My Wal-Mart Experience

Before I was hired at my present employer, I worked for four months at Wal-Mart in Marquette, Michigan. I actually applied to work there just before the busy Christmas months as something to do during semester break from college. I never got a call to work there during my break, so I ended up having the entire break off. A few months later, however, I would get the call for work at Wal-Mart. At first I was a little hesitant seeing that I was going to graduate from college in less than a couple of months. But then I thought I could always work at Wal-Mart while I did my search for a more permanent job. Working at Wal-Mart most certainly was not a long-term thing, yet, I was getting myself prepared to work there as long as I needed to find myself the right job. Thankfully four months was all I needed.

My first day there was more or less an orientation session to get familiarized with the Wal-Mart standards. Luckily I wasn't the only individual there for orientation, as there were three of us altogether. We watched a couple of different videos, including one on the "Sam Walton vision" of the company and how we all should live up to his beliefs. We also had to remember this acronym, and remember what each letter of the acronym stood for (I had forgotten it a long time ago - something about smiling faces, anyways). We literally could be stopped by a member of Wal-Mart managment and be asked to recite this acronym. We wouldn't get in trouble if we didn't know it, but I'm sure we could've gotten a tongue lashing from them (heck, I don't even think I ever remembered it completely). We also got a tour of the store and filled out a bunch of forms. Finally, and with headache, my first day at Wal-Mart was complete.

The next three days at Wal-Mart I considered to be rather torturous. All three of us that were in the orientation session now needed to have three days of cashier training. Seeing that I already knew how to use a cash register (after a couple of years of working at a grocery store), I thought three days was down-right excessive. But, I complied. I caught on much quicker than my two other co-workers. Even though I knew a lot, I still didn't know everything to the Wal-Mart cashiering system and there were some new procedures I needed to pick up. But it was something I didn't pay particularlly close attention to considering I was to be a sales associate and not a cashier. We started our days early in the morning, even on a Sunday morning when it was completely dead in the store and worked until about 3:00 or so in the afternoon. My very first transaction as a cashier at Wal-Mart was by a man who purchased a DVD. He used a $50 bill to pay for his purchase, and with him being my first customer of the day, I didn't have the appropriate change. So I had to get the correct change over at the little "podium," come back and give it to him. He leaves, but then the buzzer at the front entrance goes off. Darn, I forgot to swipe it over the little magnetic scale. Lesson learned. Hey, I never had to do that at the grocery store. So, by the time my three days were up and dealing with hundreds of customers (because Wal-Mart is such a tremendously busy store), I was finally done with cashier training. Man, I was relieved.

So that meant I was now ready to ascend over to my new department, which was Lawn and Garden. The one place I absolutely would've loved working in was Lawn and Garden and I got my wish. My first day back there was spent helping errect the sales area out in the parking lot around the greenhouse. It was early April, so we were still setting up for the summer season. I definitely got a good workout! But it was only four or five hours that I worked on that day, so I didn't get completly worn out. The next few days back there were pretty uneventful. The weather turned cold outside, almost wintery, so we were stuck inside stocking shelves and helping customers. Finally the weather turned warm again, and during my first morning shift, I got to meet the department manager, named Russ. He was a very pleasant guy to work with but the more I talked with him, the more I heard his very clear New England accent. Yes, he was from Massachusetts and I was very curious to hear how he arrived in Marquette, of all places. It turns out he held a couple of different positions out east before being hired with Wal-Mart and was eventually transferred to the U.P., first working at the Houghton Wal-Mart. He was a store manager at Wal-Mart in Marquette for awhile before the stress caught up with him and settled back to being a department manager. I helped put up sales signs in the corral (we called that the sales area outside) with him on that first day and it was always an enjoyable experience when I worked with him.

For the most part, I got along with everyone back in that department. But there was this one girl named Sarah that I got extremely bad vibes off of. She always had this stern look on her face and I always felt uncomfortable talking with her. There were a few times I had to work with her and I basically avoided her because she just seemed too moody and complained an awful lot. Definitely not the kind of person I enjoy being around, that's for sure. Cassidy was one of the people in my orientation session and someone I enjoyed working with. But sadly she abruptly quit and I never saw her again. I would've liked getting to know her a little better, as she was a Writing major herself, just like me. But, some things just aren't meant to be. Patricia was a sweet girl as well and a well-qualified lawn and garden associate. She knew the greenhouse area well and I learned a lot from her. She was pregnant at the time and in June of that year, gave birth to her baby. She didn't know if she'd ever return to Wal-Mart after her maternity leave and I don't think she did return. She graduated with a master's degree in teaching when I graduated college, so I assume she's transitioned to a much better position as well. Some people there I miss and others I have just forgotten about. Some names I have forgotten, too. The further beyond you go, the quicker you forget names.

On my last day at Wal-Mart, the people back in Lawn and Garden threw me a little party. Needless to say, I was humbled by that display of affection for me, especially considering I had only worked there for four months. They even gave me a small book, each of my co-workers writing a quote of "inspiration," as they all knew my major in college was writing. That small book, as Department Manager Russ so eloquently titled it, was "One Hot Summer." It truly was a hot summer with many days of 80's and 90's. During that summer, I spent a lot of time in the greenhouse and I kind of let it slip out that I had grown tired of working in there (it was nearing the end of the summer season anyways). I regret saying that because my co-workers never let me hear the end of it until I left that day. But, they were still nice about it. Only a small fraction of my co-workers are still there, as many have moved on. Unfortunatley, I just don't make it inside the Lawn and Garden area during the day anymore (as Wal-Mart is just too busy for my tastes), but I still have quite a few lasting memories of the people that made that department so special for me that "One Hot Summer."

Reliving High School Memories

It had been awhile since I looked at them. I was trying to search for people on myspace that I hadn't heard from in awhile and I had run out of names (or mainly, forgotten them). So I went over to the bookshelf and grabbed the 1999 yearbook from my high school. I hesitated to look inside and started from the back end of the book. I looked for a bit but almost closed the book back up. Just too painful. But I kept it opened and skimmed through most of it. Interesting. Don't understand why they printed my name as "Lucas" when all through grade school I was known as "Luke." I digress. I put it back and grabbed my 2000 yearbook - my senior year. This time I was able to skim through it much more comfortably. As I went through both books, a flood of memories started rushing back. "Oh wow, I remember that, and that, and that!" I even laughed a few times and began remembering the old days. Things were so much simpiler back then and I was quick to remember a lot of great memories.

And then I reached to the faculty section of the yearbook. My, how things have changed since 2000. Many of the great teachers that graced the classrooms of my high school have now retired or moved on. At least six or seven teachers that taught me were no longer there. I smiled at several of their pictures as I recalled certain memories or instances about them. Good times, good times.

I saw several pictures of people that used to be friends with each other. But unfortunate circumstances took place once they graduated from high school and they are more or less enemies of each other now. It's sad, because they were all my friends, too. It's not something I want to discuss and really a situation I do not want to get myself in the middle of. Yes, things were much simplier back in high school. Now those days are gone.

I really can't explain my discomfort in reliving high school memories again, especially visual reminders in books or on tape. I think it more or less lies in being embarassed about where I fit in during that time. I was mainly an outsider; an individual that stood in the background and never stood up for anything. I wouldn't consider myself ever being very popular - although I was able to be with the in-crowd if I wanted to. I was just a quiet kid content with what I had and what I made myself into. Yes, some regrets about high school may exist, but I certainly cannot turn back the clock and change things. The years continue to go by and those years are beginning to fade out more and more. I also believe I was stereotyped for being a quiet kid by everyone in high school; and rightly so. I believe that if I ever enountered a group of my former classmates that it would be difficult for me to show them that I am much different now - just because I am stereotyped. A lot of times, I may see a certain individual or person from my past and walk right by and not confront them. I kind of figure there's really no point in talking to them. Last year I was invited to a Christmas party by a group of my former classmates. I did not attend because I had a great deal of discomfort in seeing many of them - a majority of them being good friends from my high school days. I don't know what it is - an inferiority complex or something. But I guess I'd rather let things from my past, particularly high school, remain there. Even though it's over three years away, I can bet you right now I will not be attending my ten year class reunion, either. That is unless I am made to attend.

Life can be full of surprises and a lot of times, they are things you must deal with on the spur of a moment. It's not often I am in contact with people from my past, and although I see many profiles of people I once knew on myspace, that's mainly all they are now - just profiles. A few of them I still e-mail and find out what they are up to, but I can't see them in person anymore, either. The reason being is they are so far away from where I am. So until I am ready to deal with my past head-on, a lot of old memories from my high school days will remain burried in the past.

It's Not Christmas Until...

I thought about doing this a few days ago, and seeing that I'm in the holiday spirit and more importantly, the writing spirit - here is a listing of what Christmas means to me. Not only what it means, but a listing of things that make it seem like Christmas to me. If none of these things exist, then it's just not Christmas to me. So here we go with the list!

