Saturday was almost perfect. The weather was great, all of us were home, there was no dark cloud hovering above the house, and we had a great time just hanging out and being together. It’s sad to say, but days like that are becoming more and more rare.
There’s always some sort of chaos, you see. Or we’re stressed out about something, or shuttling the kids here and there. But the planets aligned this weekend, and Saturday was a day to cherish. It made me realize how close we are to a really pleasant life; things are just slightly askew, not anything major. It should be easily adjusted, in theory.
I’m feeling optimistic today, my friends. I often feel adrift and cut-off, but not now. I need to enjoy it while I can…
Thanks for your feedback on the book experiment. It was fun. And more than 100 Kindle copies have been sold since the promo ended, and it’s actually on a few of the bizarre charts at Amazon. Like, Parenting and Family Humor. WTF? That seems like a mighty narrow niche, but I’ll take it.
People are also “borrowing” it from the Kindle lending library, which hasn’t happened before. So, that’s interesting. All those freebies have brought a little life to the book again. It’s great to see.
I found a page where it’s possible to download complete radio broadcasts of old baseball games, and I’ve been listening to them at work. Man, I love stuff like that. Last week I heard Mel Allen doing the play-by-play of the pennant-deciding game between the Yankees and Red Sox — on the last day of the 1949 season. It was fantastic. DiMaggio, Williams, Berra… They’re like mythical gods to me.
Today I’m going to listen to the 1956 All-Star Game. Oh yeah.
If you’re into that kind of thing, I’d recommend grabbing all those files now. Because Major League Baseball is pretty good at shutting-down such greatness… It looks like some of them have been there since 2009, which surprises me. Regardless, I wouldn’t wait.
Last year, at the beginning of the baseball season, I mentioned how I wish there was a subscription service, where I could pay a fee and have access to mp3 versions of all the Reds or Braves radio broadcasts. Not old ones, but this year’s games. Maybe there could be a 12 hour delay, or whatever. If there was something like that, I’d listen to all the games at work (yesterday’s game today), and probably become a big baseball nut again.
Well, they’ve moved a little closer to my vision of baseball utopia. They now offer something called Gameday Audio, with an on-demand archive. It costs $19.99 for the whole season, and you have access to ALL games for every team. Pretty damn cool. And cheap, too.
However, it’s streaming only. No mp3s. So I’d have to stream it through my phone at work, and my desk is located inside a concrete bunker, with poor cell reception. So, it’s not feasible for me. I wouldn’t be able to use it much. So close! Hell, I’d pay $40, if they’d just throw in the stinkin’ mp3s, which I could load onto my iPod. Oh well.
Speaking of the iPod and work, here is the current lineup of podcasts I never miss: Adam Carolla, Marc Maron, Bullseye with Jesse Thorn, The Mental Illness Happy Hour, Mike and Tom Eat Snacks, This American Life, and Julie Klausner. There are several others that I listen to from time to time, but those are the ones in the never miss category.
I also listen to the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, from the 1970s. Man, that’s some good stuff. Generally speaking.
The iPod I use at work was a Christmas gift from my old employer — from December 2001! Just a few months after iPods first appeared. And it still works perfectly, despite the abuse it receives. It’s only 2 gigs, though. I have to constantly add and remove stuff. But it does the trick, year after year.
And just so you know, I haven’t had a Mountain Dew (or any other soda) at work, since my doctor’s appointment. I’ve replaced it with water, and it’s been surprisingly easy. However, I had a few slugs off a Cherry Coke on Saturday, and it tasted amazing. I like the idea of it being a rare treat, instead of a constantly-flowing pipeline. I’m going to try to maintain. So far, so good.
Toney and I also enjoyed a six pack of Dogfish Head 60 Minute Ale on Saturday evening. It’s been a long time since we’ve had anything from the craft beer section of the grocery store, and goddamn… so good. So incredibly good. I think that might be my favorite beer in the world. At least this week.
And that’s pretty much what’s going on in my exciting world. Anything new going on with you guys? How was the weekend? Please tell us about it in the comments.
And I’ll be back tomorrow.
Have a great day!
Now playing in the bunker
Treat yourself at Amazon: US and Canada
Too early!
Our company had terrible Verizon service inside the building. They installed some sort of signal repeater that boosts the signal, maybe you can drop some subtle hints to the boss and get that done. I love MLB audio.
