Allergies!

Allergies majorly suck! For the past two days, my eyes have been swollen and painful. I thought when the weather got colder, the pollen and mold counts would go down. Wrong! I have been exhausting the tissue supply and putting cold washclothes over my eyes. So at the moment, contacts and any eye makeup of the sort is out of the question. Hopefully, my eyes will get better soon and I will get to wear my contacts again! Loki also suffers from Spring Allergies. In fact, she is on medicine for it. At one point, poor Lokilu was suffering so bad from allergies, she had to get a shot from the vet. Poor baby was so miserable, scratching and biting everywhere. Her eyes and snout were all red and puffy. She is much better now. The medicine is working wonders.

Baseball Season Is Officially Here!!

That's right folks, my fave time of the year is here; Baseball season! The Cardinals were presented their World Series ring on opening day in a grand ceremony. The rings are outrageous. 40 diamonds, 32 rubies, and the top of the ring is as a big as a bottle cap. Too much bling for me. The Cards opened the season against the New York Mets (who they beat in the NLCS to go on to the World Series). The Mets, unfortunately, beat us all three games. We went on to Houston to play the Astros, where the Cardinals won the series 2-1. Then they went to Pittsburgh to beat up (I mean play) the Pirates. The Cardinals won all three games. It was a very successful road trip (5-1). Currently the Cardinals record is 5-4 and they are a half game behind Cincinnati. The Chicago Cubs are in last place (suprise suprise). Here's some Cardinals highlights:
* First baseman Albert Pujols has gotten off to a slow start w/ .176 average. Very un-Pujols like, but its early in the season, we have a lot of games left to play.
*Third Baseman Scott Rolen sat out for two games due to back spasms. He is back in the line up for Friday, April 13th's game. Scott Spezio filled in for him and did a great job.
*Star pitcher Chris Carpenter is on the DL due to an elbow injury. According to the team doc, he is not expected to return to the lineup until May. Randy Kiesler has been called up from Memphis to take his place until his return.
*Adam Wainwright has made an impressive start-1-0. Braden Looper has also gotten off to a nice start 1-1.
*The Cardinals are playing musical chairs in left field; Chris Duncan starts one night, then So Taguchi, then Skip Schumaker, then Preston Wilson, and then Scott Spezio. Jim Edmonds is the only constant in Center field.
*New comer Adam Kennedy is also struggling at the plate; he is off to a 3 for 22 start for the season. Aaron Miles has been filling in for him. No worries thou, Kennedy will figure things out.
*Rookie Anthony Reyes gets the start tonight agains the Milwaukee Brewers, new comer Kip Wells will get the start on Saturday. Braden Looper will face off former Cardinal Jeff Suppan on Sunday. Jeff Suppan is being presented his World Series ring Friday night.
*Por Siempre, Let's Go Cards!!

Busch Stadium- smoking ban

Hooray!! Busch Stadium has joined the 15 other stadiums in banning smoking from inside the stadium. Smokers will now have to go outside to smoke! Meaning I can breath freely and won't gag on any of the smoke from the smokers who don't pay attention to the rules. I know the smokers are not happy, but whatever. I am really excited about this and commend Busch on this action! While I do not have any tickets for any of the games yet, I will have a few tickets later and will enjoy the new smoke free environment!!
Por Siempre: Let's Go Cards!!

Tired puppy just won't quit

Last night, Loki was soo tired from running around the house. She wouldn't quit playing. She was exhausted, but she would not lay down to take a nap. She pulled what we refer to as "tired toddler act". Loki just wanted to play and play and play. We took her to Petsmart last night and weighed her- she weighed in at 51.5 lbs. Mom thinks Loki is a bit pudgy and wants to call her "Porkylu" I keep insisting that Loki is in perfect shape. I think she is even stronger than Shadow. Loki is solid muscle; she almost rips your arm out playing w/ her tug toy! Last week, I took Loki up to the new grooming place next to our vets office, Rub A Dub Doggie. We normally take Loki to Petsmart for nail clipping and grooming when we can't hose her down in front of the house. So we decided to give Rub A Dub Doggie a try, they are very close to home. It was well worth it. I asked them to use a gentle shampoo on her as she has very sensitive skin, so they used an oatmeal based shampoo and didn't charge extra. Overall they did a great job on her at a much cheaper price than Petsmart! We have a new groomer! They also put a nice green bandana w/ shamrocks on her. They must have put the bandana on her while her fur was a bit damp b/c her neck turned green! Its a very light green and she doesn't seem bothered by it. My younger brother vows he is going to dye her green one year and bring her downtown for the parade; that isn't going to happen so long as I live. Number 1) her skin is way too sensitve for dyeing-she would be itching like crazy 2) I am NOT having my puppy dyed green, end of story! The weather has turned warmer and with that the ground is dry and safe enough for us to toss Loki's orange retriever down the hill. She loves it! She can't get enough of it, this is why we had to hide it the majority of the winter what with the mud and the ice on the ground. Not only could she get hurt, she also got quite muddy. Not that she minded. As the warmer months get closer, Loki will be going on long walks again (I have missed those!) and spending more time outdoors. We could be BBQing on Wed, which would be great, b/c I have missed Daddy bbqing and the weather for it! But we're not out of the woods yet; it's St. Louis, anything can happen!

Cardinals! Cardinals!

Spring Training officially started Monday! Here's whats going on:
*The 2006 World Series Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals will recieve their World Series rings on April 3rd, before their second game with the Mets. Fans in attendance will recieve replica rings to comemerate this momentous event. Tickets for this game are available through the Pujols 5 pack.
*Albert Pujols is an American citizen (old news, I know), so congrats to him. He was interviewed by News Channel 5 which featured his adorable son A.J. Wherever Pujols goes, A.J. goes.
*Yadier Molina played winter ball in Puerto Rico this winter so his family could see him play. Molina is very confident in his hitting abilities for the upcoming season. He told reporters that he is going to be a 300 hitter this year. After his amazing post season, it would be nice to see that he can keep the momentum going.
*John Rodriguez has also changed things up over the winter. According to News Channel 5 he started running(why run? who is chasing you?), and gave up pizza (the horror! Pizza is an essential American food, plus its yummy!) J-Rod claims that giving up pizza was the toughest part of his offseason. Rodriguez is also blogging again. Hopefully he will keep up with it all season.
*Jason Isringhausen is recovering nicely from his postseason hip surgery. He is being cautious but he is confident in his return to the reliever role.
*Jim Edmonds is recovering from toe and shoulder surgery, so he hasn't started workouts with the team yet. He is going to be held back another two/three weeks. Edmonds is not feeling any effects of the post-concussion sydrome that plagued him at the end of the season. Edmonds has a known aversion to Spring Training, so well known that it is a running joke in the Cardinals clubhouse.
*Scott Rolen's shoulder is feeling fine, and Rolen says he is in a better position than he was last Spring Training.
*Chris Carpenter is looking to add to his already impressive arsenal. Carpenter wants a better handle on his change up and his curveball. Batters that have faced him have made little contact with the balls Carp has thrown. Carp is also the undisputed leader Cards corps. He is the only starter still on the team from the fantastic 2004 season.
*Chris Duncan is hitting the batting cages hard and is constantly working on his outfielding.
*Edmonds and Juan Encarnacion are the only definate outfielders, so left field is up for grabs. Both J-Rod and Duncan are going to give it everything they got to win that position.
As always everything read here can be read in more detail on the cardinals website: www.stlcardinals.com
I am super excited about the upcoming season which can not come soon enough. Meanwhile, I am reading everything available on the Cards website and in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Football season is over, so I am going through sports withdrawl. I want my baseball! Opening day is April 1st, I will not be one of the lucky people in attendance, but you can bet that I will be watching every minute of it. If I can't watch it (Heavan forbid) I will be either listening to it or "watching" it via the amazing feature on the Cardinals website that allows viewers to see the location of the pitches, and keep you up informed of whats going on when you don't have access to the radio or the tv.
*Por Siempre, Let's Go Cardinals!! :)

Presidential Hopefuls

Presidential Elections are not until November of 2008, that is two years from now! And yet we are already hearing about canidates who are hoping to run. Hilary Clinton was one of the first to put her "name in the hat". I can not in good conscience vote for her; I would love to see a female president, but she cheated her way into the senate and besides she has already had 8 years in the White House. Bill was in charge? Yeah, right. Then there is the freshman senator Barack Obamba. Senator Obama if elected to president would be the first African American President. I am all for that however, I do not believe that Obama is the right choice. Not now at least, maybe after a few more terms in the senate, then maybe he might be ready. He does not have near enough experience to run this country. Obama has only been a senator for 2 years; he does not have anywhere near the experience needed for being president. Just b/c he is African American and young is not a good reason to rush him towards the White House. We need a president who knows what they are doing; not someone who is still learning the ropes. Being president is a major job; it is on a whole other level than being senator. Everybody is raving about Obama; but what has he done? I haven't heard anything about him; what issues has he spearheaded, or what changes has he helped implement? We have at least a year and a half before the real campaigning and mudsinging begins. I don't know who I am voting for, but it will not be for Obama or Clinton. Its too early to tell. A lot of people say they are going to run for president, but they end up dropping out before going before their party for the right to represent. All I know is that I want a president that has experience in politics; lots of experience. I am merely expressing my opinion here; everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and politics is one of those touchy subjects. Don't start a debate with me b/c I will not engage. We have a lot of time left, and right now, I am focusing on who is charge at the moment, not who could be in charge. Personally, I support Bush (yes, I'm republican) and I tend to vote Republican. I really just want the person is most capable of doing a good job.