It's not Christmas until...
1.) I hear the holiday music CD commericals air right after Halloween
2.) I watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
3.) Listen to my Chicago Christmas CD
4.) See the Folgers Christmas commercial
5.) Hear Bing Crosby's "White Christmas"
6.) Eat Christmas cookies and other assorted goodies that my mom makes
7.) Hear Christmas music over all of the stores' speaker systems
8.) There's a white blanket of snow on the ground (absent this year)
9.) Watch and hear the wonderful Hershey kisses Christmas commerical on TV (the new classic)
10.) Listen to the Chipmunks sing the variety of Christmas tunes they cover
11.) Watch the Grinch Who Stole Christmas (animated special)
12.) I put up the Christmas lights and my small tree
13.) Drive around looking at the Christmas lights everyone else puts up
14.) Hear the local radio station's Christmas jingle
15.) Listen to Dr. Elmo's "Grandma Got Ran over By a Reindeer"
16.) I see Garfield's Christmas Special
17.) See the "Seasons Greetings" sign up at the entrance of downtown [which hasn't been up in a few years :-( ]
18.) I walk through the Christmas decoration isles at all the stores
19.) I watch Charlie Brown's Christmas special
20.) Celebrate my mom's birthday (which is December 16th)
21.) Help put up the Christmas tree at my parents (which is usually around my mom's b-day)
22.) Receive Christmas cards in the mail
23.) Hear Burl Ives' "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas"
24.) Turn the Christmas lights on around the bulletin board at home
25.) Watch family videos of previous Christmases
26.) Listen to Bob Seger's "Little Drummer Boy" (a new favorite!)

Well...I can't think of anymore. If there are more, they are either old memories that no longer happen in current times, or they are such tiny moments that I can't remember them right now. Those are the memories that I find enjoyable and put me in the Christmas spirit. You may have your own and many are probably different. But these are especially special to me.

Merry Christmas! :-)

Green Christmas

You all know the song "White Christmas." The first couple of lyrics go something like this: "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know." Living where I live, a white Christmas always seems to be a guarentee with the amount of snow we get. I can only rememeber one instance where we had green grass on Christmas day, and that was in 1994 (I even took video of that Christmas with the lack of snow). With only a couple of days left until Christmas day, it is beginning to look more and more likely that 2006 will also be another year without snow on Christmas day. Yes, Christmas isn't the same without any snow, but seeing that green Christmases are so rare around here, it's kind of a neat thing to experience which is why I'm not dreaming of a white Christmas this year.

I must admit, I have been annoyed by many of the local people, particularly those in the media, who are hoping for a white Christmas. Give me a break, people. There have been many winters where we've seen snow on the ground for five or six months, and this year, where we have green grass showing well into December and people are hoping that it snows for Christmas. Yes, I realize that tourism is suffering because of the lack of snow and Christmas doesn't have the same feeling without snow. But all it takes is one good snow storm to change things in a hurry. We still have a good three months left of winter where we could get pounded and have an above normal snowfall for the year. Believe me, I've seen it. Winter certainly isn't over yet. It's just off to a much slower start, and I'm enjoying it. Please, I'm much rather be driving on wet, clear roads than sloppy, slick, and slushy roads. At least I'm safe going to and from work. And with the slow start to winter, that means spring is that much closer. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. :-)

I am not sure if I will be able to write a blog between now and Christmas day. So I just want to wish all of my friends, family, and all blog readers out there a very Merry Christmas. Christmas is definitely the most wonderful time of the year and it often times is left in the commericalized dust. But don't forget to remember those that count in your life this time of year, including your loved ones. Sure, the gifts maybe nice but what really should matters is being together and enjoying the laughs, the conversation, and being together. I know there is family that I just don't get to see very often any more and it's sad. That's why I try to relish those opportunities to be with them as much as I can. You just don't know how much time we have left to be all together. And even though I'll end up working Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I still won't forget those that matter to me.

Christmas sure is different from when I was little to what it is now. It seems like Christmas lasted much longer than compared to now. We enjoyed the holidays in school and held Christmas parties, gatherings, bazaars, Christmas programs, plays, etc. As soon as you graduate from school, you don't have those same experiences anymore, and I think it makes Christmas go by so much quicker. And when you work a steady schedule, you just don't have as much time off to celebrate the holidays. Yes, I do have three days off after Christmas, but it's pretty much after the fact. Christmas starts right after Halloween, but that whole time in between sure seems like a blur once it's all over. And in just a couple of days, it will be over for another year.

So once again, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight! :-P

Christmas is Almost Here!

Hard to believe that Christmas Day is less than four days away. I don't know where the time goes - in fact, I think the entire year went by in a blur. You know what they say, the older you get, the faster time flies and I really think everything about that saying is true! It boggles my mind that we are almost into 2007, seven years into the new millenium. Do you remember how crazy things were just before the year flipped to 2000? I should know; I was a senior in high school then. There were many "dooms-day" scenarios floating around out there, saying that if certain equipment were not compatible to make the conversion to the year 2000, then we would be in a world of hurt. But it was clearly all hype as very few situations arose when we officially entered the new millenium. Now we are closing in on the year 2010. Scary how quickly time flies, isn't it?

Overall, the year 2006 was a good one for me. I can't really say nothing extremely bad happened to me this year and that I continued to enjoy life and live it to its fullest. Work has gone extremely well for me, including a new job promotion in April that required me to switch crews. Yes, I was extremely fond of the people on my old crew and I'll admit, I was hesitant as to whether I should leave them. But looking back upon it now, I am really glad I made the decision to switch. The people on my crew now have made the transition so wonderfully easy and they are such supportive people; I am truly blessed. And now as I train in to become a fill-in boss, they are just as helpful and cooperative as I transition into that role, too.

I also moved into a new apartment building in 2006, something I had greatly wanted to do for much of the spring and summer this year. My new apartment is much more modern and spacious with just as much storage room as the old place. And the rent really is pretty decent, too, considering how much it is throughout the rest of the city. I have great landlords that will fix anything, whatever goes wrong. I think I can be rather comfortable in that place for a long time, depending on a couple of different situations, should those come up in the new year or beyond. Time will tell.

My family welcomed in a new addition to the household as my niece was born into the world in May. Her name is Alanah Morgan Mattson and she is the sweetest little girl that you could imagine. She's already growing up quick and wanting to learn how to talk! And here I thought her brother was fast! Gotta enjoy them when they're this little because they grow up way too fast!

My favorite baseball team, the Detroit Tigers, finally had their first winning season in 13 years! They even made it all the way to the World Series before losing it to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Tigers made so many fantastic moments in 2006 that it's one baseball season I will never forget. So many memorable game-winning moments and spectacular plays; it's just so hard to remember them all. Here's hoping that 2007 will bring home their first World Series title since 1984.

Other than that, I can't think of anything else of major importance that happened in 2006. It was a peaceful, quiet, and enjoyable year with no regrets as to whether I should've done things differently. 2007 might throw in some challenges, including some health issues that I might have to deal with soon as well as a budding relationship that is just now in its infancy. As to anything else, we will see as they happen in the new year! I hope 2007 is just as great as 2006 was.

Hope everyone else had a wonderful 2006 and here's wishing everyone else a peaceful and prosperous new year! :-)

A New Show I Like

Yikes...I haven't blogged in over a week. Seems like I am getting in the same pattern like I had at the old blog location. During the next few weeks I am going to try to change that. I'll sneak in a quick one tonight and hopefully you'll get some good old fashioned blogs very soon.

I have recently become very obsessed about a show that I never really gave much of a chance in the beginning when it first came out. In fact, I've enjoyed the most recent new episodes of this show so much, that I went and bought the entire first season DVD disc set. The show I am referring to is "Avatar: The Last Airbender" on Nickelodeon. I remember when it first came out, I didn't give it much of a chance because it "looked" like anime. I heard so many people giving this show rave reviews, but I just couldn't get myself to sit and watch an episode. Overall, I am not a big fan of anime shows, particularly those in which the characters on the show do not properly mouth the words of their English voice actors. Naturally they are made in Asia and I really should not base my criticism just because of that. But it's one of my pet peeves in regards to anime, which is why I tend to stay away from it. However, "Avatar" is not like that.

Yes, this show is animated in Asia, North Korea in fact. Yet, the voices match the characters perfectly. This show was originally made for an American audience instead of first being aired in Asia, which it probably why the characters mouths move with the English language. And yes, overall this show is anime, yet, it's doesn't scream complete anime. A lot of the facial expressions of the characters, especially when they are excited, have an anime style to them. But overall, the animation is crisp, clean, and superb. Sometimes it doesn't even seem like I am watching an animated show. This really could be a live-action drama. I do remember "trying" to watch this before when it first came out and thinking how "confusing" this show seemed, particularly the main character and him mastering the four elements of earth (water, fire, earth, and air). Funny how much can change in a year, when everything COMPLETELY makes sense. Goes to show you I should've tried harder watching this show in the first place.

The setting for this show takes place on a fictional planet (very much like earth, except the continents are shaped completely different), which is divided into four nations - those being the same as the four elements of earth (the fire nation, the water tribes, the air nomads, and the earth kingdom). The main character's name is Aang, and he has been born as the Avatar. An Avatar is a bender that can master all four elements. There is only one Avatar at a time, and when he/she dies, a new Avatar is reincarnated. Aang at first would rather not be the Avatar, but he really has no other choice and finally accepts his role. He plays an especially important role considering that a war is ongoing in the world and he's basically the only true warrior with tremendous power that can defeat the fire nation in taking over the world (the fire nation is the most industrialized nation and most powerful). The war has been ongoing for over 100 years and during that time, Aang was frozen in an iceberg. A lot has taken place during that time and many believed that the Avatar died and was never reincarnated. Aang develops new frienships with Katara and Sokka, teenage siblings from the Southern water tribe, who released him from the iceberg. They follow him in his adventures as he learns to master all four elements and defeat the fire nation. One of his arch enemies, Price Zuko, is always after Aang but can never seem to capture him (no real surprise considering how powerful the Avatar is). Although this show has many powerful and dramatic moments, there are times of great humor as well.