For those podcast listeners…. Give the one I’m a part of a try. It’s free on iTunes and thelessdesirables.com
Thanks Jeff for letting me plug The Less Desirables! 🙂
In the not so distant future, you’ll be sitting there on the couch on Christmas…your two sons visiting with their pretty wives…and you watching four or five rug rats crawl around , yelling and crying at the top of their lungs and think….”Screaming Secrets”, would be a pretty cool name for a band. Then you’ll lean over and fart and yell…”PASS THE BEER NUTS!!”
You may have to change the name to “Screaming Secrets Shit Mist”
I use to listen to the CBS Radio Mystery Theater in the mid 1970s. I don’t own an iPod, but would not mind hearing those shows again.
Sunday was glorious. It rained all day. I haven’t spent a rainy day lounging around doing nothing but reading, eating and drinking in ages. Plus, we needed the rain so bad. Everything was quiet and peaceful. Aaaaaaah
I’m actually sitting here with a cup of super-caffeinated coffee in my left hand and a plan to get a diet Coke after I finish this–each time I go to the doctor’s, I seem to get placed on a medicine that makes me sleepier and sleepier, and unless I want to fall asleep at my desk (which happened last Wednesday…sooo embarrassing to feel that familiar head CLUNK! as I try to “work” whilst reading the WVSR. If you don’t want me to drink caffeinated sodas, etc., then don’t make the damn medicine make me want to fall asleep 30 minutes after I take it. (And also, either give me constant diarrhea or none at all–no more of this mysterious “You’ll shit your guts out when I MAKE you shit ’em out, and you’ll just have to deal with it!”) At least I don’t have to carry a change of pants and underwear, though.
I’m envious of you….you get to drink alcoholic beverages. They are a super no-no for me.
I started with a list of podcasts pretty close to your own, and have since discarded them one by one. My only remaining comedy casts are Julie Klausner, which I never want to live without, and two compilations of old Jean Shepard broadcasts.
The rest of the casts seemed to me to be too much ego and not enough funny. As Dr. Thompson’s attorney said, I think there’s something wrong with me.
jtb
I think you should be happy with Dr. Thompson’s attorney’s assessment. The time to worry is when Warren Zevon’s doctor tells you that your shit’s fucked up.
JTB, where did you find the Jean Shepherd archives? I used to love his show when I was a wee lad. From what I remember of it, I might appreciate it more as an adult.
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Google is your friend…
http://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Jean%20Shepherd%22
Yeah, right after I posted that I looked around that same site and there was a motherlode. Duh.
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I bought a new truck on Sunday, so I can continue my white-collar-redneckedness.
Ive been doing gameday audio for years. Love it. I could listen to marty brenneman all day long.
My neighbor doesn’t like Marty, says he’s too critical. Guess who screams and cusses at the TV set anytime any little thing goes wrong during the game?
I think marty is honest. Ive listened to other jack asses and cant stand them.
I agree, love Marty, miss Joe. I think Jim Kelch does a good job.
First: Jeff, a suggestion that would drastically increase your .mp3 capacity at a nominal cost: Use some of your Amazon money and buy a 16GB micro SD card for $10 (or 32GB for $25), pop it into your smart phone (unless it’s a iPhone. Fucking Apple…), and use that to listen to your music/podcasts. And you’ll have one less device to carry around.
Second: Re: the weekend: I spent Saturday morning doing what I do on most Spring and Summer Saturday mornings (and one or two weeknights/week): I watched a baseball game from on the field. Regulation field (90/60), in this case it was 13- and 14-yr olds, and I had the best seat in the house–behind the catcher. I had to interrupt my enjoyment of the game to call balls and strikes, fair/foul, safe/out, but as usual I had a blast.
OK, here’s my pitch (see what I did there?): For any Surf Reporter (male, female, or other) who enjoys baseball, and has the time (an empty nest helps), I highly recommend contacting your local youth baseball league (in my case it’s Little League, although I only do the older kids–13-18 in 3 divisions) and volunteering as an umpire. The pay is the same that the volunteer managers, coaches, scorekeepers, team moms, snack bar helpers, etc., receive (zero), but you can deduct your equipment, travel expenses, etc., as a charitable contribution (I spent 2 weeks in a small town in Alaska last summer helping with District and State tournaments, partially subsidized by my own tax money), and you’re providing a great environment and experience for the kids. You don’t have to be in great shape (I could walk a good number of miles if I had to, but having fully embraced technology I find that I usually use my car. Run? Why?) At my age, it’s the only way that I can be on a baseball field without pulling a muscle, and I thoroughly enjoy interacting with pubescent and older teens for a few hours at a time, knowing that they won’t be going home with me.