Spring Training has arrived!!

Pitchers and Catchers reported to Spring Training in Jupiter, Florida today!! They didn't have to do anything today, but about 20 players participated in a light game of catch. A few position players were also in camp; Chris Duncan, who has been down there since December working on his outfielding skills, Skip Schumaker, Albert Pujols, of course. Workouts begin t/m. The rest of the team reports to Jupiter on Monday February 19th. A bit of interesting news; Braden Looper is in competition to become one of the 5 starting pitchers. Looper is excited with the prospect of being a starter instead of a reliever, his usual role. Click here for the official report.
*Por Siempre, Let's Go Cards!!

Molina vs. Wainwright

After Adam Wainwright struck out the last batter in Game 5 of the World Series, catcher Yadier Molina pocketed the ball. Wainwright spoke w/ Molina, and said that since he threw the last strike of the game he got the ball. Molina agreed. However, the ball in question is sitting in Molina's home office in Puerto Rico. Wainwright and Molina are still playfully argueing over who gets the ball. When asked if he will give the ball to Wainwright, Molina repllied "I don't think so". Molina's agruement for keeping said ball is that he didn't have any other momento from the other games and he worked really hard in the post season so he deserves to keep the ball. It was an interesting article in the St. Louis Post Distpatch; it made the front page. Personally, I think Molina should keep it for a year, then Wainwright gets it for a year, then they give it to the Cardinals Hall of Fame. Click here for the official report!
*Spring Training starts February 15th!!
*Por Siempre, Let's Go Cardinals!!

Loki is one year old!

On February 8th, Loki turned one year old. To celebrate this happy event we gave Loki a new fleece blankee. It is pink with sheeps. We also took pics of her with a SpongeBob Square Pants party hat on while she sat on her new blankee. New pics will be posted soon. Even tho Loki is a year old, she hasn't been with us a full year yet- when she has been another celebration will take place (very minor).

PC Sucks

Superbowl Commercials are often the highlight of the Superbowl event. Every year advertisers try to do outdo each other by creating the best commercial. They spend millions of dollars just for a 2 or more seconds blip. Well, Snickers managed to pay the hefty due and landed a commercial during the Superbowl. The commercial featured a guy eating a snickers bar while working on a car, then the other guy who is helping him takes a bite at the other end. They end up redoing the famous scene from Disney's Lady and the Tramp. *Each eating a string of spaghetti and end up kissing each other* After this "kiss" the guys freak out, and then declare they must do something "manly" to erase this act. So they rip out a section of their chest hair. It was kinda funny, and some people liked it. Where is this commerical now? Its off the air, it's been banned. Why? B/c members of the gay community claimed it was too "homophobic" and therefore damaging to their image. So in an attempt to apease them and be more "PC", the commercial was pulled.
Everything in this day and age must be PC. It sucks. So much for freedom of speech.

Colts win the Superbowl!!

Congrats to the Indianapolis Colts! 2007 Superbowl Champions!! I was actually cheering on the Colts mainly to tick off the parents who were cheering for the Chicago Bears. I really didn't care who won, but it was cool that the team I was cheering for won. Chicago struck first scoring a touchdown on the kickoff. Then Indy scored. Indy gained the lead berfore the half, and kept the lead for the rest of the game. The entire game was played in the rain, but that didn't stop the Colts from becoming the champs! Colts beat the Bears 29-17. The game was great. The commercials were great! Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was named MVP for the superbowl. Click here for the exact recap of the game.

Cardinals Update

*Cardinals resigned Preston Wilson to a one year contract.
*Pitcher Jeff Weaver signed a one year contract with Seattle. Dumb move on his part, he was having a horrible year and then the Cardinals picked him up and Duncan worked his majic. W/o Duncan, Weaver will spiral downward once more.
*Anthony Reyes could be a starter for the 2007 Season.
*If Jason Isringhausen is even close to being ready, Adam Wainwright will be a starter. Wrong move. Adam Wainwright shined as a closer in the post season, let's keep a good thing going! Click here for rotation information.
* The health of the outfielders is an issue for the Birds on the Bat. Jim Edmonds is recovering from a offseason shoulder and toe surgery. Juan Encarnacion is also recouperating from a winter surgery on his left wrist. Newcomer Chris Duncan will be one of many putting his cap in for a posisiton in the outfield. John Rodriguez and So Taguchi also want a chance. Don't forget about Scott Spezio and Skip Schumaker.
* It will be an interesting spring training to see who does what. Hopefully the players will all be healthy and ready to go by opening day.
Por Siempre, Let's Go Cardinals!!

Cards will host 2009 All Star Game!!

*It's official! The St. Louis Cardinals will host the 2009 All Star game! By then the ballpark village should be up and running. This is an awesome opportunity for St. Louis and the Cardinals. It should bring in a lot of revenue for the city and many tourists! St. Louis will get the chance to show everyone why we are the best baseball town in the world!
*The 2006 World Series Team visited the White House and the President yesterday. About 20 members of the team including Manager Tony LaRussa and some coaches were in attendance. Former Cardinal Jeff Soupon was in attendance, however Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols were missing. Pujols is in the Dominican Republic for the next month for his charity organization.
*So Taguchi was signed to a one year contract with an option for the 2008 season. He will being going against Chris Duncan for a spot in left field. Click here for the details.
*Por Siempre, Let's Go Cardinals!!
Spring Training starts on Febuary 14th! Let the countdown begin!!

Miracle in Missouri part 2

Shawn Hornbeck, now 15, and Ben Ownby, 13, are both safe at home with their families. Neither boy has spoken to the press, and that's good; it should be a long while before either speaks to the news hungry media. More news regarding the story has come to light. The man who held both boys captive is Michael J. Devlin, a former employee of a Kirkwood Imo's and a funeral home. Last night on the news, lawyers for Devlin came forward and inisisted that Devlin is innocent. Yeah right. The guy took Ownby and held Hornbeck for over 4 years. Of course his family is saying that Devlin is innocent. A new group has formed on Facebook and it kinda makes me mad. Number one the some of the facts are wrong, 2) some of the comments are horrible (hes kinda cute-not appropriate), and 3) the spelling is awful. The guy who showed police the white pickup truck is Geoff Hadler. The most reliable source for details on this story is the news, not third hand stories.
Thank God for the safe return of both boys. Time is what these two need; time heals all wounds.

William "Ben" Ownby and Shawn Hornbeck found!!

Miracle in Missouri; that's what they are saying all over. ""We have some good news and we have some probably unbelievable news," (Franklin County Sheriff Gary) Toelke told reporters this afternoon."
Today missing boy Ben Ownby was found in Kirkwood, MO. Not only was Ownby found, Shawn Hornnback was also found at the same residence!! Ownby has been missing since Monday and Hornback has been missing since October 2002! Police had been at the apartment complex to serve a warrent the other night when they noticed the white pickup that resembled the one that supposedly took Ownby. They took pics of it and today found not only Ownby but also Hornbeck, who stepped forward and identified himself. Click here for all the details of this amazing story.

No Hot H2O = Not happy JBear

So our hot water heater broke sometime on Monday. I discovered the lack of hot water while taking my shower; I couldn't get the water hot enough. Later, it was discovered that the hot water heater was leaking and on Tuesday no hot water was to be had. I have been sick since last Wed, and felt absolutley horrible on Monday and all I wanted was a nice hot shower before my doctor appt. Not an option. So mom and dad went to Lowes and picked out a new hot water heater yesterday, which had a dent in it but was otherwise functional so the guy who sold it had to take off 279 dollars, so they got a hot water heater for 100 dollars with a nine year warrenty (I think). Right now our new hot water heater tank is being stalled. By who? None other than a scouter friend and his son, who happended to be in the same fraternity as me. That's right, it's Joe and his son Danny Flees! They have been here since 11ish, and had to leave and get a pipe, and just returned so hopefully they will finish soon, and then I will have to wait another hour and a half for a hot shower. Which I am sooo looking forward to. Tuesday night mom and I ventured to Riverchase to sit in the hottub and have a hot shower. Dad and little brother have taken cold showers, which I am not insane enough to even try. So now I sit here waiting until I can take my nice hot shower! At least I will be getting one tonight. Then I am going to Gloria Jeans, then Olive Garden for yummy Italian food, and then home to watch Chicago! Things will be much better when I finally get my hot shower!