"Avatar" is not your typical cartoon, that is for sure. It's an animated show unlike I've ever seen before and one that is thoroughly enjoyable to watch. Season two ended over a week ago but season three is expected to air early next year. If you haven't given this show a chance like I did for a long time, consider doing so. And yes, it is an animated show, but you certainly shouldn't be ashamed to watch this one, because it is great TV.

Attitude Change

I don't think I've ever been more frustrated at work than I am right now. One of my co-workers is mad at me and another co-worker for no apparent reason. In fact, he's giving us the silent treatment. It's a rather awkward situation and I don't quite know how to deal with it. I've decided the best medicine is to give him the same treatment right back. I've got to imagine that in time, he will come around. But he sure isn't giving up without a fight.

It all started over a week ago. My boss was looking for a fill-in to take over for him when has to take days off. Nobody else really wants to do it and I have a bit of interest in doing it. Plus, I did feel bad for my boss that nobody on the crew wanted to be the fill-in. If he wanted to take a day off, he couldn't. We basically didn't have a fill-in until I joined this crew in April. Well, Brad (the one that's upset with me) and I are considered to be the most "qualified" since we're assistant plant operators and have experience with operating the mill. Although I do have some interest in being a fill-in boss, I wasn't sure that I would like having to make the difficult decisions when something major could happen. I was offered the position, and almost everyone on my crew looked at me to do it, even giving me confidence. I didn't say yes or no, but I guess I had the look of interest. For some reason, Brad has taken great offense to that and has since said nothing to me or the operator of the plant.

Yesterday our boss gave us an assignment to work together on. Well, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to "break the ice" so to speak. Well, that fell faster than a lead balloon. Whenever I talked to him, he didn't respond. I made a casual comment and he shrugged. He never smiled and was serious the entire time. He didn't even walk with me, instead, staying several feet behind and never really stood next to me, either. I've never seen anyone act so childish in my life, especially when I did absolutely nothing to him. He's a hell of a worker, but he gets in these very moody swings. Right now, he's in one of the moodiest.

Brad used to joke around quite often with us and he used to be enjoyable to work with. Well, not anymore. I've tried being civil with him, tried talking to him, and been nice to him but to no avail. I've made the effort. But I don't feel I should be the one trying to break the ice when I don't feel I'm in the wrong. I mean, if he would just come forth and tell me and my co-worker why he's mad at us, then we could get over it. But he's letting it linger and basically, letting things get worse and worse. I don't know what else there is to do. I guess the next step might be getting really pissed off at him and start cursing him out. But who knows if that'll even make things better. I'll be releasing some of my pent up frustration, but he may decide to avoid me even more. I guess time will tell.

A Longing for Summer

We're not even into the month of December yet and I'm already starting to miss the summer season. I think what brought this feeling on was looking at a variety of summer-time pictures on the local newspaper's website. Just seeing everything green - from the leaves on the trees to the grass on the ground, really made me miss summer. There were pictures of people in their swim suits jumping into the lake to cool off and surfing. Children were eating ice cream and playing baseball. Families were enjoying the local events and watching a parade go down their city streets. It's the feeling of summer in these pictures that have awakened my summer senses and then I realize that we won't be able to experience these feelings again for another four or five months. And winter hasn't even started yet.

It's nothing to worry about, though. It's just a bit of sentamentalism on this last weekend in November. To be honest, we've had a nice fall season; November in particular, with warm conditions and hardly any sign of winter. We had our fair share of winter weather in October, but the snow melts so quickly this time of year that it was gone in a few days. We are now into the holiday season as we have passed Thanksgiving for another year. It doesn't really feel like the holiday season for me yet until we get a little snow on the ground and the Christmas music really starts to play often on the radio. People are already in the stores taking advantage of the stellar deals at five and six in the morning while I am quite contempt staying in bed and getting my full eight hours of sleep. When I see pictures of people lined up outside of the stores so early in the morning and then hear horror stories of people being stepped on and items being "stolen" from out of their carts; that's enough for me to stay home. Yes, the deals are tremendous at those early hours in the morning on the day after Thanksgiving, but it's only a gimmick that the big retailers are providing. They are jump-starting their holiday sales season and they do it every year. Needless to say, I won't be in any big rush to go to the stores the day after Thanksgiving in my lifetime.

I had a rather nonchalant Thanksgiving, as I had to work afternoon shift. Before our family dinner, I finished putting up the last of the Christmas lights on the house. I usually start putting them up around Thanksgiving and it's even better to put them up when the weather is still nice and there isn't two feet of snow on the ground. Then, my parents and I had an enjoyable feast with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pie, and all of the other usual Thanksgiving dishes. I felt a little disappointed that I had to work Thanksgiving; something I NEVER had to do in my life before. I remember when I was in school, we'd had a nice four-day weekend and I looked forward to the days off so much. Now instead of having time off during Thanksgiving, I'm working. Quite the reversal now when we grow up. But the pain of working Thanksgiving was softened by the fact of earning double time in a half. I guess it's not so bad afterall.

Well, I'll keep this blog relatively short. There will be more in the days to come. :-)

My OTHER Friend from the Past

In my previous blog, you read about a best friend that I once had through my elementary and part of my junior high years in school. He moved away and I have had very limited contact with him since. This blog will be about the other friend that I mentioned briefly in the previous blog. He and I had a falling out, of sorts, around the time that Doug moved away. Here is that complete story.

I really can't exactly remember how Erik and I became friends. Honestly, I don't know that we would've been friends if it weren't for Doug. I can't really think of a more witty way to describe it other than to say without Doug, our friendship had lost its luster. Clearly Erik felt the same way and I despised him ever since for it.

Erik fit into our little group because he had a quiet side. However, he was smart and very sarcastic. He was very thin for as long as I've known him and if I remember right, he wore glasses during most of his elementary years. In fact, he was the smartest kid in our class. It would be a shock if he didn't always have straight A's because he was darn near close. I always remember many people telling him he'd be our class valedictorian because he was so smart. I think he got tired of hearing it, though, and vowed later on that it would never happen. Nontheless, we all thought it would be true in elementary.

I wouldn't say he was a star athlete, however, he sure could run. I remember playing tag during recess and myself or others having a great deal of difficulty trying to catch him. He ran cross country and track during his junior high and high school years, and he'd always be one of the fastest runners for our school. He also had a great deal of knowledge of our school, as well. His mother was a well-respected science teacher for the school and he would always tell me or Doug some of the "behind-the-scenes" news regarding the district. One story even involved my uncle who once taught as a P.E./Health teacher and coached girls basketball. My uncle had been picketing during a teacher's strike when a dog came up to him and urinated on his leg. Erik thought it was funny but I took some offense to it, considering that it was a relative he was talking about. He never said my uncle's name, but from everything he described, I'm pretty sure it was my uncle Erik was talking about. Our school underwent a great deal of change during my later-elementary years when one building was demolished and an entire new wing was constructed. Erik was able to give us details about the history of the old building. It's hard to remember too many details about our friendship anymore, but I remember Doug and I sitting on the swings and Erik talking about the old building as we looked at it. Something that I will always remember.

As I described in my last blog, Doug had moved away and I was left to fend for myself. I don't know what happened, but Erik's behavior had gone from day to night. He had a much darker sense of humor and he got his kicks out of picking on me constantly. He was pure eveil; I don't know if it was puberty that made him this way or what. Even some of my other friends took Erik's lead and were ganging up on me. It definitely came as a big shock. I didn't know what to do, so I basically just ignored and avoided them. I had become a loner and began to do things on my own. I was betrayed and it's a feeling I will never forget.

From what I can remember during our seventh grade year, Doug, Erik, and I still had a friendly relationship. We were all split up in different classrooms since we were now in junior high, but we still saw each other frequently. Up until the point Doug moved away, Erik and I were civil to each other. But beyond that, he was a different person. To this day I still cannot understand why he changed and what caused him to "hate" me so much. I don't know if he thought it was all one big joke but I never thought he was funny. We were in the same science team in junior high and high school and we were even partnered up in a few events. Those were the only moments I had contact with Erik during my final years in grade school. I simply hated his guts and he never apologized for his behavior, nor offered up an explanation why he acted the way he did. Instead of being the class valedictorian, he was now in the lower bracket of my class. He even had one memorable outburst during one of the classes I had with him, where the teacher sent him to the principal's office and left everyone in the room stunned. This was not the Erik we all knew. Whether it was something psychological or what ... I guess it's something we will never know. He even grew his hair long and dyed it black during our senior year! This being a complete reversal from the kid that once had his hair buzzed time and time again in elementary.

I do not offer up any explanations or excuses for Erik and his change of behavior towards me. I have my theories, but until someone asks him, those theories would never have any truth. I have long since moved on and haven't considered him my friend since junior high. A friend does not betray another friend and expect them to remain acquaintences. I have a few memories left of the Erik I once knew, but all of those are fading fast and I am still haunted by "evil" Erik after Doug left. To be honest, I hold no regrets and I don't miss him as a friend. I have simply moved on and the nice thing about graduating from high school is, you don't have to ever see those idiots (the ones that treat you the worst) again. The last I heard, Erik was enlisted in the military. Whether he still is; I haven't a clue.

