The Wankies Sucked Yet Again

Wednesday==>Let’s get to “it” my loyal and faithful readers and followers, the “it” being the final game of your favorite blogger's partial season ticket package out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built. Actually the “it” rhymes with a four letter word that starts with an “s.”

Yes, before a crowd of 43,407 the Wankies inexorable march toward elimination from the wild-card race inched closer to its inevitable conclusion, in a fashion that has typified this maddening season.

The Wankies fell behind by 3 runs before they even came to bat and then were unable to capitalize on a parade of base runners, once again highlighting their season-long offensive ineptitude.

The final score of 7-0 doesn’t truly reflect how “out-of-it” the team was and the frustration was palatable in the stands from the first pitch to the last anemic out.

Yes, I stayed until the bitter end. Why? I really don’t know ... I should have left at the end of the 7th inning but I didn’t.

This was my 14th game of the 2013 season and the Wankies record for those games was 8 wins and 6 losses.

Will I renew for next year? Frankly, at this point I am not sure ... time will tell.

The only positive thing about the whole evening was a chance meeting with a really nice family from Tampa as I was waiting for the A train at the Port Authority subway station. I spotted them because they had Rays gear. We struck up a conversation and they followed me out to and then into the stadium.

They are the Byrds - grandma, father, mother and two sons - and this was their first visit to the stadium. It was really nice being their tour guide.

Tonight @ 7:05pm will be game 2 of the 3-game series. On the mound for The Wankies will be Phil Hughes (4-14), probably making his last start as a Wankie vs. David Price (8-8) for The Rays.

Moving on ... thankfully ...

Tonight’s entertainment event is an Off Broadway show ...

8:00==>COWBOYS DON’T SING - “A lone cowboy rides into a singing town on his trusty steed. He meets danger, romance, Western archetypes, and way too many musical numbers. Will he abandon his cowboy ways and sing, too?” (Off Broadway - $9.00 TDF ticket)

This show is part of the NYC Fringe Festival Encore Series, is playing down in The Village at The Players Theatre on MacDougal Street, has a running time of 90 minutes, without intermission, and has one remaining performance, Thursday @ 9:00pm.

It is a very nice afternoon here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World, with azure blue skies, a light breeze and a temperature of 69º @ 1:00pm. Yes ... I definitely need some extended walk and wander time ... so ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>2.71 miles (or, 5,923 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>302.91 miles (average 3.52 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!! 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.”

Monday Was A Blah Day

Tuesday==>Well, your favorite blogger has to admit to his loyal and faithful readers and followers that yesterday was pretty much a blah day here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

For whatever reason the usual errands and chores things and stuff took longer than usual and, dammit, I still have things and stuff to do today.

Then ... the entertainment event for the evening, the staged reading of ...

THE DIAMOND DIARIES, a comedy starring Joyce Van Patten about a diamond the size of a chicken egg that was smuggled from Africa==>only mildly entertaining. As you know, Billi Pod does not usually assign letter grades to readings.

IMHO it needs a lot of work if it is to have a life beyond the developmental stage. 

Moving on ...

Tonight’s entertainment event (hopefully it will be entertaining) is ...

7:05pm==>YANKEES/TAMPA BAY @ Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, for the first game of a 3-game series.

This will be the final game of my 12-game season ticket package and my 14th game of the season. At the end of the season last year I had seen 40 games.

On the mound for the Yankees will be Hiroki Kuroda (11-12), who is obviously running on fumes vs. Matt Moore (15-4) for The Rays.

The Yankees are all but finished for 2013 and thanks to a left hamstring injury last Friday, CC Sabathia’s season is over. Man, this is fucking unbelievable!!

Yes, we are technically still in the race for the final wild-card spot ... but ... get real ... it ain’t gonna happen.

On this happy note will end this blah posting about a blah day and finish up my errands and chores ... blah ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>1.47 miles (or, 3,224 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>300.20 miles (average 3.53 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!! 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.”

Back-To-Work Monday

Monday==>Well, it is a beautiful early Fall morning on this Back-To-Work Monday here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World ... azure blue skies with a temperature of 60º at 11:00am.

Yes, your favorite blogger understands that for all of his Worker Bee friends today is the beginning of yet another week of drudgery, boredom and angst ... but ... remember ... Worker Bees are Worker Bees and this is your fate. It has been so for the past and will be so for the future, into eternity ... so ... just live with it ... you ain’t got no choice ... jus sayin.

Now, on a more pleasant note ...

Yesterday, I had a nice early dinner with my theater-buddies Dian Crystal aka My Lady and Marty Kosarik aka Whatever at our favorite Ethiopian restaurant, Meske, on West 47th Street in my Hell’s Kitchen ‘hood.

I hadn’t been with them since our surprise birthday party for Marty back on September 10th, so we had a lot of catching up to do.

We had our usual fare, the vegetarian platter. It was awesome, as usual

My Lady and Whatever had just seen the matinee performance of the Off Broadway show LADY DAY - “Dee Dee Bridgewater brings the essence and spirit of the late, great Billie Holiday to the stage” - the show I had scheduled for the evening. They had been less than impressed.

