Messages

1

Beer and Queso / London / UK recommendations

« on: April 17, 2019, 11:11:54 am »

Long time lurker / occasional annoying poster with a question if anyone can help (Limey?)
My wife and I are going to London for about 3 days and then ideally an Old World, "Europe - y" smaller town in England for 3 days this summer. We are thinking of seeing a play in London and would like to do a couple of other interesting things while there. We're leaving three young children with the grandparents so a week is as long as we can be away.
For the smaller town, my wife has visions of sipping coffee in a town square and seeing Europe-feeling architecture all around. She is thinking possibly Bath at this point.
Any recommendations for what we shouldn't miss in London this summer or a fun smaller town that will have that Old World charm?
Thanks!

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Beer and Queso / Re: ok who has the coldest weather on this site

« on: January 01, 2018, 06:50:25 am »

-15 right now in Minneapolis. -32 wind chill.
What do I win?

3

Talk Zone / Re: Thank You

« on: November 02, 2017, 10:36:20 am »

I grew up in a non sports family, and they are very ambivalent towards sports even today. I called my brother the day after Game 5 and he said that he had heard somewhere that the Astros were in the World Series, but hadn't really heard how the games were going or if we were winning. I tried to explain games 1 through 5, but there was no way. Our parents only allowed us to watch PBS and sports on TV growing up and there's only so many times you can watch Mr Rogers so it was sports for me from the time I could operate the remote. We were in Houston for the first 12 years of my life, so my loyalties were formed early and are unwavering. I don't really care that much about football anymore since the Oilers ceased to be and my interest in basketball waned a lot after Olajuwon retired, but I've always loved the Astros.

I've always been a mathematics / statistics kind of guy so when I found Rob Neyer on ESPN.com I was very interested in how he broke down stats in baseball. One day when discussing great nicknames for players he referenced a website that called Biggio "pigpen". From that point on I read less and less of Neyer and more and more of this new website. I tried posting my thoughts a few times, but I quickly realized that I didn't know anything about baseball (or pop culture) and have mostly stuck to read more post less ever since. I've been a guest of chuck's at an Astros spring training game (great seats, great company!) and had lunch with the honorable senator from Mississippi (whom I accidentally stuck with the whole bill, sorry David!) but mostly I just sit back and watch the fighting, learn about baseball, and enjoy having people to share the joy and pain with.

Seven years ago I was living in a duplex in Minneapolis with 3 girls upstairs and me a another guy downstairs. One of the girls and I became good friends and she took me out to dinner for my birthday. We were just starting to become interested in each other romantically, but the next few weeks things really took off and within a month we knew we were going to get married. 5 months later we were.

Marriage is hard. And happily ever after is more complicated than I ever dreamed. Health problems and misunderstandings and simple selfishness gets in the way, but I'm still married to the woman of my dreams and we have a son and a daughter and a third child on the way. And my life is so much fuller and happier than my 38 year old single self could have ever imagined.

She took me out for my birthday again yesterday. We went to a restaurant that had large TVs on the wall and talked baseball and then watched the first inning from the restaurant. We spent way more than we should have but neither of us cared because we both knew this day was special. After dinner we came home and paced and cheered and yelled and hugged in our basement for 3 hours.

She loves me. She understands what yesterday means to me, and I understand how much more it means because she was beside me. Year 46 of my life begins with a beautiful loving wife, 2.5 amazing children, and the Astros as World Series Champions. Life is good.

Best. Birthday. Ever.

4

The Bus Ride Discussion Forum / Re: More minor league siginings

« on: December 23, 2009, 09:14:02 am »

SS Jan Baldee
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=7417

This was the Dutch guy right?  Don't know anything about him other than a friend of his posted here a couple of times, I think, but I was cheering for him.  Oh well.

5

Talk Zone / Re: Baseball terminology question

« on: May 22, 2009, 02:17:26 pm »

That's the Kaliningrad oBlasts...or is it O'Blasts?

Anyway, before the Russians took over they were called the Konigsburg Roaches and had this pitcher named Kafka. Wicked off speed stuff.

Yeah, I read about him.  He had such a great change up that even after the batter has seen it, he's still not sure whether it really was a change or if it was all just in his head.

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Talk Zone / Re: Roy's Restaurant

« on: May 14, 2009, 10:24:58 am »

The Moises Alou: To prepare it the chef first will, well, umm...  Just don't order it.  Trust me.

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Talk Zone / Re: Race For The Lid - XI

« on: April 03, 2009, 01:13:11 pm »

93

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Talk Zone / Re: Garner's postgame

« on: May 18, 2007, 01:47:27 pm »

"Jesus christ!  Fucking Chronicle.  So he wanted to walk Winn and hope he's nice and doesn't steal 2nd base and then hope that Lewis doesn't get a hit after that putting the Astros down 2 runs instead of one?"

No, he wants to walk all the guys who are going to get hits, and pitch to the guys who are going to get outs.  It's brilliant!  Garner's an idiot for not thinking of it.

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Talk Zone / Re: No race for the lid (tm) this year?

« on: April 02, 2007, 11:32:01 am »

92