Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've been slow to post...again. Partly because I'm a springtime slacker, and partly because the blog had to be moved so it wasn't FTP-something-that-I-don't-get. However, thanks to my wonderful, highly skilled web guru, everything was safely moved and we're up and running. (Thanks, Maddee!)
In the meantime, having taken sixth place in my yearly NCAA Geek Pool (and soundly beating President Obama's tourney entry), I've moved on to baseball season.
First order of business: Fantasy baseball. I am once again playing in the ESPN Baseball Challenge. It's the world's easiest fantasy baseball league. You can join anytime, and you don't have to engage in a round robin draft of players or keep stats. Instead, you are given a (fictional) $50 million budget you simply pick whichever players you want by clicking on them. Easy, peasy. Then ESPN keeps track of how they do at the plate and tallies the score for you. It's a lot of fun. (Especially when you're doing well. I'm currently at the 95% of all players in the league. I don't expect it'll last.)
Second order of business: Real baseball. I signed up for my yearly wallet-depleting subscription to MLB Extra Innings so I can watch the Rockies games here in Boston, and I've already stayed up late for quite a few. It's painful, given the late starts and the two-hour time difference, but worth it. I also managed to get tickets on top of the the Green Monster at Fenway during the first Red Sox-Yankees series so I could see a game in person, and I'll be in my usual third-base seats for one of this weekend's games. Color me happy!
On the other hand, most of my baseball-loving friends claim they aren't as hopped up for the season as usual. Earlier this season, news stations in Boston reported that sales were down, and that the Red Sox might not continue their sellout streak at Fenway, but I'm not seeing it.
Anyone else feeling this way? Or is this a woe-is-me, typical Boston-area phenomenon? Do you care more about baseball (or whatever sport's your fave) once the season's in full swing than during the first month of games? Does playing in a fantasy league amp up your level of interest? Weigh in!
Showing posts with label ESPN Baseball Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ESPN Baseball Challenge. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thirteen Dunkin' Donuts
Bathroom renovations continue at Casa Niki this week. It's ALMOST done! The toilet (very important) is going in as I type this, though there's still no countertop and no door (doors also being vital to a bathroom. Especially once the toilet's there.) Promise to post another pic soon.
In the meantime, I went to my last regular-season game at Fenway last night. Burned my tongue on too-hot Dunkin' Donuts coffee, but had a great time nonetheless as the Sox won. I'll miss some of the playoffs while I'm in Korea, so hopefully the Red Sox will still be in it when I get back. Of course, the end of the season means it's also the last week of the ESPN Baseball Challenge. It looks like I'll finish in sixth place in my group of 29 people. However, I'm in another group called Red Sox Nation (shocker, I know.) I'm currently in 309th place out of 4600 or so people. I'd like to finish in the top 300, but it may take a weekend miracle.
And...NOBODY tell me what happened on either Ugly Betty or Survivor last night, please! Had to tape 'em while I was at the game. I'll watch tomorrow (tonight is debate night, so watching tonight is out.) I am SO happy the new TV season has started. More Ugly Betty, more 30 Rock, more Dirty Sexy Money, more Amazing Race, and more Survivor! Once Design Star ended, I was stuck (gasp!) with nothing more to watch than re-runs of What Not To Wear. While I love Stacy and Clinton, watching them in re-runs just isn't as exciting.
Finally...in answer to the many caring questions I've received about the Jimmy Fund Walk: 1) Yes, you can still donate. Click right here to access my donation page. Any donations go directly to the Jimmy Fund to help fight cancer (the money does not come to me.) 2) Yes, I have completely recovered. I actually felt fine the next day (surprised me, too. I was expecting to be sore. Instead, I spent the next day cleaning out the garage!) 3) There are THIRTEEN Dunkin' Donuts locations along the Jimmy Fund Walk route (it's the 26.2 mile Boston Marathon route.) Crazy, but true. I counted. I did see a few walkers stop for Munchkins and coffee mid-walk, but I waited until I got home, as I cannot walk and drink coffee simultaneously. (Hey, I apparently can't even watch baseball and drink coffee without injury. I know my limitations!)
