sdelmonte | Monday Morning Thoughts

- As you know, I am not a Yankees fan. So the fact that they about on the cusp of yet another World Series victory doesn't do much for me. But if you are a fan of baseball in general, you have to respect a team that features a guy who steals two bases on one pitch. It's old-fashioned, quick thinking, by-the-seat-of-your-pants baseball, which is how I want everyone to play. So hats off to Johnny Damon for making everything happen at once. (Too bad it looks like we are probably going to see another World Series fail to go to seven games, though.)

- I think that New Yorkers of the Yankee fan stripe should enjoy this win. Because the Knicks, Nets, Jets and Giants all look terrible now. At least my Mets aren't alone.

- Turning away from sports to literature, we read Sir PTerry's Unseen Academicals over the weekend. Wow. What an amazing book, IMO the best since Night Watch. We meet some wonderful new characters, return to some old favorites in larger roles than before, and even get some rather interesting news about one or two who remain offscreen. We also get a plot that is far more complex and gripping that what I expected from the blurbs I read in advance. I cannot recommend it enough to Discworld fans. Though if you are to the Disc, you will miss a lot if you start here.

- Attended a baby naming at morning services today. (E the Catering Dwarf and his wife had a girl!) It was a little weird, this being the first time I had to face something like this since the miscarriage. It hurt a little, but that hurt was totally overwhelmed by my joy for my friend. I think I surprised him by giving him a hug and not just a handshake. But I needed to let him know I was okay, and was glad to be there for him. So if you are wondering how I'm doing, I think I am getting there.

Will also add that I know E since he was 16 and a shallow, callow motormouth. It's sort of wild to see him go from that to someone who I know will make a wonderful father. Though I feel sorry for a generation of Orthodox Jewish boys being born or raised now who will have to contend with him as a future father-in-law. (He says he's already got his sword sharpened.)