25 Reasons to Date a Swimmer!!

1. We like it wet
2. We are used to wearing next to nothing in front of people
3. We are experts at putting on rubber and can do it fast
4. We know how to push it and work under HARD conditions
5. We believe practice makes perfect and will any time day or night
6. We are used to doing things till you can't go on any longer
7. Sprinters are fast and efficient. Distance swimmers can last a long time
8. We are always ready to dive in head first
9. We may get tired but never stop in the middle
10. We do it in the water
11. We start fast, stay strong, and finish hard
12. We are always wet and half naked
13. We are able to do it on our backs or our stomachs
14. We can do it fast or slow
15. We can do it 4 different ways
16. We know how to get dressed and undressed in no time
17. We are always improving our times
18. We are better when we put our hips into it
19. We have have excellent stamina and endurance
20. We are not afraid of pain
21. We always finish what they start
22. We always yell and shout
23. We can perform well anywhere
24. We've been well trained...lots of training to get this good
25. We are always looking for the perfect stroke

Random

Christmas season is over at the Noel house. Today I took down our lights from our bushes, I removed the candles from the window, and helped mom gather the random Christmas stuff scattered across the house. T/m the tree will come down. My little brother's bday is Jan. 5th so everything has to be down before then. This was done when we were little so that my brother could distinguish between Christmas and his bday.
*So I viewed the infamous clip of John K. Ottenad (former Region 8 Director) singing "I'm a Little Tea Pot". Very funny! I about fell out of my chair laughing.
*Loki is almost done w/ her giant bone that she got for Christmas. She has been working hard at it for a week now. She can now pick it up and wants to be in your lap and chew on her bone! It's cute, but when you are on the floor and you have a 48 pound puppy crawling all over you, you get lots of bruises!
*It is warm and sunny in St. Louis, while some enjoy this weather (froggiegirl for instance), I am hating it. I want my snow and cold weather! I have some really cute sweaters and I want to wear them! I have some hoodies I want to wear too! So the weather needs to get colder and snow needs to head our way. Hey Denver, send some of that snow to St. Louis!
*APO Nationals was a huge success or so I've heard. I wasn't able to make it, but several of my friends were in attendance. Lucky for me I have som GREAT friends who kept me updated and shared stories. Shout out to Robert R. who kept me in the loop in regards to legislation. The main issue I was worried about was the Toast song. Last Nationals in Denver 2004, we (the delegates) spent 3 and a half hours arguing about it. Luckily, the Toast song stays intact and I am happy for it! Tradition is important and I'm really glad it wasn't changed. I also got some friends who said they missed me or would miss me at Nationals- shout out to Steph, George, Katrina, and Marlene. I miss all of my brothers! I am hoping to attend sectionals in the spring, then I will get to see all of my brothers. Tho if you are in St. Louis, call me and we can do something!
*Soon there will be a countdown until Cardinals Spring Training begins. Catchers and pitchers report to Jupiter sometime in Febuary.
Por Siempre: Let's Go Cardinals!!

Welcome to 2007

Well it's a new year, and with it hopefully comes some changes. I am hoping to get a full time job this year and start living in the "real world". Also, I am hoping to change some other things; my financial situation, my health, etc. Hopefully, I won't make as many mistakes this year as I did last year. Last year is over; this is a new year thus giving me a chance to start fresh. Something like working full time will give me a place to focus my energy and keeping me from bored. So bring on the new year; I'm ready for some changes and all that comes with those changes!!
*Last night, I was at Froggiegirl and Gimlet's house. While Gimlet watched football, Froggiegirl and I watched The Devil Wears Prada and munched on chips and dip. Along w/ jellybeans and choc. covered raisens (which I ate b/c Froggiegirl doesn't like them). It was a tame New Year's Eve, but great. The chinnies entertained us very well, jumping around and making funny noises. Fipsy and Roo liked sitting on my feet, and Sully made all sorts of noises as he moved around the room. Chinnies are soo cute and funny. Loki was excited to see me when I got home and as usual acted like she had never gotten attention in her life. Of course, I was too tired to give her much attention. Even tho I took a nap, I was still tired. So I slept really late today. *Now I am watching "Meet the Fockers", very funny. Earlier, we were watching "Posiden Adventure" (the newer version). Cool special effects, but the situations totally unreal. Golum has returned to his cave and and Dad is taking a nap. Mom and I are taking advantage of the ability to get on the internet via our laptops. Loki is out cold. Hehe, much better than her running around the house w/ the zoomies.
*Happy New Year to all!! May it bring you everything you wish and more!!*

Laptop & Loki updates

As I type I am sitting in my living room watching the end of "Paint Your Wagon". Yes, that's right, I finally can access the internet from my laptop. I got the laptop in the beginning of August, and it took me until December to get the wireless connection working. And I don't even need another internet port. In fact, we are going to try and return it. All we had to do was turn on a switch and type in a password. Lucky for me, my mommy did it for me so when I got up, my internet connection was in operation. So I am blogging for the first time on my laptop. Hehe, no more sitting at the dumb desktop complaining about the speed or lack thereof. My laptop is very fast and I love it. Now I can take it with me and access the internet at places that offer free connection like the St. Louis Bread Co.
* Loki is now 10 months old now and will be 11 months on January 8th. She is done w/ obedience lessons, she doesn't have an official piece of paper declaring her a graduate; but she is. She is very smart and did really well. She still acts like an idiot when ppl are over. Despite all of her training, she still acts like she has no manners when it comes to ppl. She is still very much a puppy, so it is forgivable. Labs in fact, don't really mature until they are about 3 years old. Shadow still acted like a puppy at times up until her last days.

Chrsitmas 2006

*Okay so Santa visited last night and left a nice loot of goodies behind. (apparently Santa thought I was a good girl this year ;)). Among the loot that I can claim as mine; boots (yay! finally some tall black boots!), a nice teal shirt, Hershey Kisses Fondue Set, Chocolate for the fondue set, Printmaster (program to create my own calenders, greeting cards, etc), a soothing neck wrap and face mask, a suit (which is going to be returned b/c its too tight on the shoulders and itchy), and a sign for my garden (very cute).
*I also recieved some lovely gifts on Wed from my friends when we met up at the Old Spaghetti Factory (yummy food by the way) for our annual Holiday Party: Very Sexy Lotion from Missy, Oklahoma! DVD & VS lip gloss from Jenny & Tom, Vanilla Bean Noel (my fave holiday scent from Bath & Body works) lotion from Liz, and a really neat candle set from Angie.
*So I braved the crowds yesterday to find some knee-high socks (I selected the boots myself, so I knew I was getting them and I knew I needed socks for them). The crowds weren't bad; just like any other Sunday. With the exception of it being Christmas Eve.
*Watched the movie Invincible- true story about Vince Papali a guy who got to play for the Eagles even tho he never played college football. Really good movie. Also watched a lot of episodes of Star Gate season 9 (Golum's present), Gremlins, and Fantastic Four. Christmas Day is great for doing nothing; all we have is opening gifts in the morning and then the family dinner at night. There's only four of us, so its a small informal deal, but very good food and important.
*T/m I will brave the crowds again, though not in the early morning. New York & Company is having a fabulous sale and I have a coupon for 15% off. There are two shirts I want and a suit(exchange for suit I got for Xmas). Going to NY & Co and that's it, maybe Best Buy or I just might send out Golum to get my stuff. Ah well, we'll see
* Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!!

2006 in Review

This survey is about the year 2006. Answer the questions thinking about the past year. My answers are below:


1) Overall, have you had a good year? yea I guess so
2) What has been your biggest achievement? graduating from college
3) Did you take any exams, pass? last summer, and yes I passed
4) Have you been on a vacation (list where and when)? nope...summer school and no money
5) Have you bought anything expensive? a laptop computer- my first!!
6) Have you had a job? some little assigments from Kelly Temps
7)Made any big decisions? um, researching a puppy?
8) Lost a friend or loved one? yea, RIP Riley Hughes, and Shadow- beloved black lab
9)Met anyone amazing? uh...that'd be a no
10) Made new friends? yep
11) Moved house? nope
12) Changed College? nope, I'm all done now
13) Tried something new? obedience training a puppy
14) Been more happy or sad? happy
15) Made any enemies? not on purpose...
16) What music will you remember from this year? my introduction to Raggaeton (ty Amber) and "Hips don't lie" By Shakira, and "Buttons" by Pussycat Dolls, "Promiscous" by Nelly Furtado, and "Switch" by Will Smith
17) What movies have you seen at the cinema this year? um.... Superman Returns,
18) What was your best night out? Jenny and Tom's Wedding
19)What was your worst night out? hmmm....I don't know
20) Best day? gettting my puppy Loki
21) Worst day? when we had to put Shadow to sleep
22)Best month?May- I found out I was going to graduate in August!!
23)Worst month? Febuary
24)Was summer a gooden'? I was in class most of the time, but having Loki helped
25)Have you made better friends with anyone? yes
26) Lost any friends? yes...it makes me sad b/c it wasn't my fault
27) Made any plans for next year? not really, getting a job and perhaps going to Sectionals to help choose new Railroaders
28) How many hair colours have you had? just blonde
29)Got pierced? no
30) Got inked? never!
31) Changed your image? nope
32) Missed anyone? yes- my brothers!!
33) Know what you want in the future? yup
34)Regret anything? yes, everybody regrets something
35)Have you had any relationships this year? no but I've gone on dates
36) Been to church? for Jenny and Tom's Wedding
37)Cried yet? yeah....
38) Been on a diet? yes the doctors have put me on a few diets to make my tummy better
39) Pulled an all nighter? yep- good old 4 AM visits to the ER
40) Drank Starbucks? YUM
41) Went Camping? define camping
42) Bought something(s)? lots of things
43) Met someone special? everyone is special
44)Been out of state? yea
45)Gone Snowboarding? no.
46)Gotten in a car accident? nope not this year
47)Gone over your cell phone bill? nope!

Snow, Snow, and more Snow!!

