METS WIN OPENER! Johan Ace in His Mets Debut!

ME: today was a real letdown. had a ton of work to do at work; making resumes for impatient clients, wanting to send a resume out to get a new job. then, my dad was completely weird on the phone with me and made me feel like shite, basically. didn't know how to respond and it brought me down. over the years, our relationship has grown strained, at best. he refuses to let me visit him. i could just go and should. i keep thinking about it. want to then half of me thinks i shouldn't even make the effort. so many issues. went home, got productive and took care of things that needed tending to. managed to watch baseball.

METS: today the Mets opened their season in Florida. Johan took the mound and dominated, allowing two runs on three hits (gave up a two-run homer to Jorge Cantu, of all people). but striking out eight in seven innings! he went 0-3 in his first game where he had to hit...no surprise there. but what if, he really learned how to hit and became a good hitter. Perez is a decent hitter. Gooden was awesome. Mets beat the Marlins in the Marlins opener, 7-2. Jose went 2-4 with a run and RBI. Castillo was 1-3 with two walks and run scored. Wright? 2-3 with 3 RBI, including a hard hit double, which knocked in runs. Pagan, in for Alou, went 1-3 with a run and RBI. Church went 1-4 also with run and RBI. it was a terrific offensive game for the Mets; hitting everything Hendrickson offered. Hendrickson went on to pitch five innings and gave up six runs on seven hits. great way to start the season!!!

OPENING DAY IS TOMORROW!!!

ME: woke up at like 8 or 9 AM, sick as hell...room spinning. felt sick as hell. couldn't see straight. becky put on the light and it killed my brain. she went to work and i went back to bed. trying my best to see straight and stop the room from spinning. drank water and threw it up. went to dan lubell's, stumbled over and edited something we shot a bit ago (see above). went back home and felt better as the day went on. horrible times. watched the Washington Nationals play the Atalnta Braves. Bush threw out the first pitch and got booed by like...EVERYONE! sad. he'd make a fine manager i think. Ryan Zimmerman won the game in the bottom of the ninth.

METS: no game today...OPENING DAY IS TOMORROW! Johan versus the Marlins. I wonder how he'll sleep tonight. i'm very excited. 162 games to go! LET'S GO METS!!!!

Civil Rights Game a Success

ME: woke up dumb early in effort to go to coney island to get medicaid to help with this outrageous hospital bill i have when i conked out and hit my head on Martin Luther King Jr., Day. god, what a terrible day. it wasn't supposed to be. it was, after all the beginning of a week vacation. i wound up spending my time recuperating. sucked. i can't say exactly why i passed out. i was with dan lubell. i hadn't eaten very much that day. i was stressed, or, just getting over being so stressed. i wound up in the ER of methodist hospital. they gave me a CATSCAN and a million other tests that i didn't want to pay for. when i first hit the ground, i asked dan to just help me get home, or something to the effect that i could get home and that i'd be okay. well, it just didn't turn out like that and i was completely incapable of standing, let alone, walking. so dan wanted me to get on the stretcher and that's what i did. didn't have much choice...although...i lived right around the corner. how frustrating. anyways, so the bill is out of this world. and i need medicaid. i have no insurance and i have to get medicaid soon, so they can help cover this bill. anyways, i missed going to the coney island location. they're 9-12 on saturdays. the only office opened on the weekend. but it didn't work out so well...so then the couch came, via "man with van"--ruddy got a very dope, sweetass couch from greg and zora, since they're moving to miami. so, i moved everything around. vacuumed and did other home things...like...all day...now, i have two parties to go to, both birthdays, and a friend's show at the knitting factory. i wish i were an amoeba. wound up going to the bay ridge birthday party where i drank too much and vomited all the way home...this nice gal, setfania drove me home and i felt terrible...i made no mess in her car, but i certainly had her pull over quite a bit. i guess i needed to let it all out...have a good smashing. well, i got it alright! damn!


