I KNOW IT IS TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
Wednesday, March 31, 2010, is the end of March, the end of era, and the end of a career.
I never had the chance to attend a spring training game at Hi-Cobertt Field in Tuscon, AZ and I never will. The last spring training baseball game that the stadium will host will feature the Diamondbacks and the Rockies facing off. It opened back in 1937. It became the Indian’s spring training facility in 1947. If you have ever seen the movie, Major League, parts of the movie were filmed there. The Rockies took over the spring training site in their first spring training in 1993. Now that the Rockies and Diamondbacks are moving north making all the Cactus League Teams based in the Phoenix area and spring training will be no more in Tuscon or at Hi-Cobertt Field.
Also, one of my favorite authors called it quits on March 31, 2010. Well, he is not ending his writing career, he is retiring from his other job as a professional kicker in the NFL. Here are a few things I will remember about Jason Elam’s playing days:
- He was part of both of the Denver Bronco’s Super Bowl wins
- He is the co-owner of the longest NFL field goal record of 63 yards
- He married a Bronco cheerleader. That is right the kicker got the cheerleader. Proving once again “Chicks Dig the Long Ball”
- We think we were behind him at a David Crowder Band Concert in Oct 2007 in Denver
- He was let ago by the Broncos after 15 seasons (and then played for the Atlanta Falcons for a year and half). It was right after his first book came out. I always wondered if Shanny did not like the way the coach in the book was portrayed, so he let Jason go
- He is the Bronco’s all time leading scorer
His first three fiction books (Monday Night Jihad, Blown Coverage, and Blackout) are very good. His fourth one is due out around December 2010. They are very good and exciting books. I would highly recommend the books especially if you like thrilling fiction.
LikeYOU GAVE THE WORLD YOUR ONLY SON FOR US
Are you in the Denver, Colorado area?
Are you looking for a place to check out for Easter?
Here is my suggesting, checkout any of the eight services at the church we attend, Flatirons Community Church
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GET DIRECTIONS TO THE CHURCH LOCATION |
Monkey Meditations
- Things I do to get ready for baseball: Boo everything that resembles dodger blue
- I have watched some of the show “Undercover Boss”
- It is interesting, but mostly they help they employees they meet which is nice
- However, I wish they would make policies that help all the employees not just the ones they meet (the White Castle Boss did do that)
- Things I do to get ready for baseball: Break out snow camping gear and summer gear for those April games in Colorado
- The wait is almost over
- The technology I would buy even though I have no need for it is almost a reality
- Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Cloak of Invisibility
- Things I do to get ready for baseball: Practice saying “Pitchers Can’t Hit”
- That one is for Monkey Pen Member, Todd, that goes back to our second game together at Coors Field in May 1995
- I said those words and then the Cubs Starting Pitcher, Kevin Pitcher, went deep in the first
- Then I said it again in the four inning just before the Rockies Starting Pitcher, Marvin Freeman, hit a three run homer
- Things I do to get ready for baseball: Watch the new Rockies commercials
- Seven of the new 2010 Rockies commercials can be found here
- My favorite is probably the EY and EY Jr one
- The blooper one is also funny
- Things I do to get ready for baseball: Say quotes from the movie Major League
- “This guy threw at his own son in a father son game.”
- “In case you haven’t noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven’t”
- “JUST a bit outside.”
- Things I do to get ready for baseball: Re-watch Rockies’ first-ever home at bat by EY
- This is sad story but it does not surprised me
- What surprises me it is that 16 of the 80 contestants walked out
- However, I wonder if any of the studio audience left?
- Things I do to get ready for baseball: Write the yearly opening day blog entry
- Yes, the most popular entry of this blog is pretty much written and I think it will be enjoyable
- It will be the six annual “Put Me In Coach”
- Hard to believe this is the sixth opening day since I started the blog
TAKES AWAY YOUR JUMP SHOT
A few months ago I had a blog entry about how impressive Lynzee’s school, Faith Christian Academy, sports programs has been over the past few years when they won another Colorado High School Football Championship. Guess what, I need congratulations the school on two more Colorado 3A high school sport titles this school year.
They won the title in Colorado 3A State Spirit, i.e. Cheer-leading. I will not pretend to know how they get points or know anything about the sport, but they won with a score of 96.00 which beat Erie who had a 93.83. So congratulations to them.
Now, the football program has been very impressive since Lynzee started at the school when she entered 5th grade. They have played in either the semi-finials or the championship game every one of those years. However, the basketball program not to be out done has won the Colorado 3A Boy Basketball title for the THIRD year in a row. Four years ago they came in third. Their record over the past four seasons is an outstanding 104-3. That includes the lost in the semi-finals four years ago and a forfeit for accidently suiting and playing 13 players in a game this year. So congratulations to the boys basketball team on their third championship in a row and for four impressive years.
HERE’S A QUARTER, CALL SOMEONE WHO CARES
It all started back in 1999. That is when the U.S. Mint started producing the 50 States Quarters Program. A ten year plan to create quarters to honor each U.S. state. My parents decided to give me a folder that had slots for each of the 50 quarters (see the below picture).
It seem like a fun thing to do. It was pretty easy as a few months after each quarter would come out I would get that quarter as change from some purchase. The pattern was the same till 2008. That is when the last five state quarters came out. I had no trouble getting the quarters for Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and Hawaii. However, I could never get Alaska. Thus the book could not be completed because I could not get the Alaska quarter (see the below picture).
Then today, March 11, 2010, at the grocery store I got a quarter that had Alaska on the back! Finally, my folder can be filled with all 50 U.S. State Quarters. It is like a big burden has taken off my shoulders as I finally finished the project my parents gave me. Below is a picture of the completed folder with all 50 state quarters.
RUN, ‘TIL YOU REACH THE END
What was I thinking? It all started back in December when I was thinking I really need to do something to stay consistent at the gym because I need to lose weight and get back in shape. I’ve been in this bad patterning of working out for about four to six weeks and then nothing for three or four months. So I needed to find something to get me working out and not quit.
Then one of the non-profit group that I love to support, The Third Story, is going to have their first ever 5K race fund-raiser in April. That got me thinking, that maybe I should commit myself to run five or six 5K in 2010 starting with the one for the Third Story. It would help raise money for The Third Story, and it would force me to stay running all year to get in shape.
What was I thinking? I am so bad at running, and I am so out of shape. At this point I can still walk the 5K faster than I can run it. I still got a few weeks till my first run. If you would come to run/walk it or come or if you want to come to support/laugh at me, view the info for The West Side Stride 5K or view the flier.
I plan to be part of another race in late May and one in early August. I am trying to find a race for late June/early July, maybe one for late Sept/early Oct, and one for late Nov/early Dec. So if you know any 5K races in the Denver area during those times, let me know. I will probably try and run/walk them, too. That is if I survive getting in shape for the races and don’t collapse during the The West Side Stride 5K.
Seriously, what was I thinking?
