Re: Legoland California

Check it out!   Apparently, some family has begun posting on Ziggybackride.  I don't know these people, mind you, but who can blame them for their desire to be part of the excitement!  I am a little concerned as to how they were able to log in and post here, but more than that, I am just excited that little Ian and Rachel are having such a good time out in the sunshine state! 

Best wishes for a great rest of the trip!  Travel safely and bring me a t-shirt, please.

Dewey Defeats Truman

Wasn't that the mistaken headline of the newspaper that overanxiously reported on the presidential election?  I think so.  Anyway...

We won!  My teammates and I are champions.   It is both sad and nice how genuinely exciting that is.  Sad because I'm old and wise enough to understand where this truly stands in the grand scheme of things.  Nice because that little part of me that loves to play games, compete, and have fun is clearly alive and well. 

Now we brace ourselves for the always-tumultuous off season.  Who will retire?  Who will be released?  Which players will show up overweight and out of shape to training camp?  That's easy.  All of us.  If we had training camp, that is.  Will this become a dynasty or will the team be broken up by free agency, leaving fans with but a taste of the glory they could have enjoyed in a different age when loyalty prevailed over avarice. 

Wait.  No.  Never mind.  I forgot which league this is.  We just all have to sign up again the next time the league is announced in our community center bulletin.  But still!  I mean... come on!

Legoland California

Went to Legoland California in Carlsbad with the Deans today - excellent theme park, just as good as Winsor (plus far better weather) and maybe even more fun than Disney. Arrived about 1015 and left ay 1800.
Kids had their photos taken with a life sized Jonny Thunder minifig (massivefig!?) - he was kind of creepy walking through the park, like something out of Doctor Who!

The kids enjoyed most of the rides - Ian's favorites where the airplanes, boat and driving schools. Rachel went on the big Technics roller coaster with Julie, but didn't like it!

For me the highlight was Minitown USA with some fantastic New York skyscrapper models.



At one point I was cornered by a New Yorker who wanted to talk all about British politics, the upcoming US presidential elections (apparantly Bush will loose), how he will retire to the Phillipenes and the war in Iraq.
Saw a couple of F-18s and Seahawks on the drive back to the hotel.
Finished the day off with a quick swim at the hotel before dinner and bed.



ipenes and the war in Iraq.
Saw a couple of F-18s and Seahawks on the drive back to the hotel.
Finished the day off with a quick swim at the hotel before dinner and bed.

Woohoo!

Well, we did it, friends.  We hit the big 3-0-0.  Mazel tov to whomever among you that was the historic visitor.  For once, it wasn't me!  Let me know if it was you by using the comment feature at the bottom of this post.  I'll see to it that you are properly honored. 

In other news, tonight's the night, Jewish men's league basketball fans!  Can the fiesty upstarts come from a 6th seed and win it all?  We shall soon see.  Our quest for one shining (or, at least, slightly glowing) moment begins in 2 hours.  I have to go get ready soon.  By get ready, I mean listen to the Gatorade "Be Like Mike" song over and over.  Surely that will be enough to catapult me and my teammates to the top.

I'll try to post later, but I'm off tomorrow morning to the wedding of two very close friends.  It's very exciting to celebrate with them and to do so with so many of our other friends.  There will be many laughs.  There will be many photos.  There will be many stories.  There will be many memories.  Perhaps I'll spin you some yarns from the big weekend upon my return.  Until then, be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.  (According to the mom in "Almost Famous," Goethe said that.  Why would she lie?)

The Race is On

I see that we are nearing the coming of our 300th visitor.  What a milestone!  Wouldn't it feel great to see that magical "three-zero-zero" on that counter when you visit?  There are few things as special as helping others celebrate their milestones, so do your best to be that 300th visitor by visiting often (or just once and reloading the page a couple times.  I guess that would work, too, you damn cheater!).  Good luck to all Ziggybackriders and thank you for your support! 