Have a great weekend, everyone! And Go Red Sox!
In the meantime, I went to my last regular-season game at Fenway last night. Burned my tongue on too-hot Dunkin' Donuts coffee, but had a great time nonetheless as the Sox won. I'll miss some of the playoffs while I'm in Korea, so hopefully the Red Sox will still be in it when I get back. Of course, the end of the season means it's also the last week of the ESPN Baseball Challenge. It looks like I'll finish in sixth place in my group of 29 people. However, I'm in another group called Red Sox Nation (shocker, I know.) I'm currently in 309th place out of 4600 or so people. I'd like to finish in the top 300, but it may take a weekend miracle.
And...NOBODY tell me what happened on either Ugly Betty or Survivor last night, please! Had to tape 'em while I was at the game. I'll watch tomorrow (tonight is debate night, so watching tonight is out.) I am SO happy the new TV season has started. More Ugly Betty, more 30 Rock, more Dirty Sexy Money, more Amazing Race, and more Survivor! Once Design Star ended, I was stuck (gasp!) with nothing more to watch than re-runs of What Not To Wear. While I love Stacy and Clinton, watching them in re-runs just isn't as exciting.
Finally...in answer to the many caring questions I've received about the Jimmy Fund Walk: 1) Yes, you can still donate. Click right here to access my donation page. Any donations go directly to the Jimmy Fund to help fight cancer (the money does not come to me.) 2) Yes, I have completely recovered. I actually felt fine the next day (surprised me, too. I was expecting to be sore. Instead, I spent the next day cleaning out the garage!) 3) There are THIRTEEN Dunkin' Donuts locations along the Jimmy Fund Walk route (it's the 26.2 mile Boston Marathon route.) Crazy, but true. I counted. I did see a few walkers stop for Munchkins and coffee mid-walk, but I waited until I got home, as I cannot walk and drink coffee simultaneously. (Hey, I apparently can't even watch baseball and drink coffee without injury. I know my limitations!)
Have a great weekend, everyone! And Go Red Sox!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Hey Now, You're An All-Star
Over the weekend, the MLB announced both the National League and American League rosters for this year's All-Star Game, which will be the last played at Yankee Stadium (as the ads on ESPN tell us over and over. And over.)
What do you think? Who belongs? Who doesn't? Though I'm a big Varitek fan, I have to admit that I'm shocked he's there. This hasn't been his best year. On the other hand, Mike Lowell, the Red Sox's Mr. Steady, didn't make it, and I thought he might. (Though with A-Rod as competition, it's tough.)
Cole Hamels and Aubrey Huff were pretty big snubs. Ditto Jason Bay. However, I can't say I was really surprised by any of those. And I did want to see J. J. Hardy on the list. The guy's been going gangbusters on my ESPN Challenge fantasy team for the last two weeks, ever since I acquired him. Turned out to be one of my best buys of the season (though with perpetually bad pitching, I'm now in fourth place out of the twenty-two competitors in my league. Overall in the ESPN Challenge, I'm at 88%. A nice B+ grade, though I'm shooting for that A.) But you can't fault the voters for going with Hanley Ramirez over J.J. Hardy. Hanley's had a killer year at the plate.
Personally, my favorite part of it all is the Home Run Derby. It's just fun to watch guys smack balls over the wall just to prove they can. This year, the fave seems to be Chase Utley , but I'm predicting a Dan Uggla victory.
What do you think? Snubs? Derby Predictions? Other thoughts?
I'll be catching one of the final games before the All-Star break tonight at Fenway. My brother lives in Minneapolis, so while I'm cheering on the Red Sox, I have a feeling he'll be calling my cell to mock me every time the Twins score. (Hopefully, the phone won't ring, given that Boston has Daisuke on the mound.)