As previously posted, we got about 5 or more inches of snow last night/this morning. The trees are covered in ice and look wonderful. Mom and I managed to get some great winter shots. My highlight is the awesome Cardinal picture I got! For a while now, I have been trying to get a great shot of a bright red Cardinal in a tree. A nice close up. Well, today I got it!! It is awesome! Here is the link to the winter pics.
*Loki and I went sledding and had an absolute blast. Granted, Loki didn't know what exactly was going on. The reason I went sledding is b/c our pile of wood that is protected by a tarp is at the bottom of the hill. So I decided to sled down the hill and bring the wood up in the sled.
*Loki is enjoying her first taste of snow! She loves to push her nose in it and sniff. She also likes to run in it!

St. Louis's worst Snow Storm!

That's what people all over are saying. That is snow storm is possibly the worst one in the city's history. When they first said that a system was headed our way, I was a bit doubtful. Then again, this is St. Louis. If something doesn't make sense, the answer is- that's St. Louis. The stystem came and hit us hard and fast. First the temp dropped 30 or more degrees, then the rain started. It dropped some more degrees, then the sleet came. All Wed night the sleet fell, until we had at least 2 inches of slush. Loki was thrilled. She had sooo much fun chasing her retriever in the slush. Before I went to bed, I saw lightning, and then I heard a big crack of thunder, and I got really excited b/c I thought we were going to get Thunder Snow! Thunder Snow has only hit St. Louis once, that was in the winter of '82- mom was pregnant w/ me and said that they got 24 inches!! Unfortunately, no thunder snow. We did get about 5 or more inches of snow. Not bad for our first snow storm. The trees are covered in ice. Several big branches are down. We got lucky, other areas were hit a lot harder. Kirkwood for one; they lost power lines, trees, and power. Lucky for us, we still have power and only lost it briefly. So we are quite toasty w/ a roaring fire going on all day. Columbia got Thunder Snow- and 16 inches of wonderful snow! Friday the roads were plowed and were better than Thursday afternoon/night.
* For those of you who think the snow will be gone by Sunday- think again. Beneath all of the snow, there is a layer of ice- a nice solid 2 inches layer of ice. There must have been 6 inches of ice on mine and my brothers car alone. This stuff is going to stick around for a while as we are in for some cooler temps all week. Sure everything might have melted in the sun today, and the roads were better. However, it is about 24 degrees outsitde right now and everything is freezing over again. Tonight we might hit single digit degrees! So stay inside and stay warm. If you venture out, drive w/ extreme caution and bundle up!

Sales, Glorious Sales!

This year I was one of many who went shopping the day after Thanksgiving at 5 AM. I wanted to go shopping, just not at 5 AM! That was mother's idea. "I don't want to deal w/ the crowds, the rush, the traffic". Not a problem, JCPenney's opens at 5. The main store we want to go to is New York and Company. They weren't open (like I figured) that early. They opened up w/ the rest of the mall at 8. I did manage to get a sweater at JCPenney at 60% off, so that made me happy. Here's the sweater I got except mine is green. Plus, mom fed me- cinnabon! I made it out to NY & Co on Sunday- they must have been really wanting to move some merchandise b/c they kept sending me emails on discounts. $25 off purchase of $50 or more, or $50 off purchase of $100 or more. Had to take advantage of it. Mom wanted some navy slacks, but she doesn't like to shop, so she sends me out to get her stuff. I also managed to find a cute lacy red shirt. It is flirty enough to be fun, and high necked/concealing enough to wear at work!
*On another note: Thanksgiving was wonderful-the food was great, and we got to relax.
Rented the movie Ice Age The Meltdown- very funny.

Scouting for Food

This Sat is Scouting for Food Collection Day. Scouting for Food orginated in the St. Louis area, is the largest single day food collection and every year our city brings in the most amount of food. The scouts will hit the streets at 10 AM. I will be at the firehouse all day! I am soo excited, this is my favorite service project. I will probally be at the firehouse from 9-3ish. I will help w/ set up, making boxes, unloading cans, boxing cans, traffic control, and lots more. I want to remind everybody to leave a bag of food out on your front porch for the scouts!
Good Items: Soups, Beef stews, Veggie mixes, fruit cans
Bad Items: Expired things- if you won't eat it, neither will they, damaged cans, cans w/o labels. Candy- it is perishable- don't worry it will be eaten- the scouts will enjoy it!
We're at a new firestation this year, so set up will be different. Traffic will be much better tho. If anybody wants to join me, let me know- we always welcome help!

Cardinals Updates

Here are some Cardinal Updates:
Cards signed center fielder Jim Edmonds to a two year deal!! Edmonds will continue to patrol center field until 2009!!!
*First baseman Albert Pujols was awarded the Marvin Miller Man of the Year. This goes to players who not only make an effort on the field, they go above and beyond off the feild.
*Chris Carpenter placed third in the Cy Young Awards.
*Third baseman Scott Rolen picked up his 6th Gold Glove, and Pujols earned his first. Catcher Yadier Molina was denied his first gold glove, Houston Astros Brad Ausmus got it instead. The only Ausmus had over Molina was his batting average. Molina is the best defensive catcher in the league.
*Manager Tony LaRussa didn't even get a vote in the Manager of the Year award. The award considers regular season play only. The manager for the Marlins won.
*MVP players will be announced on November 21. Hopefully, Pujols will win again- he should, he had an awesome season and his team won the world series.
*The Cards will start their new season defending their NL title. That's right, April 1st its Cards vs. Mets! Down w/ the Mets!
*Cardinals do have a homegame on May 5- my bday- so I want to go!
*Spring Training starts sometime in Feb, it can't get here soon enough for me!
*Por Siempre: Let's Go Cardinals!!

Yo Soy Boricua, Pa'Que tu lo sepas!

I'm Borciuan, Just so you know! That's the translation. I stumbled onto this clip quite by accident. Boricuan is a Puerto Rican living in New York. My mom is from New York and is Puerto Rican ergo she is 100% Boricuan!! This show was all about the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States. I finally learned what Boricua means, and I learned about the Puerto Rican Day Parade. The first parade was held in 1958. My mom was only 7 or 8 at the time, but it is very possible that she went to this historic moment. If not this one, she had to have gone to at least once. I love learning about my heritage, so this clip grabbed my attention immeadiatly. Learning about my Puerto Rican heritage is extremly important to me, and not a lot is known about it. Mi bisabuela Florence Ernest(great-great grandmother) came to NYC from Puerto Rico w/ her husband, her daughter who was pregnant with my grandfather, and her two sons. She told them "We are in America now, we speak English" and that was the end of Puerto Rico for them. Mi abuelo knew about his home land, had visited, and from that the most we are able to gather is that they were originally from San Juan- the capital. Not really sure tho, and we probally have family there. Mi abuelo's brother's, Cecil Gonzales, wife supposedly went back to Puerto Rico w/ her two or three kids. But Gonzales in Puerto Rico is like Miller or Smith in the US. So any family history or any knowledge I gain about Puerto Rico is precious to me.

Cardinals Victory Rally!

I managed to get two tickets to Sunday's Rally at Busch Stadium. Nobody wanted to go w/ me so I went alone (Froggiegirl and Gimlet were the exceptions- they had family over).Unfortunately, I arrived so late I totally missed the parade. The tardieness is partly my own fault. I should have left much earlier. As such, I had to park a block away from the Metro link station in Shrewsberry. The train going there and back was packed like crazy, like sardines litterally. The crowd downtown was NUTS! I don't think I have ever seen downtown St. Louis that crowded! And they were all wearing red and screaming for the Cardinals!! When I finally got to the stadium, the streets were blocked b/c of the parade, but the crowd was at least 30 ppl deep on both sides. Naturally I couldn't see a thing. Being short didn't help matters. Finally I got accross the street only to get caught in another major traffic jam of people. After at least 45 minutes of being pushed and shoved I made into the stadium. The whole process of getting ppl into the stadium was not well thought out. Thousands of people wanting to get in and only a handful letting them in. One guy, tired of waiting, took matters into his own hands. He climbed the gates, and jumped in. He didn't get hurt, and came back later w/ a beer to flaunt. My seats were in the Redbird Infield club- an exclusive place, the ppl there check your tickets before you can enter, there you have your choice of places to eat, and mixed drinks. The seats were padded and offered a great view! I got there in time to see Mike Shannon talk and introduce General Manager Walt Jocketty. Jocketty spoke, Owner Bill DeWitt spoke, finally Tony LaRussa was called on the field and spoke. He came on amid cheers of "Tony! Tony! Tony!" The crowd went nuts! After some talk, the players and some of their family came out, and the crowd- already loud- got louder!! They talked to Molina, who had the biggest grin on his face!! He looked hot! All the players looked extremly proud and happy. Here are the pics to recount my adventure. I wish I had asked someone to take my pic, oh well.
*Felicidades a los Cardinals!! Congratulations 2006 World Series Champions- the St. Louis Cardinals!!!
*Por Siempre: Let's Go Cardinals!!

Cardinals are World Champs!!

