Welcome to Kamp

I hate waiting for my wife on Fridays--she never gets out early even on long weekends.

My office building is a towering 12 stories high--but our building managers thought it would be a good idea to put small television screens in our elevators. It's not live TV--but it gives you the weather (which is useless when you're already drenched), snippets of "news" (the use of quotations is deliberate), and other useful tidbits like "Twizzlers were invented today."

It's not like we New Yorkers need a distraction when we're in commuter mode. We have our ipods on, we're bb-ing away, or texting on our cell phones. However the worst part is there's NO remote to turn off the EmpTV.

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Though we didn't head out to the BA bouy yesterday for mahi-mahi, fishing yesterday at the Mud Bouy (it's a lot closer), was fantastic even if a lot of the fish were too small to keep. You literally dropped the line in the water and caught sea bass, which are great to eat. The blues were everywhere though I couldn't catch one while chumming. (I think it's because I use braided fishing line which sinks faster than monofilament and is thus below our chum slick.) The bluefish my dad and brother caught were fairly large--typically 25-29 inches about 13-14 lbs.

But I made up for it at Breezy Point--where the seagulls were diving all around us--it was like boiling water. The blues were everywhere feeding on spearing. Gulp--it takes little skill to cast a lure out there. But it was fun-nonetheless--and I want to go again.

1 day trip to London.

The "Mirry Leigh" is running well and putting on smiles on those that board her (or in my kids cases--making them nap). Our friends from the Ukraine enjoyed seeing NY from the water. And I asked Sasha to take a family pix with downtown NY in the background--to "replicate" what my dad did in 1971. In that pix, you could see the WTC still in construction. And here's S's pix--it's a good one considering N just woke up, but we're going to have to take another trip. Brooklyn's in DAAAA HOUSE!

Poor Aunt C, my contarian twins would not pose with her yesterday. Sigh. But we got a one that's decent.

BRUCE is touring October!!! With the E street band!

My local John Jacque is closed!  I am depressed.  I love that place though i kind of hate going in there-the owner and workers have never seen me clean and showered.  I always seem to go there after the gym in the weekdays or early weekend mornings before everyone else wakes up.  This makes me wonder if they think to themselves, "does this guy ever shower?" Hehe

The thought of having to go to Pleasantville's JJ is horrific (not really)-but I guess that's not too bad.  The Cold Stone is closeby.  Maybe they should open a gym there.

Somewhat related-and maybe I blogged about this already-but when I last visited my parents, I noticed that MY Dairy Queen-the one I grew up in- closed down.  In its place is an Indian take out restaurant.  The thought of having to get a Saag Paneer milkshake grosses me out.

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On train going into work now but wearing sweaty ipod headphones after a morning run is gross.  Justification for any ipod mini!

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I can't believe how many people hang out at our yacht club at night after dinner-but it is relaxing.

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A moment of silence for the Scooter.  He was a great ball player and broadcaster.

I admitted to JC yesterday that I didn't want to go on our church's annual retreat a few weeks ago.  I just stepped off a plane from London, headed down to our marina and heard that the MLeigh was not ready.  With our normally packed summer, I calculated we wouldn't be able to go on the "stupid" boat until September.  I wanted to cancel every event I signed up to attend, including NHF's retreat.

But it's a good thing I miscalculated.  I really got a lot out of Pastor Chan's messages, enjoyed making some new friends-and receiving some encouraging words and prayers.  It stikes me how insightful some people are though I am not that close to this one.  I am tired as ever-but what a good tiredness this is.

Still certain prayers of mine seem like they will go unanswered as if they are un-calculable.   I hate to think that God will withhold something from me-but also know that maybe He should.

with all the crazy "californians"

with my former colleague (not the Panda).

Yes...we went there

And that's me with my old convertible...

Guess which is which. We also saw Bonds--hit a double.

The cedar cabin was the most expensive place we rented the whole trip--but it was pretty cool.

California really looks like this--aside from the B+W pix.

Whoops--no pix of the groom. But isn't that cake cool? There were 3 different flavors--and they were pretty good.

Oh come on...I'm NOT a crab!

from my July 27 posting.

A handful of people have been lamenting that summer is almost over. While that might be true, it's because we've had an awesome summer--making time move faster. But fall in NY is fantastic for many reasons. School begins, apples appear and fish, big ones, come to NY. The "ML," our boat is back--better than ever to greet them. I have gotten back into fishing--and one of my favorite aspects of it is "pitching." What does that mean? This ain't baseball!!??? Let me explain.