A Friend from the Past

I first saw him in my first grade class; a new student to our school. Actually, we had many new faces in our school that year because our school consolidated with another school over 11 miles away. He was one of the students from that school and would soon become one of my best friends. We weren't always in the same classroom together. Our class was one of the biggest in the elementary, so we always were split into two classrooms. If I didn't see him in class, I always saw him at recess and other kinds of assemblies. We were best friends; but we usually only ever spent time together at school and never away from there.

His name was Doug and was always overweight for as long as I knew him. But that did not matter to me, nor did it to my other friend, Erik. His wardrobe usually consisted of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and velcrow tennis shoes. He was a nice, pleasant, quiet kid and never got upset unless he was teased profusely. I remember this one instance where he was really mad. A couple of the girls from my class picked on him because he allegedly wet his pants and the girls picked on him for "smelling bad." I thought this was extremely harsh treatment for someone who would never say anything unkind about another person like that. At recess, he absolutely refused to speak to anyone; not even to me. Even when I tried to cheer him up, he would just walk away. I guess he just needed some time by himself. But it was unusual to see him so upset like that; but it was understandable why he was that way.

I never considered him to be obese by any means; but he was definitely pudgy. And someday if he happens to come upon this blog about him, I hope he realizes I mean no disrespect about him, because his weight was never a hindrance to our friendship. He never excelled at sports or in gym class. We once played against each other in little league and our team always handly beat his team; but we never fought over that issue. He either played first base or left field; it's hard to remember anymore. But his dad coached his team and I remember the games against them being some of my personal best. I don't know why that was; but I excelled. We would play kickball at recess and he'd sometimes kick the ball farthest than anyone playing in the game. Another fond memory of recess was when he and I, along with a bunch of other classmates glided along an area of ice that had formed somewhere in the school playground. Even though we had been told not to play on the ice, we still did. We all ended up getting caught and sent inside to write 100 sentences about not going on the ice. I think it was a shock to many people seeing myself, Doug, and Erik sent inside for getting in trouble because I'll admit we NEVER got in trouble. At the time I remember being very upset about this; but now I find it very funny. I even think I have those 100 sentences somewhere as a momento of that situation.

Doug and Erik both stood up for me one time during recess. We must've been in first or second grade and a group of us were playing on the slide in the back of the school. I can't remember the circumstances why we weren't allowed to play on the slide, for whatever reason. I think it was deemed unsafe since it was placed in the very back of the school where it was very hard for the supervisor to keep a watch on both areas of the playground. Anyways, somehow I got wrongly accused of being with the group that played on the slide. The third grade teacher at the time ordered all of the kids to line up against the school and she hollered at each and every one of us for going on that slide. I started bawling my eyes out because I never liked being yelled at; especially when I was being wrongly accused. Doug and Erik pleaded with the teacher that I was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, but it didn't help. I don't think any of us got in any real trouble; we just got a good scolding. However, I can't forget Erik and Doug trying to bail me out like they did.

Another memory was when Doug called me on the telephone. I believe it was to invite me to his birthday party. I can't remember all that we talked about; yes we discussed the party, but that was basically it. I remember a dead silence on the phone for about five to ten minutes because neither of us could think of a thing to talk about! Eventually I just said "I've got to go," and we both said goodbye and hung up. But we were so young and naive at the time, and it remains one of those funnier memories that I have of Doug.

Back in the sixth grade, Doug was hinting to us that his family might be moving to a larger community 20 miles away. In fact, it seemed like he was always warning us about a possible move away from our school district throughout elementary; but it never materialized. I was glad because I hated the thought of losing my best friend. The same happened after the sixth grade; he returned to Superior Central for his seventh grade year. He lived in a very small and cramped home in his hometown and he had many relatives in the town his family was planning to move to. Also, I believe his parents worked near that community, so it only made sense to them. But to me, I was being selfish and didn't want to lose my best friend. Sure, I let Doug know that I didn't want him to leave, but then I didn't rant and rave about it, either. It finally happened in the eighth grade. During the summer before my eighth grade year started, I personally witnessed the partial demolition of his old home. We always went to church in his hometown so it was pretty common to see where he lived. As we drove by that summer day, I saw part of his house completely demolished and a backhoe still on the property. Since it was a Sunday, naturally nobody was there to work on it. But a few weeks later, the house was completely gone. My hope was that they were building a new house there, but even that seemed like a pipe dream considering that the property he lived on was very small. Nothing ever sprang up on that piece of property and it remains empty to this day.

When my eighth grade year started and we first met together as a class, I didn't see Doug. I searched and searched and couldn't find him. I had then overheard the news; Doug had moved away. You don't know how many times I had heard the threat about him moving away when I was in grade school, but to actually hear it be true, I was devestated. I honestly felt alone. My best friend Erik had become a prick over the summer and acted like my worst enemy. My eighth grade year probably was my worst one in school. In fact, it was a nightmare. But in time, I got over the fact that he had moved and had settled myself down during the new school year. On a few occasions afterwards, he would attend some of the basketball games at our school and I would briefly visit with him. Myself and a couple of other friends also had the opportunity to visit Doug and see him at his new home. But other than that, we eventually drifted apart. For awhile we'd send letters to each other; in fact, I received a letter from him right after the new school year started when I was in eighth grade about him moving away. Talk about too little too late. But eventually the novelty of writing letters wore off. We never called each other on the phone; both of us considered it too awkward, for whatever reason. Eventually, I never heard from him for awhile.

My grandmother had found a news clipping about Doug in the area newspaper where he now resided. It had his picture and he was working at the local golf club getting ready for the golfing season. This had to have been in the ninth or tenth grade, and he still looked basically the same. I kept onto that clipping and I still have it around somewhere. Then during my first few years in college, I had managed to be in touch with Doug's cousin through instant messenger. You could call it a chance meeting and she just happened to be his cousin. In fact, she saw Doug everyday. I about fell over when she told me he had the instant messenger, too! Shortly thereafter, Doug and I started talking again. We were getting caught up about all that we had missed in the last five years or so and it was really fun being able to talk to him again, albeit it not face to face. That only lasted for about a week until I never saw Doug on-line again. In fact, his cousin confirmed that he had gotten rid of his computer and was no longer on-line. I was a bit disappointed, but I didn't let it bother me. Another revelation that was a shock to me about Doug was that he had lost all of that weight that had plagued him during his tenure at Superior Central. He was slender, slim, and even more skinny than me at that time. I was floored and was hoping to see a picture of the "new" Doug. But alas, he never provided one and I soon never heard from him again.

His cousin and I chatted a few times after that. Apparently he is now married, own's a popular restaurant in his town (at the time, he was in the process of buying it), and was learning to become a minister. Whether he still owns that restaurant and is a full-fledged minister; I don't know. We lost contact and I hadn't heard from him in over four years now. In fact, I don't think we've had a face-to-face meeting in close to ten years. I have since moved on and accepted the fact that we are no longer friends and I believe there is no anymosity between us two. It's the distance that killed our friendship. Despite us not being friends anymore, I can never forget what he meant to me while I was in elementary. He was friend, a pal, a compadre and that is something I'll never forget. And maybe someday, somehow, we will get back in touch again.

Happy Halloween!

A happy halloween to all of my blog readers out there. However you may celebrate the holiday, I hope it is worth your while. My Halloween will be rather uneventful, not by choice. I have to work afternoon shift tonight, so I will be missing out on all of the trick or treaters, parties, and Halloween reveling. But don't worry; there's always next year. :-P

Yesterday I was just getting into some of my favorite trick or treating memories. One year, my dad took me trick or treating; and this had to be when I was around four or five. We went to all of the houses in the neighborhood where he once lived. So naturally, he would visit with the people when I went trick or treating. We even visited my step-grandmother and grandpa. Sadly, my grandpa would die just a year or two later and I don't have too many memories of him. In fact, that Halloween memory is pretty obscure now. But at least I have that one and a couple of other memories of him; no matter how obscure they are. The majority of those people my dad and I visited that night are now gone, so it's really nice to have a memory of them, as well. At least I was able to meet with them once in my lifetime.

The next memory isn't exactly just one memory, but a culmination of many. Just the feeling of getting out, going through my hometown trick or treating with a bunch of other kids in darkness with the guide from the street lights, kids yelling "trick or treat," and hearing the voices of the people who's doors we were knocking on ... it's something you never forget. Another memory was when my friend, Brian and I, went trick or treating at this one old lady's home in my town. She was well known, and everyone called her "Granny" because she was such a personable person and would wave at anyone driving by. She mistook Brian as being someone else with a similar costume (I think he was a vampire) and refused to give him candy because he had already gotten candy from her. Well, he was pretty ticked off at her but I was happy. She gave me candy at least.

I must end it here. Once again, Happy Halloween. :-)

Halloween

I tell ya, Halloween was one of the holidays I really looked forward to when I was younger. I think what I found most exciting about it was the trick or treating. My earliest memories are when my sister and I would go around town trick or treating. But then she got too old for it and then my dad took me. Not long afterwards, my best friend Brian and I went together (his mother drove). It was that way until we both became too old for it. The 6th grade was the last year I went trick or treating (that year I was rather hesitant to go, but my sister's boyfriend at the time basically dragged me out, for whatever reason).

