Hi folks:
It's been over a week since my last post. Last week started out great with varied fun activities and a win in my Fantasy football league against my #1 rival. Then the week ended on a low note as my beloved baseball team's bats went to sleep when most needed in Game 7 of the NLCS. So, life can now continue.
THE WEEK BEGAN REALLY WELL...
Last Thursday, the 12th, my week began very well. Game One of the NLCS was supposed to have begun Wednesday night the 11th, but heavy rains in the NYC area forced MLB to postpone the game till Friday. My good friend Fred was able to procure a few tickets to Game Two, which now became Game One because of the rainout. Well, I don't have to tell you that Shea Stadium was ELECTRIC and jumping. We were thrilled by Carlos Beltran's 2-run homer that eventually won the game, and were really happy that Tom Glavine pitched so well and we got to see a win. While drinking a couple of beers in the parking lot after the game, waiting for traffic to die down, we met a guy from Brooklyn who was walking through the parking lot. He asked us for a beer and tried to pay us $1 for it. It was worth at least $2, but we didn't take his money. Actually, Fred DID take it, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, the guy was really impressed that we drove down from Albany for the game, and were driving right back. Called us "Die-Hards", and said "God Bless you guys." It was at that point that I started to dislike him. No, actually, he seemed pretty friendly. He went on his merry way and we got on the road.
THE NEXT DAY (THE 13TH)
Friday the 13th brought my son Connor's 13 birthday. How quickly time flies. We bought Connor a new bowling ball, a Nintendo Gameboy DS, and a Virgin Mobile cell phone, as gifts. For his "party", we took him, Jackson, and a few friends to an arcade and let them have fun with video games for an hour or so, then went to a local restaurant, (the Orchard), for pizza and the like. One of Con's friends is a Rainman-like nerd who has some strange little quirks. After we had finished our mozzarella sticks appetizer, and while we were waiting for the rest of our food, this kid decided he was really hungry and instead of using one of the plates on the table, started sprinkling Parmesan cheese on a napkin and licking it off. I was, like, "Dude, what the hell are you doing?" He says, "I'm really hungry." "Well, you could at least pour it on a plate. You look like a retard liking cheese off of a napkin. Do you do this kind of stuff when your parents are around?" He says, "Sometimes." "Well, stop. Mr. Tollerton doesn't like to be embarassed in public, okay? At least use a spoon, Rainman, alright?" Anyway, it was a nerd-fest to be sure. One of the nerds was on a sugar buzz and had to be scraped off of the wall. One of the kids was my sons' friend, The Holy Roman Emperor of Nerdland, and he was dorking it up like the world-class dork that he is. Then we stuffed them with cake and ice cream and sent them home.
METS AND CARDINALS
Just some other observations about the NLCS. First, can anyone tell me how Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan quieted the Mets bats? I mean, come on. Jeff Weaver? Jeff Freakin' Weaver? He was shit-canned from the Angels to make room for his little brother, after mediocre tenures with the Dodgers, Mets, Tigers, and Yankees. He couldn't give you two good starts in a row with the good steroids. Now, the guy becomes a baffler? And Jeff Suppan, who is better than Weaver, but eminently hittable, gives up 2 hits over 8 innings in Game 7? It was bad luck Aaron Heilman gave up the 2-run homer in the top of the 9th to lose Game 7, but the Mets should have had that game in hand much earlier. Especially...
...after one of the greatest defensive plays ever seen in Playoff history. Endy Chavez, the Mets left-fielder, robbed Scott Rolen of a 2-run homer by going over the wall to snag the ball in the end of his glove's webbing and then threw the ball back in to complete a double play and get the Mets out of the 6th inning. It would probably go down in Playoff history as one of, if not the greatest catch ever in the clutch......had the Mets won the game. In the bottom half of the inning, Chavez came up with men on base and 2 outs. So often, we have seen a guy make a great defensive play in the field, then come in and get a big hit to propel his team onward to a win. But Endy popped out to end the inning and I knew in my bones that they would probably lose because they didn't cash in on the momentum they got with Chavez's catch.
