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October 30, 2004
The Voyager Anthology Revealed
Stolen entirely from my pqal Jackie Bundy:
The Voyager anthology scheduled for next summer has been titled Distant Shores.
The list of contributors has been posted at Psi Phi and includes;
Christopher L. Bennett, Kirsten Beyer, Ilsa J. Bick, Keith R.A.
DeCandido, Robert Greenberger, Heather Jarman, Robert T. Jeschonek,
Terri Osborne, Kim Sheard, James Swallow, Geoffrey Thorne, and Susan
Wright.
The Psi Phi listing can be found at:
http://www.psiphi.org/cgi/upc-db/X000000223.html
I am honored to be among fellow authors and some very dear friends.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 06:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 29, 2004
Random Stuff
World Series Letdown
I was curiously numb to the notion of the Red Sox winning the World Series. I suspect some of that was the natural let down of the first two rounds, both being very exciting for NL and AL fans. Being an NL fan, I was truly rooting for St. Louis and was disappointed that the four games lacked tension, drama or good play. The mystery to me and the rest of the fans is what happened to the Cards? They won 105 games, crushed Los Angeles, out slugged Houston and then rolled over to play dead.
No pitching, no hitting, no wins.
Let Boston enjoy their victory and their broken curse.
Halloween
With Halloween on Sunday, DC decided that today would be a fine day to celebrate. Our third floor lobby, which already resembles the rooftops of Gotham City, now looks like the Scarecrow came by. We have a costume contest this afternoon but already people have been parading in their finery. So far I have seen a convincing Hagrid, a malnourished Alan Moore, a delightful Professor McGonagall, and a cross-dressing Zatanna and Zatara. Even Regina, our temp receptionist, is decked out as a bumblebee.
At 4, DC will have a bit of a Halloween party with games and the like. I’ll be manning the Trick or Treat wheel where people will give it a spin, do what the wheel directs and receive a treat.
It breaks up the routine and brings everyone together which happens all too rarely given being spread over five floors.
Rob revisits his punk Hobbit costume from last summer’s Shore Leave masquerade when he supervisors the all-day horror film fest at the community theatre. That should frighten the kiddies.
Work
Been another very productive week. My big project has shaped up nicely and these last two days have been spent tidying up other projects already underway and brainstorming new things. The sheer variety of what I do is one of the best things about the job. Another is the variety of people I come into contact with.
Spencer Beck, the wonderful art dealer, managed to get Jim Aparo to contribute some thoughts to the big project, something I was unable to do. And Spencer did it because he agreed with me that Jim’s words should be there, along with those of Neil Gaiman, Jerry Robinson and others.
John Wells, Mark Waid and Bob Rozakis are pitching in to help me track stuff I need – it’s good to have friends you can rely on.
Then as I was on the seventh floor I ran into Mark Buckingham, over from the UK. I haven’t seen Mark in so many years I didn’t recognize him, but thankfully he knew me. Mark and I worked years ago on The Hacker Files a book that should have done better than it did. His work today on Fables, though, is a delight.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 02:01 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 27, 2004
And for my Next Trick...
The Technology of the Ancient World is another new series from Rosen Books, this time focusing on six cultures, each with unique accomplishments. Aimed at middle schoolers, these are only 6000 word pieces so there won’t be a lot of depth. That being said, I really look forward to doing the research required for the China entry. Fortunately, it has a February deadline so I can finish “Command Code” and then dig in.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 03:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 25, 2004
Catching Up...Slowly
Time can occasionally slip by the best of us. I’ve been thinking about things to write about or news to share with you and then the time at the keyboard vanishes.
So, let’s see where we are.
I’m at the halfway point in drafting the Voyager short story and should finish it next weekend. With luck, some pals will read it for me and then I can get it to Marco before deadline. And if the luck continues to hold, maybe my S.C.E. outline will have received Paramount’s blessing and I can do that next.