I don't know what it is, but when you reach a certain age (11 or 12 it seems), you feel you're too old to dress up and go trick or treating. I don't know if we're in a hurry to grow up, feel embarassed about having friends see us, or we're just letting the tweenage angst get to us; whatever it is, we just don't go anymore. And some of it has to do with how it's portrayed on TV and the influence of friends. I know back at that age, I remember hearing many kids saying they were too old to dress up (and sadly, some were already getting involved with alcohal and having their own parties). It's just one of those things I guess; no kid can really ever avoid it.

Probably some of my all-time favorite costumes were a ghost (complete with white make-up covering my entire face), a pirate (way before the Pirates of the Caribbean movies), and a firefighter (complete with a real fire-house and nozzle, fireman's helmet, rain coat, and various other gear). For some reason I can't really remember any other characters I became during Halloween. I guess they weren't really all that memorable and have became easily forgotten. And it wasn't just about the trick or treating, either. It was also about picking out your costume, carrying it with you to school, dressing up and seeing all of your friends in different costumes as well. Last year I wrote a blog on how we all dressed up (in elementary) and paraded throughout the school showing off all our costumes to the big kids. Then we would have our Halloween parties in our classrooms, complete with candy, other goodies, games, and music. There was nothing like Halloween at school. Everything about the day just seemed so abnormal and you knew it was anything but a normal school day. Then once school was let out, we all knew it wouldn't be long before we'd get to go trick or treating.

I plan on writing more regarding some of my favorite trick or treating memories tomorrow in Part 2 of my annual Halloween blog. Stay tuned! :-)

It's Over

It's amazing how sports consumes your life when one of your favorite teams is in the playoffs. Before this season, I never really cared much for watching baseball on TV. I would watch it when nothing else was on, but it was never really my preferred sport. How quickly things change in a year. When you finally have a good team to watch, it's amazing how fun the game can be. However, the Tigers performance in the World Series was not much fun for me. But to be honest, I'm not going to be too negative of how things ended. Because not me or many other people could've pictured the Tigers being as good as they were this season. 2005, they managed to scrounge up 71 wins. 2006, they win 95 games, win the wildcard, beat the Yankees when everyone counted them out, win the American League Pennant, and earn a trip to the World Series. And after their 119 loss season three years ago, 2006 made it even more special.

Baseball hadn't consumed my life for a very long time. Probably not since I was little when I watched Cecil Fielder, Alan Trammell, and Lou Whitaker play at the end of their careers. Even then, there's not much I remember about those seasons. I was never interested in watching a sub-500 baseball team. Whether that makes me a poor fan or a bandwagon fan, I don't know. I don't consider myself a poor fan, just waiting for the right time to root on my favorite team again. Maybe I wasn't publicly rooting for them, but deep inside, I always hoped for a winner and rooted the Tigers on even in defeat. I still wore my Tigers shirts and caps with pride, even though there wasn't a reason to wear them. Now there's a reason to wear them all of the time; and my support for them will no longer waver, even during the tough times.

A lot of Tigers fans might feel depressed today. In fact, I was feeling quite upset about the turn of events last night after the game. But I don't feel that way at all today. I am proud of the Tigers and what they gave their fans this season. Just look at the St. Louis Cardinals. Two years ago, they were swept from the World Series by the Boston Red Sox. That had to be a lousy feeling for them; knowing they were so close to getting a championship. Two years later, they finally got their championship. I bet the feeling of losing the World Series two years ago never left them, and they remembered it this year. They will get their rings, and I have every reason to believe the Tigers will get theirs someday, too.

The Tigers roster should remain fairly intact for many years to come. Their pitching rotation is exceptional and they should only have to make a few tweaks here and there as the years go by, mainly to the bullpen. As long as Kenny Rogers continues to pitch well, you keep him in Detroit. Same goes with everyone else. With Verlander only a rookie, I am sure we'll be watching him for awhile. I think next year will be Todd Jones' final year in baseball. He may not even finish out the year with the Tigers, as Joel Zumaya will become the Tigers regular closer. Oh man, what an important piece he'll be for years to come in that role. As for the Tigers line-up, I think a few new pieces need to be added. It might be necessary to upgrade at first base, even though Sean Casey was awesome during the World Series. He's getting to be too injury prone and unreliable defensively. However, I would like to see him possibly become a utilityman for the Tigers, if he's willing to accept such a role with the team. If not, he'll likely move on with another team. We have many talented prospects in the minor leagues, and we might see them fill a permanent role on the Tigers roster in years to come. The years to come look bright for the Tigers.

Here's to the Tigers in 2007! GO TIGERS! :-)

On the Brink

The Tigers are in a position they did not want to find themselves in...down three games to one with game five being in St. Louis. The Cardinals have a chance to win the World Series at home in Busch Stadium. However, that will depend on a couple of factors, including the weather. Today is supposedly going to be the worst of the three rainy days in St. Louis. Actually, I was rather surprised last night's game was held because of the gloom and doom weather forecasts. Knowing the outcome now, I kind of wish last night's game was postponed.

One word to describe last night's game for me: heartbreaker. I missed the majority of the game because of work, but thankfully someone was keeping us updated on the score during our shift. First it was Tigers ahead 1-0, then 3-2. Then I listened to the game on the radio coming home from work, and that's when the wheel's came off. Fernando Rodney, who's an excellent pitcher but a terrible fielder, threw the ball over the first baseman's head (it looked like Polanco, strangely enough, from the replays) and into right field, allowing the tying run to come home. Then another run comes in for the Cardinals, and it's now 4-3. I just had a feeling it wasn't going to be the Tigers night, but then some hope. In the top of the eighth, Pudge hits a double for the Tigs, and he FINALLY broke out of his postseason slump. Next batter, Brandon Inge. He smacks a double himself, bringing Pudge home and now the game is tied! I thought the Tigers were gaining important momentum and were about to open the game up wide open. But they couldn't bring Inge home; even with 0 outs, and the inning ends on a double play.

Then came the Cardinals, effectively getting to Joel Zumaya and scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Craig Monroe just missed catching a fly ball by David Eckstien in left field, but the ball hits the top of his glove and falls to the field, allowing the run to come home and the score now being 5-4. From the seventh inning on, it was a devestating turn of events that left any Tigers' fans sick. It just wasn't the Tigers' night and the Cardinals took advantage of the Tigers' miscues and win the game.

I tell ya what, St. Louis has been getting all of the breaks in this series. I can't tell you how frustrating it was when Zumaya pitched and saw a couple of his pitches called balls. But when the Tigers were batting, those same pitches were called strikes. I do not want to blame the umps for the Tigers failings, but it was obvious from game four that Zumaya in particular was squeezed on a couple of those pitches. It was an unfortunate turn of events and that's what lead to him walking the first batter in the eight inning. How can you forget Granderson's fall in center field. Another routine fly ball that ends up turning into disaster for the Tigers. Of course the wet field from two days of rain in St. Louis hasn't helped matters, but if Craig Monroe caught his fly ball and the same for Granderson, last night's game just might've been a Tigers victory. The same goes for Rodney; if he would've properly fielded that ball and thrown it perfectly to first base, then nobody would be complaining about the Tigers' pitchers causing all four of the Tigers' errors in the World Series. But it's a painfully obvious stat today, now that the Tigers are training 3-1 in the series.

So the all-important game five is tonight in St. Louis. The Cardinals have an opportunity to win the World Series on their home field in front of their fans. Former Tiger Jeff Weaver will pitch for the Cardinals, while Justin Verlander goes for the Tigers. Many are questioning Jim Leyland's decision to go with Verlander in game five since he struggled in his last outing against the Cardinals. But why go with Kenny Rogers in such a hostile environment, especially after "smudge-gate"? I don't know that I particularly agree on going with Verlander, but I certainly agree on saving Kenny Rogers until game six in Detroit. I think Verlander is worn out from this season and may be running on fumes. However, I hope he has just enough to pitch a good game for the Tigers and keep the Cardinals from scoring very little. When Verlander has his best stuff, he's dominating. Hopefully Placido Polanco will contribute in tonight's game and be the last of the Tigers to break out of their offensive slump. We also need to get Magglio Ordonez going tonight as well, since he really hasn't done a whole lot in the World Series, either. If we can score a lot of runs early, then tonight's game will be in the bag for the Tigers and a return trip to Detroit is guarenteed.

At least prove Gene Wojciechowski wrong and bring the series back home to Detroit (check ESPN.com regarding the article). :-P

In the Midst of All that Rain

So game four of the World Series was postponed last night due to inclement weather in St. Louis. Major League Baseball officials were hoping to get in the game last night because the next few nights are looking like wash-outs as well. This goes to show you that playing baseball during mid to late October isn't exactly a good idea. If you don't have rain, it can either be snow or too cold. Either start the season earlier when the games don't mean as much (and if there are cancellations, at least you can have more double-headers) or shorten the season. I am sure if a dozen or so games are permanently removed from the schedule, it will help accomodate the post-season and the World Series. Potentially waiting for another World Series game after three days of rain-outs is quite foolish. It's time the World Series gets started in early October when the weather is a little bit better.

I am not sure whether waiting around for dry weather for several days is a good thing for the Tigers. You see what happened after they had to wait a week for the World Series to start. Personally, I think having the one day off after game three would really help the Tigers. However, if it's extended to two or even three days in between games, that could have a negative effect on them. I just hope the Tigers can break out of their offensive slump. Jim Leyland has made a few tweaks to the batting order for game four, so hopefully those changes will be positive for the Tigers. And you have to hope Jeremy Bonderman is lights out on the mound. This is the first time he's had to pitch on the road during the playoffs, so it'll be interesting to see how he handles the crowd on the road (as well as the waiting game to pitch).