When Carlos Beltran struck out looking, and the Cardinals were the NL champs, I realized that I had no interest in this year's World Sries, and can only hope that Mets GM, Omar Minaya, can land a power hitting outfielder and sign, or bring up some young pitching talent for 2007. Too many old guys eventually break down over a long season. It was a real shame that Pedro Martinez and El Duque were not available for the playoffs. If they were able to pitch and were in good health, I believe the Mets walk into the Series and give the Tigers a real tough time. I think the Tigers will win in 5 games. I also think that maybe it's time for the Mets to say thank you and good bye to Pedro, Cliff Floyd, and El Duque. Older, injury-prone athletes don't end up winning championships, normally (though don't tell that to Willis Reed and Kirk Gibson).
ASSASSINS CRUSH HORSELESS HEADMEN
Just a quick note. The Assassins of Shadowland kicked the crap out of arch-rival, the Horseless Headmen, 106-53 in the BBSFFL (my fantasy football league). The Headmen are owned by by my good friend, Chuck, the Edge O.D. There was initially a $50 bet on this game which turned in to a wager of a round of golf and lunch. 3 words for Mr. Luce...Pay the man!! The Dark Tide Rolls, baby. Chant for me, Helsinki..."ASSASSINS!! ASSASSINS!! ASSASSINS!!"
THE BATHROOM PROJECT IN IT'S FINAL STAGES
I began painting the bathroom last night. We're going with white walls and purple trim. I've got to do 2 coats of Primer/Sealer before the actual paint goes on because it's new drywall and paint gets absorbed like a sponge. I'm thinking of using a little artistic flair later and painting some kind of design on the walls (stripes, or something like that just to give it some uniqueness). Mrs T. isn't so sure. We'll see. I'd like to do something to put my signature on it. Something that says..."The Asshole DIDN"T build this!!"
It'll just be nice to be able to pee upstairs from now on. Jeeez, this thing has taken a long time to complete. As long as the wife is happy, you know what I mean? Cause if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!
And you know that LEN IS RIGHT.
Thanks for stopping by.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Friday, October 20, 2006
Monday, October 09, 2006
HOW SWEET IT IS
Hey Now:
That's right. How sweet it is for us Mets fans who get to continue watching our team in the Playoffs, while the Yankees fans are left to wonder and speculate how and why their team's season fell apart at the worst possible time. Now I'm not saying that the Mets will win the Series, let alone get by the Cardinals. But it's fairly heady stuff for right now.
It was actually a pretty good weekend, sports-wise for me, as the Mets advanced, my KC Chiefs grabbed their second win of the year, and my Fantasy team won a nail-biter to put me at 3-2 in my league. Sometimes you get a week of football, or sports, hell. This is where your favorite team loses, your fantasy team loses, and you get your ass handed to you betting with a bookie. Then there are weeks when everything falls into place and you win. Fortunately for me, I don't bet football anymore because I experienced more weeks of hell than heaven. A man's got to know is limitations, ya know?
KIM JONG IL
I typed the North Korean madman's name in shit-stain brown because he is just scum. Is he trying to convince people he has large balls? Is he hopped up on steroids and testosterone? Is he just plum-loco crazy? Is he trying to just show defiance because he hates our way of life? Does anyone know the answer to this? Maybe he got tired of us and the rest of the world powers laughing at him, so he decided to show some force and create a palpable menace. Like Khadaffi from Libya and other crazies from around the planet, he seems to want to prove a point because he doesn't want his people to flourish freely. Dictators are typically like this, it seems. And it continues to amaze me that these guys keep trying to push things, even after they have it proven that they cannot win. Dictators are evil and corrupt. The only dictator who has survived and has not incurred the wrath of the world is Castro. But then again, he doesn't try to pose a threat to the free nations of the world.
Perhaps Kim Jong Il feels as if he's been pushed around by the free, capitalist nations to the point of not being able to take it anymore. Kind of like a person who commits a horrendous act of violence (like a school shooting, or a postal worker kooking out, etc...) when they've been pushed to the breaking point. Who knows? I'm sure most people believe his mind has gone round the bend. Maybe he's trying to get back at an abusive father, or something. Who knows?
