The Wankies Sucked!!

It is an overcast and rather gloomy Monday here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

And that was the atmosphere yesterday inside Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built. Oh, the weather outside the stadium was perfectly awesome, what was happening inside was a totally different thing.

Yes, it was Doom and Gloom==>the Wankies Sucked!!

The Wankies bats were totally dead as they have been for most of the post season. The frustration of their loyal and faithful fan-base began in erupt in the middle innings as almost every batter was given a loud round of boos as he trudged back to the dugout with his head down after striking out for the umpteenth time.

A-Rod was back in the lineup but he did nothing. 

Folks, this is the post season, not spring training, so how do you explain the following stats ...

Robinson Cano - 2 for 23 (.087)

Curtis Granderson - 3 for 28 (.107)

Nick Swisher - 4 for 26 (.154)

I have seen a lot of games since 1998 and I can’t remember a game where there was such negative vibes as the fans were leaving the stadium.

The Wankies are in a shit-load of trouble, make no mistake about it. They have the day off and then on Tuesday is the first of 3-games in Detroit. On Tuesday they will be facing perhaps the best pitcher in the League, Justin Verlander, and then on Wednesday another excellent pitcher, Max Scherzer.

Oh, well ... I STILL HATE TIGERS!!!

Trudging on ... 

Today, being a Monday, will be my usual errands and stuff day, including, hopefully a walk and wander session in the afternoon.

Tonight’s entertainment event is ...

8:00==>ROCKERS ON BROADWAY: BEHIND THE MUSIC - “A benefit concert honoring songwriters who have written chart topping hits as well as musicals for theatre or film.” 

I am seeing this with my theater buddy Dian Crystal aka My Lady. Hopefully we will be able to connect either before or after the show for a bite.

Moving on some more ...

Something very positive==>The Florida Gators are now ranked #3 in the AP poll and #2 in the just released BCS poll.

Yes, I know that polls mean absolutely nothing this early in the season but it is a pleasant surprise for Coach Muskrat and his team. 

As you know, this Saturday @ 3:30pm the Gators will play the South Carolina Limpcocks in The Swamp, carried on CBS.

The current line has the Gators favored by 3-points.

OK, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, Billi Pod has stuff that needs to be done, so ... 

Oh, I wore the hearing aid thingys for 6 hours yesterday but not out at the stadium. I think I am making good progress. Today will be 7 hours and will include the concert.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.69 miles (or, 10,261 steps)

Mileage for week==>40.57 miles (avg. 5.80 miles per day)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>561.89

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>517.11

GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!

Billi Pod

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

Saturday==>2 PLUSES, I MINUS

Good morning to all of my loyal and faithful readers and followers out there in the hinterlands, wastelands and boondocks. I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Yesterday was a sorta mixed results day for Billi Pod, so let’s get this blog started with my chronological reports on ...

TEN CHIMNEYS, the period comedy about the relationship of the theatrical power couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, at their legendary Wisconsin estate==>B+

I found the show to be very well acted, informative and thought-provoking. My only quibble is that there is way too much yelling and screaming between the supposedly sophisticated characters.

Having said that ... I think the show is definitely worth seeing. It is playing at the Theatre at St. Clement’s and runs through October 27th. 

As I posted yesterday, I wore my new hearing aid thingys to the show for their first real test but ... it didn’t work out because my seat was in the middle of the first row. Oh well ...

After the show I did a little walk and wandering in my Hell’s Kitchen ‘hood and then came back to the apartment and settled into a couch-potato modality for my two sporting events, starting with ...

FLORIDA vs. VANDERBILT==>The Gators win 31-17 over Vanderbilt as QB Jeff Driskel has a Timmy Tebow-like day, rushing for 177 yards and scoring 3 TDs. Actually the game was much closer than the final score indicates as Vanderbilt played an excellent game.

Coach Muskrat has now brought the Gators to a 6-0 record setting up a crucial game next Saturday against Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Limpcocks in The Swamp.

And this now leads to the final sporting event ... 