Things at DC are swimming along. Been concentrating heavily on the new project, cross-checking the many pieces, chasing down the last of the graphics and text. I think it’s taking shape nicely and look forward to seeing the design.
It’s odd, between our schedules and Robbie’s homework; we usually catch up on network TV on Sunday nights. As a result, we’re current on Gilmore Girls (firing on all cylinders and deliciously entertaining), Joan of Arcadia (a solid sophomore season), Jack & Bobby (perhaps a little too earnest but well done), Clubhouse (engaging but predictable), and NYPD Blue (a very strong final season so far). On my own, I’m current with Smallville (status quo restored, has lost its way and its charm, I miss Mark Verheiden’s steady hand).
We have yet to see any of Lost, Desperate Housewives, or Enterprise. Last night we managed the first episode of Boston Legal. Robbie fell in love with it, Deb was skeptical. Should it deal with interesting characters and interesting cases, it'll be fine. If it devolves quickly into quirks and tics instead of vaguely human people then it'll lose us, despite the wonders of James Spader and William Shatner.
Deb and I finally made it to a movie for the first time in months, catching Vanity Fair at the Community Theatre where Robbie volunteers. Not the top of my list to be sure, but Deb wanted to see it and we saw it. And it was merely okay with lots of wasted potential.
And I got my wish. St. Louis made it to the World Series. Now, if they would play to their expected standard, we’d have better games. It seems they really get outclassed away from Busch Stadium, which is tough, since 4 of the games are in Boston. With luck, the momentum can turn tomorrow night.
Finally, I don’t know about you, but I’m afraid this week will feel endless with the shrill cry of politicians from one coast to the next, at all hours, saying absolutely nothing new.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 03:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 22, 2004
Encyclopedia Interview
The four contriubutors to the DC Comics Encyclopedia have been interviewed over at Newsarama. The author does a nice job.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:18 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 20, 2004
It's Like Being Back in School
I like to read. No surprise there. I like baseball. To those who know me, also no surprise. As a result, I like reading about baseball. Fiction and non-fiction. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been participating in a reading group covering Fantasy and Mysticism in Baseball and last night we dissected Robert Coover’s The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop.
Initially, I found the book not to my taste starting with the lack of any sympathetic characters and the author’s inability to give me a reason why Mr. Waugh is in the sad state that we find him.
Last night’s conversation was eerily similar to my old AP English classes taught by Mr. Piorkowski. Our moderator began by pointing out the novel was listed as one of the 100 most important books in the 20th Century. To which I rejoindered, “That’s the same list with Ulysses as number one so it’s a suspect list.” We then were told how it’s considered a Post-Modern classic with definitions of Modernism and Post-Modernism.
What a load of hooey.
First of all, modern means today, the here and now. After today is tomorrow. That’s futurism or science fiction not post-modernism. Who makes up these absurd titles?
Anyway, Post-Modernism apparently is closely linked with existentialism, something I also find ridiculous. Both question everything from reality vs. fiction to the nature of fiction to why we're on this planet and so on. Life’s too short for such nonsense if you ask me. I guess I’m more a meat and potatoes reader. I like to be entertained or enlightened, hopefully both.
Which is not to say, I disliked AP English or last night’s discussion. In both cases, picking the book apart to find the layers of meaning intended (or not) by the author can be fascinating. Starting with the meaning of the book’s title all the way to why it has eight chapters and so on. J. Henry Waugh, for example, can be condensed to JHWH or Yahweh. And his best friend is named Lou, short for, of course, Lucifer. You can find the rest of the religious imagery on your own.
I have a greater appreciation for Coover’s efforts thanks to the discussion and can now better articulate why I disliked it. Still, any book that requires this much effort to comprehend and tries to be so full of these clever little touches fails by my standards. Clearly not for me. And apparently not for the vast majority of the people at the meeting.
At least our final book in the series is Darryl Brock’s If I Never Get Back, a book I enjoyed upon its release and can recommend to one and all.