Let's say, you're trolling and have had some degree of success. A watchman sees something in the distance--the big one. This fish won't take the baits and lures already out there. He's seen everything out there and hasn't been fooled yet. That's why he's big. But the pitcher's job is to throw out a change up--something this fish hasn't seen recently--something that will trigger this beast's instincts to strike the new lure.

Sight casting to a fish is thrilling. It's just like the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded. Your own instincts take over. You read that a yellow bucktail with a squid strip has caught in this situation. You toss it out there, but nothing happens. Then you switch lures--you remember that one time (at band camp), your friend of a friend caught this fish on something crazy--a piece of cheese. You try it--and the fish moves up to take a closer look. Though you're frustrated, you know everyone's eyes are on you--and you keep a calm exterior. Now, you switch lures again--you bust out theskirted cedar plug, count to 10 then reel like crazy--and BAM!!!!! You're line is tight and the fish is on. Ten minutes later, your arms are about to fall off but you somehow reel it in. The crowd goes crazy and you hear a Click! Click! and another Click--in case the other 2 pix don't come out. It's an awesome feeling, and a rare time that a pitcher feels like Reggie Jackson in October.

One more person I know getting engaged!

We rolled into San Diego 30 minutes later than expected but were able to get to the Padres game by the top of the 2nd inning.

I had originally planned to get the two for one $7 tix special but the ticket guy said that MJ didn't need to buy a seat (CA, NC and M went to the SD Zoo).  So, MJ and I splurged.  We got front row tix so we could catch a foul ball.  The seats were nice (only 50 which would be loge in Yankee Stadium if you could get nice seats)-and the ushers give you free sun block which you definitely need there.  So we got a free seat-we took a travelling businessman's seats according to a regular-and free sun block.  Plus we loaded up on hot dogs, peanuts and ice cream.  Life was good!

But it got better.  The Pad Squad (blonde girls in short shorts) and the Padre (their mascot is a monk) came out and were giving away shirts and baseballs.  We clamored for some gifts but didn't get any.  But as they were walking off the field, the Padre saw MJ and tossed us a ball.  I guess he was scary to MJ who promptly threw the ball at the Padre who was now about 15 feet away.

Thankfully MJ missed the Padre and everyone else around us, but he hit the wall with a good CLUNK.  That brought great laughter out of our section but I was so embarassed.  MJ later apologized to me and we did seek out the Padre after the game but we couldn't find him.

It turns out that MJ was cranky because he was thirsty-the lemonade guy helped me discover this-and after a few shots of sugar, MJ was back to himself. 

By the 8th inning we knew the game was over-it was 8 or 9 to zero-with the hometown ahead of the Dbacks.  So we ventured out to the kids mini-field just beyond left field--every team should have this.  So we played catch for another hour until everyone-and I mean everyone was gone in both the big league and little league stadium. 

Amazingly, Petco Park is right downtown-and MJ and I  made it to the Zoo to see the pandas.  We then made it to dinner with my former colleague (the one whose elopement I witnessed in Singapore) who handed MJ another baseball.  But thankfully, J, K's hubby, played catch with MJ as I downed my fish tacos.

MJ has my obsessive compulsive behavior.  But he is also a dreamer.   At Disneyland"s Autopia, he was happy to be a race car driver.  NC and I were his crew though we had front row seats to his smile and laugh that started the second we suggested the ride and lasted well past closing time (and we stayed until closing-that's the CapEO way).

MJ loved every second of the ride, and I didn't care that he jostled us the entire lap.  Seeing him drive brought me back to 1976 when I did this ride with my father (though in Disneyworld)--but I hope he remembers this moment between us--and not because of his love for "Cars. "

M just asked him what his favorite part of this California vacation was, and MJ said it was when I took him to the baseball game (which was today).    He told Umma how he got a baseball (which I will blog about separately), how he got to play in the small baseball field, how he played catch with Appa, how he ran the bases. 

I am sad that this vacation will end Saturday.  I really am.

Just the Padres vs Diamondbacks game in San Diego.. But they let MJ in for free!!!

Whole wheat Krispy Kreme donuts...how pointless is that?

Off to Disneyland (but that's what you get for eating at Disney's Ice Cream shoppe in Hollywood.

I have become the wuss I always made fun of-I have to  wear a jacket in LA at night.  It's cold-must be 65 degrees.