The eagle has landed

This hotel here, the Spring Hill Suites, it's a pretty nice place. We checked in and I went right to the computer in the lobby to print the scouting reports I got on Miami and Jacksonville - maybe it'll help us out a bit.

I also needed pitching charts for the games - to pick up hitter tendencies, keep pitch count for our pitchers - so I emailed my buddy over at Siena. Fortunately, we're pretty good friends, even though we've ended their season two years in a row - this year in the playoffs we beat them twice and last year in the last game of the regular season we came back from 12 runs down after 7 innings to knock them out of a playoff spot. He sent me over a copy of a pitching chart so I could print it out. I forgot to pack my charts and clipboard this morning, probably because I was too busy getting everything ready to travel in the gym - shit like uniforms and laundry loops for our players. But I got them now, just need to head over to the Target across the street tomorrow morning to get myself a clipboard to write on. I've gone through about 4 clipboards this year - some just break in my bag and at least two have met their fate over the back of a chair. I can't help it, I'm a competitor.

I'll probably walk around Target for an hour tomorrow to pass some time. I mean Target usually has plenty of things to look at and they're usually pretty large, so it shouldn't be too tough to waste some of my down time between our 9:30am breakfast and 1:45pm bus to the field. We practice from 2:30pm to 3:45pm at the stadium. ESPN's own college baseball guru Kyle Peterson will be at our practice, which is pretty cool. It's not often a small school like ours gets national coverage, so you take it when you can.

I am back in the hotel now after dinner at Bono's BBQ. The place looked a little sketchy from the outside, but it wasn't all bad. It's a deep pit BBQ chain (I think) down here and the meat was extremely dry, so I was definitely not satisfied with dinner. We chose it though, so I'll deal with it. I didn't really feel like going to Chili's or Applebee's, so Bono's it was. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. No more Bono's.

On the bright side, my A/C in the room finally works like an A/C should. Last week in Trenton, I had that bitch down to 60 degrees but it was the muggiest, stickiest 60 degrees I've ever experienced. I got the thermostat in here turned to 68 degrees and it feels waaaaay colder than last weekend. Only gripe is that I have two double beds instead of a king bed, so it'll be just like home when Lindsay and Nolan get here.

Lindsay told me that Nolan cries a lot when I'm away. I feel bad when I leave her by herself with the little guy, but she's doing a great job, and on the whole, he's pretty good. It's easy for me to say, I have the easy job. I'll be glad when they're here Friday.

Right now I'm watching the Giants/Cardinals game - it's in extras, tied at 5. Tim Welke (1B umpire) just made a terrible call with two outs and no one on - said the 1B came off the base on a throw from SS but the replay showed otherwise.

The Yankees just got done sweeping the Athletics out in Oakland after losing 2 of 3 in Seattle. AJ Burnett let up a 2-R homer in the first inning but settled in after that and Nick Swisher (I love the way he plays the game) hit a big 3-R bolt in the fourth inning. The Yanks have won four in a row and the Sox have lost four in a row, so their lead in the AL (B)East is 2 games. To be fair to the NL, the NL East has been very competitive this season, even though the Phillies are clearly the best team.

I am pumped up for this regional - it's a tall order we got but I think we'll hold our own. And it's on national television, ESPNU, on Friday at 4pm, so you just might see me on small screen (although it'll be for a mound visit).

Time to settle into bed for the night. I told Lindsay to call me if she couldn't sleep or if Nolan was keeping her up.

Oh man, the Giants just took the lead in the top of the 11th after two two-out doubles. Brian "the Beard" Wilson is up in the pen for the Giants, so this game will be on for it's entirety. I love wtching this animal pitch, he's such a character. Another RBI hit for the Giants, 7-5. A two-out nightmare for the Red Birds.

OK, time to brush and hop in bed. See you tomorrow.

woo!

JFK to Orlando

I went over to Hudson News (the NY airport version of a newsstand) and picked up Keith Richards' new memoir, "Life". I read several pages and wanted to give my eyes a break, so I popped on some tunes.

Now, as I find myself sitting way back in Row 35, Seat D, pumping out a blog entry on my portable iPod/iPad keyboard.  The only drawback is that I can't simultaneously listen to music, but I will gladly sacrifice music for a chance to post.

Problem is, I have no Blogger app on my iPod touch, so this is being written on the standard Notes app and I will email it to myself and post when we get some service around here (sorry, by the time you read this post, it will be about 4 hours old). I tried getting myself in an Emergency Row seat, for the excess leg room, but honestly, I didn't like the looks of the people that were also asking to be placed in the row, so I backed out of the line. No point having extra leg room if you gotta share it with some blimp. Instead, I got myself an aisle seat because the back of the plane is empty and an empty middle seat (which was supposed to my mine).

They didn't even look capable of saving a life in the chance that there was an emergency, as a matter of fact, I bet they woulas an emergency, as a matter of fact, I bet they woulda bailed on everyone. Besides, they barely spoke English, which I thought was a requirement to sit in an Emergency Row (so that you can take direction). The more I think about it, the less comfortable I'm getting on this flight.

Beverage service is beginning - I know because I got rocked by the cart as it rolled by me in the aisle. I'll probably choose a ginger ale, settle the stomach a little bit.

Speaking of beverages, I think the cheapest thing to buy in an airport is - get ready for it - Starbucks iced coffee. For a large (or venti, as they like to refer to it) it's only $2.60 or something like that. You go buy a 20 oz. bottle of water and you're $3 lighter in the pocket. I know I've bashed Starbucks before, and will always opt for Dunkin' Donuts instead, in a pinch, in an airport, it'll suffice.

I'm sitting next to my friend Joe (aka Joe Brackets) who's made the trip to do the radio for our games this weekend.

Oh and did I forget to mention that NY Yankees OF'er Curtis Granderson (@cgrand14) gave us a shootout on Twitter? Pretty cool, at least I think it is. He wished us and St. John's luck in the NCAA Baseball Regionals. He seems like a decent enough guy who is always doing things in different communities around the NYC area. Not to mention he drops bombs (17 HR's already?)

The more I use this keyboard, the more I doubt myself for purchasing it. I had a gift card and used that to buy it (so it came to around $18 out of pocket) but damn what an investment. I know I'll wear the typing right off the keys eventually. Maybe if my blog blows up, I'll have to switch to my own domain name, or maybe I'll do it anyway, try to generate some revenue.

Anyway, the cart is next to me again, time to order a drink. Sorry for the tape delay

Dirty 30

Today's my Dirty 30th. I'm out of my 20's today, but it doesn't feel any different.

I have never been a real big birthday- having guy, I just don't make a big deal out of it. 

It was tough leaving Lindsay and Nolan this morning knowing they'll be home alone for two days before they hop their flight to Gainesville FL.

As for us, we're on the bus headed to JFK. Got my camera, hopefully photo-journal a little bit before Lindsay comes down with the iPad (it's easier to blog on there).

Time to focus on the bus ride, I don't wanna get nauseas.

OK, the old(er) dude is signing off.