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals!! 2006 World Series Champions!! Yadier Molina was Red Hot last night, he went 3 for 4. David Eckstien was declared the MVP of the World Series, well deserved, and he recieved a sweet ride for it. Eckstien was not only presented with a trophy, he was given a set of keys to a 2006 500 horse power Chevy Corvette- yellow! Jeff Weaver pitched an awesome game and Adam Wainwright came into the ninth, allowed a double, walked a guy and then got the next guy out w/ three strikes! And bam! Cards are World Champs! Manager Tony LaRussa became the second manager in baseball history to win a World Series in both leagues, just like his hero Sparky Anderson. Cards beat the tigers 4-1 in the series, and 4-2 was the final score last night. The town went nuts. I don't think the parying stopped until early morning. I predicted that we would win in 5, and we did! We weren't going to Detroit! It was destined to end last night! Now I gotta go out and get a World Champ hoodie for myself- I love hoodies! Once again, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS, 2006 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!
*Up Next: Victory Parade downtown, Sunday October 29th at 2:00 PM. I will be there!

Magic Number is 1!!

Cards won 5-4 last night!!! Tigers took an early lead of 3-0. Shortstop David Eckstien started the rally, with an RBI double in the bottom of the third. Eckstien is my mom's hero- she thinks he is just great. I like him b/c he is only 5'7" (an inch taller than me) and he is playing in the major leagues! Shout out to all short ppl out there- we can do anything!! Okay back to the game summary; Yadier Molina proved that he is till Red Hot in October- he got a double that scored Scott Rolen! Eck came thru again btm of the 7th getting a double off of Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney. It seemed catchable but Tigers centerfielder slipped and Eck got another double. So Taguchi entered with the intention of dropping a bunt to get Eck to third, but Rodney slipped and badly threw the ball to third which allowd Eck to score. Preston Wilson got a single which allowed Taguchi to score. Cards lead 4-3, but those rotten Tigers came back in the 8th to tie things up. Rookie closer Adam Wainwright allowed a double from Brandon Inge which allowed Ivan Rodgriguez to score, but thats the only run he would allow. Joel Zumaya(he of the 100+ mph pitcher, and yet when they're that fast he can't find the strike zone) took the mound, walked Yadier Molina and little Eck came up again and hit it deep. Tiger's left fielder Craig Monroe tried to dive for it but it bounced off his glove and Eck got another double!!! Cards tooik a 5-4 lead and that was all the Cards needed! Click here for the official wrap-up. Also check out J-Rod's blog- a behind the scenes look. My friend Russ, is one lucky person, he got to go to Tuesday night's game and Wed night (now Friday b/c it was rained out). My buddy JR is going to get his butt kicked b/c he called me at 1:54 AM! I hate calls that late/early!
*Up Next: Game 5 at Busch Stadium vs Tigers 7:00 PM. Jeff Weaver vs. Justin Verlander.
* Por Siempre: Let's Go Cardinals!! Let's win the World Series!!!

Cards up 2-1!

Chris Carpenter was flat out amazing last night! He looked exactly like a Cy Young Winner. Hopefully, he will get the honor of being the 2006 Cy Young Award Winner. The game was great. At first it looked like it was going to be a pitchers duel, then all of sudden we started scoring! It was a great game. Carpenter got the run support he needed. I got a little scared when Joel Zumaya came out and started throwing heaters at 99, 100 & 101 mph! But they were all balls!!! Carpenter not only pitched great, he shut out the tigers and shut them down!! Final score was Cards 5-0!! Jim Edmonds came through with a two-run double, and then two more runs scored off an error by Zumaya! Preston Wilson finally got a hit, and So Taguchi earned a start in right field!! Albert Pujols hit with two on and two out, he laced a groundball at Zumaya which normally means the end of the inning. Instead, he threw it away by throwing the ball behind the third baseman! Pujols managed to motor around to second while Preston Wilson and David Eckstien scored! Taguchi scored in the 8th on a wild pitch! Click here for the official wrap up.
*Up Next: Game 4 vs. Tigers at Busch Stadium 7:00 PM.
*Por Siempre: Let's Go Cardinals!!

Let's Go Cardinals!!

Game 3 tonight at Busch Stadium. Weather's a bit cold, nothing St. Louisan's aren't used to by now. Loki will be close by as always; she's my good luck charm so I will be rubbing her belly and collar for luck. I'm sure Lokilu will enjoy the extra attention. Loki got groomed at Petsmart on Sunday so she is a sweet smelling puppy right now. They gave her a "lotion treatment" b/c of her sensitve skin. Cost us a bit more but well worth it. They also gave her a "pawdicure" (trimmed her nails). My friend the cop, Russ, might be coming over to watch the game w/ us tonight, so that should be fun. As mentioned before weathers cold, so planning on having the first fire of the season tonight; that will shock Loki who's fave resting spot is on the fireplace. We will all be cheering on the Birds on the Bat tonight- loudly. Cardinal Nation is going to be really loud tonight!
Por Siempre: Let's Go Cardinals!!

Series tied 1-1

Game 1: Cards won game 1 with Rookie Antony Reyes on the mound. I was pleasantly suprised by his control and the win. Cards were on target. Nine of us gathered in a travel trailer at Lost Valley Lake and watched the game while eating chilli (we had a chilli cook off- 3 tpes of chilli- yum!). Reception was horrible, we couldn't see where the ball landed on most plays. However, the game itself was outstanding.
Game 2: Tigers came alive with Kenny Rogers on the mound. Jeff Weaver pitched a great game but got zero run support. Durring the first inning, camera's zoomed in on Roger's pitching hand and pointed out a wierd substance on it. It looked like pinetar. By the second inning, it was gone; he had washed it off. Nothing was done. LaRussa did speak with the umpires about it, but nothing resulted from it. Roger's should have been ejected from the game for the suspicious substance. ~Two years ago, Cards pitcher Julian Tavarez was ejected from a game b/c of substance on his hat that looked like pine tar. He was suspened briefly. It was later discovered in a lab that the substance was not pinetar. Why was Tavarez ejected and punished and nothing happend to Roger's?? Umps have got to treat every game and every player the same. If you eject one player for one reason, you must eject another player for the same reason; you can't play favorites.~ By the second inning, the substance was gone from Roger's hand- this proves that something illegal was on his hand; otherwise he wouldn't have washed it off. His washing his hand demonstrates that he was guilty of something and had something to hide.
The series is tied 1-1. The Cardinals are home for the next three games. I am predicting Cards in 5, however should we have to go to 7 games like the NLCS- Cards will win game 7.
Been reading J-Rod's blog and I have been seeing some interesting posts;
*To the Met's fan who said St. Louis fans have no class: It's the New York Met's fans who have no class. Every time a Cards player came to bat they were booed- you call that class?! Met's fans insulted Card's players and said that they didn't stand a chance against their Mets. Also this poster said that the better team did not win. I beg to differ; the better team did win. Just b/c all of the broadcasters were saying that the Met's were going to dominate doesn't mean that they are the better team. The Cards played a better game and that's why the won. End of story.
*To the Tiger's Fan who said St. Louis fans are bad: Just b/c your pitcher got away w/ cheating is no excuse to blame our team of cheating. Leave Mark Mcgwire alone, the man is retired; his career in baseball is over-his time is done. Tiger's fans appeared a lot nicer to Card's fan than Met's fans so kudos on that. Trash talk all you want, but leave the integrity of the players alone.

*Up Next: Game 3 vs. Detroit Tiger's at Busch Stadium 7:00 PM. Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter vs. Nate Robertson.
Por Siempre: Let's Go Cardinals!!

Ready or Not Detroit, here come the Cardinals!!

Cards won game 7!! 3-1!! Yadier Molina hit a well timed two run HR and made it 3-1. Jeff Suppan rocked! He was flat out outstanding!! He won the MVP award for the series!! Well deserved. Rookie reliever Adam Wainwright pitched the last inning and stuck out Carlos Beltran w/ bases loaded!! All of the announcers and everyone else have been saying Mets this Mets that, well it's time to shut up!! THE CARDINALS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!
The game was outstanding, and the ninth inning was awesome. Shea Stadium fell dead silent when Molina hit the HR! Way to go Molina! Great job Supp and Wainwright!!!
Por Siempre, Let's Go Cards!!
*Up Next: World Series Game 1 Saturday October 21, 2006 6:30 PM.

On to Game 7

Okay, we are going to game 7. DARN IT! The Cards just did not play tonight. Well that's not entirely true, they did play....in the bottom of the ninth and So Taguchi did drive in two runs w/ a double. Which would have tied the game had the Cards not allowed the Mets to drive in two more runs. So the game was 4-2 Mets win. All I'm gonna say is that if the Cards play like this again t/m night, they deserve to lose. The Cards seriously need to buckle down and focus. You haven't won the series yet! The series is now tied 3-3, whoever wins t/m night's game goes to the World Series. I would love to see my team go but if they are going to play like they did tonight or like they did in 2003, forget it.
Por siempre, LET'S GO CARDINALS!!!
*Up Next: Game 7 vs. Mets- Thursday October 19 7:19 pm

Red October

I think October is my favorite month. It's when the weather finally turns cold and I can wear my cute sweaters and long sleeve shirts. The leaves turn colors and fall, and the hillside on 44 going across the Meramec River is gorgeous with all its different colored trees. There are oranges, yellows, greens, and browns. It's very picturesic and possibly the best fall foliage showoff in Fenton! It's football time and chilli time! I made my first batch of chilli on Monday and it was (and still is-leftovers rock) wonderful! Spicy but not too spicey. And best of all, October means playoffs for baseball. The Cardinals are playing again tonight and will beat the Mets and go on to Detroit and to the World Series!!