What do you think? Who belongs? Who doesn't? Though I'm a big Varitek fan, I have to admit that I'm shocked he's there. This hasn't been his best year. On the other hand, Mike Lowell, the Red Sox's Mr. Steady, didn't make it, and I thought he might. (Though with A-Rod as competition, it's tough.)
Cole Hamels and Aubrey Huff were pretty big snubs. Ditto Jason Bay. However, I can't say I was really surprised by any of those. And I did want to see J. J. Hardy on the list. The guy's been going gangbusters on my ESPN Challenge fantasy team for the last two weeks, ever since I acquired him. Turned out to be one of my best buys of the season (though with perpetually bad pitching, I'm now in fourth place out of the twenty-two competitors in my league. Overall in the ESPN Challenge, I'm at 88%. A nice B+ grade, though I'm shooting for that A.) But you can't fault the voters for going with Hanley Ramirez over J.J. Hardy. Hanley's had a killer year at the plate.
Personally, my favorite part of it all is the Home Run Derby. It's just fun to watch guys smack balls over the wall just to prove they can. This year, the fave seems to be Chase Utley , but I'm predicting a Dan Uggla victory.
What do you think? Snubs? Derby Predictions? Other thoughts?
I'll be catching one of the final games before the All-Star break tonight at Fenway. My brother lives in Minneapolis, so while I'm cheering on the Red Sox, I have a feeling he'll be calling my cell to mock me every time the Twins score. (Hopefully, the phone won't ring, given that Boston has Daisuke on the mound.)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Hit By A Pitch
My Baseball Challenge team has been struggling of late. Like many managers, I can't seem to get a reliable pitching staff (made the mistake of picking the Mets for their doubleheader against the Braves. Ouch.) I finally had to let go of Rafael Furcal, even though I acquired him on the cheap and he's been earning me a ton of points, because he's simply been injured too long. Filled his SS slot with Yunel Escobar only to have Yunel get injured. Now I have Derek Jeter. (Yes, I have a Yankee in my lineup, despite being a member of Red Sox Nation./) What are the odds that Jeter will get injured tonight, simply because he's in my lineup? All the injuries compelled me to rename my team last week. I've gone from being "Nic's Basement Dwellers" to "Hit By A Pitch."
Maybe I'm pessimistic because I'm still stewing over Survivor. Going into the final episode, I was cheering for Cirie. I think she'd make smart choices with the money, and she strikes me as a nice person. When it got down to Amanda and Parvati, I figured it was a no-brainer for Amanda. But she whiffed with the jury, exactly the same way she did last season (check my earlier blog about that.) You just can't argue, "I stayed true to my alliance" and leave it at that. Parv made a case so strong that even Eliza ended up giving her a vote. So Parv got the big $$ (though Amanda did walk away with Ozzy.)
Guess I should stay away from Survivor Fantasy Leagues. Apparently I'm incapable of picking a winner!
In the meantime, good things are afoot on the book front. The just-released anthology Breaking Up (Is Hard To Do), which features my story, "Last Stand", alongside stories from Terri Clark, Ellen Hopkins, and Lynda Sandoval, has gotten some fantastic reviews!
Publishers Weekly said: "these four stories about love gone wrong...are likely to go over big with teens in search of solace for their own romantic misadventures." And: "readers will enjoy the stylish scenarios, projecting themselves into situations they can only wish were true."
Anything that says "go over big with teens" makes me do a yippy-skippy dance.
Now, to see if my rock-steady third baseman, Chipper Jones, and the Red Sox pitchers can get me out of my Baseball Challenge jam tonight.
Oh, wait. Chipper got hurt last night. Hit by a pitch! Well...
Maybe I'm pessimistic because I'm still stewing over Survivor. Going into the final episode, I was cheering for Cirie. I think she'd make smart choices with the money, and she strikes me as a nice person. When it got down to Amanda and Parvati, I figured it was a no-brainer for Amanda. But she whiffed with the jury, exactly the same way she did last season (check my earlier blog about that.) You just can't argue, "I stayed true to my alliance" and leave it at that. Parv made a case so strong that even Eliza ended up giving her a vote. So Parv got the big $$ (though Amanda did walk away with Ozzy.)
