Five Things: Places I Love on the Light Rail

I know this topic has been covered much more thoroughly by Light Rail Blog (and I encourage you to click & subscribe), but I figure I’m in the camp of “more support never hurts”, so here’s a quick list of spots I love to frequent along the Light Rail route.

(to non-Phoenix readers, sorry)

1.) All About Books & Comics
In truth, I first started going to this shop because of their Central location, but the service and ambiance at AABC would keep me coming back even if I moved. Just like a bar, a barber shop and a burger place, every nerd needs a comic book shop to call his own, and this one’s mine.

2.) Phoenix Muni / Chase Field
There’s something about being able to leave work at lunch time on a spring day and spend the rest of the afternoon at the ballpark. Admittedly, we’ve been getting total crap baseball for our dollar here in Phoenix lately, but I still hold out hope that someday we’ll stop being ripped off when it comes to America’s Pasttime. Until then, enjoy the day games when a team you like comes to town.

3.) AJ’s Fine Foods
This may seem like an odd addition to my list, but other than Pizzaria Bianco, this place serves the best slice of pizza along the Light Rail. I like to go there on Thursdays after-work and grab a slice, a salad and a random craft beer before I head home.

4.) George & Dragon
As much as I like The Turf, my pub will always be the G&D. This place is always packed on Friday nights and most weekends, and has everything you’d need in a watering hole. Huge drink selection: check. People watching: check. Good wings: check. Random accents: check.

5.) Cheese-n-Stuff / Pane Bianco
Depending on what mood you’re in, these two represent my favorite place to get a real, honest to goodness sandwich. For randomness, Pane Bianco has rarely let me down, and the ingredients are always top-notch. For comfort food, Stan & his family at Cheese-n-Stuff are my go-to. Get a Doughboy and a Yoohoo and you’re set for the rest of the day.

Birthday Request

Want to be my friend for life?
Well, maybe not for life, that’s a long commitment and while I think you’re swell, I just don’t know where I’ll be in 5 years, but I digress….

Want to be awesome in my book?

Send me over one of these.

Then all my beers can be tasty delicious.

Right now I’m stuck using my Royal at the Market coffee sleeve wrapped around a George & Dragon pint glass, which DOES create a nice vortex of localism, but doesn’t exactly ensure victory for the Yankees.

Five Things: Why I Love the Yankees

Weekends in Spring & Summer make me think of two things: new movies and baseball.  Right now we find ourselves two weeks into the season and my Yankees are in 1st place in the division.

Yes, I live in Phoenix, could walk to D-Backs games, but I love the Yankees.

(here’s why, after the jump)

Read the rest of this entry »

Blast from the Past: Joe Morgan

With Opening Day just around the corner, I thought it’d be a good time for a re-post of last year’s Joe Morgan quote.  Way to go, Joe.
—————————————

I was watching the Yankee’s Opening Day game while waiting for the cable guy to come fix my internet, and I heard the following exchange:

(reviewing a graphic of the money teams spent on Free Agents last off-season; the Yankees spent $441 million on three guys)

VP Joe Biden: Joe, you ever see those numbers and just think…?

Joe Morgan: It’s funny, but no, I really don’t. I came up and was able to play against Willie Mays & Mickey Mantle, and that was all I ever wanted as a kid.

Now, I’m not foolish, everyone likes money, but personally, I’m giving a thumbs-up to Joe Morgan.
—————————-

And that, ladies & gents, is why Joe Morgan is in the Hall of Fame and McGwire shouldn’t even be sold a ticket to walk into the building.

Why I Love Phoenix: Reason #72

While most of the country is thinking about shoveling their path and March Madness:

We’re over here enjoying beers, baseball & 75 degree weather already.

Hooray us!

Pfft Spring Break.  I can do that on a Saturday here.

By the way, for those of you currently dealing with snowfall and numb fingers, at the game last week there were copious hotties in short skirts and tank tops.

Weird accessories

At a spring training game today I found myself in line behind a father/son duo who decided to forego the typical baseball game accessory (glove) and bring a new tool with them. They were each sporting their own baseball bat.

This raised a few questions about what they were planning to do. Here are the choices I settled on:

1.) they brought them in case one team ran out of equipment, so the game could go on.
2.) to have a player sign. But that would most likely be a minor league player who will amount to nothing.
3.) instead of catching foul balls, they plan to hit them back into play.
4.) they are SERIOUS about their team and won’t put up with opposing fan talking smack.

Mustache Pete Drexel

Behold, the only man to pitch a Perfect Game and a Perfect Week.

Additionally, this image incorporates four things I think are awesome:
– Baseball
– NPH
– Pin-stripes
– HIMYM

(thanks to Be Awesome Instead)

Here's a wierd feeling

I’ve been playing around with layout/visual theme of my blog lately, and today while checking everything out, I analyzed my Tag Cloud, and wasn’t exactly happy with a few things I saw there.

The Good:
I’m pretty happy about the quantity of zombie references.  You really never can be prepared enough.

The Okay:
I understand that baseball has fallen off quite a bit.  It’s just the time of year, and the fact that I’ve been trying to avoid making angry posts about the recent Yankee’s roster changes (Melky was awesome and sealed my first Yankee Stadium memory, even if Granderson may play better defense.  Nick Johnson FTL!!!), and/or Mark McGwire’s pansy pseudo-admission (c’mon you dick, you ruined a great record and you’re still lying about why you cheated).

The Not Good:
There seems to be too few references to Wolverine and Robots lately. I mean, if I stray from those topics, am I going to lose my core reader(ship)?

I’ll keep mulling this over while I come up with an action plan.

(Pfft. I don’t follow “action plans”, I just “DO” or forget about it.  We’ll see what happens)

5 Things the Yankees need to Win

1.) Dominant Andy Pettite
2.) A-Rod & Tex’s bats come alive
3.) First-Base Pick-Off
4.) Brett Gardner triple
5.) Umpires that get the calls right.

I'm willing to cede that overall suckage is now only the #2 reason the Roid Sox should be eliminated.

#1 reason is the Nick Adenhart commercial for the Angels. You can't beat that sort of feeling.