DOUG'S DIARY

Saturday, November 16, 2013

TO SIR WITH LOVE

THOSE SCHOOLGIRL DAYS OF TELLING TALES AND BITING NAILS ARE GONE BUT IN MY MIND, I KNOW THEY WILL STILL LIVE ON AND ON BUT HOW DO YOU THANK SOMEONE WHO HAS TAKEN YOU FROM CRAYONS TO PERFUME IT ISN'T EASY BUT I'LL TRY IF YOU WANTED THE SKY I WOULD WRITE ACROSS THE SKY IN LETTERS THAT WOULD SOAR A THOUSAND FEET HIGH TO SIR WITH LOVE THE TIME HAS COME FOR CLOSING BOOKS AND LONG LAST LOOKS MUST END AND AS I LEAVE, I KNOW THAT I AM LEAVING MY BEST FRIEND A FRIEND WHO TAUGHT ME RIGHT FROM WRONG AND WEAK FROM STRONG THAT'S A LOT TO LEARN WHAT, WHAT CAN I GIVE YOU IN RETURN IF YOU WANTED THE MOON I WOULD TRY TO MAKE A START BUT I WOULD RATHER YOU LET ME GIVE MY HEART TO SIR WITH LOVE

CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION

LOOK OVER YONDER WHAT DO YOU SEE? THE SUN IS A-RISIN' MOST DEFINITELY A NEW DAY IS COMIN', WHOO-HOO PEOPLE ARE CHANGIN' AIN'T IT BEAUTIFUL, WHOO-HOO CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION BETTER GET READY GONNA SEE THE LIGHT LOVE, LOVE IS THE ANSWER, WHOO-HOO AND THAT'S ALL RIGHT SO DON'T YOU GIVE UP NOW, WHOO-HOO IT'S SO EASY TO FIND JUST LOOK TO YOUR SOUL (LOOK TO YOUR SOUL) AND OPEN YOUR MIND CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION MM-HMM IT'S A NEW VIBRATION CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUSASION MAYBE TOMORROW WHEN HE LOOKS DOWN ON EVERY GREEN FIELD, WHOO-HOO AND EVERY TOWN ALL OF HIS CHILDREN IN EVERY NATION THERE'LL BE PEACE AND GOOD BROTHERHOOD CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUSION YEAH CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION, AHA CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION, AHA CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION, AHA (OH) CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION, AHA...

DOWNTOWN

WHEN YOU'RE ALONE AND LIFE IS MAKING YOU LONELY YOU CAN ALWAYS GO DOWNTOWN WHEN YOU'VE GOT WORRIES ALL THE NOISE AND THE HURRY SEEMS TO HELP I KNOW DOWNTOWN. JUST LISTEN TO THE MUSIC OF THE TRAFFIC IN THE CITY LINGER ON THE SIDEWALK WHERE THE NEON SIGNS ARE PRETTY HOW CAN YOU LOSE? THE LIGHTS ARE MUCH BRIGHTER THERE YOU CAN FORGET ALL YOUR TROUBLES, FORGET ALL YOUR CARES SO GO DOWNTOWN THINGS WILL BE GREAT WHEN YOU'RE DOWNTOWN NO FINER PLACE FOR SURE DOWNTOWN EVERYTHING'S WAITING FOR YOU. DON'T HANG AROUND AND LET YOUR PROBLEMS SURROUND YOU THERE ARE MOVIE SHOWS DOWNTOWN. MAYBE YOU KNOW SOME LITTLE PLACES TO GO TO WHERE THEY NEVER CLOSE DOWNTOWN JUST LISTEN TO THE RHYTHM OF A GENTLE BOSSA NOVA YOU'LL BE DANCING WITH 'EM TOO BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER HAPPY AGAIN. THE LIGHTS ARE MUCH BRIGHTER THERE YOU CAN FORGET ALL YOUR TROUBLES, FORGET ALL YOUR CARES SO GO-DOWNTOWN WHERE ALL THE LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT DOWNTOWN WAITING FOR YOU TONIGHT DOWNTOWN YOU'RE GONNA BE ALRIGHT NOW DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN AND YOU MAY FIND SOMEBODY KIND TO HELP AND UNDERSTAND YOU SOMEONE WHO IS JUST LIKE YOU AND NEEDS A GENTLE HAND TO GUIDE THEM ALONG. MAYBE I'LL SEE YOU THERE WE CAN FORGET ALL OUR TROUBLES, FORGET ALL OUR CARES SO GO DOWNTOWN THINGS WILL BE GREAT WHEN YOU'RE DOWNTOWN DON'T WAIT A MINUTE MORE DOWNTOWN EVERYTHING IS WAITING FOR YOU DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN...