METS: today the Mets played in the second annual Civil Rights Game. the game took place at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tennessee. for the Mets, it was John Maine versus the White Sox and Jose Contreras, both of whom pitched well, Maine striking out a good number of batters before coming out. runs first came off Contreras, who served up a two run homer to Carlos Beltran. for the sox, Pablo Ozuna singled with the bases loaded and tied the game. White Sox wash-up, Scott Linebrink allowed two singles and an RBI groundout in the bottom of the seventh, to put the Mets ahead 3-2. that was all they'd need and they'd go on to win by that score. it was a cool game: televised on ESPN, they showed the mets and various ballplayers taking a tour of the Civil Rights Museum. Willie Randolph was touched and said his players got a lot from the visit. this game kicked off a full weekend of events, Memphis planned as a way to look back at the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated April 4, 1968. "To me, it's an honor to be involved in this game," White Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye said. "I've got a chance to play this game because of other people like Dr. King and Rosa Parks, and it's just a great experience." my friend, dan myers feels the game is just a way for corporate entities to feel good about itself and that the game really doesn't mean anything. i disagreed and after watching this game, disagree a whole lot more. as i pointed out, it's a good way for young people and players alike to stop and take notice of society and historically, what civil rights has been through and what it means. it's taken for granted as far as i'm concerned. i taped the game and hope to show it to dan at some point...

Reyes Steals and Scores as Mets Lose to Birds

ME: today i ran around like a lunatic and argued in e-mail world with one of my closest friends, over some BS, that wasn't worth as much effort that was put into it. battling over two things, one thing involved going to a museum party at the planetarium i said i would go to, weeks and weeks ago, but never got tickets. granted, i did i say i was going to go. anyway, he goes ahead and buys himself tickets and got upset i wasn't going. mind you, he never called me to confirm, so it's a sticky situation. BUT, i had attempted to call him numerous times and never heard back from him. he had been e-mailed and was also not returning e-mails. i simply forgot to tell him i knew i wasn't going to go. but it got way more involved than that. then, he was upset for missing batting cage night; rather, meeting up afterwards. he, instead of calling and finding out where we went, decided to go home, thinking we'd all go to don's house as i said in an e-mail "...probably 1--% going to don's after." but you know, things change, and i did say "probably"...either way, once again, the kid doesn't pick up his phone and blames it on me somehow...for us eating at bonnie's grill. it's annoying. it's annoying to have to deal sometimes with friends' nuances; we all handle things differently but it's the way we do it that speaks volumes. anyways...it was a shame to have to deal. long day of work to boot...stayed at work until 8! met some pals for vietnamese food and celebrations. went home and took care of things--moving things around for a new couch...i'll post pictures tomorrow of the new living room! exciting, i know...

METS: the big story of the day here, aside from it being a close game until the finish, was the start of Orlando Hernandez and the bullpen appearance of Mike Pelfrey. the Mets lost 4-3, and the three runs that helped the Orioles win today, came all in the bottom of the ninth off Pelfrey! El Duque went five innings, striking out two and allowing one run on four hits. not bad-not bad. he seems to be ready for the season despite not having that many starts in this spring. but, the work he has done, seems to be effective. Pelfrey, on the other hand, was in the game for 3 2/3 innings and three runs on six hits. former Met, Jay Payton went 1-2 and had a run scored and RBI. outfielder Luke Scott, Brian Roberts and Torres were also all productive, each having an RBI. Jose stole two bases, went 2-3 and scored two runs. stealing them bases is going to be key this year for the mets, as we all know, it helps generate runs and gives the Wright and Beltran opportunity for RBI action. i like what i see and hope it all carries over nicely into the season!