Most people would suggest sending a team of CIA-type assassins to knock him off. It didn't work with Khadaffi or Osama Bin Laden, so far. And I can understand their point, even to the point of agreeing that this guy has to go. But then there's the argument that an act like that makes us sink to the despot's level. It also makes us look like the world bully, "Do and act as we say, or we'll just kill ya." Regardless of what your opinion is, we probably all agree that something should be done. Cause if he were to start showing serious force, like attacking, say, Japan, we wouldn't be able to get all those nice electronic items that we've just got to have.
AMTRAK CONTINUES TO SUCK
Things continue to suck at the railroad. It's bad enough that the workers have not had a contract or a raise since December of 1999 (that's almost 7 years.....you try getting along like that). But now the facility that I work at has a General Foreman/Asst. Facility Manager who is out of control in his lust for power. It doesn't help that he, as a short person, has a whopping Napoleon Complex . But he has now started to go out of his way to prove he holds all of the cards by looking for reasons to fire anyone who steps out of line. It's gotten to the point that if someone takes a lost-time injury, this guy is trying to find a way to turn the injury around and showing it's the injured person's fault, to the point of having them taken out of service.
I have started to liken this guy to Kim Jong Il, as his power lust has gotten out of control. A man got in trouble for punching people's time cards in, so they would not be late. While I agree that it's not the best idea to do that, the General Foreman has actually tried to get the people whose cards were punched, to make a statement saying that they gave the guy permission to punch their cards. He is doing this to try to trick these people into making a mistake for which they could be fired. How do you like that. This GF used to be a Foreman, and wasn't really a bad guy. Now, he has turned into an evil bastard, bent on putting people on the street, jeopardizing their families' well-being, all to prove that he is the man in power.
Around a year ago, this guy came into some money and bought himself a small, convertible, Italian sports car. It reminds me of a Barbie car. I live in hopes that one day when he gets out of his car, that a giant Milwaukee's Best beer can drops out of the sky and crushes him, like in the commercial. If you haven't seen this series of commercials for Milwaukee's Best (the can drops out of the sky and crushes some hapless guy who is showing a softer side of himself, and the narrator says, "Be a Man. Drink a Man's Beer), you can see them on ESPN during the broadcasts of the World Series of Poker. They're pretty funny. And, I don't think it's alot to ask to see this happen in real life to this GM, who seems to take delight in screwing with people's lives, while driving around in his Barbie sports-car. I think certain people feel that just because they don't work at the Post Office, that an act of violence couldn't happen to them. And in truth, no truly rational person would do that. But sometimes you can push people too far. And then when the act of violence happens, the victim gets a look on their face like, "Why did this happen? What'd I do?, What's I do?"
CONNOR TURNS 13
My older son, Connor, will turn 13 this Friday. It's really amazing how fast time flies. I have pictures in my locker at work, of him at the Great Escape Amusement Park when he was 2 or 3. I see the picture now of his cute, chubby cheeks and happy smile and I just want to kiss and hug him over and over. I know this would embarrass him. It's funny and ironic how when your kids are very small, you want them to grow up. And when they grow up you wish they were small again so you could hold them and have them fall asleep on your chest on a cool Spring day. That was one of my favorite things. Falling asleep on the couch with one of my small boys on my chest or next to me. If you're someone with small children, cherish those feelings and moments now. And keep those feelings embedded in your memory. Cause soon enough you'll find that your kids don't want to hang around with Mom and Dad, and you'll miss it terribly. Make sure you tell your kids you love them and give them hugs on a daily basis. Cause one day you'll feel an emptiness because they're not around anymore. Cherish your time with your kids and make sure it counts.
LEN IS RIGHT, people, you know it's true. You have yourself a nice week.
I am,
Len Tollerton
That's right. How sweet it is for us Mets fans who get to continue watching our team in the Playoffs, while the Yankees fans are left to wonder and speculate how and why their team's season fell apart at the worst possible time. Now I'm not saying that the Mets will win the Series, let alone get by the Cardinals. But it's fairly heady stuff for right now.
It was actually a pretty good weekend, sports-wise for me, as the Mets advanced, my KC Chiefs grabbed their second win of the year, and my Fantasy team won a nail-biter to put me at 3-2 in my league. Sometimes you get a week of football, or sports, hell. This is where your favorite team loses, your fantasy team loses, and you get your ass handed to you betting with a bookie. Then there are weeks when everything falls into place and you win. Fortunately for me, I don't bet football anymore because I experienced more weeks of hell than heaven. A man's got to know is limitations, ya know?