Office Space

I told you I was a movie star!  Weeks ago, I wrote about embarking on the filming of an independent comedy feature.  Since that opening weekend of filming, I hadn't heard anything from the producers of this soon-to-be masterpiece.  Finally, last night, I remembered, at a decent hour, to call them and find out if the movie had been canned or just me.  Turns out they've just been busy filming scenes that I am not in and I'll be back in front of the camera soon.  This is exactly what I had been telling friends and acquaintances who have asked how it's going, but I didn't really believe it anymore.  "The Importance of Being Russell: A comedy of redneck proportions" is still on the way!

I'm psyched that I wasn't fired, but it wouldn't have mattered.  Turns out I'm living in a movie anyway.  Unfortunately, it's Office Space, which would be fine if I weren't the guy who keeps getting moved around.  Today, I moved into my 8th office in the four years I've held my current job.  It is my 3rd office in the last 2 months.  Let me say that again.  It's my 3rd office in the last 2 months.  Luckily, I was very unconscientious about unpacking and settling into my last office, so most of my stuff was still ready to go.  That's the lesson for today, kids.  Laziness always pays off in the end!  I understand the reason for each and every one of my moves and they have basically all been solid.  Therefore, I'm not too concerned that my employer is trying to run me off by moving me around.  If they are, they're going to way too much trouble.  This time, it involves hiring a whole preschool class worth of toddler actors, who will pretend to be one extra class we weren't planning to have, causing our school to take up one more room than anticipated.  Golly!  If they want me to leave, they should just tell me.  I'd be happy to take some time off and these unfortunate toddlers could quit their acting jobs and enroll in preschool for real.  They're like little sponges - soaking up all the knowledge they can.  It's really the most important time in their educational careers! 

Jewish Sports Round-up

Just to keep you all posted, because I know you freakin' care (Even I hardly do.  Okay, that's not true.  I love this stuff!), my summer league basketball team delivered big time in our semifinal game last night, winning 54-32 behind a balanced effort from the only five guys who could make it to the game.  This was the 2nd chapter of a Cinderella story that started last Wednesday when we, the tournament's 6th seed, ousted the number 3.  Chapter 3 begins next Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. CDT, and will last as long as it takes to play two twenty-minute halves with running clock, except for the last couple minutes of the half.  We'll be taking on the number 1 seed in our bid to claim the league crown and the imagined immortality that accompanies it.  Over the next few days, we'll be keeping a close eye on the nose of our team captain.  It was broken with just over two minutes to play in last night's game as he dove for a loose ball and collided, face-first, with an opposing player's knee.  Up 20 with two minutes to go and diving for a loose ball!  That's the spirit!  I mean, I wouldn't do it, but I'm proud to be the teammate of someone who would!  Maybe he'll get to wear one of those freaky little face masks (as opposed to the other kind of masks) to protect the nose from further damage.  That would be neat.

In softball news, my team continues the journey toward greatness tonight on the long, confusing, meandering path that is the losers' bracket.  It's double elimination and we've had our single already.  I think, though, and this hardly seems right, that if we win tonight, we are in the championship, but would just have to beat the winners' bracket winner twice, while they would only have to beat us once.  Win or lose, tonight is my last softball game of the season, as I will be in New Orleans next Thursday preparing for the wedding of two friends.  Preparing!  What do I have to prepare?  I'll be sitting around making jokes and listening to the bridegroom-to-be's little George Bush doll say things like, "I was raised in the West... the West of Texas.  That's pretty close to California... in more ways than Washington, D.C. is close to California."  It'll be great.  Aaaaannd that's... what's happening in softball!

Suckerz!!!!

I just want to know - how many of you got to wear a cape and a crown, play the guitar, and sing children's songs today at work (I mean as an actual part of your job, Ben*!)?  Nobody?  Really?  Well, I did.  Hard to believe that it could be true, but it is.  There are days when I don't think my job is the greatest, but more often than not, it's pretty damn sweet.  It's good to be Ziggy!