Guess I should stay away from Survivor Fantasy Leagues. Apparently I'm incapable of picking a winner!
In the meantime, good things are afoot on the book front. The just-released anthology Breaking Up (Is Hard To Do), which features my story, "Last Stand", alongside stories from Terri Clark, Ellen Hopkins, and Lynda Sandoval, has gotten some fantastic reviews!
Publishers Weekly said: "these four stories about love gone wrong...are likely to go over big with teens in search of solace for their own romantic misadventures." And: "readers will enjoy the stylish scenarios, projecting themselves into situations they can only wish were true."
Anything that says "go over big with teens" makes me do a yippy-skippy dance.
Now, to see if my rock-steady third baseman, Chipper Jones, and the Red Sox pitchers can get me out of my Baseball Challenge jam tonight.
Oh, wait. Chipper got hurt last night. Hit by a pitch! Well...
Thursday, May 1, 2008
No One Consulted Me
...or one of my fave shows of the fall, Journeyman, would not have been cancelled. I wish this show had been given a chance. The writing was great, the characters wonderfully flawed and multi-layered, the acting superb. (Plus, I cannot possibly get a Kevin McKidd fix from watching him in Made of Honor. That movie does not look good.) I sure hope NBC brings Journeyman back.
...or grocery stores would not make Boca Breakfast Wraps nearly impossible to find. These things are DELISH. Two minutes in the microwave for one of these--easy to zap while I'm making my morning coffee--and I'm a happy girl. I hoard these when I can find them.
...or the marketing gurus at Pfizer would never have put this lady in their commercial for Lyrica. Something about her gives me the creeps every time I see the ad. (Probably why a new Lyrica lady has popped up in recent days and on the Lyrica website.)
...or the Angels wouldn't have had such dismal pitching against the Oakland A's earlier this week. My Baseball Challenge team started the week by giving me a negative twenty points. (The Angels pitchers actually got a negative thirty...I only finished with a negative twenty because my position players pulled me partway out of the gutter.) Here's hoping the Cincinnati Reds pitching staff does well tonight, now that I've traded away the Angels. I need the help.
On the bright side, wasn't last night's Survivor the best? While I did like Alexis, (and believe she's watching these episodes at home shocked by how evil and nasty her "buddy" Natalie is), and I'm really bummed about James (my fave!) having to leave for medical reasons, the episode was one of the most entertaining in a while. We got to see James's dad, we saw the look of horror on evil Natalie's face when Alexis was ousted (because Nat knows she's next on the chopping block. And hallelujah!), and Erik winning immunity was priceless. (I think now that James is out, I'm rooting for Erik. What about you?)
...or grocery stores would not make Boca Breakfast Wraps nearly impossible to find. These things are DELISH. Two minutes in the microwave for one of these--easy to zap while I'm making my morning coffee--and I'm a happy girl. I hoard these when I can find them....or the marketing gurus at Pfizer would never have put this lady in their commercial for Lyrica. Something about her gives me the creeps every time I see the ad. (Probably why a new Lyrica lady has popped up in recent days and on the Lyrica website.)
...or the Angels wouldn't have had such dismal pitching against the Oakland A's earlier this week. My Baseball Challenge team started the week by giving me a negative twenty points. (The Angels pitchers actually got a negative thirty...I only finished with a negative twenty because my position players pulled me partway out of the gutter.) Here's hoping the Cincinnati Reds pitching staff does well tonight, now that I've traded away the Angels. I need the help.
On the bright side, wasn't last night's Survivor the best? While I did like Alexis, (and believe she's watching these episodes at home shocked by how evil and nasty her "buddy" Natalie is), and I'm really bummed about James (my fave!) having to leave for medical reasons, the episode was one of the most entertaining in a while. We got to see James's dad, we saw the look of horror on evil Natalie's face when Alexis was ousted (because Nat knows she's next on the chopping block. And hallelujah!), and Erik winning immunity was priceless. (I think now that James is out, I'm rooting for Erik. What about you?)