KIM JONG IL
I typed the North Korean madman's name in shit-stain brown because he is just scum. Is he trying to convince people he has large balls? Is he hopped up on steroids and testosterone? Is he just plum-loco crazy? Is he trying to just show defiance because he hates our way of life? Does anyone know the answer to this? Maybe he got tired of us and the rest of the world powers laughing at him, so he decided to show some force and create a palpable menace. Like Khadaffi from Libya and other crazies from around the planet, he seems to want to prove a point because he doesn't want his people to flourish freely. Dictators are typically like this, it seems. And it continues to amaze me that these guys keep trying to push things, even after they have it proven that they cannot win. Dictators are evil and corrupt. The only dictator who has survived and has not incurred the wrath of the world is Castro. But then again, he doesn't try to pose a threat to the free nations of the world.
Perhaps Kim Jong Il feels as if he's been pushed around by the free, capitalist nations to the point of not being able to take it anymore. Kind of like a person who commits a horrendous act of violence (like a school shooting, or a postal worker kooking out, etc...) when they've been pushed to the breaking point. Who knows? I'm sure most people believe his mind has gone round the bend. Maybe he's trying to get back at an abusive father, or something. Who knows?
Most people would suggest sending a team of CIA-type assassins to knock him off. It didn't work with Khadaffi or Osama Bin Laden, so far. And I can understand their point, even to the point of agreeing that this guy has to go. But then there's the argument that an act like that makes us sink to the despot's level. It also makes us look like the world bully, "Do and act as we say, or we'll just kill ya." Regardless of what your opinion is, we probably all agree that something should be done. Cause if he were to start showing serious force, like attacking, say, Japan, we wouldn't be able to get all those nice electronic items that we've just got to have.
AMTRAK CONTINUES TO SUCK
Things continue to suck at the railroad. It's bad enough that the workers have not had a contract or a raise since December of 1999 (that's almost 7 years.....you try getting along like that). But now the facility that I work at has a General Foreman/Asst. Facility Manager who is out of control in his lust for power. It doesn't help that he, as a short person, has a whopping Napoleon Complex . But he has now started to go out of his way to prove he holds all of the cards by looking for reasons to fire anyone who steps out of line. It's gotten to the point that if someone takes a lost-time injury, this guy is trying to find a way to turn the injury around and showing it's the injured person's fault, to the point of having them taken out of service.
I have started to liken this guy to Kim Jong Il, as his power lust has gotten out of control. A man got in trouble for punching people's time cards in, so they would not be late. While I agree that it's not the best idea to do that, the General Foreman has actually tried to get the people whose cards were punched, to make a statement saying that they gave the guy permission to punch their cards. He is doing this to try to trick these people into making a mistake for which they could be fired. How do you like that. This GF used to be a Foreman, and wasn't really a bad guy. Now, he has turned into an evil bastard, bent on putting people on the street, jeopardizing their families' well-being, all to prove that he is the man in power.
Around a year ago, this guy came into some money and bought himself a small, convertible, Italian sports car. It reminds me of a Barbie car. I live in hopes that one day when he gets out of his car, that a giant Milwaukee's Best beer can drops out of the sky and crushes him, like in the commercial. If you haven't seen this series of commercials for Milwaukee's Best (the can drops out of the sky and crushes some hapless guy who is showing a softer side of himself, and the narrator says, "Be a Man. Drink a Man's Beer), you can see them on ESPN during the broadcasts of the World Series of Poker. They're pretty funny. And, I don't think it's alot to ask to see this happen in real life to this GM, who seems to take delight in screwing with people's lives, while driving around in his Barbie sports-car. I think certain people feel that just because they don't work at the Post Office, that an act of violence couldn't happen to them. And in truth, no truly rational person would do that. But sometimes you can push people too far. And then when the act of violence happens, the victim gets a look on their face like, "Why did this happen? What'd I do?, What's I do?"
