlain, the poster child of the new generation of Yankee's was disgracing the once venerable franchise with his many notable trips to the stripper clubs and DUI's, as well as his continued harassment of Kevin Youkilis which finally earned him a fine and suspension. The Evil Empire had been destroyed by the Rebel Red Sox so badly that Steinbrenner finally said, 'Fuck this shit', sold the team, and went back to his horse ranch much to the delight of Yankee fans in the tri-state area, thus ending the Steinbrenner years in disgrace. The new owners immediately set about to right the ship. They hired a brilliant GM to replace Cashman and immediately made several 'Fuckin' A' trades, as Billy Beane called them (trades that when other GM's hear of, they say, 'Fuckin' A!') Working the off season trading market like the stock market, they loaded up with top draft picks and top prospects for 2011. They cut loose all the old and overpaid stars: Damon, Matsui, Abreu, and Petitte. They cut loose all the over-priced candy that Hank went out and bought after missing the playoffs in 2008, including Manny Ramirez, who missed most of 2010 and 2011 with injuries after Hank washed his feet and then gave him $90 million. The Yankees were still stuck with some of the old guard from the 1995-2000 dynasty, the ones who King George bowed down to and lavished with contracts back in 2007: Old Man Jeter, and Mr. Controversy, A-Rod (Posada and Rivera had finally hung up their spikes in 2011.) One thing was certain about A-Rod, barring injury or unforeseen circumstance; he would hit more than 800 home runs by the time he was done with his career. The Yankees lost 92 games in in 2009, but with the new owners making immediate changes in the way the whole company was run and not just the approach to fielding and managing the team, they fared much better in 2010, winning 80 and losing 82, and continued to improve in 2011, but slowly, winning 82 and losing 80. But 2012 was different. The draft picks and the farm system had finally produced some bona fide major leaguers who were primed for breakout seasons in 2012, comparable to the Papelbon- Youkilis- Pedroia- Ellsbury- Lowrie- Lester breakout years. No one really thought that they were a legitimate challenge to the Sox, but winning 90 games was a real possibility this year.
The Sox had developed a model farm system and had handfuls of major league quality studs in Pawtucket just chomping at the bit to get a taste of the big show. 2012 brought a slew of injuries to the team, but they continued to win, although with not quite as much authority as the year before. The Sox were on a pace to win 95 games this year despite the injuries, but the whole AL East had become the strongest division in the major's. Even Baltimore was a contender. In 2011, all 5 teams finished at .500 or better. The Yankees had been having a superb year for the young team and were only 2 games behind the Sox heading into the final series of the season for both teams. It seemed as if every season the Yanks and the Sox played each other on the last weekend. It wasn't of course, but it just seemed like it. Sox fans were delighted that after looking up at the Yanks for all those painful 86+ years, that the tide had turned and the Sox were enjoying their dynasty. Coming into the final 3 game series of the year, the Yankees were hot, winning 10 of their last 12 and were only 2 games behind the 1st place Sox. A-Rod had finally gotten his shit together and started producing when it mattered. The Sox had been playing well and only needed to win 1 of the final 3 games to clinch the division. With Beckett, Dice-K, and Lester scheduled to pitch the final 3 games at Fenway, it seemed that the Sox had a virtual lock on the division title. Beckett and Dice-K were superb! Unfortunately, the young Yankee pitchers were 1 run better as the Sox lost 1-0 and 2-1. It was the first time in over 200 games that the Sox had been shut out! An eery, unsettling discomfort fell over Red Sox Nation that hadn't been felt since 2004. But not to worry- Jon Lester would be pitching the finale. Lester had been having yet another career year: 24-6, 2.92, 209 K's, 0.98 WHIP, but there was one batter in the whole American League who seemed to have figured him out: A-Rod. While his numbers against Lester weren't outstanding, he did have more success against him than anyone else in the league.