Cards lead series 3-2!

We won Game 5 last night!! 4-2. Albert Pujols hit a solo HR, getting his first RBI for the series, and Chris Duncan came off the bench to make it 4-2 w/ his own solo HR. Preston Wilson got things started by hitting a double that scored David Eckstien from first! It was sweet!! Relievers Josh Kinney and Adam Wainwright were on fire! Now its off to NYC to win Game 6 and go to Detroit to the World Series!!
Por Siempre, Let's Go Cardinals!!
*Game 6 vs. Mets 7:19 PM

What a nightmare!

Cards lost 12-5 to the Mets last night!! I didn't watch the entire game, I was tired/hurting and not in the mood to see my team get beat up. I went to bed when it was 11-3. Then mom comes and says Edmonds and Molina just hit HR's. Turn game back on. It's now 11-5. We don't get any more hits/runs in that inning. Mets come up to bat...they get another HR... 12-5. Goodnight. The Cards had a rough night. We are definately heading back to NYC. All hope is not lost yet. The Cards have been known to bounce back. Sure the series is even, 2-2, and yes the Tigers are happy b/c they think the NLCS team will be tired and won't perform well at the World Series. Well the fat lady hasn't sung yet. So keep the faith. Cards and Mets go at it again tonight at Busch Stadium. Jeff Weaver is on the mound. Let's hope that last night's defeat has added some fuel to the fire and the Cards kick butt. Reading John Rodriguez's blog again, I am reminded that the series isn't over yet. We still have more games to play and the best thing to do is put the game out of our minds and focus on the future and what we can do. Victory will be even sweeter should we clinch in NYC! Imagine celebrating on their turf!! Keep your heads up boys, and bring us home a victory!! Por siempre, Let's Go Cardinals!!!
*Tonight's game: Game 5- Cards vs. Mets 7:19 PM.

Go Cardinals!!

Vamos Cardinals!!!! Tonight, the birds on the bat, send rookie pitcher Anthony Reyes to the mound. Reyes hasn't had an easy season, but its the post season and anything can happen. Hopefully, the offense will help him out. Reyes is considered one of the top prospects for future Cardinal pitching (according to StlCardinals.com) . Reyes is getting the nod over inconsistent Jason Marquis. Marquis is good when he is focused, but is really bad when something is off kilter. In previous postings, I have lamented on the poor pitching (from my viewpoint) of Tyler Johnson. I have to eat my words now, he has proved in the past games that he deserves to be a Cardinal and can be relied on when called upon from the Bullpen. Also Josh Kinney has been proving himself bullpen worthy too. Adam Wainwright, our new closer -as Izzy is out for the season- is doing fantastic. Haven't seen Braden Looper yet (and he is on the roster, I just checked). He has a very good track record as well.
*Tonight: Game 4- Cards vs. Mets 7:15 pm. Hopefully they will do the entire team introductions again b/c they weren't aired on tv b/c of the Detriot Tigers winning the ALCS. Go Cardinals!! Rock the house!! Beat those Mets!!

Cards up 2-1!!

Mets are Pond Scum!! That's right I said it. The New York Mets are in town, and the Cardinals are showing them the "royal treatment". First, we beat them in their own stadium, Shea Stadium (never been to personally-but mom-native New Yorker and Mets fan(grr)- says its really cool). Then we come home and send our ace Chris Carpenter to the mound. Carp didn't get the win but the birds on the bat did. Spezio has been the hero of late w/ two two-out (and well timed) triples). So Taguchi laced a HR to win Friday's game, 9-6. Last night, Jeff Suppon took the mound and showed why he earned a spot on the post season roster. Supp pitched 8 great innings. Supp was flat out amazing! The Cards blanked the Mets 5-0. The Mets were forced to go to their bullpen mid second inning. They took their starter, Steve Trachsel, out supposedly b/c he was "injured" (note: if he is truely injured, then I'm sorry and I wish him a speedy recovery) but I think it was b/c they were afraid and wanted to stop the bleeding. Supp not only pitched a great game, he hit a HR!!! And get this, he winked- he WINKED- at the pitcher not once but twice before he hit it!!! Supp's leadoff HR made it 3-0, the next two runs resulted from a wild pitch and Jim Edmond's grounding out. According to the Cards website, Supp's HR was fifth long ball hit by a pitcher in the NLCS and the first since Kerry Wood of the Cubs since 2003!! Wow! Click here for the official details on last nights game (which was AMAZING!!!) I have been reading John Rodriguez's blog that he has been keeping for the playoffs and decided to post a response. I said that the Mets are Pond Scum and scum was astericked out. I didn't cuss for the record, MLB blogs is just taking it a bit too seriously. Everybody needs to wear red and cheer louder tonight, whether you are one of the lucky ones with tickets to the game, or at a bar, or a home catching the game on your living room tv. Just cheer really loud- you can rest your voice later!! These games only happen in October and in the post season. The Cards play the Mets again tonight and t/m night. If needed they will return to NCY for 2 games. I don't think that will be necessary tho, we're going to clinch in St. Louis and then go give the Tigers (ALCS Champs- congrats) a run for their money!!
As always- Let's go Cardinals!!!!

Recouperating

Okay, I'm a bit sore, but feeling better. I even made it out of the house on Wed! Just to walmart but I escaped! Climber tried to get on my lap, and stepped on my stomach twice...that hurt! Game 1 was rained out, and then Cards dropped game 1 to the pond scum Mets last night. However the rain out is good b/c we can send our ace Chris Carpenter to the mound tonight. Mets keep getting injured, its going to catch up to them. Well I am hurting now so I am going to go relax now. John Rodriguez is keeping a blog on the Cardinals post season, its pretty interesting, click here.
Let's Go Cardinals!!!

In Loving Memory- Riley Hughes, Jr.

This past Monday the world lost a great guy- Riley Hughes, Jr. Riley lost his brave 2 1/2 year battle w/ lung cancer. He was a police officer for 38 years, and actively involved in boyscouts. Its going to be really strange w/o him. He was a great guy and its not fair...cancer sucks. This is the second person my family and I have lost to cancer and I hate it. So if you could please have a moment of silence for Riley today.

JBear's going under the knife

Yep, I'm having surgery Monday afternoon. I am having my gall blader removed. Apparently there are some gall stones and some sludge in there, and I'm in pain, so its got to go. For those who didn't know, I spent two days in the hospital trying to figure out why the heck I was so sick. Don't freak out on me, I'm fine, I have a really high tolerance for pain-but last Monday morning the pain was too intense. Tests came back normal (typical), went to doctor on Tuesday, went back to ER on Wed b/c I wasn't improving, got admitted and and to spend two and a half miserble days at St. Johns Mercy. I didn't tell ppl b/c I didn't want ppl to get scared. I am only telling ppl now b/c I don't want ppl getting all "ohmygosh, you're getting your gall bladder removed!". It's not a big deal, just a little outpatient laproscopic surgery. I will be fine, and hopefully after the surgery my stomach won't hurt all the time
*Warning: I am in no way posting this to get attention-that is the absolute last thing I want. I just don't want ppl worried about me. If anybody thinks that visiting me after my surgery is a good idea, forget it. I don't want any visitors until Thursday at the earliest. I don't like ppl seeing me all incapacitated. Besides Monday I'll be all drugged up. I won't be good company either, trust me. If you want to send flowers, cards, teddy bears thats fine (I am so kidding- a simple get well soon posted on my comments here will do the trick). I don't want this thing blown out of porportion, so I am telling everything now. The procedure is minor, I will feel bad for 3 or 4 days and in 2 weeks I will be fully recovered. I will admit I am a little nervous, but I've had worse surgeries so it's not that bad. I will just have to avoid having Loki jump up on me and hit my stomach. I WILL BE FINE!
*In other news, Loki is doing great. Her spaying went fab, and the stitches are out and everything looks great. Her fur is growing back fast, and she is her normal chaotic self. She did get into some grass seed w/ fertilizer and had red eyes and a swollen snout for a few days. She looked like she was majorly hung over. We gave her a benadryl (vet said this is okay). We also put a wet, cool washcloth over her eyes and that really helped get rid of the red puffy eyes. Poor puppy! Silly puppy is actually a better description, always getting into trouble, maybe she'll learn a lesson from all this. Then again maybe not.

We won Game 2!!

It's official, the Cards won game 2 2=0!! We are coming home! Pujols got a single and a double. Molina got a single but was caught in a run out. Pujols managed to go to second on a single b/c of bad play by the Padres. Pujols later bobbled a ball, but managed to get the out. Belliard is showing just how good he is, making another awesome catch. Edmonds keeps making it look easy.
*Joined a new group on facebook- Redbirds for Life. Mentioned that we needed a pic....said it should be a Molina pic, I just checked the group, apparently "Yadier Molina" agreed w/ me. Yea, so not believing its actually him b/c when he posted he was playing. I seriously doubt La Russa lets them go anywhere near a computer during the game. I just love all these profiles on myspace and facebook for the "players". Like they actually have time...its just fans who are "pretending" to be somebody they're not.
*Joined Myspace and already I've had to change my song....grrr. Daddy Yankee took off Rompe (my song), there is a Rompe Remix...I'll have to listen to that. Right now I have Jesse McCartney's Right Where You Want Me. Its peppy and fun, I like it. I still would love to have a good Latin/Salsa song or Reggaeton song tho.