YANKEES/TIGERS @ Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built==>The Yankees are down 0-4 going into the bottom of the 9th. Ichiro hits a 2-run homer, then, gasp, Ibanez hits a 2-run homer to tie it at 4-4. The stadium goes wild. Totally unbelievable.

Sadly, we then lose 6-4 in the 12th. OMFG!!==>Derek Jeter breaks his ankle in the 12th and is out for the rest of the post season. TOTAL BUMMER!!

This was such a frustrating game to watch as the Wankies had the bases loaded in the 1st, 2nd, and 6th innings and failed, yet again, to get a crucial hit to score runs.

A-Rod, Swisher and Granderson remain ineffective. This is absolutely maddening, it really is ...

Anyway ...

This afternoon at 4:00pm is game #2, with Hiroki Kuroda on the mound for the Yankees vs. Anibal Sanchez for the Tigers. Kuroda is pitching on three days rest for the first time in his career.

I will be there, with my fingers crossed.

Oh==>I HATE TIGERS!!

I HOPE THE REST OF YOUR WEEKEND IS AWESOME!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.07 miles (or, 11,089 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>557.20

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>521.80

GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!

Billi Pod

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

The Yankees Win==>OH YES!!

It is a beautiful but cold morning up here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World. It was 37º at 8:30am.

It was cold and windy late yesterday afternoon out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, as Yankee fans filled the stadium for the showdown game against those pesky Baltimore Orioles.

I was really stunned about my seat mates for the game. What am I talking about you are no doubt asking your inner selves? Well, selves, it went like this ...

Seated to my immediate left was a very nice 50s couple. The only problem==>they were Orioles fans. Gasp!

Then just before the first pitch in came 4 early 30s guys for the four empty seats to my immediate right, and ... gasp ... they were also Orioles fans. WTF was going on? I knew that during the regular season those seats were always filled by partial-season ticket holders like moi. WTF? 

After talking to both groups I was further surprised to learn that they had purchased their tickets directly from the Yankees website, not through StubHub or any other secondary dealer. WTF? I guess the season ticket holders had opted not to purchase the very expensive post season ticket packages, which required full payment well in advance of knowing even if we would be in the post season.

The nice thing==>they were really nice people, on either side, and we had good interactions during the entire game. 

Now about the game ...

As you loyal and faithful readers and followers know, it was was a true nail biter from the first pitch to the final out.

Our ace, CC Sabathia, was sensational, pitching a complete game, giving up only 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 9. We won 3-1.

Manager Joe Girardi made a tough call by benching the ineffective A-Rod for the entire game. Yes, A-Rod was a $114M benchwarmer.

Everyone in the stadium was standing from the 5th inning on. When the final out was made there was a collective sigh of relief followed by much screaming, yelling and fist-pumping.

Even though they lost, The Orioles had a remarkable season lead by their manager Buck Showalter. 

With the win we advance to the 7-game American League Championship Series (ALCS) against Detroit, beginning tonight @ 8:00 @ the stadium. We have home-field advantage. I have tickets for Sunday’s game and game #7 if it goes that far.

It was almost 10:00pm when I opened the door to PHC. I was excited, tired, hungry and emotionally drained.

Watched the rest of the WASHINGTON/ST. LOUIS game and was majorly disappointed that the Nationals blew a 6-run lead to end up losing 9-7.

OK ... let’s move on ...

Today’s entertainment schedule will be ...

2:00==>TEN CHIMNEY’S - “A period comedy that peers inside the relationship of the peerless theatrical power couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne at their legendary Wisconsin estate.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This show is playing at a theater in my immediate ‘hood. It has gotten pretty good reviews.

I plan to wear my new hearing aid thingys to the theater for their first major test. Wore the thingys 4 hours yesterday, but didn’t wear them out to the stadium. It will be 5 hours today.

When the show is over I will come back to the apartment and immediately go into a couch-potato modality to watch ...

6:00==>FLORIDA/VANDERBILT @ Nashville, TN, carried locally on ESPNU.

The Gators go for their 6th win of the season. I hope they aren’t looking past this game toward next Saturday’s Gamecocks game because we have had trouble with Vanderbilt in the past at their stadium. 

