COMMUNICATIONS INTERRUPT: So Much for the Screaming II: The Next Day

Hi, Prime here. You can tell because I use Eurostile for everything. Unless you can't because you don't have it, in which case, sux2bU. :p

Weasel's at work, slavin' away for the megacorporate. I, on the other hand, am at home watching the final Brewers home game of the season--and they're puttin' on a helluva show. Kinda wish I had risked her wrath to drive down to Miller Park on my own. It's only the bottom of the fourth inning, and so far, Ryan Braun has knocked two two-run home runs in, Lorenzo Cain has put bat to his first career home run, and Prince Fielder landed one in the Blue Bunny section in right field, at which point (bottom of the third) Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez decided that he'd seen enough of Adalberto Mendez on the mound for the day. Ha. 7-1 Milwaukee.

Weasel is going to be simultaneously so pissed and so pleased when she finds out, considering having witnessed the Marlins' 16th shutout this season just yesterday evening. Her combination facial expressions are just priceless, lemme tell ya. You wouldn't think facial muscles could move that way, but yeegh.

She's asking, nay, demanding that I net tickets for Brewers On Deck in January and the home opener in April. (Former would be easy enough, but the latter requires miraculous abilities I simply do not possess.) I ask you, what have I wrought upon the world? Y'know, when I became a fan in 1987, marrying a girl who'd go complete bonzo for the Brewers wasn't really marked as a point-of-interest on my mental map...

Enhh. And I have to agree wholeheartedly with Weasel's comment about the swirling trade rumors surrounding Fielder. I had hoped that with Bud Selig finally out of the picture that the era of getting a good-to-great-to-star player only to trade him away for yet more (sneer) future prospects was over. But GM Doug Melvin is still here, so that's yet a danger. Hopefully principal owner Mark Attanasio will continue to be more willing to open the wallet than anyone in the Selig family ever was.

--Prime, "No, this has not nor is likely to become a sports blog. Put your bats away."

(HA SEE WHAT I DID THERE)

EDIT 1550, top of the 9th: And to top it all off, now it's Trevor Time at Miller Park. Yeah. There'll be screaming, all right.

So Much for the Screaming

Just got back from the game (construction on US 41 notwithstanding; damn barrels were keeping everyone's right tires beyond the solid white line and down to 25 mph, WTF). Guess not every one I'm lucky enough to see in person can log the Brewers another mark in the Win column--they were shut out 4-0 by the Florida Marlins. Sort of sad when the highlight of the game for mah guyz is Cain bouncing off the wall in right-center to net a fly ball.

Prime says he owns a Marlins cap that he got a year or two after their inaugural season. I'mma find it, I'mma burn it. With fire.

So the mere fact of the loss is the, uh, rum raisin ice cream in this rather crappy Saturdae (as opposed to 'Sundae'). The expired whipped cream: it was a Fan Appreciation Night at the ballpark, as this is the last homestand of the season, and nobody in our section got a giveaway of any flavor. (I mean, it's even fun just to peer down/crane your neck/whatever trying to spot an actual winner in your section.)

The goddamn so-sour-it-never-should-have-been-picked cherry? This loss meant that the Brewers clinched a losing season this year. Yeah, sure, when a team's at 81 losses and there are still more than a week's worth of games to play, you shouldn't spend very much time hoping that they'll suddenly get on a hot streak and burn through the rest of the season W, W, W, W...but I can't help it, I love this damn game and I love the Brewers.

Better luck next year, I hope. And all this idiotic talk about trying to trade Prince Fielder for some hot prospects or a great pitcher or whatever...to anybody who spouts that as being a good idea? Eeeeeffffffffffffff yyyooooooooouu.

Not a complete toss. I did get a cool T-shirt commemorating Trevor Hoffman's 600th career save, and finally netted the Topps 2010 Brewers baseball card set that I'd been looking to get. Dang cool.

--Weasel, "Love the game, love the Crew--it's all Prime's damn fault."

And Today in Fun

So, I'm off today. And Prime snagged us a pair of tickets to tonight's Brewers game. In a few hours, we'll be heading down to Milwaukee and glorious Miller Park.

I just hope this isn't a mistake. I've had a cold for the past three days and I work tomorrow. If I scream too much, I'm slagged.

Oh, well. It'll be totally worth it.

--Weasel, trying to decide whether to wear the Prince Fielder jersey or tee...

Friday Photoblog: "I'm Back, Baby" Edition

(Been a while since I've done this. I know I shouldn't have let it go for so long, but it's been a bad few weeks, which is why I've been slacking. Don't be too upset, mmkay?)

The BotCon Autograph litho, complete with autographs. From BotCon 2010.
(The wait for the next 'Con is freaking killing me.)

One Year

It's been one year since Prime and I did this.
And I am so glad we did.

--Weasel, married and loving it. (Love ya, Prime. Muchas smoochas!)

Failure is Not an Option... It's Automatically Bundled with Windows

Just a word of caution--never assume that letting Windows Update run is going to turn out smooth as silk, peachy-keen, etc., etc.

I'm fine (now), Alexa One is fine (now),...sheesh.