Cards win Game 1 vs San Diego Padres

The Cards won today 5-1 w/ Reigning Cy Young Winner Chris Carpenter on the mound. MVP First Baseman, Albert Pujols, hit a monster HR in the top of the 4th inning to make it 2-0 (driving in Left fielder Chris Duncan, then Centerfielder Jim Edmonds got a base hit, then Right fielder Juan Encarnacion drove him in on a sac fly making it 3-0. Every player in the starting lineup-including Carpenter- either got a hit or drove in a run. Consecutive two-out singles from Pujols and Edmonds drove Shortstop David Eckstien home; 4-0. Catcher Yadier Molina got a basehit and drove in a run to make the score 5-0 in the 6th. Carpenter once again proved why he won the Cy Young Award last year and why he deserves to win it this year, he went 6 and 1/3 innings, collecting his 3rd win in four career post season games. Padres starting pictcher Jake Peavy, who started the Padres- Cardinals playoffs last year, lost the opener to Carpenter. San Deigo got on the board in the 6th when Dave Roberts scored after a one out triple. Tyler Johnson came in to take over for Carpenter, and after some typical Johnson dramatics, he got out of the inning (bases were loaded w/ one out). He did a suprisingly good job, I still don't think he's that good. Adam Wainwright came in and finished up the game, recording the four final outs. For the official report and additional details click here.
*Next up:
Wed is a workout day. Mets will play wild card Los Angeles Dodgers. Mets are unsure at the moment as to who will start game one as their slotted starting pitcher, right-handed Orlando Hernandez, injured his calf muscle during warmups. It is doubtful he will recover to start for Wed nights game. This means two pitchers out; one of their aces: Pedro Martinez is already done for the season. This could be good news for the Cards. I hate hearing about anybody getting hurt, so I wish both players speedy recoveries (just not too speedy). However, I want our Cards to win. So go Dodgers!!!!
Thursday, Oct 4: Game 2 at San Diego. Cards pitcher Jeff Weaver vs. Padres pitcher David Wells.
And of course the New York Yankees take center stage tonight (as they will every game they play in the playoffs) w/ the prime time slot on Fox 2. All I have to say about Fox covering the games this year; it had better be better than last year. Last year the Cards were ignored, even when we came home for game 6, they had Astros players miked up. And they spent more time talking about the Astros and introducing them. Equal reprensentation that's all I'm asking.

The St. Louis Cardinals Rock!!!

CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS 3 YRS RUNNING!!!!!!! Even tho the Cards dropped their last game of the regular season to the Brew Crew (5-3), the Cardinals are going to the playoffs!! The Houston Astros lost their last game to the Atlanta Braves. Cardinal Nation went nuts, doing the Braves chop(something we normally wouldn't do if our lives depended on it but hey they knocked the 'stos out of the series and made us very happy). The Cards managed to hit three homeruns in the bottom of the 9th. Chris Duncan started it off w/ his 22nd HR, then Albert Pujols hit number 49, and then Scott Spezio (yesterday's game hero w/ his walk off triple).

Let's Go Cardinals!!! Get the pennet and then World Series baby!!!!

Magic Number Countdown

Okay so baseball season is drawing to an end (sniff, sniff- tearing up at the mention of this sad fact) and the Cardinals appear to win the Central Division for the 3rd consecutive time. The magic number (which when it reaches zero is when the Cards clinch their division) stands at 5. It has been this for two days. They have dropped the last three games; one to the Brewers, which allowed the Brew crew to win the series, and two to the rotten Astros. I can't stand the 'stros! David Eckstien was in the lineup last night for the first time since exiting the game hurt on August 18th. He hit a game opening homerun. The Cards held a 5-2 lead until the eigth inning. Thats where it started going downhill. Marquis was scratched and will start tonight, which explains my confusion last night at seeing a pitcher I've never seen before pitching. Emergency starting pitcher Chris Narveson, who did well for his debut. The rookie left-hander pitched four innings, aquiring six strikeouts and allowing two runs on two hits. Closer Braden Looper lost the game by allowing the game winning hit, very unusual for Looper who is very reliable and is known as 'the vulture' according to FSN broadcasters. The Cards go at it again, Marquis is on the mound and will hopefully bring the magic number down to 4. It could even go down to three, granted the stupid Cinnci Reds lose.
So boo Reds and Let's Go Cardinals!!

Loki Tales

This past Tuesday, we had Loki spayed. Poor puppy was all bewildered when she came home, she didn't understand why she was all drugged up and was hurting. She was so excited when she got home she jumped out of the car and promptly whimpered b/c it hurt. Poor baby didn't know what to do, she kept looking at us all forlorn and didn't want to lay down. So we finally had to put her on command and make her lay down b/c her legs were going bowlegged. She was so docile and sweet all night, it was quite the culture shock to us. We are used to Loki running around the house like crazy living up to her name. She spent the majority of the night laying in my lap....well half in and half out of my lap. I will post pics of that later. The next day Loki was back to normal. Loki is herself once againn, driving the family batty. The vet told my dad that the surgery went beautifully and that Loki's hips (which he x-rayed for us to see if we could expect hip probs in the future) and told us that her hips are in the top ten of all the dogs he has x-rayed in the past eight years!! Her hips are perfect! And what do we do...we spay her-she would have been perfect for breeding. Which is what we would have done w/ Shadow had her hips been perfect. But we are happy w/ Loki and stand by our decision. I can't imagine having more than one Loki running around the house, chasing the cat, and creating chaos. Having a puppy in the house has made looking at puppies easier-we no longer want one-as we have one. Wheras when we had Shadow, we wanted a puppy to play with and go on walks w/. So Loki is all better after her surgery and the family is great. There is a pet day coming up at the People Pictures place at Crestwood, so we are going to take Loki w/ us on that day to get a family pic- b/c Loki is a very important part of the family! So finally mom gets the family pic taht she has been asking for - for about a year now.

Breaking News: Baby Abby Woods has been found!!!

As I am writing this, they are saying on the news that baby Abby Woods and the suspect have been found alive. Woods was taken from her home on Friday, after a female suspect entered at gunpoint and slit the mothers throat. The mother survived the wound (Thank God) and ran over to her neighbors house w/ her one year old son and called police. Abby Woods was found about five miles from her house, with the female suspect. I am sooooo happy and relieved that baby Abby is home safe!! God has answered several hundered prayers in returning Abby home, especially that of her mother and father's! So I am happy for them and their family. Personally, I hope the woman that took Abby gets the chair. Normally I don't believe in that but this is a special case. It's really brave kidnapping a poor defenseless baby, oh so brave (major sarcasm here if you can't tell). If it had been my baby taken, I woulda told the sherrif to get the woman who took her as far away from me as possible, I'm not talking 20 or so miles, I'm talking two states, or the other side of the country or even better out of the country. My instinct would be to cuddle the baby and then hurt the witch that took her. To take a child from its parents is one of the worst things that someone could do. Doesn't matter what age, it isn't right. If someone did that to my family, the person who dared to take or hurt one of my family members would be in serious pain! I hope that Abby Woods is 100% okay, and I wish her and her family the best. My thoughts and prayers have been with you the entire time. I hope everything turns out the way it should. Congrats to the hard working sherriff and police officers and countless volunteers who searched and found baby Abby. Good work! More miracles like this should happen. I seriously hope they do!!

Remembering 9/11

*Several articles were available to read all over the web today( on 9/11-on the attack and the repercussions). On msn.com you could watch a clip that replayed those horrible happenings. I got into 2 seconds of it and had to stop it...I saw the second plane crash into the towers and saw both towers fall once, I can't bear to see it again...unfortunately I did see the second plane crash again and relieved the awful memories. On my way home from work, riding w/ Dad, and listening to the radio, The Big 550, they began to play a song "Have You Forgotten?"-thankfully they didn't play the entire version...it is a great song, very moving, but it always makes me cry...the vivid images the words present set me off every time. We must never forget what happened that day- we must never allow it to happen again. I stand behind Bush in his war against Terrorism- I have from day one and I will continue to do so. Terrorism has no place in this world. I had a moment of silence for the victims of the towers and flight 93 today, and I hope that many people did the same. God bless...and yes I am blogging that...and stay safe!

The Chris Carpenter Show

Carpenter was on fire tonight! He showed everyone why he won the Cy Young Award and why he should win it again. His victory tonight is his third complete game shut out, as the Cardinals blanked the Astros 7-0! The first inning went by uneventful and boring. Things got interesting after that. Carpenter improved his record to 14-6 making him the pitcher w/ the most wins on the Cards, and lowered his ERA. The fun began in the third when second baseman Ronnie Belliard hit a 2 out single up the middle to score left fielder, Chris Duncan. Belliard came thru again in the following inning, hitting a triple to clear the bases. Cards also scored on a basehit by Duncan, and a walk delivered to Juan Encarnacion w/ the bases loaded! The Cards magic number is 15 over Cinnci and 14 over the stupid 'Stros!
Let's Go Cardinals!!
*Also of note, a middle school band played God Bless America and it was awesome. It was the best performance by a band that I've heard all season. Then a choir from the same school ruined the moment by screeching their way thru the National Anthem.
*The St. Louis Police and Fire Depts were represented on field tonight in rememberance of 9/11. They stood at attention and either held the giant flag in the outfield or saluted it. A fan in the seats had a flag of his own...not a mini one-a full flag-how the heck did he get that past security?! They also replayed the late great Jack Buck's moving speech from 9-17-2001 in response to the acts of terrorism on 9/11.