It is now the top of the 9th inning and the Yankees have 2 outs. The Sox are up 4-3, Lester is spinning another gem, but he walks Jeter after an 8 pitch battle, the last one barely an inch off the plate, or so it seemed. Although A-Rod has had some success against Lester this year, he had been baffled by Lester all day this day. Lester had another great game going with a low pitch count, so Tito decided to leave him in, as A-Rod had been having marginal success with Pap this year, as well.
0-1 ->
1-1 (barely) ->
1-2 ->
1-2 (foul) ->
1-2 (foul) ->
1-2 (foul) ->
2-2 ->
2-2 (foul) ->
2-2 (foul) ->
3-2 ->
3-2 (foul) ->
Finally on the 12th pitch of the at-bat, 2 outs, full count, go ahead run at the plate..... SWING!
CRACK!
Oh shit!
Back, back, back, back...
Just like the old days between the Yanks and the Sox!
I was laying in bed late one night last summer reading "Joe DiMaggio- The Hero's Life", when all of a sudden, I put the book down, picked up my notebook and pen and started writing. I kept on writing and didn't stop until I had filled up about 6 pages. What follows is almost exactly what I wrote that night. Certain events since then have sent me back to the drawing board to tweak it a bit, but otherwise very few changes have been made. This is a story (fantasy, really) that just that flowed out of me with literally no effort at all. This is my first attempt at writing fiction.
Yesterday was good, but today sucks. Well, mostly. SSA has been approved, but Medi-Care won't kick in for another 2 years. Went to the temp agency that placed me at UCCR almost 6 years ago. They seemed happy to be able to help me (and I, them) again. Scheduled an appointment with Dr. G. for January 5. Since I received my last SDI check today, and I do not expect any $$$ from SSA until later in the month, I think I will be able to qualify for Medi-Cal for a small window. But Dr. C. doesn't take Medi-Cal, she almost didn't sign the EDD form for supplemental SDI. But she will be working at a clinic that does take Medi-Cal, so I called it. Never heard of her. Went back in to her office. "Oh, she starts later today. Try calling them back tomorrow." Kelly (the barrister) finally returned my call and reaffirmed that Medi-Care does not kick in for 2 more years. (I'll be dead by then if I don't get to see my doctors. I also won't be able to afford my meds, either, probably contributing to my early demise.) I went to SSA to give them a copy of Sierra's birth certificate (I thought I had done that already?) when I discovered that I can appeal the date of disability onset without affecting any of the financial benefits. Now why didn't Kelly know about that? Fucking lawyers. Finally sold the Winnie the Pooh sheets. Not much, but every bit counts. (If only everything I've tried to sell recently sold on the first post for the original asking price, I'd be much better off financially right now.) My BP is skyrocketing again. Sierra called. She forgot her keys again and had to break into the house.
Sigh.
Up, down, up, down, up, down, ad nauseum.
Oh yeah, guns. That GD Son of a Bush in the White House just overturned a ban on carrying concealed firearms in National Parks. Talk about a golden GFY on your way out.
I got the letter today! "You are entitled to monthly disability benefits.... We found that you became disabled under our rules...."
WOO HOO!!!!
It's still hasn't completely sunk in yet, as they have one dollar amount on one page and a different amount on another page, no mention of Medi-Care in this letter, but I will be going down to the SSA office tomorrow to get more clarification.
It feels like I just took off a lead vest. Maybe now I can get on with the rest of my life, (whatever that may bring.)
Last week I walked into the local SSA office (partly because I'm bored stiff) to check on the status of my Medi-Care app. I couldn't see the monitor he was looking at, but he said' "Oh. Good news." Then he turned the conversation in a different direction about where (physically) my application was and started talking ambiguously. He didn't tell me that my app had been approved, but I left with a feeling that my app had been approved, and due to gummintboorockrasee, he was not the proper boorowcrat to inform me of the decision. Just a gut feeling, that's all. I went into a free (almost) clinic (will probably get boiled for the visit anyhow), and got another scrip I can't afford. I had filled out some papers to allow my regular physician to release my records to this clinic. My PCP office called me in regards to one item in their records, and during the course of that phone conversation, I was informed that the good doc actually took time to write a personal letter to SSA saying that this guy is messed up and needs to be accepted into the program! WOOHOO! Thank you Dr. G!!!!!!
