Weekend Report - Dinner with Bill - Baseball - Stuff

Monday==>Good afternoon to all of my loyal and faithful readers and followers. I hope that everyone had a great weekend out there in the boondocks, wastelands and hinterlands.

As you know, today being Monday, it is supposed to be your favorite Sunshine State blogger’s errands and chores day ... well ... as I am working on this posting it is raining and kinda nasty out so my chores requiring me to leave my cool and comfortable apartment are on hold.

So ... why don’t we just talk a bit about yesterday ...

As I posted yesterday, early on I had decided to give myself a walking day off and that is what I did even though I have to admit that I kept getting a bit antsy off and on during the day and later in the evening. I adhered to my decision and by the time to crash at the usual 2:00am my body was grateful.

Spent the afternoon in front of my 42” flat screen TV watching baseball. I did walk around the apartment just a bit, between half-innings etc.

The Yankees lost game 4 of their series with the Astros by a score of 3-1 due to lifeless bats and a major defensive miscue by Brett Gardner and Garrett Jones. We split the series 2-2.

Michael Pineda had an excellent outing and he deserved better than having to take the loss.

With the loss the Yankees dropped to 3rd place in the AL East.

Tonight at 10:05pm, out in LA, the Yankees will begin a 3-game series against the Angels.

On the mound for the Yankees (41-35) will be the still struggling CC Sabathia vs. C.J. Wilson (5-6) for the Angels (39-37)

Moving on ... 

The highlight for Sunday was having dinner with my son Bill III aka The Bill at Nelore Churrascaria, a Brazilian steakhouse in downtown Winter Park.

Neither one of us had eaten there before so it was an interesting experience. It is basically an “eat until you can’t eat anymore” format.

After going to the extensive salad bar, servers bring the following to your table: Top Sirloin, Garlic Beef, Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon, Chicken Leg, Leg of Lamb, Ribeye, Sausage and Bottom Sirloin (and maybe some more that I didn’t write down). You can get as much as you want as often as you want.

We stuffed ourselves and that is putting it mildly. Yes, it is a bit pricey but it is a very worthwhile experience.

So==>it was great being with you Bill

When I got back to the apartment I watched some more baseball and then the movie TED on FXX.

Wow, I had forgotten just how in-your-face profane this movie is. Of course it made me want even more to see the just released/opened TED 2.

OK, my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... the rain has stopped so it is time to head out to the Publix across the street for some restocking.

Oh ... and ... yes ... I did the usual walk and wander session this morning and it felt great.

In closing ... I expect that tomorrow’s posting will be delayed because I have a 2:30pm new-patient appointment with my urologist, Dr. Thomas Cangiano, whose office is in Altamonte Springs. Bill will go with me for this appointment.

GO YANKEES!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>1.79  miles (or, 3,920 steps)

Total mileage for the week==>32.01 miles (average 4.57 miles per day)

Total mileage for 2015==>738.36 miles (average 4.14 miles per day)

Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

A Walking Day Off - The Yankees - Dinner with The Bill

Sunday==>At 11:15am it is raining with very heavy wind, thunder and lightning, something that isn’t that unusual here in the Sunshine State, as depicted in the following ...

Yep ... a lot of truth in that.

I want to begin this posting by admitting to you loyal and faithful readers and followers that your favorite Sunshine State blogger has decided to give himself the day-off walking-wise. Yeah, when I woke up this morning at the usual time by body sent me a pretty strong message that it need some time-off ... so ... I skipped the usual 3-mile morning walk and wander session.

What are my plans for today? Well, actually they are pretty laid back. 

First, I will spend a goodly amount of time just reading the morning papers that I get from the Publix store just across the street from my apartment building ... The New York Times, The New York Post and the pitiful Orlando Sentinel. Will give you the reason(s) I used the word “pitiful” regarding the Sentinel in a later posting.

For the afternoon and early evening I will be in the cool and comfortable confines of my apartment, in front of my 42” flat screen TV, watching baseball. I do, however, expect to do my usual walking program between half-innings and pitching changes.

Then at 8:00pm I will have dinner with my son Bill III aka The Bill at Nelore Churrascaria, a Brazilian steakhouse in Winter Park.

Well, it is noon and the rain has stopped and the sun is out again ... and ... it is hot and muggy.