THURSDAY'S BLOG

ME: tonight, after work, i met up with danny and went to my crib. eric came over and then don came and picked us all up. we went to the batting cage center, where they also have video games, air hockey, baseketball and a pitching tunnel! it's too much fun. also, a cute little baseball card shop. toby showed up with saeler and we hit some fastballs! saeler hit for the first time...35 mph! and the kid did great! good contact and it was great to see him hit! it was a lot of fun. went to eat burgers at bonnie's grill. paid and ate too much, but what can you do?! it was a great night and wonderful to be with the fellas; hitting some fastballs!

METS: today the Mets had their way with the Braves, winning 9-4. Perez looked sharp at times, but in the end, he gave up three runs over 6 1/3 innings of work. he struck out four and gave up seven hits. Endy Chavez smacked a couple hits, going 2-4 with 2 RBI. Marlon Anderson played first base today and went 2-3 with a run and three RBI. former Met, Royce Ring, came in for the Braves and gave up a hit but struck out two in an inning of work. the Mets are looking good. backup catcher, Raul Casanova, hit his 3rd home run of the spring and went 2-4 with two runs and two RBI on the day. Easley played second.

Clutch Delgado & Wright Can't Push Mets Past Marlins

ME: had a catch with becky and woody in the park after work. it was great. she throws the mustard. good control. breaking stuff too! went to virginia's for dinner and we went back home. great evening!

METS: 23 year old rookie, Robert Parnell started for the Mets and struck out five in five innings, allowing no runs. but Cantu's three run homer off Nelson Figueroa in the sixth and Mike Jacobs' two run shot in the seventh lead to the Marlin's win, 7-5. Reyes was 1-3 with an RBI. but the big story today came from David Wright and Carlos Delgado--both of whom hit singles with the bases loaded. both wound up with two hits and two RBI, respectively. Joe Smith allowed three runs to balloon his spring ERA to 8.18. not good.

TUESDAY'S POST: Mets Beat Braves 5-4

ME: work was brisk and over before i knew it. felt lousy in the stomach all day. went home. napped. was supposed to meet my pal, alex at 9:15 at Nice Guy Eddie's across the street from the Mercury Lounge, but overslept and wound up on Houston at around 9:45. alex was taking me to see some bands. i had no clue what i was in for. never heard of the bands before; one was named Mother Acid's Temple. japanese outfit. alex tells me they get up to 10 people on the stage at once and make crazy music. we wanted to puff a gerbil before the show, but the area was littered with 5.0...so we found, what i thought was a quiet spot, when from outta nowhere came a short asian dude, wearing a hoodie (hood down). he flashed a badge as a second person, a stout buffalo-sized woman, also wearing a hoodie approached me. these folks were undercovers and i reckon could smell the gerbilsmoke. they patted us down, looked at our IDs, gave na brief lecture, looked around and then said something like, "had we been real cops, you two would be going to a holding cell." but then what were they? i still held in my hand the hooshten! can you believe that? a third asian fella, this one taller, showed up and the three of them studied us and looked around some more. that was it. a lecture and a slap. we were freaked out, to say the least! there are some angels on my shoulders. we went in and watched this crazy band, whose name i forget, but they were these borderline speed metal/black sabbath wannabees. bassist had crazy long hair and was busting all the rock moves--whipping that hair around in a frenzy! the lead singer had a high voice and said something about time machines and future things. some riffs were definitely fresh, sounded like classical music; fast classical. we left towards the end of the set and called it and walked to the train. we met up with bex and her pal at the commonwealth. fun bar--great jukebox! rival to great lakes' juke. i kinda dig commonwealth's more.

