Baseball has begun

After what seemed to be a long off season, baseball is back in session. Last Thursday pitchers and catchers reported to camp. Seems like the baseball season ended so long ago. For me it actually ended on October 7, 2006... (not because I got married on this day, but because the Yanks lost a do-or-die game in the ALDS to the Tigers).

The off season did bring some exciting baseball news to Yankee fans (in no particular order or ranking):

1. Andy Pettitte is back in pinstripes. Will Roger Clemens be joining him later in the season?
2. Donnie Baseball is the new bench coach. Hopefully he will be Torre's replacement as manager.

3. Yankees signed Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa.

4. Yankee Stadium will host the 2008 All-Star Game as a tribute to "The house that Ruth Built." 2008 will be the last season the Yanks will play in their current stadium. Ground breaking for the new stadium has begun in order to be ready for opening day in 2009.

However, the Yankee family did go through some hard times:

1. Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor were killed when the Lidle's plane crashed into a high-rise apartment building in New York City.

2. Bobby Murcer had surgery to remove a brain tumor.

But now it is a new season, with new things to look towards like a 27th World Series title. The Yanks open the season at home against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on April 2nd. Over the next few weeks the clubs will be making their choices for their final 40 man rosters. And fans will be keeping track of who is on the list or who is hurt in order to have an edge in Fantasy Baseball drafts with friends and colleagues.

Another thing to kind of keep track of, whether you hate him or love him, is Barry Bonds. Will he break Hank Aaron's historic homerun record of 755? Will MLB give Bonds any special attention if and when he breaks this record? Time will tell.

Is it Spring yet?

Since I have been lazy on my posting on the blog lately, I told Teresa that I would get a post done.

In the winter months there is not a whole of lot to do here in Buffalo, NY. Yes, we do have a professional hockey team, but since the Sabres are so hot this year, it is near impossible to get a single ticket to a game. Other activities involve the mall, museums, trying to work out or just sit home and stay home as the snow piles up outside.

Early on, we were spoiled by above normal temperatures during much of December and January, but now we are paying for it and we are paying big time. So far our furnace has not worked and each time it was when the temps were in the low single digits, negative temps with wind chill. Our most recent "heat-less" night was Super Bowl Sunday weekend. Teresa and I woke up to our place at a freezing 58 degrees. It was so cold in here you could hang meat. After various attempts to get the heat working on this day (due to us hosting a Superbowl Party), we had to watch the Superbowl wearing hats, gloves, jackets and use space heaters that were brought over by friends. We did not have your heat working properly for almost 72 hours later (Tuesday night). Needless to say, it was a very cold couple of days at 117 Norwood.

The past few days we have been graced by another wonderful string of frigid temps and snow. Living on a city street that isn't heavily traveled, means you are last to be plowed. Today when we woke up, the snow didn't look that bad.....well it turned out it was the drifts that were bad. Teresa's car had to be dug out in order for her to get to work on time. The snowplows finally made it our neighborhood around 130pm when I was leaving for work.

As I returned home from work, I was welcomed by a street that was still somewhat messy, but drivable. At least we are not dealing with all the snow that Oswego has seen in the last week.

So that leaves only one question...Is it Spring yet? I am getting sick and tired of treadmill running.

The following picture is one I just took moments ago, after getting home from work:

Mom and Dad, I hope you enjoyed your 2 weeks in Florida. Welcome back to the good old Northeast.

Lovely winter day in Buffalo

This was the view from our porch in the middle of the afternoon on this lovely Saturday. It only got whiter from here. Have a great weekend! Oh yeah and our prediction, Colts 24, Bears 17