But of utmost importance is the Tigers bats. They have to absolutely get going, otherwise this series won't be coming back to Detroit. Placido Polanco hasn't been able to hit in the World Series, nor has Curtis Granderson. And Pudge Rodriguez ... man oh man, no hits since game one of the ALCS! The Tigers were only able to muster three hits in game three against Chris Carpenter (two from Sean Casey and one from Brandon Inge). You certainly aren't going to win any games if you only have three hits. I think what also hurts the Tigers in St. Louis is not having the DH. Their ninth bat is the pitcher. Nate Roberston laid down an impressive bunt to advance a runner in game three. But unfortunatley, that is usually all the American League pitchers are able to do when batting in a National League park. Obviously it would help the Tigers tremendously to have Marcus Thames, Alexis Gomex, or Infante DH and put the bat on the ball. However, that is not possible when playing the NL rules. But when you need a pinch hitter and use him when the pitcher is supposed to bat, that means the end of the pitcher's night. It happened in game three and will likely happen during the next two.

Obviously it's not do or die time for the Tigers yet, but it's getting close. You certainly do not want to be down three games to one when the Cardinals could potentially clinch the series at home in game five. It's absolutely important for the Tigers to get some hits early and put runs on the board. Jeremy Bonderman must pitch well; allowing two runs or less, in order for the Tigers to have a chance. With the way the bats have gone cold lately, the fewer the runs the Cards put up the better. If the Tigers win game four; it's down to a best of three. I know they can do it and soon all of this talk of Kenny Rogers using pine tar, or the Tigers offensive struggles will be behind us. Hopefully we won't have to dwell on the things that went wrong for the Tigers and enjoy a World Series victory in the off-season.

Game 2 Win/Game 3 Preparation

After a lackluster performance from the Tigers in game one following a week layoff, the team finally found their true form and earned a win in game two of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The game wasn't without its moments of suspence or controversy, however. Kenny Rogers pitched another gem, going eight innings and allowing only two hits and no earned runs. So far in the 2006 playoffs for Kenny, he has a 0.00 ERA and has gone 23+ innings without earning a run. It is one of the greatest playoff performances from a pitcher of all time. However, I have a bad feeling that Kenny's achievements during this season's playoffs will be tarnished forever because of the substance on the palm of his pitching hand; discovered during the first inning of game two. It was brought to everyone's attention by FOX analyst Tim McCarver who pointed out the brownish-looking smear resembling pinetar. It was rather noticable in the first inning, but had virtually vanished in the second. Kenny was ordered to wash his hands off between the first and second innings, otherwise St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRusa would've no doubt pursued the issue further and might've gotten Kenny ejected from the game. It must be noted that without the substance on his hand from the second inning on, Kenny still pitched an amazing game. So with or without it, it was still the same Kenny Rogers that stimied the opponents bats this postseason.

Unfortunately, several key Tiger players have strugged so far in the World Series. Placido Polanco, the Tigers MVP during the ALCS, has not been able to make any key hits thus far. Curtis Granderson has done the same, even striking out frequently like he had done during the regular season. And Pudge Rodriguez ... what can you say? He's struggled the whole playoffs! Just two hits during the entire ALCS and no hits thus far in the World Series. One of these games he's going to break out of his slump and hopefully sooner rather than later. However, you want Pudge out there behind the plate, even if he's struggling at the plate. In game two, you saw some bright spots in Craig Monroe, who hit ANOTHER homerun. So far, Carlos Guillen has been the MVP for the Tigers in the World Series, just a homerun short of the single in game two. Even Sean Casey, who missed most of the ALCS because of a torn calf muscle, helped deliever a key hit in game two that brought home the third and final run for the Tigers. Final score: Tigers 3, Cardinals 1.

Oh, I can't forget about Todd Jones' less-than-stellar pitching in the ninth inning for the Tigers. After getting two key outs, he ended up allowing one run to come home, causing a key error after not fielding an infield hit, and loading the bases that potentially could've ended up losing the game for the Tigers. However, he finally ended up getting the final out and ending any thoughts of a comeback by the Cardinals. It was definitely one of them heart-racing, nerve-wracking moments that you never want to see. Honestly, I was like "oh no, here we go losing game two!" But thankfully, that did not happen. I don't know why it always happens to Todd Jones, but he's definitely earned his nickname "the rollercoaster" after two such performances in the playoffs. Actually, I was quite surprised Kenny did not finish the game after the way he had been pitching. I think Jim Leyland may have realized afterwards that it might've been better that he did!

Game three heads to St. Louis tonight where Tigers lefty Nate Robertson faces off against the Cardinals' ace Chris Carpenter. From what I have heard, Carpenter has had an excellent playoffs and the Tigers had better be ready to face him. Robertson has done reasonably well in the playoffs, although he has the highest ERA of all the Tigers' pitchers. He is a lefty, which should help against the Cards,' who have struggled against left-handed pitching during the regular season. As long as they pitch around Pujols and the rest of the Tigers' defense stays on its toes, the Tigers should earn another win and have a lead of 2-1 in the series. However, the Tigers need some of their key bats to come alive (as mentioned earlier in this blog). Otherwise this series may go to seven games. I figure if the Tigers have come this far, they might as well win it all.

GO TIGERS!

World Series Time!

The Major League Baseball playoffs have reached their pinnicle; a match-up between the very best of the American League vs. the best of the National League, appropriately titled the "World Series." Game one of the World Series started last night and if you are a Tigers fan (like me), it didn't start the way you would've liked. A lot of people thought the long rest in between games would not hurt the Tigers. In fact, it had been seven days since the Tigers last played; the day when they swept the Oakland A's in the ALCS. Needless to say, the Tigers were absolutely flat. They struggled at the plate; their pitching wasn't up to snuff, and they were basically out of it from the first few innings of the game. If you were a Tigers fan, you were disappointed by game one and thought it was rather boring (at least I did). They just didn't show much heart and failed to do what they did best during the previous seven games of the playoffs.

Justin Verlander, the Tigers ace rookie pitcher, took the loss for the Tigers. After they took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, the Cards tied the game up in the top of the 2nd from a home run. It appeared that Verlander was struggling a bit and leaving fastballs out over the plate. Although Verlander did have a number of strikeouts, it was a stat ignored thanks to the number of runs he had earned. The two-run homer he had given up to Pujols was the back-breaker, in my opinion. All of the momentum that the Tigers had was completely gone after the home run. And they definitely never regained any kind of momentum, nor passion, the rest of the game. They just weren't into their usual playoff mode. Hopefully that'll change in tonight's game two contest.

I was so disappointed, and quite frankly, bored with the game that I ended up falling asleep on my couch. I found myself waking up to a 5-1 game and Jason Grilli pitching with two runners on. I knew it would not be a good omen when I saw Grilli pitching, so I pretty much gave up on the game and went straight to bed around 9:30 (it doesn't help working five 10-hour shifts in a row). I was hoping for a miracle comeback, but I knew those chances were very slim. Sure enough, when I woke up this morning, I found out that the Tigers had lost 7-2. Even some of the so-called baseball experts were beginning to be concerned about the Tigers and their lack of spunk in game one. But folks, it was only game one. Do you honestly believe the Tigers will make it two-straight lackluster games in their own home field? I can't say that it won't happen, but I honestly have faith to say they will make it much more exciting and play exactly like they have been. I mean, the entire state of Michigan and Tiger fans throughout the world are depending on it!

With Kenny Rogers pitching tonight, I am pretty confident that the Tigers will set things right and tie the series up at a game a piece. He has been the Tigers most reliable pitcher so far in the playoffs (who would've thought, eh?). I believe the Tigers' bats will come alive, too, with ALCS MVP Placido Polanco having another huge game. And tonight we should see the return of Joel Zumaya. Tigers even things up 1-1 tonight, I can feel it. :-)

AL Champs!

How "sweep" it is. The Tigers will get to display a new championship banner in Comerica Park next season, whether they win the World Series or not. Yesterday, in dramatic fashion, the Tigers re-wrote the history books and defeated the Oakland A's 6-3 and swept the ALCS 4-0, becoming the American League Champions. Game four was not typical of the previous three because Oakland was the team to score first. Oakland's pitcher, Dan Haren, pitched a heck of a game, getting the Tigers to strike out or ground out frequently. Meanwhile, Jeremy Bonderman did not have the best stuff, especially during the first inning. He left balls over the plate and did not have great command of his pitches. Two runs would score on Detroit in the first and with Haren pitching great, it looked as if the Tigers might be in for a long game.

After the first inning, Bonderman settled down and pitched quite good. He did give up a home run to Jay Payton in the fourth inning; but that turned out to be the final blemish for Jeremy. In total, Bonderman pitched six and one-thirds inning, was charged with eight hits, three earned runs, and three strikeouts. The Tigers bats finally came alive, and Haren became vulnerable. The Tigers would score two runs in the fifth and Haren would give up the tying run in the sixth off a home run from Magglio Ordonez. That home run would knock Haren out of the game.

