Check out my first-ever KTM flash banner ad. Dad, this would be an ideal event for you since you ride the 990 Adventure and all!
It wouldn't all fit in the frame space requirements here even after I modified the size, so you can see the finished polished version at http://megaswf.com/view/f7f976dbec168ad2ba6a2a57f74dda27.html
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
I Suppose
I suppose I should post an update as it's been a while since the last real post. Last week my parents came to visit and spent six days here in SoCal. Sorry for the lack of pictures, we didn't have a working camera. Bare with me, this will be a longer than usual blog. I promise the next one's won't be so long winded.
Overcast skies were the norm for the first three days of their visit. Tracy and I had to work on Thursday, so my parents were on their own. They're big kids, so we figured they could handle it. They hit up Old Town Temecula and then made it over to a winery for a late lunch. Sounds like they enjoyed themselves. We got a sweet Friends Welcome, Relatives By Appointment plaque from my parents that they acquired in Old Town antiquing ... my mom's favorite pastime. Kind of like her baseball.
On Friday, my dad and I donated to the local Indian tribe, losing $100 cumulative at the Pechanga Casino before we headed to meet Tracy in Orange County. My mom was smart and just looked on as we dumped cash into their pockets. We met up with Tracy around 2 p.m. after a trip across the Ortega and the four of us had lunch overlooking the ocean in Laguna Beach. It was a really quaint location and even better than the scenery was the food. After lunch, we made our way to Anahiem stopping at Huntington Beach on our way for shopping. Once we got to Anahiem we scalped some excellent seats for the Angels v. Mariners game that was proceeded by a much better than expected fireworks show. Bang, ooooh, awe.
The overcast weather persisted in to Saturday with a nagging mist ... not ideal for enjoying the world renowned San Diego zoo. Turns out the day worked out perfect. The mist quit as we entered the zoo, and it managed to keep the crowds down too. The zoo just opened its new African Safari featuring elephants and Jaguar that was really impressive. Overall, the zoo was great and we did a good job of saving money. Tracy and I are now zoo members, a less expensive alternative to buying four admission passes. It cost us $80 and the membership lasts for a year, came with two guest passes and discount passes. Standard admission for four adults would be $140. Our other cost saver ... we packed lunches and brought souvenier plastic cups from our last trip to the Wild Animal Park. The zoo refilled them for free, which was a $11 savings! Once we returned home, my dad and I grilled up some delicous steaks and chicken ... Tracy and my mom were off on their own adventure as Tracy picked up my birthday gift. I'll update you more on that in another blog.
Sunday the weather turned, turned really hot. We headed out to Palm Springs to visit my mom's second cousin in 98 degree temps. Downtown Palm Springs was a little disappointing. I guess it has appeal for the sunny skies, but it just wasn't my scene. Palm Springs just didn't live up to the hype. The only cool thing, literally, was the mist features outside the shop awnings. Other than that, nothing to see here, move along. Nevertheless, Tracy and I enjoyed the pool and the sun and my parents enjoyed catching up with two people whose names I can't remember. I'm sure they were great names though. Later we hit up a mexican restaurant that was just OK. Fairly standard mexican food fare.
I also took a vacation on Monday afternoon and spent time with my parents bumming around at our outdoor mall here in Temecula. Tracy managed to swing another half-day and the weather was sky blue and 70. Pretty much perfect weather for a little wine tasting. We bought a bottle of blush wine at Wilson Creek and enjoyed the high alcohol content and some cheese and crackers. My mom seemed to enjoy the high alcohol content more than the rest of us though :)
On Tuesday morning, I took my parents down to La Jolla before their flight and we did the standard walk on the beach. Then, we headed over to the must see and smell ... the seals! We got to the cove just in time and were able to stand right above some of the biggest and stinkiest of the bunch. It's always fun to see the seals. After that, we had a really good lunch at The Cottage in La Jolla and were off to the airport. Wow, six days goes fast. Especially when it's really, really fun. Thanks for visiting mom and dad, it was great to see both of you.