It’s a good time of the year to be reading and talking baseball, since, after all, we’re having two very exciting League Championship series. Both may wrap up tonight and we can talk about that later.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 11:36 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 18, 2004
24...and Counting
At 6 p.m. tonight, Deb and I will be seated side by side on the train home. Somewhere before 6:30 our marriage will have reached the end of the 24th year. We’ll mark it more appropriately with dinner out (and to show you how much I love her, we’re going to a fancy French place she wants to try – I don’t like French cuisine).
On that dark and stormy Saturday night 24 years ago, we had a lot of hopes and dreams, most of which have come true. Some probably haven’t and others have yet to arrive.
In looking back, though, we have done a lot, accomplished much, weathered the usual trials and tribulations common to most marriages. Even in our darkest days, bouts of unemployment, health concerns, loss of family we’ve gotten through it. Together.
And we still want to be together, even if it’s sharing a couch and watching television. It’s why I really didn’t mind being with her at the Sheep & Wool festival. I think that’s pretty cool, and hope it stays that way.
People tell us we’ve done a wonderful job with the kids and we both realize we could not have done it without the other. How and where we live, what we choose to spend out money on, instilling goals and beliefs in our children…all of this has been done together. Which does not mean we don’t have “vigorous” debates before moving, pulling out the wallet or talking to the kids, but it does mean we come to a meeting of the minds before taking action.
We chose to be together, have worked to forge a unified life and I have to say, I still consider myself pretty lucky.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 01:57 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
October 17, 2004
What's Been Happening
Life’s been busy, good but busy.
At DC, I’ve spent most of the last week working on our new project, which will be announced in about a month. It has more moving parts and things to track that anything since the old Who’s Who but so far we’ve hit no major snags. While time consuming, it’s fun and a challenge. The rest of my books are moving swimmingly. Got the first bound copy of Superman: Birthright on Thursday and think it looks terrific. Robbin Brosterman did an excellent job on the design and I hope the talent involved, and the readers, agree.
Saturday was spent in Rhinebeck NY at the 32nd Annual Sheep & Wool Family Festival. This was Deb’s day. An avid knitter (and quilter and clothing maker and…), she really wanted to go and see the vendors, the sheep and enjoy a day outdoors before the weather forces us in for a while. I went along because, well, she asked me and the idea of spending a carefree day with my wife sounded good. It’s held at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, where their annual County Fair is held, therefore it was familiar territory. Nowhere near as crowded as I expected, mainly because the weather was iffy: cool, gray, breezy, threatening rain all day.
We wandered through several vendor halls, she patting the various yarns and me sampling the foods for sale. By lunchtime, she had bought all of one skein of yarn and I was concerned this was going to disappoint her. As we settled down to eat our lamb burgers (surprisingly mild and tasty), I spotted my co-worked Jann Jones, with her husband artist J.G. Jones. Hadn’t met J.G. before so we chatted as Jann and Deb compared notes.
After lunch, Deb finally got into her groove and found things for herself, for her sister and so on. Quite a load, actually, but nothing compared with what she brought back from the annual Stitches convention last year (think the San Diego Comicon for knitters). She was happy.
We bought an interesting tasting New Orleans rub for fish and a Raspberry Chipolte sauce that I intend to use for chicken glaze.
Topped the day off by having dinner with her brother Jeff and his girl friend Lisa. He directed us to an Outback near the Poughkeepsie Galleria and somehow we wound up at two different Outbacks. He found us and a lovely time was had by all.
Today’s shopping, laundry and then digging into the writing of the Voyager story. Watched the pilot and “Parallax” the other night, refreshing myself on the look, feel and rhythm of the show. In doing so, I found a hook to start the story and yesterday, while wandering, my mind began piecing together little bits. Hope it all finds its way onto the page this afternoon
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:04 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 14, 2004
Final Debate Thoughts
Well, I’m glad that’s all over. That being the debate season. I found myself actually nodding off as we reached the two-thirds mark of the broadcast because both candidates kept falling back on obfuscation and hurling the same tired remarks we’ve already hear in the previous debates.