Well, my loyal and faithful readers and followers ... Billi Pod’s report card is==>C+. 

The show needs some serious trimming of its 2:00, with intermission, running time. While the songs, as performed by Bridgewater, are good, the recurring theme of ... please feel sorry for me even though I am a thief, a drunk and a drug-addict ... gets old after awhile.

Act II, which is basically Billie, drunk, on stage at a London concert, is much better than Act I, which is Billie in rehearsal and in denial.

So ... Billi Pod says==>you are sorta warned.

Moving on ...

Tonight’s entertainment event is a staged reading ...

7:00==>THE DIAMOND DIARIES - “A comedy starring Joyce Van Patten about a diamond the size of a chicken egg that was smuggled from Africa. It has gone missing and no one knows who has it or where it is hidden.” (reading - complimentary ticket)

This is being performed at the Theater Row Complex on my block.

Now, on to some sports ...

Yesterday afternoon, out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, there was a very emotional and dramatic pre-game Farewell Ceremony honoring the retiring Mariano Rivera.

Present, among others, were former teammates, Jackie Robinson’s family (Mo wears #42) and the rock band Metallica, who played “Enter Sandman” as Mo left the bullpen area and walked to the ceremony.

Mo, the son of a Panamanian fisherman, made his big league debut in 1995. He spoke for more than six minutes on a beautiful autumn afternoon. He finished his speech apparently eager to shift the spotlight off himself and back to his team by saying==>"Let's play ball."

And the game began ... 

Andy Pettitte, who is also retiring at the end of the season, pitched an excellent game, giving up only 2 runs on 2 hits in 7 innings. Unfortunately for Andy, once again The Wankie bats were not to be found and The Giants won 2-1.

With this loss The Wankies are virtually out of the wild-card race. Yes ... technically they still have a chance but it would take a set of circumstances almost apocalyptic in nature for it to come about. Jus sayin ...

The Wankies have the day off and then will have 3 home games against Tampa Bay and 3 away games @ Houston.

Oh well ... on this happy note it is time to post this and then begin work on my weekly errands and chores list.

Dammit ... last week was the worst walking week since I began recording on my WeightWatchers Pedometer back on July 1, 2012. My bad ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>1.61 miles (or, 3,526 steps)

Total mileage for the week==>14.58 miles (average 2.08 miles per day)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>298.73 miles (average 3.56 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!! 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.”

Billi Pod Makes His Off Broadway Debut

Sunday==>OMFG!! What a day Saturday was for your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

First, the Yankees won. 

Then, The Gators beat Tennessee.

And, then ... take a deep breath out there in the hinterlands, wastelands and boondocks ... Billi Pod made his New York City Off Broadway debut on stage with the improv group THE PROVERBIAL LOONS.

Yes, that’s correct his Off Broadway debut ... so let’s get right to the amazing details ...

As I posted yesterday, my entertainment event was ... 

THE PROVERBIAL LOONS - “This veteran musical improv team comes together to create an on-the-spot musical inspired by the lives of two audience volunteers. The show is hilarious and full of surprises.”

When the show starts the director/performer David Nackman asks for a show of hands for volunteers. I would estimate that about 15 people raised their hands. He picked me and a lady named Margo.

We came on stage and were seated with the 6 performers. We where handed mikes and then asked questions ... like ... where we were born ... what we did for a living ... why were we in NYC ... in my case, what was the silliest case I had ever heard (I made something up) ... what languages we spoke ... what language would we like to learn (I said Spanish) ... etc ... etc ...

Margo, in her late 60s, is a retired teacher from Fall River (and it is Fall, not Falls), Massachusetts, which is the home of the infamous Lizzie Borden, who was tried and acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892. Margo said she was tired of all of the publicity about Lizzie Borden.

When the crew had obtained enough information about us, we returned to our seats and the show began ... and ... folks ... it was totally amazing what they did with the info they had just received.

They performed a musical (with dance numbers) about a Judge who left Florida because he hated hearing stupid cases involving FSU dropouts and fled to NYC so he could become a Puerto Rican. Margo was in New York to promote the retrial of Lizzie Borden so Margo could become the most famous person from Fall River, MA.

Of course my character, played by David Nackman (that’s him in the picture with me), with a heavy southern accent, presided over the retrial, that resulted in a settlement, of sorts

The whole piece was about 45 minutes long and when it was over the troupe received a roaring standing ovation.

I wish I had taken notes of the songs but I didn’t because I was just mesmerized by what was happening on stage.

After I had a meet-and-greet session with the cast after the show I left The Castillo Theatre with a huge smile on my face.

And, of course, the report card for the show is==>A+ 

The total running time for the show is 75 minutes, without intermission, and the remaining dates are October 5, 12 and November 2.

Now ... for the other good things about yesterday ...

The Yankees got a stellar performance from Ivan Nova out at Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, as he pitched a complete game shutout. The Yankees won 6-0 over The Giants to remain in the wild-card race.