Overcast skies were the norm for the first three days of their visit. Tracy and I had to work on Thursday, so my parents were on their own. They're big kids, so we figured they could handle it. They hit up Old Town Temecula and then made it over to a winery for a late lunch. Sounds like they enjoyed themselves. We got a sweet Friends Welcome, Relatives By Appointment plaque from my parents that they acquired in Old Town antiquing ... my mom's favorite pastime. Kind of like her baseball.
On Friday, my dad and I donated to the local Indian tribe, losing $100 cumulative at the Pechanga Casino before we headed to meet Tracy in Orange County. My mom was smart and just looked on as we dumped cash into their pockets. We met up with Tracy around 2 p.m. after a trip across the Ortega and the four of us had lunch overlooking the ocean in Laguna Beach. It was a really quaint location and even better than the scenery was the food. After lunch, we made our way to Anahiem stopping at Huntington Beach on our way for shopping. Once we got to Anahiem we scalped some excellent seats for the Angels v. Mariners game that was proceeded by a much better than expected fireworks show. Bang, ooooh, awe.
The overcast weather persisted in to Saturday with a nagging mist ... not ideal for enjoying the world renowned San Diego zoo. Turns out the day worked out perfect. The mist quit as we entered the zoo, and it managed to keep the crowds down too. The zoo just opened its new African Safari featuring elephants and Jaguar that was really impressive. Overall, the zoo was great and we did a good job of saving money. Tracy and I are now zoo members, a less expensive alternative to buying four admission passes. It cost us $80 and the membership lasts for a year, came with two guest passes and discount passes. Standard admission for four adults would be $140. Our other cost saver ... we packed lunches and brought souvenier plastic cups from our last trip to the Wild Animal Park. The zoo refilled them for free, which was a $11 savings! Once we returned home, my dad and I grilled up some delicous steaks and chicken ... Tracy and my mom were off on their own adventure as Tracy picked up my birthday gift. I'll update you more on that in another blog.
Sunday the weather turned, turned really hot. We headed out to Palm Springs to visit my mom's second cousin in 98 degree temps. Downtown Palm Springs was a little disappointing. I guess it has appeal for the sunny skies, but it just wasn't my scene. Palm Springs just didn't live up to the hype. The only cool thing, literally, was the mist features outside the shop awnings. Other than that, nothing to see here, move along. Nevertheless, Tracy and I enjoyed the pool and the sun and my parents enjoyed catching up with two people whose names I can't remember. I'm sure they were great names though. Later we hit up a mexican restaurant that was just OK. Fairly standard mexican food fare.
I also took a vacation on Monday afternoon and spent time with my parents bumming around at our outdoor mall here in Temecula. Tracy managed to swing another half-day and the weather was sky blue and 70. Pretty much perfect weather for a little wine tasting. We bought a bottle of blush wine at Wilson Creek and enjoyed the high alcohol content and some cheese and crackers. My mom seemed to enjoy the high alcohol content more than the rest of us though :)
On Tuesday morning, I took my parents down to La Jolla before their flight and we did the standard walk on the beach. Then, we headed over to the must see and smell ... the seals! We got to the cove just in time and were able to stand right above some of the biggest and stinkiest of the bunch. It's always fun to see the seals. After that, we had a really good lunch at The Cottage in La Jolla and were off to the airport. Wow, six days goes fast. Especially when it's really, really fun. Thanks for visiting mom and dad, it was great to see both of you.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Thanks Mom And Dad!
Tracy and I had a great time with my Mom and Dad during their six-day visit. Unfortunately, Tracy's camera was out of commission and my parents forgot theirs. Oh well, there's always next time! The weather was overcast for the first half of their trip, but it started to cooperate since the Sunday visit to Palm Springs. I'll post an update tomorrow on the fun we had. Right now I need some rest.