The amount of reality twisting has reached new heights of absurdity, especially in an age when web sites explode the misinformation within minutes. Of course, the majority of Americans don’t bother to fact check the candidates nor do they read the newspapers the morning after for the reality check. They tend to believe what they hear so if they like hearing that Kerry is a tax and spend liberal, they’ll vote for Bush or if they like hearing Bush is a clueless warmonger, they’ll hang a chad for Kerry.
With that said, I want to compliment Bob Shieffer for asking some very good, some nicely pointed questions. He ran the debate quite well and I was pleased. On the other hand, he entirely avoided the environment, which is just as important as the economy. And just as he asked Kerry how he would pay for the medical plan, I would have liked to hear Shieffer nail Bush on how to pay for his proposed Mars plan – something the President announced once and has chosen never to mention again.
Kerry looked good, formal, but stiff. When he smiled at the end, it didn’t look right. Bush sounded whiny in the first half and only in total command and Presidential during his closing two minutes, since after all, he got to rehearse that part.
Best part for Deb and me was out ability to watch the debates while our picture-in-picture TV allowed us to keep tabs on the Cardinals-Astros game including the decisive sixth inning.
Let Bush and Kerry thrash each other with the same tired remarks for the next few weeks, next Wednesday we can get back to good old scripted politics as The West Wing returns.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 11:48 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 12, 2004
At long last, Voyager
Now I know what my next writing assignment will be.
Just received a call this morning from Marco Palmieri, over at Pocket Books. Paramount has approved my outline for “Command Code,” a story designated for the tenth anniversary Voyager anthology.
This is exceedingly cool on a few fronts. To start, it’s the first time I get to work with Marco, an old pal since his days at DC. Then, there’s the fact that the outline got approved with no changes, meaning he and I were spot on hammering out the details. And finally, it’s the first time I’m writing these characters so it’ll be a nice challenge.
Of course, now I have to write it before Thanksgiving and make it wonderful. Looking forward to it!
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 09:31 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
October 11, 2004
I Believed
I believed.
I think we all believed a man could fly. Christopher Reeve was Superman for a few generations of film fans. These days there are those who grew up on Dean Cain or even Tom Welling but, good as they are, neither brought the humanity to the Man of Steel as Chris did. And to those of us weaned on George Reeves, Chris was superior since the scripts allowed him the range.
The first film remains an almost perfect comic book brought to life, the second one was very entertaining. We’ll skip the other two but note that we mainly went to those to see Reeve in uniform again.
I rooted for him time and again as he fought back from the paralysis. I, like countless others, wanted to see him progress until he could stand on his own. But even though that was a long time off, he never seemed to give up hope for that day to come.
It was a thrill seeing him make that first appearance on Smallville last season. As he began to speak of Krypton and those first notes from John Williams’ score played, I was transported back to 1978 and seeing that frigid world on the big screen. Magic.
And now he’s gone. With luck, his legacy will be to keep funds coming for research and for his example to inspire others who have been robbed of movement.
I’ll miss him.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 10:38 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 10, 2004
Political Thinking and Parties
Watching the town hall debate on Friday was something like my watching a Mets game. Every so often I found myself screaming at the TV. It was usually something along the lines of “you’re not answering the question!”
Deb patiently explained on more than one occasion that the rebuttal portion of the debate was not necessarily intended to rebut the just-made comments of the previous speaker but time to say anything you damn well please.
All of which reminded me of my favorite part in Peter David’s wonderful Knight Life -- the debate between mayoral candidates including King Arthur. The two men go on and on about anything they feel like and when it’s Arthur’s turn he finally yells, “They didn’t answer the bloody question.”
During the more formal debates, that seems to be expected and condoned. Here, though, hearing thoughtful questions from the “common man” both candidates should have answered the questions head on. Sure, they did that a few times but far too frequently they wandered off course.
