Eat your heart out Barry Bonds!

I finally got my cast off a few days ago. My ankle hasn't fully healed yet, so I got a "walking splint" so to speak.

What I really got was "Robo Shoe." I HAVE ARMOR!!!!!!!!

I wish I could say it had titanium bracing on the side, but I'd be lieing. It's just a hard plastic boot with velcro straps.

I'm going to go the little league field tomorrow and put my foot out over home plate.

"I dare you to hit me!" And just like Barry, mine is all black, too. Not like the black/grey ensemble in the picture above.

Proof positive that you don't have to be a millionaire jerk to have body armor!

By the way, I just used "ensemble" in my blog in a discussion about a walking splint. BEAT THAT! Even better, I used "ensemble" and sports in the same discussion.

Hey everyone, it's me!

So, this is what Sarah looks like when she is sleeping. She's a good sleeper, only getting fussy when it's eating time or in need of a new diaper. Because of her larynx, she makes a small squeaky noise occasionally.

I'm adorable!

Time to be a Father

No, the baby isn't here yet.

Just a few random thoughts about becoming a father, and having a baby in the house.

Can't leave stuff on counters anymore.

Have to vacuum more often. Sadie, Frannie . . . I'm talking to you. The hair is on you for a reason. Try to keep it there.
......

All of a sudden, you add another person to your family. Yes, you definetly could have planned it like we did, but you now have a person that is 100% dependent on you for everything. Yes, Mrs. Rocker is dependent on me for certain things, especially in her current pregnant state. But I don't have to worry about her getting food when she needs it.

Trips are no longer spur of the moment ideas. They have to be carefully planned. Do we have enough diapers in the diaper bag? Bottles? Changes of clothes? Toys? Stroller?

Time to get ready for a trip just tripled.

How fast is "driving to fast?"

Do I need to get in naps when the baby is napping?

Winnie the Pooh, I love you. I will have your books memorized.

I'll go get us something to eat if you don't feel like cooking.
.................

Lots of changes at the flip of a switch. Hopefully it will go smooth. I have a great wife who will help me along the journey.

Congrats to Dan Le Retard

Over this past weekend, it was leaked through the NBA rumor pipeline - the one thats as wide as Texas - that Steve Nash was the winner of the NBA MVP award. Sports pondits pontificated profusely about the qualifications of Mr. Nash versues other top candidates. That's what they are supposed to do, review news items of interest in sports.

Most of them do a great job of it. They delve deeper into the stories, ellaborate on certain subjects, warm our hearts with good stories of athletes, and make us think harder about their subject.

Then there are those that try to become the news. Take Dan Le Batard, of the Miami Herald, for instance. On Monday, Le batard wrote an opinion peace saying that Shaquile O'Neal should have won the MVP. Dandy idea if you want to use stats and facts. Horrific idea if you want to say Nash won the MVP because...... he's white. This was a non-existent issue, until Le Batard made it one.

Le Batard invalidates Nash's great year - only the 4th point guard in history to win MVP - by saying the MVP voting was racist. I'm not going to ignore that racism does exist in sports, or anywhere else in society. I do believe, however, that anyone who covers the NBA is probably not racist. Shaq was still dominating this year as he normally is. But he also played fewer minutes in a weaker conference, and posted about the same numbers as he did last year in L.A.

I'll allow Le Batard to be a homer for the Heat. Afterall, that's what he gets paid to do. But don't diminish the voting and call your press peers racist just because they voted a white guy as the NBA MVP.

In addition to Andy's rant on education

I went to the Mrs. high school this morning for their annual awards show. They gave out some awards, some scholarships and so forth. The usual fare for awards show.

Except there were hardly any parents there. There were some. But these are the same you see at every event the school has. I've seen more parents at football and baseball games. The biggest cheer from the students was for the PE award for weight training. Two seniors were awarded two full scholarships at two seperate schools. Clap, yawn, next.

So much is made of the school system and why private schools are better. The problem with the school system isn't urban school systems like Raleigh. They have plenty of funding because they deserve it, their a big school system, and so on. Well, I have found out the smaller systems need just as much help and funding as the big boys.