I noticed my parents are about 35 minutes behind schedule, but they're making up ground quickly on their flight back to MSP with the jet stream at their tail. Thanks again for visiting, Tracy and I had a great time.
I noticed my parents are about 35 minutes behind schedule, but they're making up ground quickly on their flight back to MSP with the jet stream at their tail. Thanks again for visiting, Tracy and I had a great time.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Joe Mauer The Next .400 Hitter?
It's been 
68 years since Ted Williams' amazing accomplishment of eclipsing the .400 mark. Williams was penciled in the line-up in that final series against the then Washington Senators needing two hits to finish above the historic mark. He went 2-for-3 that day, finishing the 1941 season at .406.
Sixty-eight years later, the purest hitting catcher in the modern era is gracing the game with class and pure skill on the team that used to be the Senators. The Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer is batting a zany .429 as of Sunday morning and has a serious chance to put his name in the record books next to Williams. Yes, it's early in the season for Mauer, but he looks like a changed hitter this year. He's hitting for power and he's slapping base hits through the holes like he's playing in a slow pitch softball league. He is a complete hitter in the box now. With 9 home runs accounting for more than one-fourth of his hits, fielders must respect his power more than year's past.
As a comparison, Williams was batting .383 at this point in the season, tallying 36 hits in 94 at-bats. Yes, Mauer missed the first month, but he's not far behind Williams in the at-bats department. With that in mind, it shouldn't cheapen Mauer's accomplishment this deep in to the season. In 77 at-bats Mauer has 33 hits. Now that he's batting in the No. 2 hole, Mauer should close the gap on Williams in the ABs department in just a few weeks.
During that epic 1941 season, Williams hit a high water mark of .439 in early June before dipping below .400 just after the All-Star break. Williams increased his average to .400 and managed to keep it there after the final game. His final stats in 456 ABs marked him with 185 hits.
If Mauer can stay healthy, he'll easily reach and exceed Williams' officially recorded ABs during '41. The real question is, can an everyday catcher fight off fatigue late in the season and stay focused enough to average .400? If anybody can, it will be Joe Mauer. He has an amazing command of the strike zone and a strong line-up behind him in Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Joe Crede and Jason Kubel that force pitchers to throw him strikes. [Update: Mauer goes 2-for-3 with another homer to up his average on Sunday night. Morneau adds a grand slam. Further proof to the protection in the order argument.]
Just as impressive as Williams' .406 average, he also led the league in home runs (37), base on balls (147), runs (135), slugging average (.735) and on base percentage (.551). Williams' keen eye at the plate is the key contributor to his .406 average, reducing his official ABs.
It's highly unlikely Mauer could ever lead the league in home runs, but the other stats are doable. Right now Mauer has 9 home runs, 16 base on balls, a mind-boggling 22 runs (in 93 plate appearances!), an .844 slugging average and .516 on-base percentage. Stats most beer-league softball players wish they could achieve!
My suggestion, watch and attend as many Twins games as you can while he's hovering around .400 because seats might be hard to come by if this lingers in to August and September. You just might be able to say you watched one of the purest hitters of our time prove .400 can still be done ... without the need for steriods.
68 years since Ted Williams' amazing accomplishment of eclipsing the .400 mark. Williams was penciled in the line-up in that final series against the then Washington Senators needing two hits to finish above the historic mark. He went 2-for-3 that day, finishing the 1941 season at .406.Sixty-eight years later, the purest hitting catcher in the modern era is gracing the game with class and pure skill on the team that used to be the Senators. The Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer is batting a zany .429 as of Sunday morning and has a serious chance to put his name in the record books next to Williams. Yes, it's early in the season for Mauer, but he looks like a changed hitter this year. He's hitting for power and he's slapping base hits through the holes like he's playing in a slow pitch softball league. He is a complete hitter in the box now. With 9 home runs accounting for more than one-fourth of his hits, fielders must respect his power more than year's past.