Moving on to the sports scene ... again ... for you Marty ...

Yesterday afternoon the Yankees beat the Astros, in Houston, 9-6, in the third game of the 4-game series, despite another terrible outing from Masahiro Tanaka, who blew a 6-run lead. We won on a 2-run clutch double by Mark Teixeira in the 8th inning, before a sellout crowd of 41,133.

This afternoon at 2:10pm will be the final game of the series. 

On the mound for the Yankees (41-34) will be Michael Pineda (8-4) coming off his worst outing of the season vs. Collin McHugh (8-3) for the Astros (43-34)

So ... my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... it is chill-out time here in Winter Park ... meaning ...

Oh ... tomorrow will be my 1-month anniversary here in apartment A216 at Paseo at Winter Park Village. My, how time flies when you are having fun ... so ...

HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

GO YANKEES!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.40  miles (or, 9,624 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>736.57 miles (average 4.14 miles per day)

Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Shock and Awe - DINNER WITH FRIENDS - The Yankees - Plans

Saturday==>I have to admit that I am still in shock and awe over the 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court that the Constitution guarantees the right to same-sex marriage.

It was a long time coming but now it is here and the timing of the decision, in Pride Month, couldn’t have been more appropriate and/or welcome.

Of course, I expected the negative reactions from the conservative right and from some church groups. 

What was surprising to me, however, has the depth of the snarkiness in the dissent written by Justice Antonin Scalia and the personal venom directed toward his fellow Justices. It went beyond being “unprofessional” and bordered on neuroticism, IMHO.

This guy is a disgrace to the judicial community.

OK ... enough on the negative ... I gotta say that the past 10-days have been extraordinary for Obama and his presidential legacy ... ‘bout time.

Anyway ... let’s move on to what’s going on in the life of your favorite Sunshine State blogger ... beginning with ...

Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s show ...

DINNER WITH FRIENDS, about a married couple that gets sucked into the vortex of their close friends' impending divorce and the difficulty of moving on==>B+.

The 4-person cast, Brian Brightman, Ame Livingston, Becky Eck, and Cameron Francis, is stellar.

Brightman does an outstanding job in the role of Gabe as he tries to understand his friend Tom, his own marriage and life itself.

My only quibble with this Pulitzer Prize winning play, and the same that I had when I saw it in NYC back in 2014, is that when the show is over we are left with little understanding of who the characters really are, which, I am sure, is what the playwright, Donald Margulies, intended.

Having said that ... the show is still very much worth seeing.

It is playing at the Mad Cow Theatre on West Church Street in downtown Orlando, has a running time of 2:00, including intermission, and runs through July 18th.

As planned, I took public transportation to and from downtown Orlando.

On the trip down I opted to ride the bus from the stop right next to my apartment building to the Lynx Central Station. The distance from this station to Church Street is about a mile. I could have taken a shuttle bus but instead I decided to do a leisurely walk and wander session down.

Was able to walk the entire distance in about 90% shade and that was good. There was a good breeze and no rain. Had time for a sandwich and a diet coke before my show started.

Now ... my plan for the return trip to Winter Park was to take the SunRail, the last train, at 10:28pm. The theater is located just steps away from the station and that was good.

What was also good was my decision to buy my return ticket ($1.00) before going into the theatre ... because ... the show ran just a bit longer than the 2:00, with intermission, posted time. Yeah, I  made it to the packed platform just minutes before the on time arrive of the train. Whew!!

Anyway ... when we got to the Winter Park station I opted to walk back to the apartment rather than wait for a bus.

It was 11:00pm when I opened the door to the apartment and I have to admit to being a bit tired because ... with my early morning walking, the walking and wandering before my show and the walk from the train station ... I had recorded 6+ miles on my pedometer. Not bad!

Now ... moving on to the sports scene ... for you Marty ... 

Last night in Houston the Yankees beat the Astros 3-2 on an excellent outing from Nathan Eovaldi and a 3-run HR from Chris Young in the 7th inning. Interestingly, both Eovaldi and Young grew up in Texas.

Unfortunately, your favorite blogger didn’t get to watch any of the game.

This afternoon at 4:10pm is game 3 of the 4-game series.

