STOPPED ASKING OPRAH WHAT TO DO
Live from Colorado Convention Center Lecture Hall in Denver, Colorado it’s the Lifesong Tour and we were there. So that means another blog entry about a concert. I know you are excited. I can see it as you read this blog. 
Ok, maybe not as we are not watching you.
This was the first time I had been to a concert the Colorado Convention Center and I must say that was pretty nice. The sound was awesome and the seating was good. So I would not mind another show there someday.
The concert featured Josh Bates, a Colorado girl, Nichole Nordeman, Tony Nolan, and Casting Crowns.
The opening act was the new guy named Josh Bates and he is a Kentucky boy who is pretty (must be said like the guy in Deliverance). He was pretty good for the few songs he got to play. He played his guitar and mandolin and sang his songs, which were enjoyable. The best part was watching teenage girls giggle over him.
Next up was Nichole Nordeman. She was great! I am not saying that because one loyal reader of this blog went to school with her or because another loyal reader was in youth group with her. No, I not worried that they will tell on me if it is a bad entry. I am really saying it because it is true. I like her style a lot. Her songs feel like they are deep from the heart with lots of thought. They are songs they make you dig deep to understand what you think and believe. They are song that challenge how you live and push you to be stronger in faith. She is very lonely lady with a great voice. She was funny, but so heart felt and real when she talked about life. This is our third time seeing her and it was still really worth seeing and hearing her live.
After Nicole, Casting Crowns came and they a did a few wonderful songs. Man, their songs are just good in person. They did a few songs and then their lead singer did a great job of encouraging people to be part of World Vision. Mark Hall was very funny but very truthful in his approach to getting people to help World Vision by sponsoring a child. Then there was a 15 minute intermission.
When the break ended, Casting Crowns came back and song more great songs and then they had their road pastor, Tony Nolan speak. He is a very creative and funny communicator. He did a great job of explaining why he where a L.I.F.T. medical bracelet. Then Casting Crowns came back song a few more songs and then ended with Josh and Nicole back on stage for a song.
Another good concert for the family. However, we are all tried after two nights being out late at a ballgame and a concert. I am sure we will all sleep really well tonight.
LikeSO LONG STATUS QUO
Booooooooo, Bar-ry, Aste-risk, Bel-Co, Ste-Roids, those were a few of the sounds from a game where Barry Bonds was playing. We have a great time being part of it. My wife, step-daughter and I went to Friday night’s game at Coors Field featuring the Giants vs. the Rockies. Oh, what a beautiful night for baseball. The weather was very comfortable and we were ready for some baseball.
We got these tickets back a few months ago as part of a fun raiser to help the school’s baseball team. It was a great deal for a good cause. Plus, we got to go to the ball park. That is always great for us.
When we got there, we arrived early enough to get Rockies’ Player Jersey T-shirt as that was the promotion. They are not bad shirts; so that worked out pretty well. Then we got to our seats which were down the third base line a few sections from the foul poll. Very nice indeed.
Now the best thing about going to a game with my step-daughter is how much she loves it and baseball. Oh, sure she will never be like me and care what a hitter’s batting average is against lefties with runners in scoring position with two strikes during the day, but she loves the game. Really, she gets caught up in the atmosphere and really loves yelling for the Rockies and in this case booing Mr. Bonds. She thought that was fun and worth while.
She was not alone, the crowd was into booing or cheering for him every time he was at bat or trying to catch a ball. We sat close to him in left field so we heard people yelling at him the whole game. It was pretty brutal, I must say. I am sure he heard some of them, but he was very professional and did not react to any of it. I will give him that. A course he did bring this on himself, so it hard to feel sorry for him. Plus, I am sure when he cashes his big pay check, it feels a little better for him.
As for the game, it was like old times. The Rockies got a head but lost the lead in the 5th and were 3 runs down in the bottom of the 9th. A lot of people left after the 7th when Bonds had his last at bat and was replaced defensively. Lynzee ask the age old question, why would someone who paid for the ticket leave before the game was over. To which, I don’t know. It was there lost.
Anyways, the Rockies came up in the bottom of the ninth and you could just feel the LODO magic. Even Mindy said it feels like they are going to win in the middle of the 9th. The Giants tried to stopped the rally with three different pitchers, but you just could not stop the old-time-come-from-behind-to-win-in-the-ninth LODO Magic! The Rockies scored four to win 9-8 and we were pumped. It was a great night to be at the ballpark and as a bonus we got a big win that helped the Rockies get back in 1st place. Wow.