As the game progressed, it definitely appeared as if this one would go right down to the wire. The bullpen for both teams pitched spectacularly. The Tigers would end up leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the seven after Carlos Guillen hit into a double play. The A's would do the same in the top of the eighth, after Tigers' pitcher Jason Grilli walked three Oakland batters on 12 pitches with two outs. Wilfredo Ledezma came into the game and got the final out with a pop-up to Pudge Rodriguez. From that point on, neither team would score until the bottom of the ninth.

For some reason, I had a feeling that the Tigers final game of the ALCS would be something magical. And with the team up three games to none against Oakland in the series, why waste an opportunity to sweep and give some momentum back to the opponent. The Tigers were known throughout the regular season for some of their amazing comebacks. Game four of the ALCS would not disappoint. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Craig Monroe hit a single. Then Placido Polanco, the Tigers ALCS MVP, also hits a single. Then up to bat, Magglio Ordonez. For most of the ALCS, the Tigers did not see many hits from Magglio until game four when he nailed a homerun over the left field wall earlier in the game. Magglio became the hero of game four. With a 1-0 against Oakland's closing pitcher, Huston Street, Ordonez smacks the ball into the left field seats. There was absolutely no doubt about it being a home run. As soon as it left his bat, everyone in the ball park and everyone watching at home knew it was out. The Tigers would win the game with a walk-off homer. There's nothing more dramatic when it comes to winning a baseball game than to do it with a walk-off home run. It will become a moment that every Tigers fan will remember for a very long time.

I was pretty close to my prediction regarding game four, although I did not think Magglio would be the one to break out of his slump. Pudge Rodriguez didn't do a whole lot for the Tigers during the ALCS, which is certainly disappointing for the team leader. Carlos Guillen struggled during the series but helped the team in game four by getting on base a couple of times (base on balls and a single). The A's were the team to come out of the gates first, scoring in the first and fourth innings. But the Tigers were never out of it.

Now it's on to the World Series; the Tigers' first since 1984. Game one begins Saturday, October 21 at 8:00 PM in Comerica Park. We do not yet know who our opponent will be, as the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets are still at it, with the series tied at two games a piece. The NLCS could very well end up going seven games. It'll be interesting to see if either NL team the Tigers face will be tired coming into the World Series, with the Tigers well-rested. Time will tell, and further blog postings will appear regarding the World Series during the next week as the Tigers try to win their first championship in 22 years.

The Clincher

Sorry for not updating the blog after the Tigers game one win over the Oakland A's earlier this week. I have had a few busy days here; but I am now fitting in some time to preview game four of the ALCS. As you can see, I have been doing a better job of updating this new blog more than old one. You can be sure more blog postings will come during the next few weeks. This, being my fifth blog posting, is the most I've ever written in a month! So that is definitely a good sign.

For those who have been watching the ALCS, how can you not gloat about the Tigers and their awesome pitching staff? It's no wonder the team is in the position that it's in. I thought game one was a lot closer than the score indicated. Nate Robertson's pitching was somewhat erratic at times and he was losing control of some of his pitches. The A's managed to get people on base during most of the game; yet the Tigers kept the A's off the board until late. The final score, Detroit 5 - Athletics 1. Brandon Inge was the true hero of the game with some significant base hits after he had slumped during the ALDS. Nate Robertson had a key inning where runners were on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. Jim Leyland came to the mound and had a talk with Nate. He then proceeded to strike out the side. Like I said, his pitching performance wasn't stellar, but he did just enough to win the game for the team. That, and his teammates really supported his case.

Game two produced the most offense of the series, thus far. Detroit's ace and rookie pitcher Justin Verlander took the mound. Just as with Robertson, Verlander did not have his best stuff. His pitching command was off and he was not getting the ball in its proper places. Verlander paid a few times, especially with Milton Bradley who hit one of two home runs against Verlander (Bradley's other home run came against Ledezma). In fact, after Bradley's first home run, the Tigers found themselves behind, 3-1. But just as in the Yankees series (game two, to be exact), the Tigers came roaring back. Their offense really stepped up with Verlander struggling a bit. Todd Jones lived up to his nickname (rollercoaster) in the ninth inning after getting two outs and loading the bases. "The Big Hurt" Frank Thomas came to bat and flied out to center, ending the game for the A's. Final score; Detroit 8, A's 5.

After a day off, game three took place in Detroit with the starting time changed to 4:30 PM because, according to Major League Baseball, a concern regarding the weather. Temperatures were in the middle 40's with brisk winds, causing wind chills to dip in the 20's. Fans and players alike bundled up in the cold and enjoyed an afternoon game of October baseball. Once again, Kenny Rogers was dominant on the mound, pitching a two-hit shutout against the A's. The Tigers scored three runs; two in the first and the third later in the game from a home run by Craig Monroe. Fernando Rodney has been absolutely lights-out in his relief appearances in the playoffs thus far. He came into the game during the eight and helped produce a double play that helped ended the scoring threat of the A's. Todd Jones came in the ninth and helped stymie the A's offense. Final score; Detroit 3 - A's 0.

Game four gets underway in a little less than 20 minutes. Jeremy Bonderman pitches for Detroit; and they are looking for him to have another brilliant outing in a playoff clinching game. Expect to see Bonderman give up a few runs, but Detroit's offense really comes alive. I expect a big game from Pudge Rodriguez and Carlos Guillen; who have basically been non-existent in this series. I predict the Tigers scoring over five runs in this game and sweeping the A's to give them their first World Series birth and AL Pennant since 1984. Before the series started, I predicted the Tigers winning the series in six, but that would mean them having to travel back to Oakland in order for that to occur. Let's not let that happen! It sounds to me as if Oakland has already conceeded the series to the Tigers, anyways. GO TIGERS! :-D

Nearly Game Time (Game 1 of ALCS)

Game one of the ALCS is about to start. I've been checking out a lot of various baseball media websites and checking the "expert" picks. I'd say the majority of the picks are split between the two teams - yet maybe a slight edge for the A's. Many are saying it'll be a six or seven game series. The Tigers and the A's match-up fairly evenly. It will definitely be an interesting series for sure. If the Tigers can game a split in Oakland, they will be in great shape (as what occured in the Yankees series). But the ALCS is a seven-game series, so a little more work is involved in winning a series. The Tigers can do it, and tonight's starter, Nate Robertson, is due for a big game performance. We've already seen it from Kenny Rogers and Jeremy Bonderman in the previous series. I think it will be Nate's time to shine.

One of my favorite sports programs that I watch daily (or at least try to) is Pardon the Interruption on ESPN. I've been a watcher from the very beginning, and the show never grows old. Today, the show featured a discussion about baseball and the ALCS. Richard Justice from the Houston Chronicle first discussed the Yankees and their decision to bring Joe Torre back. Then they discussed the ALCS and the match-up between the A's and the Tigers. I am happy to announce that all three men, Justice, Tony Kornheiser, and Micheal Wilbon all picked the Tigers to win the ALCS, but in a coin flip (because it's going to be THAT close). I have to give mad love to those guys for picking the Tigers - it was unanimous! I also must mention TK and Wilbon have talked about the Upper Peninsula on a couple of occasions on their show in the past and absolutely loving it here (they really loved the golf courses). I am definitely a big fan of theirs for this and because they do an awesome job on PTI.

Meanwhile, on the show that comes on before PTI, three of the columnists on "Around the Horn" picked the A's over the Tigers. The lone supporter for the team from Detroit is none other than Woody Paige. During the all-star break, Woody predicted that the Tigers would fall out of playoff contention by the end of the season. Well they did fall off some, but not enough to eliminate them from the playoffs. After the Yankees series, he changed his tune and is now a Tigers supporter. Way to go Woody!

Be sure to check out tomorrow's blog regarding my reactions to game one of the ALCS.

Vision

Having the ability to see is something very important to us all. Unfortunately, there are those that do not get to share in this luxury, so our vision is something very important. We all need to take care of our eyes any way we can. Today, I had my two-year eye examination. I am a frequent wearer of glasses and without them, I'd be blind as a bat. Although an eye examination is no fun and can be a hassle, it really is important in the long run. Not only does diabetes run in my family, but glacoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts. So needless to say, getting an eye exam is a high priority for me. I went through a variety of tests on my eyes, including getting them dialated. Thankfully it was cloudy outside so the real brightness of the sun did not disturb me. Yet it was still very irritating on the eyes and I had to lay low for most of the day, staying in near-complete darkness. However, putting up with this for one day is better than an eternity of blindness.

I did need a new pair of glasses as the lenses on my old ones are heavily scratched (thanks to dropping them a few times on a cement floor). I remember as a young kid during the fifth and sixth grade, I was terrified of wearing glasses and was worried at what the other kids would say when I had them on. Looking back at it now, I can't believe how stupid I was. I didn't get the confidence to wear them in school until I was in junior high. By then, my vision had gotten significantly worse from not wearing glasses that I needed to get stronger lenses. If I could do it all over again, I'd wear my glasses right from the start and maybe my eyes wouldn't be in as bad of shape as they are now. Oh well, at least I still have my vision. I know we all take our eyes for granted, but I sure am glad I started wearing my glasses before it may have been too late.

A Proud Fan

Well, it is the day after the Tigers shocked the world and defeated the almighty New York Yankees in the best-of-five American League Divisional Series. I can't tell you how thrilled and excited I am right now at seeing the Tigers in this position. It has truly been a long time coming. The last time the Tigers won a playoff series was 1984; their last world series championship. Hopefully we are heading in the same direction as we did in 1984. It would really put an exclamation point on the magical season that the 2006 season has been.