--Weasel "Let's not have this shit happen again, okay?."

Dear Spiders,

Please stop doing the "drop and dangle" over my bed. It freaks me out, causes Prime to panic and results in some pretty nasty deaths for you and your brethren. If you guys have any sense (common, spider, or otherwise) whatsoever, you'll freaking stop this stupidity, all right?

Sincerely,

--The (very) Freaked-Out Weasel

For Whom the (Hell's) Bell Tolls

(Click the title for musical accompaniment.)

Last night, Prime and I went to our (probable) last Brewers game of the season.

What a night it was. My arms are still sore from clapping and I'm very hoarse. I've been coughing ever since I got up this morning. I can barely speak because I screamed so much last night. But it was worth it. It was totally worth it.

We got to beautiful Miller Park about half an hour before game start. First thing we did was hit the Team Store. You think I kid, but I could spend a serious boatload of money in there. I first settled on a Trevor Hoffman bobble head, but then switched for a pair of smaller ones that Prime spotted. These were of Hoffman and Prince Fielder. I thought, Two for the price of one. Why the hell not? Ran us $21, which is the least I've ever spent there. I do not joke. Next time, I'm getting that Brewers necklace they have. I will wear it every day. And I'll get a watch to go with it.

Prime grabbed us some food while I ran and hit the ladies room. While in there I heard the announcement of the on-field umpires. I groaned out loud when I heard the name Tim Timmons. Prime's seen him call games and he always manages to blow at least one call. And act like a rampaging douche.

We had no idea, though that the umps on the field happened to be the Summer's Eve Team: For your maximum amount of Douche! Good lord, I have never seen such douche-baggy behavior in my frickin' life. Seriously, the whole lot of 'em needed a smack upside the head.

Thankfully, I won't be remembering the game for that.

Narveson pitched for most of the game, then Villanueva came in later. After Villanueva, it was Axford. At this point, quite a few people decided to leave. Bad idea, but I digress.

Prime figured that since Axford was in (it was the eighth inning, after all) and the Brewers were ahead by two that we weren't going to be hearing "Hell's Bells" in the Park that night. Kinda depressing but I figured I'd just catch Hoffman's 600th save on TV.

Then someone behind me said, "Is that Hoffman warming up in the bullpen?"

I caught myself saying, "Dude, don't even. Because if it isn't him I'm gonna get upset." Prime, who was taking pictures of the game turned and looked at me. He spoke two words and pointed to the scoreboard. "It's him."

On a corner of the scoreboard it read--Brewers Bullpen: Hoffman.

I let loose a yelp. We'd be hearing "Hell's Bells" and I might get lucky enough to see number 600.

When the eighth inning ended, nearly everyone started getting to their feet. Then both the Jumbotron and the scoreboard went dark. All of Miller Park erupted in cheering. Several seconds later came the familiar clang of the bell.

It was Trevor Time in Miller Park.

I was standing up and screaming as loudly as I could. The entire stadium was filled with cheering, screaming fans. We wanted number six hundred. We were hyped and yelling.

At first it looked a little dark; Rasmus got on base but Winn hit a grounder that resulted in a nice double-play. That brought Miles, a pinch-hitter to the plate. He got a full count, then Miles sent a ground ball to Counsell who fired the ball to Fielder for the last out.

Trevor threw his hands in the air. The Brewers in the dugout swarmed the mound while the pitchers came screaming out of the bullpen to do the same, hugging him and slapping him on the back. "Hell's Bells" rang through Miller Park and 30,000 plus fans were screaming in hysteria. I was yelling, clapping, almost crying and all but dancing where I stood. It was truly an awesome night.

Truth be told, I'm getting a little choked up now, just remembering it.

Prime and I stayed after the initial celebration. We were able to watch (and Prime recorded) the interview that Hoffman gave after this most historic game. Man-oh-man, did we ever pick the right game to attend--it could have just as easily been the other BP C'mon Back Club game in this series that we redeemed at the Miller Park ticket office after BotCon.

To Trevor Hoffman, I extend my congratulations. You pitched a helluva save and I'm damn glad I was in the Park that night, able to see history in the making.

To Prime, I say thanks. For getting us to the game, for letting me run around the Team Store and grab souvenirs but mostly I thank you for getting me involved in this. Never thought I'd be a baseball fan. But I am now and I love every second of it, just like I love you.

To the nuts who left during the seventh inning and afterward, I simply say: Maybe next time you'll stay for the whole game cause you poor nits really missed out! (Sucks to be you guys, don't it?)

--Weasel, who'd love to see Hoffy get number 700 in a Brewers uniform and be there in the Park to see it happen...

Still Kickin'... Sorta

I'm still here; it's just been a really bad couple of weeks. The job has been wearing at me (at least Bitch Convoy is freaking gone!) and there's been other shit that's been going after me. It's not really something I can go into, either.

I'll try and update soon... if I don't feel completely slagged.

--Weasel, "Life sucks but the Weird Al concert was pretty awesome."

Friday Photoblog: "A Little Dinner Music" Edition

Stan Bush in concert at the Paramount party. From BotCon 2009.
(I still have Dare stuck in my head...)