That’s the report from So Cal…
-Dude
“I thoroughly enjoy interacting with pubescent and older teens for a few hours at a time, ”
-Dude…that’s the very kinda statment that got Sandusky’s ass in trouble. Sheeese man!
Does your seeing eye dog deductible? Sorry, I could not resist. 🙂
Dude…
Good for you. We need more volunteers and fewer people who spend their time pissing and moaning about people driving too slowly or taking too long in the supermarket line.
My onliest question is, based on your worldview, does a pitch on the far right of the plate appear to you to be down the middle?
As for me, I’d be concerned that I’d always give lefties a break on close plays.
jtb
dto: yeah, that did sound kinda creepy. But…no, I guess I shouldn’t use that word either. Damn…you know what I meant, right?
And there are no showers involved!
I’ve been around here long enough to know that I’ve gotta be more careful with my choice of words, what with the places that the Reporters’ minds go. My bad.
…ya know…I’ve pretty much kept this to myself but since you asked about anything new going on…I took my semi back to the company I was driving for and put them on hold. I got a call a while back whlie I was parked and sleeping in a rest area about 30 miles north of Pueblo, Colorado headed south. (The second time they called me).Tomorrow I head to Albuquerque for a little over two weeks to be part of a new movie being filmed out in the dirt around there…The Lone Ranger (new Johnny Depp movie). They shoot a lot of movies around here (westerns) and I’ve had a resume and pic up with a casting agent out of Santa Fe for about a year. I look like a cowboy and ride and have my own hat. As you all know…I’m a trumpet player too and I was asked to be in the peroid band they’re using for a couple of scenes in the movie. I might end up on the cutting room floor but…what the heck. I went to wardrobe on the 17th and my schedule keeps me busy until around May 12 and they kept asking me to show up. I’m not considered an ‘extra’. A notch above. So….it looks like this is actually happening.
Hope that wasn’t too much of a gloat…but fuck…this is cool…and hell… I’m a jaded prick and even I think this is cool.
I think that is really cool.
That’s great! I hope you make the cut.
Yep. Cool.
dto…
If they could add a scene of you riding in on your horse, hell for breakfast, playing a Chet Baker tune and giving the finger to Johnny Depp, they’d have a hell of a movie.
Congrats. It sounds very cool indeed; I appreciate your sharing the news.
jtb
dto….that is way cool, man!
I quit on soda a couple of years ago following doctor’s orders. Went to water and after about 6 months, I had a Pepsi with a meal and it tasted nasty. I’ve tried different things a couple of times since then and now the only thing that I really enjoy drinking that is non-alcoholic is water and iced tea.
Stick with it for a while Jeff,
We had a 4-pack of Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout on Saturday–I’m thinking I’m not a black beer fan so much. But I tried it, drank ’em both. Although I was slightly cross-eyed for an hour or so after.
I find that the farther I get from childhood, the less I like soda. The doctor has not told me to quit, I just don’t care for it that much any more. Beer is a different story – I’ll second Old Rasputin as an awesomely delicious cold-weather beer. ND: Sierra Nevada Torpedo.
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Anyone from DC knows this is beer heaven. I spent a violently windy and rainy Sunday afternoon sipping fine craft ales shipped fresh from belgium in aged oak casks. The venue was the Church Key on 14th street. While I stared on the city streets from that huge arched wndow on the second floor, I realized a true moment in heaven. One more important detail: they have about 75 craft beers on tap. Wouldn’t you know they serve each and every one in it’s correct glass. Beer snobbery be damned, I love it when any establishment has enough pride in its product to pull out the stops on the details. I know its been the key to my own businesses success. Provide quality, whether they realize it or not.
Church Key! I did not know about this place, but research is clearly indicated. And it happens that I have to be just a few blocks from there today. Thanks, Jed! And in the future, I will try to pay more attention to my mailings from dc-beer.