*The name Ben was selected pretty much at random for use  in the parenthetical comment above.  Partly because it was short and easy to type.  Partly because I don't know the identity of many of this site's readers, but I know there's one named Ben.  Sorry Ben.  Didn't mean to suggest that you would act inappropriately at your place of work.  Even though you might.  And as for the rest of you, I didn't mean to mislead you.  I just wanted to make it seem as though I had a friend who might do all those things in his workplace, even if they were not part of the job.  I have sinned.  I'm sorry.

Happy Days Are Here Again!

The batting slump is over.  It lasted for one at-bat, but the fact that it was a game-ending strike-out made it seem much worse.  Last night, I went 3-for-3 with two singles and a double, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored.  The first swing of the bat was a little scary, though, after Tuesday's debacle.  My team lost again, though, putting us into the losers bracket of our tournament.  Darn it all!  I think I feel the magic slipping away.  No, wait.  I think that's just the humidity.  Phew!   

Moments of Glory

Here's a short story for you.  Tuesday night, I played in a recreational, slow-pitch (that's important in light of the "punch line") softball game.  The game was for first place in the league going into the post-season tournament.  My team lost.  The other team's very good.  No big deal.  "What is a big deal?" you ask.  I'll tell you.  I stepped up to the plate, bottom of the ninth (sixth, actually.  we play with a time limit), with a chance to start a rally.  The rally wouldn't have done anything because we were down by like 9 runs, but just the same, runners on base, little kid's dream, lots of people watching because the next game was about to start and all their players were there.  Took the first pitch - called strike.  Swung at the second - swing and a miss.  A big swing, too.  All sorts of breeze jokes and batting tips from my team.  Third pitch, lofted from the mound, looking good, coming right down the middle.  This is my pitch.  This is my moment of glory.  After all, I had hit a stand-up double deep into center during my last at-bat.  Time to take it to the next step.  I reared back.  I swung with all my might (and that's practically saying something!) and I missed again.  It seemed as though 4 or 5 minutes passed as I stood there, embarrassed, before the umpire finally said (just barely over what I imagined was a roar of laughter from the onlookers), "Strike three.  Ball game!"
 
We weren't going to win and other players inexplicably struck out and made a variety of other blunders over the course of the game.  Mine, somehow, seems to have erased them all.  It's not important, of course, and I can laugh and just enjoy the game, but for the love of God, that better never happen again. 
 
I have another game tonight and I'm not gonna lie to you.  I'm a little scared. 

How do you spell "doesn't write often enough?"

d-o-e-s-n-'-t w-r-i-t-e o-f-t-e-n e-n-o-u-g-h. Whew! I knew I could do it. Sorry I have been MIZA (missing in ziggybackride action) lately. I was at the URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp, birthplace of the nickname Ziggy (at least when used to refer to me), for a week. Then I was in Houston for a family funeral. A sad occasion, to be sure, as my family bid farewell to a favorite great uncle (actual relationship and good description), but a nice chance to be together and reconnect with family I don't see often. I also got to see one of my best friends from college and her three-week-old baby. First of all, little Landon is adorable. Second of all, I highly recommend taking advantage of any opportunity to add visiting a friend's infant to a family funeral day. It made it very hard to stay sad.

Back on the homefront, things are going well. I saw a friend's band play last night for the first time in a while. They sounded great. Be on the lookout for The Central Standards, America's new folk-rock giants (as I have just now dubbed them). In sports, my Jewish Community Center basketball and softball teams are enterring post-season play this week. What's that? Not interested in Jewish adult recreational sports? Sounds unimportant? Maybe, but it's all I have, so BACK OFF! It's time for my summer league teams to begin our march to the glory (and by glory, I mean they'll engrave our names on a little plaque that hangs in the gym) that belongs to those who can rise above the rest (of the aging Jewish athletes). Best of luck to me and my teammates and thanks to all the well-wishers out there. I'll keep you posted!