On the mound for the Yankees (40-34) will Masahiro Tanaka (4-3), who got knocked around by the Tigers in his last start vs. Brett Oberholtzer (2-1) for the Astros (43-33).

Your favorite blogger will, of course, stay in the cool and comfortable confines of his apartment to watch the game.

Plans for the evening are in flux at the moment. It will be either more baseball or TED 2 ... so ... stay tuned.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

GO YANKEES!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>6.04  miles (or, 13,207 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>732.17 miles (average 4.14 miles per day)

Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Marriage Equality - DINNER WITH FRIENDS - The Yankees

Breaking News==>The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry anywhere in the United States.

While gay and lesbian couples can already marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia, the court’s ruling means that the remaining 14 states, mostly in the south and midwest, will have to stop enforcing their bans on same-sex marriage.

The final paragraph of the majority decision, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, pretty much says it all --

*****************

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.

The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed.

It is so ordered.”

******************

Wow!! Now that is powerful.

As might be expected, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote a puke-inducing dissent. I won’t waste my time, or your time, to comment on it.

Also ... as might be expected ... the Republican reaction to the decision was instant and heated. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said the ruling “tramples on states’ rights” and will “pave way for an all-out assault against the religious freedoms of Christians.” Rick Santorum tweeted that five “unelected judges redefined the foundational unit of society.” Mike Huckabee: “I will not acquiesce to an imperial court any more than our Founders acquiesced to an imperial British monarch.”

Oh, the drama ... 

Bottom line ... it was a long time coming ... but it has now arrived and I am soooooooooo happy for our community ... now ... let's just move on.

Speaking of moving on ... 

Billi Pod’s entertainment event for tonight is ...

8:00==>DINNER WITH FRIENDS - “Ever since Karen and Gabe played matchmaker with their friends Beth and Tom, the two couples have been inseparable - going to the Vineyard every summer, raising their kids and enjoying countless dinners together. But when one marriage unexpectedly crumbles, the couples' lives begin to veer in opposite directions. Can these four friends move on to the next chapter without moving apart... or have they changed beyond recognition?”

I saw a production of this Pulitzer Prize winning show in NYC back on June 29, 2014, and gave it an A-.

This show is playing at the Mad Cow Theatre on West Church Street in downtown Orlando, has a running time of 2:00, including intermission, and runs through July 18th. 

As I did on Wednesday, I will head downtown via bus and SunRail. Hopefully the weather will permit some more walking and wandering in the downtown area.

Now ... on the sports scene ... for you Marty ...

Last night the Yankees lost 4-0 to the Astros, in Houston, as Dallas Keuchel pitched a complete game, giving up only 6 hits and striking out 12. A-Rod struck out 3 times.

Tonight at 8:10pm is the second game of the 4-game series.

On the mound for the Yankees (39-34) will be Nathan Eovaldi (6-2) vs. Vince Velasquez (0-0) for the Astros (43-32)

In closing ... I am really looking forward to seeing the just released movie, TED 2, about a potty-mouthed teddy bear that's been magically brought to life, who wages a legal battle to prove his humanity. This sequel features Mark Wahlberg and the voice of Seth MacFarlane.

It is playing at the theater in Winter Park Village and I know it is going to draw huge crowds.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

GO YANKEES!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>3.44  miles (or, 7,522 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>726.13 miles (average 4.13 miles per day)

Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

Wednesday Was Different/Interesting - Walking and Wandering - I LOVE LUCY LIVE ON STAGE - Baseball

Thursday==>Well, your favorite Sunshine State blogger is happy to report to Billi Pod’s loyal and faithful readers and followers that Wednesday was certainly a very interesting and different day ... and he wants to share the details, so ... let’s get started ...

The day got started with an excellent early morning walk and wander session in my Winter Park Village ‘hood. I clocked in just a bit over 3 miles and that was the beginning of one of the best walking stats day in quite a while. Yep ... when midnight arrived Billi Pod had recorded 7.03 miles on his trusty WeightWatchers Pedometer. Not bad!!

Spent the afternoon in front of my 42” flat screen TV watching the final game of the Yankee/Phillies series. During the game I did the usual walking around the apartment regimen between half innings and during pitching changes. Over the course of a 9-inning game the steps add up.