Thursday, November 14, 2013

MONKEY

BOTH BOYS HAD EASTER EGG HUNTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SCHOOLS. FOR JOHN DAVID'S CLASS EGG HUNT, A FEW OTHER MOMS AND I HIDE CLOSE TO 300 EGGS FOR HIS CLASS. I THINK THEY FOUND ALL BUT LESS THAN 10. I SURE COULD NOT REMEMBER WHERE I HID THE EGGS. HOLT ALSO GOT TO FIND EGGS WITH THE FIRST GRADERS. YES, IT IS TRUE...IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THE NEWS, THE SANDNESSES ARE ON THE MOVE AGAIN. WE ARE HEADING BACK TO MINNESOTA. IN FACT, WE ARE MOVING IN 14 DAYS! CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY TO THINK ABOUT. THE KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL HERE IN LAGUNA HILLS THROUGH JUNE 19TH AND WE ARE FLYING TO MINNESOTA ON THE 21ST. SINCE THE KIDS ARE GETTING OUT SO LATE FROM SCHOOL, WE ARE TRYING TO MAXIMIZE OUR TIME AT THE CABIN THIS SUMMER. I THINK WE ALL MISS THE CABIN AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR TIME THERE...ALTHOUGH THERE IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF SADNESS IN LEAVING CALIFORNIA. WE HAVE MADE MANY WONDERFUL FRIENDS HERE AND IT WILL BE TOUGH TO LEAVE ANOTHER HOME. WE ARE HOPING THAT MANY WILL MAKE THE TREK UP NORTH TO COME AND VISIT US. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW... SPENT 5 DAYS IN MELBOURNE LAST WEEK-QUALITY TIME WITH MY BEST FRIENDS BASED ON THE EAST COAST. LOUISE AND PRUE KEPT ME BUSY WITH MANY OUTINGS INCLUDING A COMEDY NIGHT, A FOOTBALL GAME AT THE MCG, THE TIM BURTON EXHIBITION AS WELL AS LOTS OF GREAT FOOD AND DRINKS. I DECIDED TO TAKE THE TWINS TO MONKEY JOE'S TO LET THEM BURN OFF SOME ENERGY. THIS IS A PLACE THAT IS NOTHING BUT INFLATABLE JUMPY THINGS. THE TWINS ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. THEY BOUNCED THEIR LITTLE HEARTS OUT. LATER IN THE MONTH, WE DID A WEEKEND GET AWAY TO WACO BUT HAD TO MAKE A TRIP BACK INTO THE METROPLEX TO ATTEND THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF A COUPLE OF MY COUSINS: GUESS WHO'S BACK, BACK AGAIN? IT'S THE CZ NOTES, AND WE'RE READY TO DROP SOME RESPECT IN THIS BITCH, THE KIND OF RESPECT THAT CAN COME FROM ONLY ONE PLACE, THE CZ NOTES. WE HAD ORIGINALLY STARTED THIS BACK AT THE END OF MAY, BUT WORK, LIFE, AND A QUICKLY DEVELOPING COKE HABIT HAVE GOTTEN IN THE WAY, SO NOW THAT I'VE KICKED THE HABIT AND FOUND SOME TIME, IT'S TIME FOR THE 5TH ANNUAL (TWO) THIRDSIES/ANNUAL MONSTER ARTICLE.

THIS AIN'T NO DISCO

THIS AINT NO MISTAKE! THIS AINT NOT TYPO! THIS AINT NO PARTY, NOR IS IT A DISCO! THIS IS THE COOP, ALL COOP, AND NOTHING BUT THE COOP WHO IS MAKING A VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!! FIRST OFF, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO SEND THEIR WELL-WISHES AND WARM INTENTIONS ABOUT THE NEXT CHAPTER IN MY LIFE REGARDING BEING A BLOGGING FAN. OR A FAN BLOGGER. HOWEVER YOU'D WANT TO CALL IT. EVERYONE CAME OUT TO WISH ME GOOD LUCK, IN ANY ENDEAVOR. OF COURSE, I DIDN'T STAY IDLE FOR TOO LONG. AFTER ALL, I RETIRED "THE BLOG" MY SUMMER FAMILY, AND NOT FROM BLOGGING. JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. IN A YEAR'S TIME, I AM WRITING NOW FOR THREE METS WEBSITES: METSMERIZED ONLINE, DAILY STACHE AND KINER'S KORNER. KINER'S KORNER ALSO LAUNCHED THE KULT OF METS PERSONALITIES PODCAST THAT HAS A NICE FOLLOWING WITH SOME REALLY GREAT GUESTS IN OUR PANEL, INCLUDING FORMER METS EXECUTIVES, PLAYERS AND COACHES, EVEN BEAT WRITERS AND OTHER BLOGGERS. THERE ARE ALSON RUMORS OF AN ALL-WOMEN'S BASEBALL SITE WHERE I WILL NOT ONLY BE A CONTRIBUTOR, BUT BE A VOICE OF THEIR PODCAST AS WELL. THAT WILL REMAIN TO BE SEEN. IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT ELSE? ON, YEAH...I TOOK SOME TIME OFF FROM HAVING MY OWN SITE TO FOCUS ON WHAT I WANTED TO DO NEXT. IS STARTED THIS SITE BACK IN 2007 AS A WAY TOKEEP IN TOUCH WITH FELLOW FANS, MEET NEW PEOPLE AND WRITE ABOUT MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE NEW YORK METS. THEN I STARTED TO GET INVOLVED WITH OTHER PARTS OF THE BLOGGING WORLD AND IT GOT TO BE TOO MUCH. I LOST MY FOCUS. I STOPPED HAVING FUN WITH IT. I WASN'T MYSELF. SO I HAVE A SOFT-LAUNCH OF MY NEW SITE...(DRUM ROLL, PLEASE....) WHILE BOSTON IS ABOUT TO CELEBRATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF FENWAY PARK, ANOTHER MAJOR BOSTON LANDMARK TURNS 100 THIS MONTH. ON MARCH 23, 1912 WHAT WE NOW CALL THE RED LINE OPENED BETWEEN HARVARD SQUARE AND PARK STREET. IT COST $11,750,000 TO BUILD WHICH WOULD BE $276, 386, 639.68 TODAY.