CONNOR TURNS 13
My older son, Connor, will turn 13 this Friday. It's really amazing how fast time flies. I have pictures in my locker at work, of him at the Great Escape Amusement Park when he was 2 or 3. I see the picture now of his cute, chubby cheeks and happy smile and I just want to kiss and hug him over and over. I know this would embarrass him. It's funny and ironic how when your kids are very small, you want them to grow up. And when they grow up you wish they were small again so you could hold them and have them fall asleep on your chest on a cool Spring day. That was one of my favorite things. Falling asleep on the couch with one of my small boys on my chest or next to me. If you're someone with small children, cherish those feelings and moments now. And keep those feelings embedded in your memory. Cause soon enough you'll find that your kids don't want to hang around with Mom and Dad, and you'll miss it terribly. Make sure you tell your kids you love them and give them hugs on a daily basis. Cause one day you'll feel an emptiness because they're not around anymore. Cherish your time with your kids and make sure it counts.
LEN IS RIGHT, people, you know it's true. You have yourself a nice week.
I am,
Len Tollerton
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
OCTOBER
Greetings:
October has arrived, the NFL is in full-swing and the baseball playoffs have begun. I hope everyone had a great weekend. I started off my weekend by playing in the traditional birthday golf outing on Friday. Rob the Hockey Player and Rob the Bounty Hunter joined me at Schenectady Muni on a very rainy morning. We were supposed to have 8 golfers and ended up with 3 because of prior committments and the poor weather conditions. Hockey Player's birthday was 9/30 and mine was 10/1, and for the last 10 years we have played a round of golf on the Friday nearest our birthdays. last year we had 8 players and played a 2-team scramble that everyone enjoyed. We tried to get the same teams together this year, at the same scene of the crime. Instead, we had a 3-man match. I gave strokes to both Robs so the match would be fair. We played a game called Nines, which is a game for 3 players, where you get 1 point for a bogey, 2 for a Par , and 3 for a Birdie, with each point being worth a Quarter. We also played Greenies (closest to the pin on Par-3's and you must make the Par). I won 3 and Hockey Player won 1. The Bounty Hunter ended up getting fleeced for the day. We were VERY wet for the first 7 holes, then the rain let up and we were able to have fun. So, it was a good day.
Saturday, lovely Patty took me to DelMonico's for dinner. Except for an exceptional appetizer called Bella Napoli (Italian Nachos), the rest of the meal sucked. The steak was really fatty and not really outstanding and Patty's chicken, pasta, broccoli, and mushroom dish was horrendous. The marinara was too sweet. From now on, if I want a steak, I'm going to the Barnsider. And if I want Italian, I'm going to D'Raymond's.
Sunday, the family was over to celebrate my birthday with a dinner of ribs and potato latkes. Very enjoyable.
MLB PLAYOFFS
Here are my predictions for the First Round of the baseball playoffs:
American League
Yankees vs. Tigers--Yanks just too much. Yanks win in 4.
A's vs. Twins--Despite losing Game 1, I think the Twins will prevail in 5.
National League
Mets vs. Dodgers--Mets starting rotation is hurting, but I think their offense will be enough to win in 4 games.
Padres vs. Cardinals--Despite losing Game 1 at home, I think the Pods will take it in 5.
FOOTBALL
It was a fairly good week for me football-wise. My Chiefs won 41-0 and my Fantasy team the Assassins soundly defeated the defending champs, the Kaos Kids, 87-53...and won $10 in the process. The only down-side to the week was that I picked Jacksonville in both of my Survivor pools and lost and am now out of both.
RANDOMS
Everyone seems excited, or at least happy, that gas prices are now at the $2.60 level. It IS better than $3.09, but doesn't it suck to think that we're happy to be paying $2.60? We've played right into the gas companies wishes by being happy and accepting this. Make no mistake, none of them care about the American Public. If they did, they would have been happy making 18-25 Billion instead of the record breaking 36 Billion of last year and not socked it to our wallets so bad. Bunch of scum.
I'm looking forward to seeing the movies The Illusionist and The Prestige, both about magicians. Also, I'm looking forward to The Departed, with DiCaprio, Nichloson, and Damon. I also read today that Robert Downey Jr. has been signed to play Iron Man, the comic-book superhero. I've always been a fan of Downey, even when he was in trouble. I think he's one of America's best actors and I try to see most of his flicks.