My grandfather died of emphysema when he was 72 yo. Before he died, he used to take my oldest brother around to all the rental properties we used to own and showed him how to do anything with tools. My brother could build a house from scratch, I'm sure. And he learned to smoke tobacco from him, too.
My brother and I used to go to water ski tournaments every weekend in the summer and his 1st wife and I and a few others would train during the week. He moved to TN with his family, I moved to CA. Neither of us are involved in organized water skiing any longer. Moving to a red state corrupted his political compass, as we are now on opposite sides of the political spectrum. But he's still my brother.
I got word last night that he has lung cancer and has about 2 to 4 months to live. I cried for about an hour last night. If you'll excuse me, I need to find a way to get to TN soon. I also have to renew my crusade against tobacco.
Could someone please explain why tobacco is legal and marijuana is not?
Sometimes a good piece of music is all it takes to lift your spirits! I had heard of these guys performing my favorite work of all time, 'Dark Side of the Moon' by Pink Floyd. I listened to this 3 times and would have a 4th if it hadn't been so late!
Despite growing up about 50 miles southwest of Fenway Park, my father is a Yankee fan. (Hmmmmm..... maybe that's why we never went to many Sox games!) He was born in 1918 and missed the 1st Sox Dynasty of 1903-1918. By the time he was a young boy playing sandlot ball, it was Yankees this, and Yankees that, and Babe Ruth hitting 60 HR’s! He played 2B for his high school team and hit about .285. He wanted to keep playing, but his father wouldn’t let him play during his senior year. (Oh, was the coach pissed off!) The Great Depression was still a recent memory, and he was needed to work in the family business, thus ending any potential career in baseball. (The broken leg didn’t help, either.)
But this post isn’t about baseball. My father served in the Army (Ozark 102nd Division) in WWII in France and Germany. He was a Lieutenant, and was promoted to Captain upon his discharge. He’s not a doctor, but because of his degree, he was the adjunct to the Captain in his medical unit. I recall seeing some of the schwag he brought back from Europe when I was young, including a parachute, a Nazi flag, and maybe even his side arm, but I have no idea what happened to any of that. (I do have his baseball bat, though.) Maybe it was the broken leg that kept him from the front lines, but I can only imagine that he must have seen some horrific injuries serving in a medical unit. He never spoke much about his time in the Army when I was younger, never even suggested that I serve, most likely due to what he witnessed while there. (The draft was over before I was 18.)
A couple of years ago, he finally opened up a bit and started to talk a little bit about his time in the military. I told him that he should write all this down. Well, he finally did start writing, and just recently gave me the book for me to blog it to the rest of the family. I have not read it yet.
While I am very left leaning, I never went to any ant-Viet Nam war protests. I never spit upon or disrespected any of the returning soldiers in any way. I never served in the military, but I never was much into socio-economics and politics when I was a teenager. Hell, for all I know, I may not have even been tall enough to qualify. While I may question the administrations and the policies that put our great (but not perfect) country in war, I harbor no resentment nor disrespect towards the men and women who have been sent there, as well as the ones who are in the military, but have not had to endure that hell.
My band mate and best friend served in The Marines in Viet Nam. He came back OK. My ex-father-in-law served in the Coast Guard in Nam and saw his best friends face blow up in front of him. He’s messed up. I even have a Sawxheads ‘friend’ whom I have yet to meet in person (but will soon!) who was in The Marines.
So what is the point of this blog? Respect Veterans. After all that they have been through, they get pitiful health care when they get back here. I see it with my father and my band mate. They fought so that I can write ‘Bush sucks!’ and not have to worry about it. Many of them enlisted before they ever had a clue that they would be sent overseas to fight in misguided war. (I can write that because of them.) Many had absolutely ZERO desire to be there. But they went. Protest the war and bitch at the politicians that send troops there, but respect the men and women who are Veterans, and those who will be Veterans.