Helping My Wife
On a side note, I came across something that would helping to my wife that I thought I would place a link to it here. That way my friends would know about it and be able to help my wife out if I were to pass. Thank you for any help you give her.
Click Here
Need To Mention
Also, I did place a link to it on the side bar a few weeks ago, but I have not mentioned it in the stories. My favorite sports “writer”, Drew of “Win, Lose, & Drew” now has a blog to go with his cartoons. It is a kind of behind the screens thing and it is fun to see into his thinking. You can check it out here.
Monkey Meditations
- Are You Kidding Me: So far the Rockies are better one the road than home.
- The stats so far are just backwards.
- See Diamond In The Rox Blog for more details
- Are You Kidding Me: Her she is, Miss Klingon?.
- Right now four Colorado teams are in the playoffs, Avs, Nuggets, Mammoth, and Eagles.
- The Crush have qualified for their playoffs when those begin.
- Hopefully, some of them will do well, but mostly I am happy that after a few weeks of baseball the Rockies are still in contention.
- Are You Kidding Me: Great third day field trip
- April 20th – a day I hope you have not forgotten.
- If you need some help remembering, spend some time at this website
HIS IS THE LOVE THAT GIVES ME LIFE
Happy Easter! My favorite holiday. A day of victory and atonement!
Congrats to the Dan, Trina, and Melissa on this special day! Very exciting.
Warnings: Long video clips:
The Goat Has Left The Building! and thus we party
LET ME WIPE AWAY YOUR TEARS
“I don’t care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we’re gonna be winners.”
The What
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The Why
Why are they here? Well, because they shows about 195 people in pain and loss that may need some comfort. However, it also show one person who doesn’t need tears wiped away. That someone is not a basketball wizard like John Wooden but that one person won four different March Madness contests. Yep, that someone is me. Not bad for a basketball idiot.
So those photos are all about bragging rights. It is fun always to try and do well in these contests, but in the end I don’t expect to win. It feels good to beat friends who are basketball experts, and for at least this year an old wrestler knows more than the basketball players.
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise”
WHERE THE GRASS AND THE DIRT AND GRAVEL ALL MEET
Opening Day. A scared day for baseball. For us fans of bad teams, it is one of the last times we have hope for the season.
As for me, I was giving an opportunity to attend opening 2006 at Coors Field to see the Diamondbacks and the Rockies play ball for free. A big thank you goes out to Bob L who got two great seats behind the 1st base dugout and invited me to attend with him. Also, another thank you to Bill who helped make it possible so I could have time off to get to the game.
Before I get to the good stuff, it is time to release some anger. Now it would have been a great day all around if it was not for 55% of the union RTD workers who decided to strike. I am very mad at those 55% and I hope they all lose their jobs or never get a better deal than they were offered. They made driving there parking and leaving a total nightmare and they will get no pity from me at all. The other half of my wrath goes to the owners of parking lots. I don’t know if they jacked the prizes up to $40 to $60 because of the RTD strike or because of opening day or both. Either way, I was not going to pay that. So after an hour of driving around downtown with lots of other mad commuters I parked about 35 minutes from the stadium. I prayed that the spot would be OK and safe. Then wish more bad things to the RTD union and parking lot owners.
Now on to the good stuff. As I was hiking towards the stadium, the F-16s that were part of the fly over went by. A very cool site even though I was in the stadium. The weather was great; a little cloudy but very warm mid-50ies or low 60ies with a slight breeze. Very nice indeed.
As I got Coors Field, I met up with Bob (who had the same madding time getting there) and we went inside a few minutes before the first pitch from Jason Jennings. Our free seats were awesome about 10 rows up from the first-base dugout (where the Rockies sit).
The color board in the outfield looked great and the graphics were much better this year. Memo to Shawn Green of the snakes should as for a new picture to be shown on the board. It is one of the worst I have seen for anyone.
Jennings first pitch to Craig Counsell was a strike. We all hope that would a good sign for things to come. A bloop hit and walk led to a run for the Diamondbacks in the first. Yet, Jennings pitched a great game the rest of the game. Every now and then his fast balls got up a little high but it never hurt him. His sliders and sinkers were great.
At the top of the fifth I decided to call my friend Matt in KC. He was at the Royals opening game. It was 1-0 Tigers in the 4th when I called him. He told me the Royals had a runner on 2nd with no one out and he was getting a Coke. The Royals scored after we hung up but they ended up losing 3-1.
Back to the Coors Field, in the middle of the fifth two young boys went down to the dugout and were thrown a ball by the Rockies first-base coach. Tip of the hat to the user who took the kids down there so they could get a ball.