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Saturday was the first bike run at our local bar. It was cold and rainy. BF went…I stayed home. Funk dat. Cold is one thing, but being wet too and on purpose is ridiculous. I went up to the bar right before they all came back. They should have postponed it. But there were still about 20 bikes for the shitty weather.
Sunday we watched the Pens get eliminated by the Fl…. I can’t even type they’re name…let alone say it. First round?? Come on boys…
Love the baseball mp3 site. I will definitely download some. MLB.com had some old stuff as well, the highlight for me was a replay of the Phillies 23-22 win over the Cubs from the ’70’s with Kingman and Schmidt bashing home runs all day long. Great stuff if you can find it.
A friend and I drove down to Kansas City for a weekend of baseball and Nascar. Saw the Royals hit into their first triple plays in 32 years on Friday, then the truck series on Saturday and the Sprint Cup series on Sunday.
We were leaving the truck series race on Saturday and saw this old hick stumbling around, his arm around the shoulder of some semi-hot 25-ish year old girl in a really short skirt and some other dude. You could tell Drunky wasn’t long for the walking world, as he had a severe case of the leans. He wiped out on the grass and started convulsing around like a fish out of water. It was then that the rest of us sober folks who were walking by saw that he had shat his pants. It was one of the more pathetic things I’ve seen in my life, and I’m a Cubs fan.
Did you have any good barbecue? Some friends of mine are looking at going to KC or San Diego for the Bengals game this year. I’m leaning towards KC for the barbecue but most are thinking about bikini clad babes. Guess if we go to SD I can always visit the Stone brewery.
Also, “It was one of the more pathetic things I’ve seen in my life, and I’m a Cubs fan.” is probably the funniest thing I’ll read today.
If you’re in SD, do *not* neglect to visit the Stone brewery. You should also visit the Coronado brewpub – excellent fish tacos, and the Islander IPA is not to be missed. And if you’re still thirsty, get any Deschutes product you can find; they are a top-notch brewery and they do not ship to the east coast.
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We didn’t go to any barbecue restaurants, per se. Had a good, if expensive, brisket sandwich at Kauffman Stadium on the concourse behind the right-field fence. Quite tasty.
We also went to a steakhouse, the Hereford House, and had some very good prime rib. I think they had ribs and barbecued chicken there too, but I am a total prime rib slut so I couldn’t resist. They have several locations in and around Missouri and Kansas, I believe.
I’ve heard very good things about Fiorella’s Jack Stack barbecue. Didn’t get a chance to go, though.
Afraid of a soda……. That ain’t right.
Jeff, we may have talked about this before, but you could consider recording the Gameday streams to your computer as MP3s and then transferring them to your iPod. I’m a longtime Gameday subscriber, and I’ve got hundreds of Orioles games recorded that way.
Today’s game is usually available in the Gameday archive 1-2 hours after the live game ends, so around midnight most nights I start up (free) recording software on my PC and then kick off the Gameday streaming. I use Audacity – it’s very easy to configure.
When I get up in the morning I have last night’s game as a MP3 file basically ready to go. Admittedly more of a pain in the ass than simply downloading a file, but certainly doable.
Pizza Hut is at it again…
http://www.shortlist.com/home/pizza-hut-add-cheeseburgers-to-the-crust
Good gawd! That’s disgusting. I’m going to have to wait till I’m in a town where I don’t know anyone before I get to try one.
I tried (drank the whole 6-pack) Sam Adam’s Summer Ale last weekend and loved it. Light and very refreshing without being overly-fruiry like the Leine’ summer shandy. Give it a try!
and by fruiry I mean fruity… damn.
On Saturday we went to Guestroom Records for Record Store Day.
I picked up (Not sure of all the titles):
Rosie Thomas / Sufjan Stevens 7″
Mike Watt – Ball Hog or Tugboat
The Baseball Project
Guided By Voices 5 CD Box – Hardcore UFO’s
Rockabye Baby – The Smiths done as instrumental lullabies
Flaming Lips – A Spoonful Weighs a ton
Regina Spektor 7″
Firehose – lowFLOWs: The Columbia Anthology (’91 – ’93) (2 CD)
Total spent, $100. I had to say no to a few things. 36 bucks for all the nirvana singles on vinyl? Not today my friend.
They had a huge Beach Boys vinyl box set but it was $157.