The #4 ranked Gators are only 7-point favorites over the unranked Commodores. Go figure.

Then it will be ...

8:00==>YANKEES/DETROIT @ Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, in game one of the American League Championship Series (ALCS), carried on TBS.

On the mound for The Bronx Bombers will be Andy Pettitte  vs. Doug Fister for The Tigers.

No word yet on whether A-Rod will be back in the lineup.

The Tigers have an excellent team, lead by Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, ace pitcher Justin Verlander and deadly hitter Prince Fielder.

Billi Pod predicts==>it will go for the full 7 games, with the Yankees winning in the bottom of the 9th in game 7 at the stadium.

Remember where you saw it first.

Oh, BTW, in case you didn't know it==>BILLI POD HATES TIGERS!!

Moving on some more ...

Had an excellent walk and wander session yesterday. It was cold and nasty but I avoided all of that by relying on my now predetermined routes inside The Port Authority Bus Terminal and then over to Grand Central Station via subway and back. It clocks in at a little over 3 miles.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>7.06 miles (or, 15,435 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>552.13

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>526.87

GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!

Billi Pod

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

I Can Hear You Now

Good Friday morning all of my loyal and faithful readers and followers.

Well, I am happy to report that the session yesterday afternoon with my hearing Doc, Rose DuLude, went well. She very patiently explained to me all of the do’s and don’t’s about my new state-of-the-art in-the-ear-canal hearing devices.

I had done some online research and knew that you just can’t stick the thingys in your ears and immediately be at 100%. A good part of the process involves basically reprogramming your brain and that takes time and “patience.”

Patience??? Damn, Billi Pod barely knows how to spell that word, much less embrace it. Patience??? Oh, well ...

Dr. DuLude strongly recommended that I start off wearing them for only 3 hrs a day and then increase the time by an additional hour each day until our next session, which is on October 23rd. I agreed, of course. She also set the volume at 90% and will increase it if necessary at the next session.

The thingys are very very small and getting them properly placed in the ear canal can be kinda tricky. Once they are in they are totally invisible.

I already knew that once they were in my ears that I would begin hearing strange sounds and frequencies and that happened. It is my understanding that in a relatively short period of time things will begin to sound “normal” again.

When I left her office, located on E. 68th Street between lst and 2nd Avenues, I immediately became aware of noises and sounds that I had never heard before. I knew that I didn’t want my first experience in this new adventure to on the subway, so I opted to walk back to the apartment, through Central Park etc etc. That was interesting, to say the least.

There is no doubt that my hearing is already greatly improved with the thingys and that I made the right decision(s). I kept them in until 7:30pm, the beginning of the YANKEES/ORIOLES game, which I watched on TV.

Today I will wear them for 4 hours but will take them out when I head out to Yankee Stadium for the 5:00pm game.

So there you have it my loyal and faithful readers and followers. I will keep you advised as this new adventure develops and progresses.

Moving on ...

Or perhaps, moving backwards is the better expression because last night the Yankee hitters had a dismal night, losing 2-1 to the Orioles in 13 innings. We failed on numerous opportunities to put those pesky Orioles away.

Yes, A-Rod and Curtis Granderson in particular were both woefully inadequate. Our pitching staff deserved better treatment from the bland batters who looked like they couldn’t play T-Ball, much less in a crucial major league post-season game.

Bottom line==>now the post-season rests on the shoulders of our ace CC Sabathia (15-6) @ 5:00pm today. He will be facing Jason Hammel (8-6) for the Birds.

If the Yankees win they will advance to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) against The Detroit Tigers on Saturday @ 8:00pm at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built.

Billi Pod will be at the stadium today, hoping and praying for a victory from his Bronx Bombers.

OK ... will post this, put in the hearing thingys and then do some walking and wandering in The Port Authority Bus Terminal and then over to Grand Central.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE.

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>5.13 miles (or, 11,224 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/12==>545.07

Mileage remaining until 4/23/13==>533.93

GO YANKEES AND GO GATORS!!

Billi Pod

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