This weekend we went to Queens on both days.  Yesterday we had to go to the apartment of my cousin-in-law’s late friend.  The apartment was located in a neighborhood called Middle Village, between St. John’s and Lutheran Cemeteries.  We cleaned out the refrigerator and pantry and discarded all food items that were opened.  Since the woman was a collector, and her will said that any items in the apartment should be given away, we were able take home some cooking items like baking pans and colanders.  My daughter got some beanie babies for her collection.  Other times were taken by one of her former coworkers. 

Today it was raining in the morning and my softball games were canceled.  Even if it was not raining at game time, it rained during the night and the infield was a sea of mud, making it necessary for the league to call off the games.  My daughter’s soccer was also canceled.  Hopefully we will play next week. 

Since there were no games for my daughter or me, we were able to leave earlier for my folks’ house in Flushing.  My wife and I wound up walking to a multiplex movie house near the old Flushing Airport and saw The Black Dahlia.  It is fictional story based on a real murder in 1947.  We both enjoyed it, especially the scenery and authentic 1940’s wardrobes.  After that we went to a Vietnamese restaurant called Pho located on Prince Street next to the Green Papaya that we frequent (Green Papaya had no tables available).
The Mets and Yankees both finished with identical records this season, 97-65, and won their respective divisions.  The other races were also determined: Minnesota Twins in the AL Central; Oakland Athletics in the AL West; Detroit Tigers have the AL Wild Card.  The St. Louis Cardinals won the NL Central; the San Diego Padres in the NL West; the Los Angeles Dodgers have the NL Wild Card.  Of course I am hoping for a Subway Series.

It’s big a bit chaotic since last Sunday.  I worked until 7 PM on Wednesday and Thursday, and all day yesterday to get invoices to my partners so that they can send them to our clients and the Firm will get paid by fiscal year end (October 31).  On Friday I got an e/mail from a secretary I work with telling me that some of the invoices may not be complete because the partner did not have a week’s worth of time in when the reports were first run and the drafts created.  I asked some of the assistants what we could do and they told me nothing.  Then my boss calls me in to her office about this.  I was reminded that there is a small screen for each client telling us of excluded time entries.  However, since they usually want everything done by yesterday nobody notices everything all of the time.  As it turns out, only 5 clients were affected, and their bills had not left yet.  I simply revised them and brought them down. 

After work on Friday I headed out to St. John’s University to participate in the alumni baseball game held at the Jamaica campus.  Of course, my boss would not let me take the day off or leave a little early.  I even had to stay a ½ hour late.  So once I got to the 50^th Street subway station I had to wait 20 minutes for a train, and it was overcrowded and taking forever to load and unload at the succeeding stations.  Once I got to the campus and the ball field I suited up and waited to play.  I knew that I was late, but not how late.  The game was over 15 minutes after I got there.  However, some of the other players have proposed an alumni get together on a Saturday in April before a regular game.  The alumni can have their own home run derby or batting contest.  If it’s on a weekend, there is less chance of work interfering with attending.   

This morning I participated in a softball doubleheader with my team.  We played on a field in Selden called Veterans Field.  Needless to say, we managed to lose again: 22-17 in the first game and 16-4 in the second.  The second game was curtailed by invoking the mercy rule.  I generally now just coach 1^st base and come up as an extra hitter.  I came up in the second game and struck out.  Wait until next week.
 

The New York baseball scene is getting interesting.  The Yankees managed to get themselves eliminated in the first round again.  The problem may be that they under-estimate their opponents, and get complacent.  I was very happy to see the Mets sweep the Dodgers and advance to the next round.  So far the 1988 National League championship has been avenged (the Dodgers eliminated the Mets then).  Now I am hoping for a rematch of the 1973 World Series against Oakland, and this time the Mets win it all.

For the past several days I have been working over time each night, and today I was at my desk from 9 am straight to 7 pm.  I will be glad when the fiscal year is over.