METS: Jonathon Niese gave up two runs on two hits over five innings of work as the Mets beat the ever-so-retarded Atlanta Braves. let's face it, they've got a wonderful history-there's no denying that. especially when you include the Milwaukee-era in there. Eddie Mathews. Hank Aaron. Dale Murphy. but f**k Chipper Jones. and i'm thrilled that schmuck, Andruw Jones left them. interested actually to see how he does with the Dodgers and Torre. wild. Ivan Maldonado came in after Niese and also gave up two runs. but the Mets made up for those runs: backup catcher, Raul Casanova hit a home run in the third off of Tim Hudson. Carlos Beltran went 1-2 with two runs scored. Reyes was 0-the day as were Delagdo and Wright, though Wright scored a run. rookie third baseman and replacement to the aging and inbred, Chipper Jones, Yunel Escobar went 1-2 for the Braves. the Mets won in the ninth on a smacked single by Rafael Arroyo, driving in the winning run! LET'S GO METS!!! the Mets are now 18-9-1.

Maine Rocks Orioles and Amazes Mets

ME: today went by too slow. left work and went to becky's mom's for dinner. it was nice. went home, watched tele and slept.

METS: John Maine did it again today, throwing six innings, striking out six and allowed only one hit as the Mets beat the Orioles 1-0! Maine has been amazing this spring. in fact, i drafted him in my fantasy baseball league, in one of the early rounds. the guy, in his last game last season, got 14 k's and allowed maybe one hit? if any? golden. Luis Castillo was the only Met to have a hit in six innings and wound up 2-3 with the Mets' lone RBI. Church went 1-3 and swiped a base. Smith came in and struck out two in 1.2 innings of strong relief work.

sunday

ME: today was a weird emotional day for me. easter sunday. every easter sunday, when i was growing up, my parents, without fail, seemed to always get into some sorta nasty nonsense. such a drag. a day of jesus, egg hunting, dying eggs and chilling--always somehow interrupted by my parents' battles over this, that and the other. so i spent the day worrying about both of them; hoping they were okay. then i would speak with them, or miss their call, and get annoyed. the day was a anxiety-ridden wash. had a nice dinner though with friends; came home and watched In Treatment.

METS: poor Orlando. the guy tries his hardest to get to this point and in his first spring start, gives up five runs in only three innings. his fasest fastball was clocked at 85mph as the Cards beat the Mets, by an ass-smacking 14-4! the Cards got 21 hits on the day including Ankiel's 4th home run of the spring and Rasmus' blast (his third). Ankiel went 2-3 with two runs and two RBI. but the story of the day was the ineffectiveness of Orlando and the lack of support our o the bullpen. Pelfrey was brought into the game and got hit hardest, giving up eight runs off 13 hits in only 4.1 innings of work! god damn! both El Duque and Pelfrey are fighting for the 5th spot in the rotation. i hope Willie sticks with a four-man for now and see what happens. because...well, neither pitcher is impressing anyone...maybe Pelfrey for a little bit there to start...but, that was perhaps in the end, a fluke?

SATURDAY'S POST: Perez Loses in Short Mets Game

ME: today, becky went to work and i did online things. made some shirts and then met becky to go to peter lubell's b-day times at mcsorley's bar...the oldest bar of its kind in manhattan. i mean, it's been there since the late 19th century! i think peter has too! it was fun times and it was great to see peter so happy and having fun. went back to dan lubell's with kacy and becky and ate too much thai. UGH...bloatsville '08!

METS: Oliver Perez, who has had a streaky spring thus far, struggled and let the home runs beat him in today's 5-2 loss to the Indians. Perez, in all, gave up four home runs in only five innings. for whatever reason, the game stopped after seven innings. Mets' bats were generally quiet save Beltran's; he hit his first spring home run and went 1-3 on the day. Cliff Lee looked good enough to perhaps get the fifth spot on the Indians' pitching staff. Victor Martinez, Indians' catcher extraordinare, went 3-4 with a home run. tomorrow, El Duque makes his first official start of the spring!

FRIDAY'S POST: Wright and Mets Kill Nationals, 8-2

ME: helped out my boss and his wife; tried to get resumes done. my mind was elsewhere. the whole day. was psyched for my fantasy baseball draft. 9:30. ran home, looked up stats, got online and drafted in 25 rounds for about two hours! i think i have a great team and look very forward to this year's baseball season. i got john maine! psyched about that. have a really great pitching staff including oswalt and sabathia! it's on!