I’m glad they touched on the environment and Supreme Court issues, two that should scare the beejeezus out of the electorate. Far too often, the discussion is kept to the economy, Medicare and Iraq. In fact, I wish one of the questions involved whether or not either man knew what it cost the average family of four to buy groceries today compared with January 2001. The deer-in-the-headlights look on both of them would have been priceless.
And in case you missed it elsewhere, yes, President Bush is an investor in a timber company so Kerry’ accusation was spot on and Bush was caught, once again not knowing the facts (and this time about his own finances).
Speaking of Peter, we were at his daughter Ariel’s Bat Mitzvah yesterday and it was a relaxed, enjoyable experience. I appreciated the Rabbi’s thoughtful words, placing the prayers and readings into context. Ariel acquitted herself well and looked really nice in a blue dress. It was also the first time we actually were allowed to throw candy at the Bat Mitzvah girl (tradition holds you do this to wish them sweetness in their new adult life). Robbie was amazed.
And we were amazed by Robbie. He danced up a storm, knowing steps and showing a sense of rhythm his father seriously lacks. And boy, can he limbo! Also being impressive was Ariel’s pal and our frequent Shore Leave co-conspirator Danicah. Unlike the more formal receptions, the music was peppered with tunes I’m more used to hearing at Shore Leave’s Ten Forward dances. It was nice seeing people from all around Peter’s life, such as eldest daughter Shaina (whom I haven’t seen in an age) and his sister Beth; DelRey’s Steve Saffel, artist Robin Riggs and his bemused wife Elayne, and of course webmaster Glenn and his too-cool wife Brandy. Clearly, a fine time was had by all.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 01:20 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
October 07, 2004
Encyclopedia News
Reviews are starting to come in on the DC Comics Encyclopedia and for the most part, they are positive. Sure, omitted characters get listed and errors are pointed out, but people seem generally pleased with the effort.
More importantly, DK is thrilled with the first week sales. At this rate, they’ll be ordering a second printing and some of the most egregious errors can be corrected. This pleases me to no end. The publicity machine for the book is beginning to crank up which is nice.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 04:59 PM | Comments (12) | TrackBack
Customer Service redux
When last we left Verizon, a payment made in June had yet to be credited to Deb’s account.
Last week, I was informed that the fax I sent was received and passed on to a woman who handles this sort of thing. However, she claims never to have received it and closed the inquiry rather than ask its whereabouts. That was August. In my follow up, the nice guy from August, had his copy of the fax, and walked down a fresh copy to the woman that day. He called back to happily tell me the payment has been properly credited.
The following morning, Deb checked her account on line only to discover that yes, the payment was credited but the late fees had yet to be deducted. Another call to my new best friend Marc, and they were waived.
Yesterday, I get my on line bill for my own account. And suddenly I’m debited the exact amount that was the missing June payment. So, it’s back on the phone this morning to Verizon, and I speak with a new Mark. For the record, both couldn’t have been nicer or more polite, making certain they and I understood what was happening. This was almost model perfect customer service.
Today’s Mark studied my account and Deb’s side by side. Here’s what we discovered: the June payment, despite having only Deb’s account # on the check, was credited to my account. Now in July, I was altering my account -- spinning off Kate and adding Robbie --so when a lower than normal bill arrived that month, I thought it was all part of the changeover since a partial payment was being added to the August bill. Only now is it clear that I had been carrying an inaccurate credit.
Once Mark figured this out, I authorized a payment that now closes out the sad story. However, since I complained publicly about customer service at Verizon, I figured it’s only fair to share the happy ending.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 04:59 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 06, 2004
Wrapping the Season Part Two
Some thoughts wrapping up previously mentioned baseball topics…
First, the Final Frontiersmen, as expected, finished solidly in second place in the Federal League. Fortunately, I retain the core of the team for 2005’s campaign and can study what needs to be done to topple my opponent, who has now finished in first three years running.
