All star, HR derby, Vacation

Alot to go over now that i am back from vacation.

NBA
Ray allen goes to boston. This is about 10 years too late. He was perfect for boston right after his UCONN run. That would have been the only reason for me ot keep following the NBA over the past few years. Bad enough he wound up in seattle (I'm a Seattle fan. Sonics, Mariners, Seahawks) But being a wesrt coast fan in an east cost world sucks. I missed Kemp's good years, Could never get a Jazz game unless it was the playoffs. Where was the NBA package when i was actually interested in watching the games instead of reading the stat sheets so we could beet on the spread?
Oden signs with Portland. And immediatially goes to the summer league. (good call. There's NOTHING to do in portland. period. Someone prove me wrong?)
Derek Fisher leaves the Jazz to take care of his daughter Tatum. (make me feel warm and fuzzy). And told reporters that his daugher is more important than his playing career. Good for him. I do not have children but you can baet your ass if i did and something like this happened to them i would not rest till they were o.k. and i do not give a shit whaty my job would say. Fisher spent 8 years on LA (lakers) helped win 3 (or 4) titles and is considered an all around good player. I expect when his career is completely over he will wind up doing play by play or score a job with ESPN. He is not a HOF player but certianially in the Big shot Rob catagory of roll and off the bench players.
(o.k. i spent way too much time on the NBA)

I know i'm late on this one
WWE
I am horrified but the latest detail of what Chris Beniot did to his family. The more details that are released the more horrified i get. To think that he actually stranged his wife to death then turned on his son and killed him with his own signature move is beyond words.........
I watched to TV in awe and watch youtube clipps in disbeleif. I love Chris as a wrestler. As a member of the 4horseman, as the crossface crippler, and a man who could destroy wrestlers twice his size in the ring. Who could wrestle with the best of them, steeet fight with the best of them and who could pull off some of the sickest stunts in the ring. A 22 year veteran of the squared circle. Now, just simply known as a phycopath.

MLB
as a shot in the arm for the HR derby they announced defending champ Ryan Howard will participate. (Who else is in the derby? Is there an announded roster yet?)
Clemens wins #350. BFD. Ya know i'm not really impressed. The fact that he is still throwing 91/92 is impressive but the 350 wins is not. Why? you ask? Look, when Roger came up no one except ryan was throwing 95/96 on a consistent basis. Clemens was a genetic freek (back then). No one could catch up with his fastball. Not because of the speed but because of the movement. Then after a few years he got tired of just blowing it by people and desided to come up with "MR Splitty!". Then it was over. The Mr. Splitty cam about the time he took off to Toranto (Need i remond you, 3 Cy Youngs in three years?). So 350 is not suprising to me at all. I also hope i look 1/2 as good as hum physically in 8 years.
Hargrove "conspiricy theory's" about leaving the M's. There are a bunch of Theories as to why Mike left. I have my own. Mike is a humble man. Was as a mananger was as a player. Never wanted to draw alot of attention to himself. I think he's sick. I'm hoping it not cancer. I watch Mariners games when there on tv. And Mike does not look like he's lost anything. But's that's my opinion.

RIP -
To David Ritcheson.
A mexican-American youth who in 2006 was beaten, stomped, burned with cigerette butts, ans sodimized with a plastic umbrella stand, then his assilants poured bleach on him before leaving him for dead in a drug enduced rage.
David Henry Tuck was sentenced to life in prision. Robert Turner was sentenced to 90 years.
David Ritcheson jumped to his death yesterday from a Carnival cruise ship. He was found dead in the water an hour after he was reported jumping to his death.
RIP David

Vacation -
Alot went on during me week off. I did alot of riding, did double sesions at the gym, eat steak, and took several naps. I learned alot. Here is a breif summery.
I learned whole spending a week camping........................
You can not screw up dinner on the grill.
Naps are more enjoyable at 1pm.
T.V. is not a necessity of life.
Satalite radio is not throwing money out the window.
Mike and Mike in the morning are F-ing hillarious.
A trailer park chick with a great rack looks alot better at 40ft than she does at 4ft.
Starting a Harley Davidson at 1am is not a good idea.
Budwiser has no worries of going out of buisness.
Making golf referances during a conversation confuses most of them.
People from over the Mason/Dixon line do not realize it not actually a line.
(actually quote from a gentleman from Alabama "I've heard about the line but actually never seen it.")
Trout fishing is Golf, for people who can not play golf.

And finally....
Mortalitly set in for me this week.
My girlfriends, sisters, boyfriend died on June 26th. It was kind of unexpected.
He was a great guy, when he was sober. Which lately was never. I have a conversation with him a few days before he passed and told him if he keeps drinking the was he was it was going to kill him and to let me help him and take him to rehab to dry out.
Let me clarify. This was not a two sided conversation. He was stupid/staggering/inconherent blitzed when i started screaming at him for getting into a fight with his girlfriend and calling her son a pussy. 4 hours later when he could hold his head up streight and actually knew what i was saying to him that when i started into him about going to rehab. I told him of my fight with alcholism and how i almost died. (Was pretty close there at the end for those of you who do not know.) I had to re-live my entire drinking career, the throwing up blood, the constant need for the next fix, next drink. Waking up in the middle of the night sweating and the only thing that could get me back to sleep was to get drunk again. Hiding the bottles. Making sure i had enought for sunday so i would not get sick and start detoxing. I told him i would take him out and get him loaded one last time, but that once he was done that he needed to go and dry out. He didn't have to go to AA meeting like i do, but to get the alchol out of his system before it killed him.
Less than two days later he was found dead with a bottle of Schnops next to the bed on the nightstand. He was 47.
I still think about drinking. I do not think there will ever be a day when i do not. Atleast i hope not. Me wanting to drink reminds me of who i am. I'm an Alcholic. I can not drink safely for long periods of time (or even short periods for that matter). I go to mettings, listen to people talk, share my thoughts and always try and remember who i am. I see it at the campground with one of my neibors who just absolutelly destroys himself every single night with a 30 pack of Bud (by himself). Then i see my father. 72 years old and 27 years sober. Enjoying life and what ever life gives him. Taking a ride on him motorcycle. Still driving truck (semi) 4 days a week and doing it better than guys 1/2 his age. Sure i think about going out and getting loaded, but i also think about living until i'm old, riding, swimming, fishing. August 1st i will have two years sober but i am more thankfull that i am sober today than ever before.

More on July 5th. Everyone have a safe and happy holiday.

DJD