Do other countries have crazies running around like we had in Amish country this weekend? Oklahoma City, Waco, Columbine, etc... do we have the corner on lunatics?
Amtrak, and working at Amtrak, sucks massive donkey d**k. Will somebody PLEEZE offer me a job making $50,000, utilizing my talents, even though I don't have a college diploma? Help a brother out, will ya? You trust me, don't you? You're getting alot and a large asset when you get me.
How do I know? Because LEN IS RIGHT!!
I am,
Len Tollerton
October has arrived, the NFL is in full-swing and the baseball playoffs have begun. I hope everyone had a great weekend. I started off my weekend by playing in the traditional birthday golf outing on Friday. Rob the Hockey Player and Rob the Bounty Hunter joined me at Schenectady Muni on a very rainy morning. We were supposed to have 8 golfers and ended up with 3 because of prior committments and the poor weather conditions. Hockey Player's birthday was 9/30 and mine was 10/1, and for the last 10 years we have played a round of golf on the Friday nearest our birthdays. last year we had 8 players and played a 2-team scramble that everyone enjoyed. We tried to get the same teams together this year, at the same scene of the crime. Instead, we had a 3-man match. I gave strokes to both Robs so the match would be fair. We played a game called Nines, which is a game for 3 players, where you get 1 point for a bogey, 2 for a Par , and 3 for a Birdie, with each point being worth a Quarter. We also played Greenies (closest to the pin on Par-3's and you must make the Par). I won 3 and Hockey Player won 1. The Bounty Hunter ended up getting fleeced for the day. We were VERY wet for the first 7 holes, then the rain let up and we were able to have fun. So, it was a good day.
Saturday, lovely Patty took me to DelMonico's for dinner. Except for an exceptional appetizer called Bella Napoli (Italian Nachos), the rest of the meal sucked. The steak was really fatty and not really outstanding and Patty's chicken, pasta, broccoli, and mushroom dish was horrendous. The marinara was too sweet. From now on, if I want a steak, I'm going to the Barnsider. And if I want Italian, I'm going to D'Raymond's.
Sunday, the family was over to celebrate my birthday with a dinner of ribs and potato latkes. Very enjoyable.
MLB PLAYOFFS
Here are my predictions for the First Round of the baseball playoffs:
American League
Yankees vs. Tigers--Yanks just too much. Yanks win in 4.
A's vs. Twins--Despite losing Game 1, I think the Twins will prevail in 5.
National League
Mets vs. Dodgers--Mets starting rotation is hurting, but I think their offense will be enough to win in 4 games.
Padres vs. Cardinals--Despite losing Game 1 at home, I think the Pods will take it in 5.
FOOTBALL
It was a fairly good week for me football-wise. My Chiefs won 41-0 and my Fantasy team the Assassins soundly defeated the defending champs, the Kaos Kids, 87-53...and won $10 in the process. The only down-side to the week was that I picked Jacksonville in both of my Survivor pools and lost and am now out of both.
RANDOMS
Everyone seems excited, or at least happy, that gas prices are now at the $2.60 level. It IS better than $3.09, but doesn't it suck to think that we're happy to be paying $2.60? We've played right into the gas companies wishes by being happy and accepting this. Make no mistake, none of them care about the American Public. If they did, they would have been happy making 18-25 Billion instead of the record breaking 36 Billion of last year and not socked it to our wallets so bad. Bunch of scum.
I'm looking forward to seeing the movies The Illusionist and The Prestige, both about magicians. Also, I'm looking forward to The Departed, with DiCaprio, Nichloson, and Damon. I also read today that Robert Downey Jr. has been signed to play Iron Man, the comic-book superhero. I've always been a fan of Downey, even when he was in trouble. I think he's one of America's best actors and I try to see most of his flicks.
Do other countries have crazies running around like we had in Amish country this weekend? Oklahoma City, Waco, Columbine, etc... do we have the corner on lunatics?
Amtrak, and working at Amtrak, sucks massive donkey d**k. Will somebody PLEEZE offer me a job making $50,000, utilizing my talents, even though I don't have a college diploma? Help a brother out, will ya? You trust me, don't you? You're getting alot and a large asset when you get me.
How do I know? Because LEN IS RIGHT!!
I am,
Len Tollerton
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