* The student with the top SAT score was recognized today. Congrats to him. He barely squeaked into getting accepted into NC State because he had to take it again.
* Congrats to all 3 students who were awarded with perfect attendance today. Thats right. 3. For the entire high school. Oh, by the way, the Mrs. is baby-sitting 20+ students after school today who missed more than 8 days, during only 1 semester. When asked wouldn't have been easier to come to class instead of stay after school on a Friday, one student replied emphatically, "No."
* Congrats to the 3 kids who made the Principals list. Yep, they were able to maintain an A average the entire year.

The school that she teaches at has a senior class of about 50 students, of which only 8 are going to 4-year colleges. I believe about that same number are going to local community colleges. And the rest will probably continue to be teenagers for another 5 or so years.

I can't say for certain that kids here would have a better chance if more money was spent on education. It might be a wasted effort. But as you can see from the concerned parents, they don't seem to concerned about it either, as long as the grass is green on the baseball field.

Beating the Boredom Blues

So, I fractured my ankle on Saturday. I have been reduced to being waited on hand-and-foot. There are only so many times I can watch sports center. DVDs are about 8 feet away. Maybe Law and Order is on some channel.

An average day

Add this to the things that make me laugh . . . and probably only me. Why do weather people insist that an abnormaly cold day is "about 10 degrees below average," or colder than normal?

The average temperature is just that! AVERAGE! It is the middle of hot and cold. For instance, it's 10 degrees colder than the average today, but last year it was 10 degrees . . . . warmer!

OK, I'm done. for now.

El Tigre es en fuego.

Attention Golf World: You have been put on Alert Status.

Tiger Woods is back.

No more drought.

DiMarco folded better than a paper airplane. Mickelson, I can hear your knees banging together from over here. Singh, you officially have competition. Els, where have you beeen? Justin Leonard has been milk-cartoned.

The Pope is dead.... finally

So the Pope passed away a few days ago. He had been in bad health for a few weeks - er, months. The world waited as he traveled from his Vatican apartment, to the hospital, back to the Vatican, back to the hospital. As his health grew worse, speculation buzzed about how he would handle his Easter responsibilities and regular duties.

I'm not sure how to start the next thought about this. If this were any other world leader, measures would be in place - along with public outcry - to have someone with their wits about them step in and take his/her place. I know this isn't a government, but rather a religious organization. Catholics waited on the edge of their seats to make sure their beloved would pull through his latest illness. The Catholics feelings for the Pope are borderline fanatacism.

Here was a man, that was selected to be the leader of the worlds largest church organization. He was selected, I assume, based on his leadership skills, piety, and other Christian values. He became a figurehead. He was still just a man.

comments?

a new steroids policy

A couple of weeks ago, I started a new job. It's a national company, but not very prominent. Just a furniture company for the most part. Before I started, I had to take a drug test. No biggie. But if I didn't pass said drug test, I wouldn't have my current job.

Thats OK. I could still be a baseball player. I used to play, and if I trained hard for a few months, I'm sure I could land a job being Joe Torres bench coach. After all, the drug test isn't too important. I would just be suspended for a few games, if the players union didn't step in to alter the sentence on appeal. But I'd still be employed, so no big deal.

Thats the major problem I have with this so-called policy. Almost every job that I have had has required me to take a drug test, so I would have the privelege of making $10 per hour. If MLB wants to endear themselves to Joe Average, they need to seriously rework the current policy.

I believe any illegal drug, whether narcotics or steroids, gets you an automatic 1 year ban, with no pay. I'd like to think the contract can stay intact, that way, the team still gets the player when they get back from there hiatus. I think it's pretty fair.

I know I couldn't keep my job if I was busted 3 times for marijuana, much less 5.

Those are my thoughts and they belong to my brain.

Winn Dixie forces bankruptcty

Everyone knows about sport curses: The EA cover, SI cover, the Bambin- uh, wait. Anyway, a new movie just came out, something about a dog named Winn Dixie. And just on the CNN website this morning, Winn-Dixie the grocery store chained is forced to file chapter 11. Is this a new trend? Only one way to tell if this curse has legs. Someone needs to find a stray dog and name it Walmart.