During the day some of my coworkers began to talk about a small plane or helicopter hitting a building.  They did not say where at first, but they more details came and it turns out to be on East 72^nd Street near York Avenue.  Once Yahoo had more details it turned out to be in the 500 block, between York and the East River.  My internist’s (who is also a cousin) office is nearby on the 400 block.  The office of the sports medicine specialist who I visited 11 months ago is across the street from the crash site.  Saddest of all, two people were killed.  One was Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle.  His death reminded all New York baseball fans of August 1979 when Yankee catcher Thurman Munson was killed in a plane crash in Ohio.  Cory’s passing makes the Yankees’ elimination from the post season seem petty now.  

With the heavy rains the Mets Cardinals game was postponed.  Hopefully they will get to play tomorrow.

At least it’s not SSDD for me right now.  Since my last entry on the 11^th the Mets have managed to tie the National League Championship Series at 2 games a piece.  And my softball team lost two more games this morning: 27-7 and 11-8.  There were another pair of games, at 2 PM but I could not make it.  If I did, my other half would have killed me, as I was working late all week (except Friday).  Besides, we were heading to Queens to visit my mom & dad.

While we were in Queens my wife and I went to see Robin Williams’ new film, Man of the Year.  Despite the critics’ mediocre reviews, we liked it.  Since I have very little love for politicians, I like anything that pokes fun at politics and recommend the movie.  After the film we walked to our favorite restaurant in the area, The Green Papaya, for dinner. 

The Mets just tied the National League Championship Series 12-5.  That means a minimum of 6 games.  Game 5 will be played in St. Louis.  The next game will be played at Shea Stadium, as well as a 7^th game if it’s necessary.

Friday was the 28^th anniversary of the start of my relationship with my wife.  I started to go out with her after knowing her as an acquaintance since 1976.  Our first date was the next night, October 14^th 1978, at Sonny’s Jazz Club in Seaford New York.  I even made a web-page about the event: http://www.minot43.homestead.com/how_we_met.html
Don’t forget to sign the guest book.

 The St. Louis Cardinals eliminated the New York Mets around 11:45 PM last night.  However, it was an exciting post season for the Mets and we were surprised that they made it as far as they did with the injuries that they had.  While they did not make it to the World Series, they are the National League East champions and hopefully will win it all next year.

 As for the Cardinals, congratulations to them for winning the pennant, and good luck to them in the World Series against the Tigers. 

I am back in the office right now.  Over the weekend it was the usual SOS, but on Saturday the three of us participated in the monthly bowling tournament at the East Islip Lanes.  It’s three games, and we share a pair of lanes with another team.  My scores totaled 259, so I will not be going on the pro bowling tournament any time soon.  However, since it’s supposed to be fun, we did have a good time and I enjoyed talking to the other 4 bowlers.

Yesterday was the annual Walk Far For NAAR walk on Long Island.  Since 2004 it’s been held at Jones Beach.  There must have been over 20,000 other walkers there with us, and I enjoyed the exercise.  I took pictures and they were developed last night.  

On the same roll as the NAAR walk pictures were several pictures from the 2006 QSAC baseball game that we went to on September 9.  I downloaded them onto my web-sites dedicated to the QSAC games, and you can see the photos here:

http://www.geocities.com/roosevelt126/2006_QSAC_Game.html

http://www.newyorkbaseball.homestead.com/QSAC_game.html

Congrats to the St. Louis Cardinals for winning their 10th World Series.  It was the first time that they won it all since 1982. 

I felt that the Cardinals were robbed in the 1985 Series against the Royals by bad umpiring.  At least today the Redbirds have a loyal fan base and are a perpetual contender.  The Show Me State's other team is a perpetual loser.  The owners have cried that they are in a small market.  St. Louis’s metro area is not drastically larger than Kansas City’s.  It’s just that the Royals’ owners are not investing in good players like the Cardinals owners are.  Kansas City's minor league team, the T-Bones, who play in KC Kansas, had a better season in 2006.
Anyway, well done, Cardinals, and thank you for a great season of baseball.