Hello Movin' 101.1

Okay so apparently the radio station, The River, has bit the dust. And Movin' 101.1 has emerged! And I am loving it!!!! Today there are no commercials!!! None, nada, nil, zero! It is so cool! Its all music, and its a really good mix of hits from now and hits from the 80's and 90's! I have heard some songs today that I haven't heard in years!! As of this moment this is my fave station. We will see how things change on Monday....hopefully Steve and DC are gone and Vic and Trish in the morning are back! That would be sweet. OMG! They are playing Men In Black by Will Smith right now!! Awesome!!! In other news, Loki is chewing on my computers cords and the door stopper so I will have to get her out of this room soon. Loki turned 7 months yesterday!! She is getting so big! Her training is really coming along...today we went on a walk and she heeled beautifully, listening to me and behaving like a little lady! Even tho we did play hookey from class today...long story short- I was tired, allergies are driving me nuts, Loki and I haven't worked together in a while so she woulda been a goober brain anyways-so it was a smart thing to do. End of Story. Anyways.....if you haven't checked out Movin' 101.1- Do it!

Cleaning does the body good

So I got into a cleaning frenzy this evening. I blame Froggiegirl...she and Gimlet have Gimlet's friend, Gary, visiting this weekend, and she has had to do a lot of cleaning (and laundry for Gimlet) this week. So first I started innocently enough with my bathroom. First I clean the sink, then I decide to tackle my bathtub/shower (something I haven't done in years b/c I can't kneel b/c of my stupid knees). I really scrubbed that (if you want something done right, do it yourself). Then I decided to vaccum... but first I decided to give more time to the clothes in the dryer, then I febrezed the living room, then I dusted the living room. Then I tackled my room. I dusted everything...well not everything- I didn't get the topmost shelf of my tall book shelf or my high shelves b/c I'm too short to do them w/o standing on a chair(which I refuse to do as I am petrified of heights). This meant moving and rearranging stuff on my desk and bookshelves. I finally cleaned out the little printer holder (or whatever its called) and I put my lotions(stocked up ones that is) on the top and all my b-day/thank you/graduation cards in a ducky bag I found. So my desk is clean- dusted and de-junked. I started dusting my room w/ dusting my bed. After dusting, I decided it was time to change my sheets, so I did that, thew the blue checked ones in the washer, and put on the sheets that match my comforter. Then I made my bed all nice and neat. Then after all this dusting, I vaccumed first my room, and then the living room. I even washed my puppy's food and water dish. I stayed hydrated by drinking Lemonlime Gatorade. Then I was done, or at least I thought I was done.
My back was spazing and I was tired, figured I'd tackle my desk in the office Sat. Nope, after watching the rest of the game (which I watched throughout my cleaning frenzy) and the post game and some stupid show on tv. I decided to go online. However, in my cleaning frenzy, this meant I had to dust and de-junk my desk. Which I did, it looks great now. So whoever messes it up (besides me that is) is gonna get hurt. My comp is the only comp upstairs that gets the internet, so mom and dad use it. Mom is not allowed to drink while on my computer (after leaving a soda can and then later a water glass near my comp- I paid a lot of hard earned money for this comp and I'm not about to have it get fried b/c somebody else was careless). Dad is not allowed to eat at my comp after getting crumbs all over the desk and keyboard.
So my living room, office and room are nice and clean. Loki and the parents are camping so it will stay tidy until Monday afternoon when they come home. Until then, I'm going to enjoy my hard work and revel in the tidieness of the house.

Carpenter shows why he is a Cy Young winner

Chris Carpenter, our ace, got the start tonight, the win, and the complete game. Carpenter was amazing, everything was dead on. According to catcher Yadier Molina after the game in an interview on FSN- Carpenter's fastball was the pitch that was the best. Yadier Molina was hitless again, but his defense alone keeps him in the lineup. Manager Tony LaRussa has said many times that Molina could have a .000 batting average and he would stay in the lineup b/c of his defense. Molina has a cannon for an arm and has thrown out 44% of runners who have attempted to steal (that's the hightest %age in the league!!). With Giants catcher (former Cards catcher) Mike Mattheny out for the rest of the year due to concussion syndrome, Molina seems to be a likely canidate for gold glove. I think he deserves it, he has been outstanding and the guy is tough as nails, he took a head on collision a season or two ago that was scary...his mask and hat flew off and he was knocked to the ground but he held on to the ball to get the out at homeplate...he remained in the game too! Okay back to tonights game.... Preston Wilson homered and scored two runs. Carpenter got his 3rd complete game of the season and number 23 total career. Carpenter has a 13-6 record, and is one game shy of leading the league. He is in the running for the Cy Young Award again. He deserves it, the guy is flat out amazing. He spent his first year w/ the Red Birds on the bench (all season), the next season he comes back from Tommy John surgery and gets 20 wins and wins the coveted Cy Young Award. According to the St. Louis Cardinals website, Carpenter has issued only one walk since the beginning of August! Now that's impressive. Click here for the full story and more details. I was cleaning while I was watching the game. I missed some of the game, but I did see Wilson's HR-that was cool. The Birds on the Bat now have a 5 game lead over the Cincinnati Red's who have been having a rough road trip (yay for us). Those annoying and pesky Astros are 7 games back, so they are still a worry...we have to face them 7 more times. Don't count them out until the division champs and wild cards are official. These guys went to the playoffs and the World Series for the first time in a really long time last year and are hungry for another chance at being the World Champs.
As always, Go Cardinals!!!

Take that Marlins!

As you can guess from the title; this posting is about baseball. Suprise, suprise. I was talking w/ Froggiegirl the other day (whom I had lunch w/ on Thurs.- I ventured the new metrolink in Shrewsberry- very clean and slow at that station, the others are great) and I started talking about my fave baseball team (Cardinals, duh!) and she said "I really don't pay attention to it, if I want to know whats going on I read your blog." That was an awesome compliment! I love sharing my view of baseball and hope that I'm doing a good job. Okay now to the point.
Thursday night, the entire family (mom, dad, me and golum) went to Busch Stadium to see the Cards rough up the Marlins ( Cards beat them 5-1). This was mom's first time to Busch, so we got there early so she could explore. As we pull into our friends lot (we don't have to pay for parking ;)) it starts to rain. These tickets were purchased way back in March- I spent five and a half hours trying to get tickets, and dad walks in and takes over...20 min later he has ticktes...and asks "why did you have trouble?" Grrr. So we were not pleased when it started to rain. Luckily it slowed down, and stopped by the time we entered the stadium. Mom wanted to see the Build-A-Bear Workshop there, as well as the view from the main entrance to the stadium (the diamond). Mom and I go looking at the ppl taking off the tarp, and Dad and golum disapeer...they went to get beer already! Mom and I looked in the Team Store (Dad and golum outside w/ their beers). Finally, we were ready to go to our seats. Well Daniel Boone (golum) (who has only been to the stadium twice) decided that he would lead us to our seats...Dad and I have been there 4 times and know the layout...but nooo Daniel Boone insisist that he knows where he's going. So we venture up to the top level (we had to go up to go down- wierd I know), and then Daniel Boone sees the stairs and says we have to take them. We go down four flights before I start to balk...the stairs only open to three sections- the top most level, the private section, and the bottom level- they don't go to where we want to go- the Loge level. So Dad and I decide to go back up the stairs to the top level and take the ramps to our seats. We got to our seats first, a few min later mom and Daniel Boone show up. They "claimed" that they stopped to look at a store first...yea right.
The begining of the game wasn't good..the Marlins struck first. Their pitcher, Dontrelle Willis, was giving our guys a hard time. Finally we tied it up, then they got a run. In the 7th inning, Chris Duncan pinch hits for So Taguchi. He hits a homerun to tie the game. Pujols walks and goes to third on throwing error, so one on, nobody out. Rolen comes up and gets a base hit, Pujols scores. Encarnacion smacks a double, then Belliard gets a basehit, Rolen and Encarnacion score. Score is now 5-2. Suppan was the starting pitcher, but like Willis he didn't get the win. Braden Looper got the win, and Izzy (the same Izzy who almost blew it w/ bases loaded in the ninth- Pujols and Rolen saved him when the guy-Dan Uggla- on third ventured away and Pujols shot the ball to Rolen who tagged the guy out for the final out- bet Uggla got chewed out when he got to the dugout) got the save. The game was great! The atmosphere was electric, everytime Pujols comes to the plate, the place goes nuts. Fireworks went off for Duncan's 15 HR, and when the game concluded w/a Cards victory. Molina and Suppan were the only Cardinals (not counting pinch hitter Vizciano or Spiezio) w/o hits. Molina's defense speaks for itself. He nailed a runner (Hanley Ramirez- shortstop) trying to steal second base- guy was stupid...he actually thought he could steal w/ Molina behind the plate! Haha, yeah right! Suppan pitched a great game...he is shapping up to be the number 2 ace for the Cards (pitching wise that is).