Ummm guys?

Since the end of October I have been sitting around basking in the warm glow of another (yes I just typed the word ANOTHER) Red Sox World Championship, the Patriots weekly assault on the NFL, its teams and all time records, and the new Gang Green Boston Celtics (who as we speak own the best record in the NBA at 13-2). I sat back and watched Theo and his Band of Renouned re-sign Curt Schilling to a below market deal (thanks Curt) so he can finish his career in Boston (with a 3rd championship dare I ask???) and sign the goodest (sure I made that word up) third baseman on the planet Mike Lowell, to a nice shiny new deal. Great we all thought. Now we can sit back and enjoy the winter. Maybe grab some middle relief, maybe another bat or something. You know - take it EASY.

Then the Twins had to go and make all world pitcher Johan Santana available to the highest bidder. Since MLB has no salary cap the "highest bidder" is one of approximately 5 teams. There's no way the Royals or Nationals get Johan. Step right up Red Sox, Yankers/Chokers (or whatever you'd prefer to call them these days), Angels, Mets and Dodgers. You see it's not just about having the prospects to give up for him. You also have to pony up the $150million extention as well. YUMMY.

So Johan becomes available. So of course the Red Sox (and Chokers - I'm going with that) have to get involved. With dueling prospect packages. The problem is not the $$$. It's which prospects the Twins want. Perhaps you saw this kid Ellsbury in the playoffs last year. Batted .400. Stole the "base that fed a country". Broke hearts all the way from Bangor to Newport. Well - the Twins want him. Oh yeah - and the kid who threw the no-hitter last September. They want him. The Twins are like the Air Force. AIM HIGH.

Well now this just keeps going back and forth. Chokers up their prospect package. Sox change theirs around. Back and forth they go.

Then I see this note in the news yesterday. Another ace may be available next to a little picture of Eric Bedard of the Orioles. DING. The light goes on. This is the same Eric Bedard who was leading the league in K's with an ERA around 3 before he tweaked a muscle in his side and had to shut it down in September. So - why not bid up the deal with Santana but hold firm on the Lester, Crisp and two minor league studs package while also reaching out to the Orioles about Bedard.

I hardly think it's that crazy an idea.

Ummm Theo? You listening??

First Snow

After yet another self imposed blogging hiatus, I couldn't think of a better time to make my triumphant return than the first snowfall of the season here in Beaverton. I do have to clarify that when I say first snow I don't mean a sea of white as far as the eye can see and snowballs and snow angels....we could only be so lucky. Instead we have been treated to lots of big fluffy flakes falling harmlessly to the ground against a backdrop of pine trees for a beautiful holiday view. It's been enough to bring a smile to my face, inspire a load of phone calls to relatives and friends living outside of the Pacific NW, and most of all get my 5 yr old daughter outside in her pj's in sub-freezing weather to catch some snowflakes on her tongue (a task at which she was wildly successful).

I remember as a child (as well as a young adult and adult I must admit) hearing snow in the forecast for the first time of the season and practically not being able to sleep from the excitement. I would peer out of my bedroom window looking for the falling snow against the light of the streetlights and was always immensely disappointed when there was nothing yet to see. I remember sitting in class at school looking out the window just waiting to see that first flake fall from the sky and then along with the rest of the class, rushing outside once it had officially begun.

After moving to CA from the East Coast and living there for 18 yrs, I never realized how much I missed the snow until last year when the family and I moved to Oregon. Last November we got a bit of snow (I wrote about it on the blog) and I was again filled with that excitement. In January we actually got a real snow-STORM here where my wife and daughter actually got to play in snow for the first time (my wife was born in LA, my daughter in Palo Alto, CA). It was such a blast!!!!

We certainly won't get a big dump today but the first fluffy flakes of the year are certainly a welcome sight for sore eyes.