As a comparison, Williams was batting .383 at this point in the season, tallying 36 hits in 94 at-bats. Yes, Mauer missed the first month, but he's not far behind Williams in the at-bats department. With that in mind, it shouldn't cheapen Mauer's accomplishment this deep in to the season. In 77 at-bats Mauer has 33 hits. Now that he's batting in the No. 2 hole, Mauer should close the gap on Williams in the ABs department in just a few weeks.
During that epic 1941 season, Williams hit a high water mark of .439 in early June before dipping below .400 just after the All-Star break. Williams increased his average to .400 and managed to keep it there after the final game. His final stats in 456 ABs marked him with 185 hits.
If Mauer can stay healthy, he'll easily reach and exceed Williams' officially recorded ABs during '41. The real question is, can an everyday catcher fight off fatigue late in the season and stay focused enough to average .400? If anybody can, it will be Joe Mauer. He has an amazing command of the strike zone and a strong line-up behind him in Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Joe Crede and Jason Kubel that force pitchers to throw him strikes. [Update: Mauer goes 2-for-3 with another homer to up his average on Sunday night. Morneau adds a grand slam. Further proof to the protection in the order argument.]
Just as impressive as Williams' .406 average, he also led the league in home runs (37), base on balls (147), runs (135), slugging average (.735) and on base percentage (.551). Williams' keen eye at the plate is the key contributor to his .406 average, reducing his official ABs.
It's highly unlikely Mauer could ever lead the league in home runs, but the other stats are doable. Right now Mauer has 9 home runs, 16 base on balls, a mind-boggling 22 runs (in 93 plate appearances!), an .844 slugging average and .516 on-base percentage. Stats most beer-league softball players wish they could achieve!
My suggestion, watch and attend as many Twins games as you can while he's hovering around .400 because seats might be hard to come by if this lingers in to August and September. You just might be able to say you watched one of the purest hitters of our time prove .400 can still be done ... without the need for steriods.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
I'm Running Out Of Time
On Monday, I made the prediction that I would receive another offer on my house this week. I've had two showings since, but no written offers. My prediction is quickly running out of time.
Since many of you are probably wondering what kind of feedback I'm receiving from the showings after 64 weeks on the market, I figured I'd post one here.
Interior -- General Condition? Good
Exterior -- General Condition? Good
Curb appeal (lot/landscaping)? Good
Staging (cosmetics, updating)?
Appropriately Priced? Yes
If no, what would be appropriate? No Response
This buyer is considering another showing of this property? No
General comments/suggestions:
My buyer is looking for something to "wow her" This is a great house, but it didn't do that for her.
Ugh ... I don't know how to "wow" a buyer at the sub-$200k price point. Buyers are picky right now, really picky. Six more weeks and I'm throwing in the towel. Something about 70 weeks on the market says "RENT ALREADY!" I'll try my luck with a property management company and go from there. Here's to hoping, if that day comes, I don't end up with a scumbag renter and dirty family who likes dog fighting. In case you're wondering, that already occurs just one block down the street at a rental.
Since many of you are probably wondering what kind of feedback I'm receiving from the showings after 64 weeks on the market, I figured I'd post one here.
Interior -- General Condition? Good
Exterior -- General Condition? Good
Curb appeal (lot/landscaping)? Good
Staging (cosmetics, updating)?
Appropriately Priced? Yes
If no, what would be appropriate? No Response
This buyer is considering another showing of this property? No
General comments/suggestions:
My buyer is looking for something to "wow her" This is a great house, but it didn't do that for her.
Ugh ... I don't know how to "wow" a buyer at the sub-$200k price point. Buyers are picky right now, really picky. Six more weeks and I'm throwing in the towel. Something about 70 weeks on the market says "RENT ALREADY!" I'll try my luck with a property management company and go from there. Here's to hoping, if that day comes, I don't end up with a scumbag renter and dirty family who likes dog fighting. In case you're wondering, that already occurs just one block down the street at a rental.
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