Friday, April 18, 2008
Twenty-two
Ouch. Anyone watch all six hours and sixteen minutes of the Rockies and Padres game last night? I gave up at 1 am ET, about the middle of the eleventh inning, but did get a kick out of seeing the twenty-first inning stretch on SportsCenter this morning. Both teams are in transit today. Makes me tired just thinking about it.
On the bright side: Not only did the Rockies finally win thanks to Troy Tulowitzki, I had the Padres pitching staff on my ESPN Baseball Challenge roster. (Thankfully, I dumped the Detroit Tigers pitching staff awhile back.) Between the long game in San Diego and my current third baseman, Chipper Jones, doing some serious damage with his bat, my fantasy team earned ninety-one points yesterday. Sadly, I'm still in sixth place out of the (you guessed it) twenty-two players in my Challenge league. But the season is long, and I have the Cubs pitching staff tonight. I'm planning on a slow and steady climb.
On the bright side: Not only did the Rockies finally win thanks to Troy Tulowitzki, I had the Padres pitching staff on my ESPN Baseball Challenge roster. (Thankfully, I dumped the Detroit Tigers pitching staff awhile back.) Between the long game in San Diego and my current third baseman, Chipper Jones, doing some serious damage with his bat, my fantasy team earned ninety-one points yesterday. Sadly, I'm still in sixth place out of the (you guessed it) twenty-two players in my Challenge league. But the season is long, and I have the Cubs pitching staff tonight. I'm planning on a slow and steady climb.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Opening Day
Most MLB teams play their opening day games today. Anyone else in the mood to sing a little Take Me Out To The Ball Game?
After watching the Nationals game (and oohing and ahhing over their new stadium), I celebrated the beginning of the 2008 season by joining ESPN's Baseball Challenge. If you like the idea of playing fantasy baseball, but don't have the time to commit to a draft or following stats/trading players each day, this is a great way to go. Join up and see how you do...it's not too late, and it's very easy. You get $50 million to spend on a team, then you pick and choose from a list of available players. The pitching staff is something you select in its entirety...instead of picking individual pitchers, you would, for instance, nab the Tampa Bay pitching staff for one low (low, low) price. I opted to go for the Tigers pitchers. Let's hope they were a good buy.
(And no, I did not create an all-Rockies and Red Sox roster of position players, though I did snag Matt Holliday for center field.)
Let's hope my Baseball Challenge team fares better than my Geek Pool entry for the NCAA tourney. I'm now in 20th and 24th place with my two entries. Talk about sheer suckage. I don't think even a Kansas-Memphis final could pull me out of the basement now. So if anyone has tips on creating a first place baseball lineup--under that $50 million salary cap, of course--please let me know. I need to redeem myself!
After watching the Nationals game (and oohing and ahhing over their new stadium), I celebrated the beginning of the 2008 season by joining ESPN's Baseball Challenge. If you like the idea of playing fantasy baseball, but don't have the time to commit to a draft or following stats/trading players each day, this is a great way to go. Join up and see how you do...it's not too late, and it's very easy. You get $50 million to spend on a team, then you pick and choose from a list of available players. The pitching staff is something you select in its entirety...instead of picking individual pitchers, you would, for instance, nab the Tampa Bay pitching staff for one low (low, low) price. I opted to go for the Tigers pitchers. Let's hope they were a good buy.
(And no, I did not create an all-Rockies and Red Sox roster of position players, though I did snag Matt Holliday for center field.)
Let's hope my Baseball Challenge team fares better than my Geek Pool entry for the NCAA tourney. I'm now in 20th and 24th place with my two entries. Talk about sheer suckage. I don't think even a Kansas-Memphis final could pull me out of the basement now. So if anyone has tips on creating a first place baseball lineup--under that $50 million salary cap, of course--please let me know. I need to redeem myself!
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