The Tigers entered the postseason with a five-game losing streak against the Toronto Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals. Nobody expected the Tigers to lose one game against Kansas City in their final homestand of the season, let alone the entire series! With Minnesota losing, the Tigers had a plethora of chances to win their first AL Central Division title. But it just wasn't meant to be. They ended up winning the AL Wild Card and were poised to face the New York Yankees in New York to start the ALDS. If they had become AL Central Champs, they'd start the ALDS at home against the Oakland A's. Needless to say, it did not work out that way. However, the A's ended up sweeping the Minnesota Twins and we beat the Tigers. Maybe this was how things were supposed to end up.

I must admit, I was not very confident of our chances coming into the series with the Yankees. How could you not feel this way, especially after losing the final five games of the season and seeing how horrendous the pitching looked during those games. I was content with winning one game against the Yankees. Let's be honest, the national media amped up the Yankees as being the "best line-up ever assembled." They also have a $200 million payroll, the highest in all of major sports. It was pretty easy to see why nobody gave the Tigers much of a chance. Unfortunately I let myself believe all of the hype that the national media gave the Yankees and figured we were doomed. Many of the so-called baseball experts predicted a sweep. So when we won game two in New York 4-3, I was thrilled. I remember thinking to myself, "well, we won a game. That's pretty good." Then came game three in Detroit where Kenny Rogers would end up facing Randy Johnson. The national media were at it again, putting a microscope on Kenny Rogers and his difficulties against pitching in the playoffs and the Yankees. He once pitched for the Yankees during the mid-1990's when the Yankees won a bunch of World Series titles. They one those titles without Kenny, as he did not pitch well in any of his performances. The national media pounced on this fact and basically figured the Tigers would have no chance because of it. They thought Kenny would fail and the Tigers would end up losing. Ohhh, were they ever wrong. Kenny pitched a gem; some would say he pitched the game of his career. Nearly eight innings and zero earned runs. His teammates put up six runs to support his cause, and the Tigers won game three 6-0. It was truly a special night and one to remember.

Then came game four, and slowly but surely, some of the baseball experts began to consider the Yankees vulnerable. The Comerica Park crowd during game three was absolutely nuts in supporting the Tigers, which really helped to motivate the team. In fact, all of the momentum seemed to be with the Tigers. The Yankees star-studded line-up was flailing and not producing the big hits when they needed it. Game four proved to be just as magical for Detroit. Tigers' ace Jeremy Bonderman pitched a gem, upon the heels of Rogers' stellar game. Bonderman retired the first 15 New York batters and had a no-hitter going into the top of the six. Jeremy would later give up a run on four hits, but he went into the top of the ninth with a seven run cushion on the way to another Tigers victory. The Tigers would win game four 8-3 and send the Yankees back home to New York and another failed attempt at a world series championship. The victory celebration after the game was truly something special. Instead of the team celebrating their series victory amongst themselves in the clubhouse, they brought the celebration onto the field with the fans. Many of the players brought out champaigne bottles and ran around the stadium in a victory lap, spraying the crowd. During a moment after the game, Tigers manager Jim Leyland went to kiss members of his family, and then kissed the brim of a fan's cap on his way back towards the dugout. Kenny Rogers climbed to the top of the Tigers dugout and sprayed fans with champaigne, and then poured some on a state police trooper who was there for security. It is something I had never seen in my life and a moment I will never forget. The victory in game four against the vaunted Yankees ranks as one of the biggest Detroit sports thrills in my life, and is probably one of the most significant moment in Detroit Tigers baseball history! Yes, it is that huge, especially for a team that hasn't been to the post season in 19 years. A new generation of fans now know what it's like to see a winning baseball team represent the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan. Seeing last night's celebration really made me want to be there live and in person. Too bad I live eight hours away.

After the Tigers stunning series victory against the Yankees, many people are left to eat crow, including all of ESPN's baseball analysts. I love it when the "experts" are proven wrong - and this time, quite badly. Many even had the Yankees winning the world series! Oh how wrong they are. The Tigers move to the American League Championship Series to face the Oakland Athletics. The Tigers and A's pretty much split the regular season series against each other as both teams are fairly similar. The Tigers head out to Oakland and play game one Tuesday night at 8:00 PM (EDT). This is such a special season for the Tigers and after beating the Yankees, I think nothing can stop them on their way to the world series. Yes, the A's will put up a fight, but with the pitching staff stepping up, I think the Tigers will shut the A's down. My prediction is the Tigers winning the ALCS in six games and head to the world series, their first since 1984. It would be fitting, especially after a magical season that 2006 has been.

More blog postings later on the Tigers improbable run in the 2006 playoffs!

New Blog Location

Well, after about a month, I have decided to officially move my blog away from WordPress. I had become tired of their service and after I could no longer recover my log-in and password information (despite many attempts to use their "lost password" service), I decided it was time to make a switch. Blogger looks like it will be a much better option for me. It even has a way to customize templates with ease, which is something I look forward to using very much. I will adjust all of the links to the various sites where I have the blog linked so it will take you to this location. All of my existing blogs will be archived on WordPress, so those will still be available to read from. In the meantime, here is a blog that I wrote just a few days ago that I posted on myspace (since I could not access my account on WordPress) about my beloved baseball team, the Detroit Tigers, and their success during the 2006 season. This particular blog was written prior to last night's amazing 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees in the ALDS playoffs. I was hoping for one win; and I got it! Nothing makes me prouder than to see the team I root for win against the hated Yankees. Enjoy, and I look forward to writing to you more here on Blogger. :)

10-4-06:
It's not often that I write about sports in my blog; that is unless one of my favorite teams just so happens to be doing well. Such is the case with the Detroit Tigers. I have been a life-long fan of the club and I can remember many fond memories of listening to legendary radio broadcaster Ernie Harwell calling the games when I was younger. However, I can never remember a Tigers' team playing in the playoffs. I recall a few good seasons when the team actually got above the .500 mark; but that was in the early 1990's. I was five years old when the Tigers last were in the playoffs, that being 1987. I have no recollection whatsoever of that year and the Tigers' achievements. So needless to say, after 19 years of baseball futility, it's actually nice to see my team playing well into October.

My parents had a tremendous love for the team back when I was little. They always had the games on the television, always listened to the games on the radio whenever we weren't near a television, and we always kept track of the team. Every summer for awhile, we managed to watch them play in Milwaukee against the Brewers. That was where we saw them play the most; as Detroit was just a bit too far away, as was the case with Minneapolis. However, we did take a trip down to Tiger Stadium and watch the Tigers play. I can remember the moment as my dad pulled up near the stadium in Detroit and seeing this gigantic while building rise up to the sky. We had to go over a busy Detroit freeway in a pedestrian overpass and we could see many different buildings from that vantage point. As we neared the stadium, one of the ticket vendors told my dad he couldn't bring his movie camera into the stadium, so he had to go back to the car and drop it off; then meet us back in front of the stadium. I remember the festivities outside of the stadium; and it was just like a party atmosphere. Once we entered the inside of the building, it had this distinct smell that is hard to describe. You had to be there in order to know what I mean. It was a mix of hotdogs and old building smell ... anyways, it was very unique and indescribable. As we walked through the corridor in the interior of the stadium, it had this hallow sound and TV monitors echoed the pre-game festivities that were taking place prior to the game. Once we found where we were going to sit, I remember walking uphill to our seats and then I saw it ... the bright green, well manicured grass that the Tigers played on. It was perfect in every sense of the word. I remember being in complete awe as I gazed around the field, noting every significant feature of the stadium that I remember seeing on television and now being able to witness in person. It was truly stunning and one memory that I will never forget. Now that the Tigers no longer play in Tiger Stadium and with it scheduled to be demolished, it's even more special to me. We never did make it back to Detroit since that one visit to Tiger Stadium, but we're hoping to see Comerica Park one day.

One of my fondest memories of old Milwaukee County Stadium was when Cecil Fielder, one of the Tigers all-star players back in the late 1980's and early 90's, blasted a homerun out to left field. It wasn't your ordinary run-of-the-mill homerun that landed in the seats. No, it went over the seats, over the left field wall of the stadium, and into the parking lot! That was an incredible moment. I can always recall many Tiger fans in attendance at the games in Milwaukee, so we never felt left out there. I remember the old-style scoreboard that they used as well as this old freakish-looking tower out into right-center field (I think). And of course, how can you forget Bernie the Brewer going down the slide whenever the Brewers hit a homerun (not a good thing for the Tigers, mind you). We haven't been back to Milwaukee since the new stadium was built, and it makes it even more difficult now that the Brewers play in the National League. They were once American League rivals of the Tigers for many years.

It has been a long time since I've been able to enjoy a Tigers team with the success the 2006 club has had. There have been many 100+ loss seasons that were hard to take. Many of those seasons I did not really follow the team that closely. The games would be on the television, but I always remember telling myself "ah well, another loss today," and then promptly changing the channel. That certainly was not the case this year. Many-a-nights I was glued to the TV watching the team win game after game, some of them more dramatically that the others. The end of the season was a bit of a disappointment, especially after they gave up the division crown to the Twins on the very last day of the season. But nontheless, this was something I hadn't seen the Tigers do in a very long time - in fact, not since I was a boy. So no matter their downfalls and their expected first round departure in the playoffs (to the mighty Yankees), I am still proud of the team and excited what lies ahead. Heck, it was 19 years in the making.