As for the game, it an awesome pitching duo. Yes, even at Coors Field these things happen. I know both starters had a great stuff. However, in the bottom of the 5th Jennings used his bat to tie the game 1-1. That was great to see! Both pitchers left after the 7th innings with around 96-98 pitches each.
During the 7th inning stretch we heard “God Bless America” and then we sang “Take Me Out To The Ball Game”. In the middle of the 8th, Switchfoot’s “We Were Meant To Live”. That is about all the music I remember being played at the game that I can report here.
At the middle of the 8th, an usher came down to the seats behind us. A guy came and sat there a few innings before and had not moved since he sat down. He was breathing but not moving. It took about five minutes and two usher, but they woke up the passed out drunk behind of us. I must say I have never seen that at a game.
Both teams gave up a run in the 8th to make it 2-2 in the 9th, but both offenses were shut down in the 9th. I was surprised how many of the 47,278 (93.7% full) people had left. A great pitching game and extra innings and they leave. What is is this LA? We also saw a foul ball fall about 3 rows behind us and to the other side of our section. That was probably the closest we came to a foul ball all day.
The relievers continued to shut down the hitters in the 10th. In the 11th the Mayor of Denver, John Hickenlooper, walk by us and sat in his sit about 10 rows in front of us. I figure he tried to get there earlier but the RTD strike made it hard for him, too.
As for the bottom of the 11th Helton lead off but he popped up to the mound on the first pitch. Then Holiday got a hit to right field. On a hit and run, Mr. Smith (Jason) got a hit which got Holiday to third. Brad Hawpe comes up and dribbles the ball to the right side of the infield , but Holiday was running from third on contact and scores a head of the throw to the plate. Rockies win in 11th on opening day!!!!!
Very exciting day. I got to spend the day at the ballpark, got a little sun, and got to see a victory for my team. Nice. All that was left was trying to get back to my vehicle (which was still there thank God) and get out of downtown after a ball game during rush hour and while the Avs fans were heading downtown. All in all it only took another hour and half to get to I-70 and then it was smooth driving. I was able to pass the time trying to get out of there by wishing more bad things to the RTD union. Try it sometime, it helps you feel better.
For the blog readers, there is a sneak preview of pictures from the 2006 Rockies home opener. See them by clicking here.
PUT ME IN COACH – II
It is opening day again (which thanks to Bob L I will be at the Rockies opening day with greats seats) and thus it is time for the 2nd annual Code Monkey’s MLB Team Predictions and Slogans.
As normal, the prediction will probably be wrong, but they are here just in case I get one right. The slogans are more inline with what I think the team’s slogans should be not what they want it to be.
AL East
1. NY Yankees – Working towards our goal of double the other team’s payroll.
2. Toronto – Serving joy for the few Canadian baseball fans
3. Boston – Have no fear Theo is back
4. Baltimore – Leo will save us
5. Tampa Bay – Our last year of being part Devil
AL Central
1. Chicago – Another year of Ozzie Fest
2. Cleveland – Not chocking till the playoffs this year
3. Minnesota – Yes, we still have a baseball team here
4. Detroit – 90! The number of smokes Leyland go through during a game
5. KC – Name three starters and win (which we won’t be doing much of)
AL West
1. Oakland – Look who spent money
2. LA of Anaheim – Angels 1 – Anaheim 0
3. Texas – A Dallas team not spending money on T.O.
4. Seattle – We are not a monopoly like those other companies in town
NL East
1. Atlanta – Winning the division is everything, why change?
2 NY Mets – A fantansy baseball players team
3. Philadelphia – Still good enough to be a disappointment
4. Florida – Sorry Joe
5. Washington – Come see the fight for second base
NL Central
1. St. Louis – A whole new Busch
2. Houston – No Roger till maybe May. No problem, we do not start playing till June
3. Milwaukee – Focusing on having a good mascot
4. Chicago – We are the only long term losers left
5. Cincinnati – If only Carson Palmer wasn’t injured by those evil Steelers
6. Pittsburgh – What do you expect for only a $38 million dollar payroll?
NL West
1. San Diego – Not as fast or as strong as most, but we are in the NL West
2. LA – Chicken Little come to the rescue
3. San Francisco – When you head is in the sand you don’t see any shadows
4. Arizona – Lacking that extra bite
5. Colorado – Our on going mission, proving that bad pitching does not win games
Slogan for MLB:
Bud is Bad.
Wildcard Picks
AL: Cleveland Indians
NL: NY Mets
My prediction for the first manager to get fired lets go with the king of snakes, Bob Melvin.
There you have it, my predictions for the 2006. Enjoy the day and season, baseball fans.