This afternoon @ 1:05pm is the final game of the 3-game series. On the mound for The Yankees will be Andy Pettitte (11-11) who is retiring at the end of this season vs. Yusmeiro Petit (4-0) for The Giants.

There will be a ceremony honoring the retirement of our closer Mariano Rivera. I am sure it will be very emotional.

The final “good” thing for the day was ...

The Gators 31-17 win over Tennessee in The Swamp. 

In this case I have to say ... a win is a win ... because The Gators played some really sloppy ball and we lost our starting QB, Jeff Driskel, for the rest of the season due to a right ankle injury.

Fortunately, his replacement Tyler Murphy did an acceptable job.

The Gator Nation and coach Muskrat have every right to be concerned about the rest of the season.

Well ... with all of this information I hope that you loyal and faithful readers and followers will agree that yesterday was quite a day for your favorite blogger.

Today I will, of course, stay in to watch the final Yankee/Giants game and then for the evening is ...

7:00==>LADY DAY - “Multiple award-winner Dee Dee Bridgewater brings the essence and spirit of the late, great Billie Holiday to the stage. Told through onstage triumphs and backstage personal trials, the production features over twenty-five standards.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This musical is still in previews, is playing at The Little Shubert Theatre on West 42nd Street, right next door to my apartment building, has a running time of 2:00, with intermission, and runs through March 16, 2014.

HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>1.03 miles (or, 2,265 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>297.12 miles (average 3.58 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!! 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.”

GO GATORS! BEAT THOSE VOLS!!

Saturday==>This is going to be a very dramatic sports afternoon for your favorite blogger here in The Big Apple, The Greatest City In The World.

First ... 1:05pm==>YANKEES/SAN FRANCISCO @ Yankee Stadium, The House That Greed And Ego Built, the second game of the 3-game series and carried on YES.

On the mound for The Yankees will be Ivan Nova (8-5) vs Ryan Vogelsong (3-5) for The Giants.

Last night the Yankees won 5-1 on a dramatic grand slam from Alex Rodriguez in the 7th inning.

We still remain alive in the wild-card hunt.

Then ... 

3:30pm==>GATORS/TENNESSEE @ The Swamp, carried on CBS.

The Gators are 16 1/2 point favorites over The Vols, who we have basically owned for the past 8 years. Last year we really kicked their butts up in Knoxville, winning 37-20.

Hopefully Coach Muskrat and The Gators will rebound from their disappointing 21-16 loss to The ‘Canes.

Then, after all of that sports in front of the tube ... for the evening will be something just a bit different ...

8:00==>THE PROVERBIAL LOONS - “This veteran musical improv team comes together to create an on-the-spot musical inspired by the lives of two audience volunteers. The show is hilarious and full of surprises.” (Off Broadway - complimentary ticket)

This performance piece is playing at The Castillo Theatre on West 42nd Street, has a running time of 90 minutes, without intermission, and has remaining dates of October 5, 12 and November 2.

Had a great time yesterday with Vivian Garfein.

As I posted yesterday, Vivian was the longtime companion of my dear friend and fraternity brother J Papa Hall, who passed away 3 years ago.

Vivian, an attorney, recently retired after more than 25 years with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. She is in the City visiting with her daughter and family who live in The Upper Westside. 

At noon she came up to PHC so I could show her the outstanding views of my Hell’s Kitchen ‘hood. 

We talked a bit and then had excellent burgers at The Theater Row Diner on my block. We talked a lot more.

Vivian is contemplating moving from her current residence in Altamonte Springs, FL, to the Big Apple and wanted my thoughts/insights on making this type of transition. Basically she would become a Reverse Snowbird like moi.

I gave her my thoughts about living in The City and I was very honest with her. I told her that I didn’t “live” in New York City ... I was “on vacation” in New York City. She laughed and said she totally understood the difference.

Bottom line==>I strongly suggested that she should give it a shot even though it would mean that there would then be two Reverse Snowbirds in The Big Apple.

So ... Vivian ... it was great being with you ... give it a shot and ... let’s keep in touch

Now ... Billi Pod’s report card on last night’s Off Broadway event ...

A DAY FOR GRACE, about the effects of an alcoholic father’s suicide on this son, who is soon to be a father himself==>C

I found this 2-person show to be disappointingly predictable. How many times have we seen variations of the alcoholic father/angry son/too-late forgiveness scenario?

The show is written and performed by Doug Vincent, with original music written and performed by Sam Llanas. Frankly, I found the music often to be a distraction from the narrative.

I really wanted to like this show but it just didn’t work for me.

It is playing down at the Stage Left Studio on West 30th Street, not one of my favorite venues, has a running time of 1:30, without intermission, and runs through September 22nd.

Billi Pod says==>you are warned.

OK, my loyal and faithful readers and followers, it is time to post this and then begin my afternoon sports-fix ... so ...

Yesterday’s Pedometer mileage==>4.01 miles (or, 8,774 steps)

Total mileage since 7/1/13==>294.33 miles (average 3.63 miles per day)

GO YANKEES!! 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.”