METS: David Wright lead the Mets in their beating the Nationals, 8-2. Wright was 3-4 with two runs and two RBI, hitting his first home run of the spring! Jose went 2-4 with a pair of RBI as well. Pedro was effective, striking out four and allowing two runs in five innings of work. Ricardo Rincon, still vying for a spot in an already crowded Mets' bullpen came in and struck out two in an inning. Angel Pagan went 2-2 with a run scored. Beltran went 2-3 but left two men on base as his ups and downs continue. Kearns hit a home run off Pedro in the fourth, after having been hit by a pitch in the second. he scored the only two runs for the Nationals. former Met cacther, Lo Duca went 1-3.

Mets Blank O's 7-0

ME: the day went by slowly. met up with bex after work and went to a friend's art gallery opening on bowery and spring. DCKT Contemporary at 195 Bowery (at Spring St)--great space! totes gotta send my stuff there. great location and the art there was really cool: the artist, Josh Azzarella, takes existing historical images of atrocities and removes key elements, no longer making it an upsetting scene in time.


what was really funny was that becky new the artist's GF from college! this gal walked by us and was like, "becky?!" it was funny. tiffany was her name. josh's stuff was great. he had this monitor showing on loop, the first plane about to hit the towers, but it somehow just passes and keeps going. it was eerie.

METS: today the Santana Express was riding high as he went six innings, striking out seven and allowing five hits. Feliciano, Heilman, Sanchez and Wagner threw the rest of the game and allowed no runs to score. Batlimore's Leicester was ineffective giving up two runs on six hits, but later, they brought in Cormier and he gave up five runs on three walks and three hits. the Mets beat up the Orioles: Reyes went 2-2 with a run and RBI, Castillo went 2-3, Fernando Tatis and Gustavo Molina (catcher) both smashed two run doubles off Cormier in the 8th. Ryan Church went 0-the day and left, in all, five men on base. something's up with this fella's swing since his collision.

WEDNESDAY'S POST: Maine Fresh As Hell...Once Again

ME: today...what happened today? oh, nothing much. same ol' crap. busy at work kinda...then went home and picked up over $56 worth of laundry! insane. but, at least now i have mad clean towels and undies! yay! did some more baseball research for my live fantasy baseball draft on friday. so many changes this year; so many rookies. have to get familiar all over again. an old friend of mine from school days joined the league this year. haven't really spoken to the kid in years and years, but i am happy he joined! he recently had a baby with his wife. crazy how time flies. a lot of folks from my school days have kids now. i want a baby too! man...listened to bjork live in germany, ate leftovers and watched a lil' tele before crashing out hardcore!

METS: Maine struck out seven and allowed only one run in the Mets' win, 3-1 over the Indians today! Maine was sharp as ever, throwing 5 and 2/3. Maine's improved changeup was effective, and Joe Smith, who has not had a very impressive spring, is still vying for a roster spot...he came in the game and got out of a tight situation, striking out the lone batter he faced. both Castro and Schneider sat out with injuries, allowing Casanova to come in, catch and go 2-3 with an RBI. Beltran, Wright and Reyes all went 1-3 and Pagan was 0 for the day. so far, one can say Maine has been the highlight of this spring...that and the fact the Mets are, for once, having a superb spring training with a 14-7-1 record to prove it!

Mets Have Day Off

ME: long day at work. hung out with dan lubell; had a beer. went and picked becky up from her mom's. we had becky's pal come over with her dog and we all hung out. ordered in great chicken and rice and beans from Coco Roco...great place to eat! becky and i watched some tele then went to bed. 'twasn't a bad day at all...