In the Yahoo! League, I finished eighth, Robbie a bit lower. Yahoo! Is tougher in that you need to be familiar with 30 rosters and can make unlimited roster moves as well as change your line-up daily, forcing you to be a very active player to even think of being competitive. I dislike it in comparison with the traditional Rotisserie Baseball but give it my best shot.
Second, last night we had the next book discussion. This time we talked about W.P. Kinsella’s The Iowa Baseball Confederacy. I disliked the book when I initially read it and when I went looking for my copy to review before the discussion, noted its absence. I probably got rid of it some time back since I found it stuffed with too many wild things, most of which did not hang well together. Our group leader made me reconsider the position with some insightful comments and questions. The 16 of us were divided on our enjoyment of the book but made for a spirited discussion. And we got home in time to watch the Veep debate.
As the Mets close the door on the season, attention is already being paid to new GM Omar Minaya and the search for a new manager. If he truly has a free hand, it’ll be interesting to see who gets approached and lands an interview. Should Fred Wilpon and his seemingly clueless son Jeff still hold the reins, and then it’s going to be a long, cold winter, as the things that need doing don’t get done.
What needs doing? Picking a roster that works to Shea’s strengths and avoids its weaknesses. Addressing the rising average age of the roster, reviewing their training regimen to avoid the nagging injuries that sidelined seemingly half the team at one point or another. The rotation needs to get younger and more consistent. Keeping Scott Kazmir now seems to be the way things should have happened but he’s gone and we need to move forward. Piazza remains the other issue, an aging overpaid veteran who has not lived up to his rep for the last two if not three seasons. Either let him finish out his contract behind the plate or dump him for whatever you can get and start fresh. A lot depends on which players get non-tendered and are available as we move into December. More on this as things develop.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 04:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 02, 2004
Wrapping the Season Part One
This has been an unusual Mets season as a spectator. People from all walks of life have been offering me tickets throughout the season and in most cases, they were offered on such short notice, I could rarely take advantage of them. I was flattered that enough people knew I was a fan to think of me when they couldn’t use their own tickets and disappointed when I could avail myself of them.
With the season winding down, though, I took one person up on his offer. Former Federal League owner Mike Wach is currently head of sales at WFAN and insisted on giving me tickets whenever I wanted. Rather than take advantage of his generosity, I waited and finally asked for the final game of the season. He happily came through and we were treated to lovely field level seats behind the visiting dugout.
As we prepared for the fun, a week prior to the game, the phone rang. Our friends Pattie and Jerry Mucha had won the MSG Skybox at the Church’s silent auction and were inviting us to join their extended family…on October 1. So suddenly, we were seeing two of the last three games that the Montreal Expos would play. The Muchas had sisters, bothers, in-laws and parents stuff the room along with their daughter Allie, who is a college freshman. We were the final two and it was a festive time.
The room came with a pre-ordered set of food as part of the deal so we arrived to hot dogs, crudités, fruit, nuts, peanuts, Cracker Jack, beer, wine and soda. Around the fourth inning, a pizza arrived. By the seventh, a platter of cookies and brownies. By the eighth, a Carvel cake turned up. We were all the way out in right field but the view was lovely. In sky boxes there are three rows of five seats and I wound up with a first row seat so I could use the ledge as a desk for keeping score. Half the people weren’t Mets fans and wound up spending most of the game in the lounge area enjoying the food and the company. Pattie, Allie, Deb and I were among the diehards who barely missed a pitch. Things started off well when the Mets scored two in the first but fairly quickly, the Expos tied it. Between innings, the scoreboard had tons of Expos trivia to share as well as updates on the key games of the night. When I saw the clock pass 9, I called Kate and let the girls catch up.
And Mr. Met stopped by. It seems he visits all the suites and Pattie, Allie, and others were giddy with joy and posed for pictures and shared high fives. A lovely touch to an otherwise poor game.