The Yankees (39-33) won 10-2 on an excellent outing from Ivan Nova, who was pitching his first major league game since coming off of Tommy John surgery that kept him on the DL for 14 months. The win kept us from being swept by the lowly Phillies (26-48).

As I reported yesterday, my entertainment event for the evening was a show at the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown Orlando. I had planned to take public transportation, bus and SunRail. The public transportation planning and then execution was an integral part of the day.

As the time to head-out approached it began to get very nasty looking out and rain was in the forecast ... so ... I left the apartment a bit early ... took a bus to the train station in downtown Winter Park and then caught the 6:06pm SunRail, which, in 20 minutes, delivered me to within a couple of blocks of my ultimate downtown destination.

Was able to do some excellent walking and wandering and then came a typical Florida downpour that lasted for about 30 minutes. I waited it out in a sandwich shop.

Then, it was time for my show at the Walt Disney Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts ...

I LOVE LUCY LIVE ON STAGE - “It’s 1952 and you are a member of the Desilu Playhouse studio audience awaiting the filming of two hilarious and oh-so-familiar I Love Lucy episodes. A charming host entertains and enlightens you to the behind-the-scenes filming process of this brand new thing called “television,” the Crystaltone Singers perform advertising jingles in perfect 50s style harmony and the sidesplitting antics of America’s favorite foursome – Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel – are presented live on stage and in color for the very first time!”

Billi Pod’s report card==>B

I really wanted to like this equity-approved national touring company production a lot more and my expectations going in were pretty high, maybe too high.

The acting is mostly excellent, especially Euriamis Losada as Desi Arnez and Mark Christopher Jasperas as the TV host.

For whatever reason, Thea Brooks as Lucy just didn’t click for me. I got the feeling that she was trying to turn Lucy into a bit of a caricature.

There is basically no storyline, just the re-enactment of two episodes, and, it gets a bit old and that is what disappointed me most about the show.

The show is done without intermission, running 1:40, and by the time that it was over the people around me were getting a bit antsy, me included.

Yes, there are funny times and a lot of nostalgia. I liked the presentations of commercials/sponsors during scene changes.

Am I glad I saw it? Yeah, I think so ... mostly I think because it was my first event at the Walt Disney Theater, which is huge ... 2,700+ seats. My $83.00 seat was in the rear of the center orchestra section, row T ... actually ... kinda far back.

The house appeared to be about 80% full.

The show runs through June 28th.

It was over around 10:00pm and I had plenty of time to walk the couple of blocks to the train station to catch the 10:28pm SunRail, the last train of the evening. The SunRail roundtrip ticket, with senior discount, was $1.75.

It was 10:45pm when we arrived at the Winter Park Station and it had begun to lightly rain.

Now you favorite blogger was faced with decision time. I knew that my bus didn’t leave the Lynx downtown station until 10:45pm and would take about 20+ minutes to arrive at the bus stop at the train station. Do I wait for it, or do I walk back to the apartment, a distance of about .7 miles, in the rain? I had an umbrella in my backpack, of course.

Well, as I think most of you loyal and faithful readers and followers suspect ... Billi Pod opted to walk back. It wasn’t that bad ... but ... frankly it felt a bit eerie that I was the only person on the street(s). Very few cars, too.

When I got back to the apartment I was able to watch the final innings of the Vanderbilt/Virginia College World Series final game, won by Virginia 3-0. Oh well ...

I have to admit that when the usual 2:00am crash time arrived I was a bit tired. Yeah, it had been another interesting day/evening for Billi Pod in his new environment. 

Important item==>I feel more and more comfortable with the public transportation system.

Moving on ...

Well, today got started with another good early morning walking and wandering session.

It is a bit cloudy and not quite as hot as yesterday.

At the moment my plans for this evening are to stay in the cool and comfortable confines of my apartment to watch ... tada ...

8:00==>YANKEES vs. ASTROS from Texas.

On the mound for the Yankees (39-33) will be Adam Warren (5-4) vs. Dallas Keuchel (8-3) for Houston (42-32)

OK, everyone out there in the morass known as cyberspace ... time to post this, pay the first-of-the-month bills and then watch some afternoon baseball.

GO YANKEES!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>7.03  miles (or, 15,377 steps)

Total mileage for 2015==>722.67 miles (average 4.13 miles per day)

Billi Pod

“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”