METS: today, the Mets had the day off. there is mild concern about El Duque and his effectiveness. apparently, the Mets pitcher has been throwing high 70's, changed his high kick windup and is having problems with location. the Mets website wrote: "A scout who had attended to watch "opposing" pitcher Mike Pelfrey, as much as to see El Duque, suggested half of his (El Duque's) time had been wasted, and likened Hernandez's innings to slow-pitch softball. The absence of velocity was that conspicuous." but let's not forget: "...When El Duque was between employers in late February of 2004, he conducted an audition in Coral Gables, Fla., throwing for the Yankees some nine months after he had undergone elbow surgery. The Yankees weren't sufficiently impressed at first, but re-signed him. Four years later, he has won 48 games and one World Series ring. He's been fooling a lot of people." word!

MONDAY POST: Perez Spectacular, Reyes Runs Wild

ME: today...i got into work early and worked hard. ran a bunch of errands, paid business taxes and left a little after 5:30. met becky for dinner and a drink. it was nice to talk and as always, to spend time with her. she understands me...perhaps too much? but it makes me feel great knowing i'm with someone who gets me. i feel completely at ease opening up to her, although it sometimes takes me a bit. we're truly a force to reckon with. i'm nervous about the prospect of her wanting to go to film school in california. she's still waiting to hear from NY schools, but...if she did want to move...what would i do? i don't think i could handle a long distance relationship. i don't know if i could make the move. maybe there'd be more opportunities for me out there? who knows. it's too much for me sometimes to think about. an ex of mine, years ago, was instrumental in getting me to live outside of NY...i lived in vancouver and philadelphia. it was a great experience. maybe i can do this again: up and move? i thikn i could benefit from california living...who knows. all i know is i want to be with becky and i'll do what it takes to make that happen. toby came over in the late evening and he, becky and i played game show video games! went to bed mad late...

METS: today, Perez was fantastic, throwing five innings and striking out five, allowing only one unearned run to beat the Nationals, 7-3. Perez looked sharp and fooled the batters facing him. the Nationals' Zimmerman went 2-4 as DH, with an RBI. Aaron Boone, trying to get a roster spot at third, went 0-3. Jose had a great day, going 2-3 with two stolen bases and a run scored. Wright was also 2-3, with two RBI, run scored and a stolen base! that's the Wright and Reyes we know and love! for reals...Beltran sat out and his replacement, the kid, Feliciano, went 1-2. all and all, the Mets amounted 7 runs on 11 hits! excellent game and win for Perez.

METS WIN!...TWICE!!!

ME: today i woke up at becky's mom's house to dan lubell's call. he was warning me he was coming to get me in an hour so we can film this "the other spitzer hooker speaks out" sketch. so i woke up with an upset stomach and got my act together. dan picked me up and we hit the road. it was good to be filming something. it's been a while. we have a droughts and we have our productivity rivers. lately, we've had a drought. and while i usually do something else in the in-between time, this time i haven;t done anything. anyways. we went to the night agency, where dan works and where i've done a bunch of silly stuff (www.youtube.com/czg123) and filmed this crazy things where i play, Patty Cakes, governor spitzer's other hooker on the side-side. everything was fine and dandy until i had to go out and film stuff on the street. skimpy dress thing, black too-too and red boa. i got cat calls from the merchants of canal--who stopped their daily prayers to whistle and gawk and laugh...mostly the latter. we shot it pretty fast and then took off as dan had to run back to pick up kacy to go to her folks' house for dinner. it took us forever to find parking. my stomach was messed up before we filmed, and then afterwards--once i got home and decided to eat. though the game was televised today, i saw none of it. got home, brought $56 worth laundry in to get done, cleaned and tidied up. i have to say the apartment looks great and has really come together! ruddy put the fire under my ass to open up some room around the apartment and for that i am grateful. it hasn't been easy, but it has been worth the time and effort and i do feel happier about getting stuff done around the house. tonight, i feel like i could just watch some movies and/or read. i've been in a weird mood most of the day and yesterday. some sort of creeping sadness and anxiety that i try to shake but can't budge. i at once have tons on my mind, then nothing. i feel fine one second and freaked out the next. i worry about my boss and his wife. i worry about my mom. spoke to my dad at the most inopportune time yesterday and felt guilty about rushing him off the phone. that's been my weekend.


METS: today Pedro was perfecto in four, striking out four and allowing only four hits! i wish i saw him throw. maybe i can catch the replay. today was a split-squad game with Pedro-Mets playing the Tigers and Figueroa-Mets playing the Houston Astros. both Mets teams won. all other Mets pitchers after Pedro: Wise, Schoeneweis, Feliciano and Register all did swell...except
new gun, Brian Stokes (pictured above as a Devil Ray with a fan) who allowed six hits and four runs in the sixth inning. Jose went 1-3 with a triple, run scored and an RBI. Delgado had another good day at the plate, going 1-2 with an RBI. Anderson was 3-4 with a run. Beltran was 0 for the day. for the Tigers, Pudge went 3-3 to raise his spring average to .429. Carlos Guillen hit a two-run home run in the Tigers' effort to beat the Mets. Jake Eigsti, who came in for Castillo at second, went 1-1 with a run scored and two RBI. good win for the Mets and Pedro! in the other game, Nelson Figueroa started and the story here is, he hasn't been on a major league roster since 2004. to his credit, he's spent the last few seasons pitching down in mexico and taiwan. the non-roster invitee, allowed only one hit and one run, while striking out two over four innings of work as the Mets beat the Astros, 6-4. the other Reyes, who plays second base, went 1-4 with a run and an RBI; as was the case with the other Reyes (Jose), this Reyes (A.) also hit a triple! this Reyes came to the Mets as a free agent and played in the Indians' farm system. Victor Mendez went 2-4, with two RBI for the Mets as Jose Cruz Jr. (i have so many of his father's baseball cards! he was also an Astro!) had a two-run homer in Houston's three-run eighth inning. who knows what will happen with this Figueroa, El Duque and Pelfrey!

Santana Gives it Up and Wagner's Got the Goods!

ME: today came and went. had time to watch the Mets play the Cardinals. Johan looked okay--definitely zip on his ball and he threw in the 90's consistently. but there were plenty of runs given up and i was thankful it was still just spring training. i was in a weird mood all day. becky went to work, i slept late and wasn't happy with just relaxing. although i did try to. i felt i had to be doing something. so i listened to a lot of music and looked things up on line. did some reading (Flannery O'Connor rools!) and watched that bloody Mets game. night came and becky and i watched Diving Bell and the Butterfly. pretty damn depressing, but interesting and shot well. it was this film that made me respect schnabel as a director and not see him as a pompous, artsy film director. probably because it seemed to have more soul than his other efforts. although i heard Before Night Falls is pretty dope too; which i'm sure it is. i want to see that. i liked this film, though it was definitely hard to watch at times. anyways, what am i? roger ebert over here? rex reed? my stomach felt gross at night. what else is new? i found time to organize some more around the house and put things away. i get the time to do something and want to just relax and do nothing. when i do nothing, i feel about about not doing anything and freak out about money and things like time. everyday, my sneaking suspicion about my stress effecting my stomach is confirmed. bex and i ate some really good indian food but it, of course, didn't sit well with me and gave me a rock in place of my stomach...but it was good!

METS: today Johan Santana started and the game was televised on channel 11. he gave up four runs, three were earned, in five innings. Johan had five strikeouts and walked one batter. he left himself open a lot and the Cardinals just have those hitters: Pujols, Molina, this kid, Brendan Ryan--who played 67 games at shortstop last year. in good news, Delgado hit a home run as did backup catcher, Raul Casanova in the fifth. the final was 10-3. a real stinker. Ricardo Rincon, who came in after Santana, and had been wonderful in four previous, spread-out innings of work, got rocked out of his socks for four runs on four hits. he only got one out-a strikeout. young pitcher, Joe Smith, rumored at one time to be Mets trade bait in deals, pitched an inning and gave up two runs on two hits, struck out two and walked two. Billy Wagner looked great, throwing an inning, striking out two and walking one. his breaking stuff looks legit! it's cool to see him using something other than the heat all the time. this loss makes the Mets 9-7-1 so far this spring. it looks like this Wainwright is the official Cardinals ace. he struck out three in five innings and held them Mets to two runs-only one earned. they still have Carpenter and Isringhausen in relief. but who's gonna pick up the slack when Pujols slumps as what happened last year.

FRIDAY'S POST-Maine Effective in Win

ME: was another good busy day of work and i got plenty done before the weekend. met up with my pal, danny myers and went to hit some fastballs at this awesome batting cage center in brooklyn. only the 75-80 cage was free as the others were being rented for kids on a baseball team...we kept going between the fast cage and softball! it was good fun and my hands smart from the work. felt good. hung out with dan back at the pad and listened to a lot of music. it was good to catch up. he went to florida recently and i wish i could go on vacation!

METS: today, the Mets beat the Marlins 8-2. big production at the plate from Robinson Cancel, who they put behind the plate. i forget exactly where Omar got him from, but i think he came from Detroit. thing is, i think he is, primarily, a leftfielder. Cancel went 3-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Beltran went 2-3 with two runs scored and Argenis Reyes, playing second, went 3-5 with an RBI. the Mets got 4 runs in the second inning and batted around the lineup. 'twas a good game. Delgado played and went 1-4 with a run. Maine was masterful once again, pitching five shutout innings, striking out six Marlins and letting up only three hits. impressive. so far, seems Maine's been showing the strongest outings. Santana and Castillo, who used to play together on the Twins, will start tomorrow for the first time as Mets teammates against the Cardinals. new Mets catcher, Brian Schneider, has sat out with a tight hamstring and Willie is wondering who will actually be healthy to play /make the roster, as spring training winds down. there's no question, the big names on the roster have been hurt this spring (Alou, Delgado, Beltran, Anderson, Church); hopefully some good can come of the Mets youth as backup.

Pelfrey Shows Signs of Old Self

ME: today was yet another busy day, but good. i had a lot of resume interviews and they all went better than i thought they would. get off the phone, call people back, give them quotes, get back online, respond to clients and respond to inquiries, revise resumes, send out resumes, make resumes. that's my day. and somewhere in between, i'm able to look at youtube without sound and read e-mails from friends. i can't complain...that much. i actually enjoy what do, i just need more money and health insurance--both have recently been offered to me. got home, ate chinese with ruddy; pet cats and acquired more music. awesome. good times. looked into art shows, competitions, how to become a DJ and other fun things. i'm looking forward to hitting some fastballs tomorrow! clinton lost mississippi and i don't feel like talking about it. anyways, we have a new governor and a schmucky president on his way out.

METS: today the Mets played the Cardinals and lost 6-5. Mike Pelfrey pitched 4 2/3 and gave up two runs, one was earned. he struck out one and walked two. he seemed the Pelfrey of last year. but, his first few starts were impressive enough to make difference in the El Duque/Pelfrey race for a spot. rook, Robinson Cancel misplayed a pop-up at first, with two outs...and allowed a run to score. Pelfrey helped himself to a single and scored a run. Beltran went 1-2 with an rbi. Endy Chavez went 2-3 with a pair of RBI and a run. Jose went 2-3 as well with a pair of runs. everyone's making a big deal about Skip Schumaker, this rookie vying for a spot on the Cards' roster. he went 2-5 today with two runs and has a springtime average of .382. so, of course they'll make big a big stink...Al Pujols went 2-3 as well with an RBI and a walk. the mets injured are slowly but surely starting to return. Church played today and Beltran played in center as opposed to DH.