We were pleased to see Todd Zeile start and bat clean up, since after all, he’s retiring. He’s such a pro, a steadying influence in the clubhouse and a guy who knows how to do his job without showboating. He got another hit and an RBI, pushing his totals up a bit. He’ll never be a Hall of Famer, but the game will be a bit poorer without him next year.
Most of the national sports headlines were devoted to Houston taking the Wild Card and how the first round playoffs will match up.
Unnoticed, even by most here in NY, was the closing curtain to the Montreal Expos franchise. They opened at Shea Stadium in 1969 and it was fitting they closed their career here, too. It was a day of endings as the Art Howe era unceremoniously closed, John Franco made an appearance that is certain to be his final pro game and, as expected, Todd Zeile retired.
It made for a marvelous day at the ballpark. The sun was shining and warm, reaching no more than 70. Our gift seats were terrific and it was a well-played, fun game. Prior to the start, there were some presentations made from the team to Zeile as well as video tribute. Zeile, by his choice, caught, ending his career as he started it. He was behind the plate for seven innings, calling a good game for Tom Glavine, who needed a win to finish the year on a psychological up note. At the plate, Zeile made the fans remember him. His third and final at bat for the game, and for his career, was a terrific three-run homer that earned him a curtain call. When his time at bat game in the eighth, he came out, waved his bat to the fans in appreciation and then was replaced with a pinch hitter. After all, how do you top that homer?
The top of the eighth also had the future give way to the past as Heath Bell, a pitcher the Mets are counting on next season, left after two outs, allowing Howe to bring in Franco. And he was thrilled to be there, to take the mound and warm up to “Johnny B Goode.” He gave up a hit, which proved to be the final hit the Expos would record as a team, and then got the next batter to pop straight up, allowing Zeile to put it away.
We enjoyed the game and the 8-1 score, immensely. There were promotional t-shirts given away as we entered. An odd cross promotion from the WB network with adult sizes promoting Smallville and kids sizes pushing the new Batman animated series. Each also sported the Mets logo so it was a team specific event. Hot dogs and drinks were $2 each so we let Robbie indulge. He’s hit another growth spurt and the body needed fuel. The tally for nine innings: four hot dogs, slice of pizza, peanuts, Cracker Jack, French fries and two soft drinks. Between the stadium and our car he bought a pretzel just in case. Amazing.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 06:29 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Why I Missed the Debate
After my long political blathering, I had hoped to actually watch the debate on Thursday night. Instead, I had to perform my civic duty.
I volunteer to serve on the Parking Authority, the body appointed by the town and charged by the state to operate the parking lots and maintain the buildings at Fairfield’s two train stations. In this regard, we act as landlords for the businesses operating there as well as set permit rates, and see to it maintenance is performed, etc.
Our coffee concession, Dunkin’ Donuts, recently changed owners right around the time our contractor discovered the entire coffee structure on the platform was deteriorating and needed to be gutted and rebuilt. The owner chose not to continue and DD supported the decision so we have been looking for a new concession.
Interestingly, we had nearly 20 different proposals. As a result, we scheduled Wednesday and Thursday evenings to hear presentations from the interested parties. Part of the presentation had to do with convincing us to rebuild on the platform or try and move the operation within the ticket office/waiting room. By the time we convened on Wednesday, our list had dropped to 14 and then dropped even further to 10, three Wednesday, the balance on Thursday.
So, on Thursday, when I wanted to be watching the debate with Deb and Robbie, I was instead listening to seven different people try and convince me they can do the job. A number of applicants were commuters who felt they knew exactly what the commuter wanted and wanted to stop being a commuter at all. Most, though, were local town businesses that saw this as a good way to expand.
After the final speaker left, we narrowed it down to four finalists and then went home and as I got in the car, both men were giving their summations. When I asked Robbie what he thought of the match-up he replied, “Bush wasn’t answering the questions.” That point was clear to all it seems.
My baseball talk on Tuesday is scheduled to end at 8:30 so I can be certain not to miss the Veep debate which should be equally entertaining.
Posted by Bob Greenberger at 06:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack