And then one day you find, t/e/n/ fourteen years have passed you by

Testing.

Irritation Note of the Day

This apparently is what they play when Trevor Hoffman comes in for the Padres.

the greatest masturbation and soccer paragraph of all time

David Hirshy, ostensibly discussing bicycle-kick goals:

So the kid would stash the magazines in a tree in Riverside Park near his home and late at night, wearing all black and camo, would risk his life by entering the dimly lit park, climb up into the tree and knock one off. "Wow, "exclaimed Relegation Zone Mikey, " a tree-beater." Not to be outdone, RZM regaled us with how he found his father's Beta porn tapes in his parent's bedroom and was thus introduced to the wonders of Seka. "She was quality," RZM said, noting that Seka was the Jenna Jameson of the late 80's, " I would bag a hat trick in the first half hour." Either RZM was inflating his numbers or he's a quicker on the draw than any of the strikers on his beloved Tottenham.

Bill Simmons (also mentioned in the piece) has A LOT to answer for.

Advanced Interviewing Techniques I

How to tell the new au pair will be able to handle your family:

Ken: Have you been anywhere else on the East Coast?

TNAP: I went to Philadelphia. I wanted to see The Mutter Museum.

The Day Continues II

12:00 noon: In recovery and conscious (it's a relative term); able to move extremities and on target for coming home as scheduled EOD Friday.

No room yet, but I continue to be more impressed by this hospital than our usual one.

4pm Update: Still waiting for a room (assigned, but there is still a patient there; since this will likely be our situation in reverse tomorrow, all is well).

11pm Update: She has a room (and has had one for a few hours). No working telephone yet, but all still on schedule for being able scheduled to leave the hospital by early Friday evening.


(Cross-posted from Marginal Utility)

The Day Continues I and 1a

Out of surgery; took slightly longer than expected but was about the norm for this doctor and this procedure.

I like this hospital more than our usual one.

UPDATE: Surgery went fine per the doctor. All on schedule for late Friday departure.

(Cross-posted from Marginal Utility)

The Day Begins

It may be the euphoria of having been up for three hours, but so far all has been excellent. We arrived at the hospital on time (5:30 a.m.), and (unlike some previous experiences elsewhere) the time was filled with activity until Shira went in for surgery.

Not to mention that the hospital provides free wireless internet access in the Surgery Waiting Room and a few other public waiting areas.

Song of the morning: Lucinda Williams, "Learning How to Live," which was the first song heard this morning on the best radio station in the New York area.

(Cross-posted from Marginal Utility)

Can Bufallo avoid playing a road game outside of the NYC area?

(cross-posted belatedly from Marginal Utility)

The seedings are set. Burnside's first-round pick against the Swampers has once again gone down in flames, with the final game producing only one even-strength goal. The seeding, not to mention my optimal scenario, would not have the Sabres play a road game outside of the NYC area unless they reach the Stanley Cup Finals.

BUFFALO (1) v. NY Rangers (6). As noted previously, the Sabres didn't look fast against the Islanders. But I'm more inclined to attribute that to the team they played also being fast. Against the clutching, aging Berubes, expect a return to form.

But what the Berubes lack in speed, they make up for, sometimes, in scoring ability. The bad news is that, during the regular season, they scored precisely as many goals at the Sabres gave up.

The two teams split four games in the regular season, with the visitor winning all games, but their last meeting was December 1st. And Ryan Miller is not the alternating goalies that Bob Hartley used. Look for the Rangers to take two games at most; I'm expecting a sad but proud MSG after elimination in Game Six.

OTTAWA (4) v. New Jersey (2). My heart says this goes seven, and Brodeur wins the final game.* But the Senators are a stronger team than Tampa Bay, got some rest, and have some history to avenge. I would love to be wrong here—the Devils are starting to score, and Brodeur hasn't given up an even-strength goal in nearly three games—but Ottawa in six appears the way to bet.


*My heart also feels strange about Dany Heatley now that he's not playing for the Thrashers, but this isn't a Bertuzzi thing by any stretch—more cheer that he did not become another Vladimir Konstantinov. It's nice to see him able to play at all and the possibilities the Thrashers had when I was in grad school are nearly a hockey-career-generation past.