Big Changes in 2012

What was it, like 2 weeks ago we all had a heart attack over the trade of Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi for Micheal Pineda and Jose Campos? "How could they do it?" some asked regarding Montero. No more John Sterling yelling "Jesus is loose!". I think that trade was a little risky. He only played in the majors for, what, 9 games? We barely got a taste of his potential. He was supposed to be our Golden Child! Grrrrrr....

Brian Cashman probably knows how that trade looked. Pineda will do us some good for a little while. Then we have Campos who is 19 years old. Spent 2 years in the Minors. This could either be really good or really bad. Young talent is great but only if that talent is finely tuned. I'm anxious to see how it works out for us. I mean if we have guys like AJ Burnett or even sometimes Hughes crumbling under pressure (And they've been with us for a while)...how's a kid going to be? Maybe he'll be a fearless kind of newbie instead of the timid kind. Who knows...

I'm pretty excited that Joba is coming back, I follow his tweets on Twitter and from what I gather, he says his arm feels good. The man himself even responded to an inquiry of mine regarding his arm post-Tommy John surgery this past summer! (Click the photo to see it better)

The Yankees also have a DH spot to fill. It warms my heart to see that Matsui and Damon are being talked about. How awesome would it be to get number 28 with Godzilla hitting a monster homer?!

I still say we need to get AJ Burnett the hell out of the Bronx, though. Buuuuuuuut, we did get HIROKI KURODA! And the best thing was the news about him came not long after the Montero trade and my Twitter and Facebook timelines all had a Yankee themed orgasm lol Woohoo!

This season sounds pretty good already! Oh, and Monsieur Russell Martin is back and so is Andruw Jones! Oh and *mumbles* Boone Logan, too...... -_-

Goodbye, Jorge.

I'm writing this first draft on Macy's receipt paper on my lunch break. I'm kind of wishing I had something better to write on but, I was always told if you have a thought, to write it down right away. To never chance losing it forever. So, I'm doing just that. And, I certainly have many thoughts on today.

So, here goes...

I have been dreading this day for weeks. It's not everyday that my favorite Yankees catcher announces his retirement. After the 2011 season, I knew it in my heart what was coming. I could see that Jorge knew it, too. After such an up and down season full with outstanding highs and saddening lows, being moved down in the batting order to hitting a grand slam that literally made me cry with happiness. Jorge Posada had a tumultuous year, but ended the season his way. Giving the team that had given him so much, one more shot at the post season.

His gift to the fans...or that's how I saw it, at least. One more act of heroics in (2nd version of) the stadium that made him great. I will never forget it. I feel many will agree with me. One more great moment to add to the already long list.

How can we forget who caught the ball Derek Jeter "flipped" and who's quick reflexes tagged a stunned Jeremy Giambi out. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else in that situation.

On Twitter, all of my loyal Yankee followers and fans are running the play by play, like we have so many times during so many Yankee games. I, unfortunately, am at work and will watch it later...with tissues nearby.

Posada means a lot to me. Maybe because I connect with him on a personal level, I see a little of myself in him. It's hard to see pro athletes as human, their legend is sometimes so great that we forget. But, Jorge is human. He's had struggle. He's had moments of personal greatness. Every time he has fallen, he has gotten back up with grace and class. He's able to recognize his weaknesses. And, what's best, is he wasn't afraid to expose them to us.

Playing among these God like ball players, Mariano...Pettite...Jeter. We all seem to think they can do no wrong, mainly Derek Jeter. But, not Jorge...at least not as of late. He was not as lucky to have the fans blind faith in him. I feel that he knew that. That's why he worked so hard to be better and seemed to beat himself up when it seemingly wasn't enough. I can relate to that. I believe that's why I've always been so fond of him and was always so ecstatic to see him succeed.

I know a few Yankee fans who didn't like Jorge or that said (lately) that he wasn't worth a thing. It's ironic today to read their sad tweets and hear their comments upon his retirement.

I always say, I'd rather be respected than loved. Respect means more to me. I feel, if anything, fans owe him the respect and gratitude he deserves, whether they liked him or not. Respect for what he did for our team. For our city. Because, very few play or have played with the passion that Jorge Posada did. New York would be very fortunate to see another man and catcher such as he.

So, with that being said, I wish you, Jorge, a happy and blessed retirement. I know that we have not seen the last of you and that this is the beginning of a great new adventure.

Thank you for everything.

P.S. You still have the cutest ears in baseball. :)

Hip, Hip JORGE!

Ah, the day has come. Jorge Posada back in the line-up in the DH spot, at least for today. At first, I was nervous and anxious to see what he'd do. I was praying that his time on the bench, stewing about what got him there, perhaps lit a fire in him...and thankfully, it seemed to have.

I don't want to say "I told you so" or "In yo face!" but...I knew this was still in him all along despite what many have said. You don't just pull Grand Slams out of your butthole region at random. I truly believe the trouble with Jorge is mental. He gets too in his own head instead of just going out there and playing.

I don't want to say "He's back" because I feel it's too early for that, but damn, I just think his comeback was like a fairytale. Like Jeter said when he hit 3k..."You couldn't have written a better script."

Time will tell if Jorge is truly back, but while we wait, I'm going to soak up every second of it. It couldn't have happened to a better guy. Maybe some time on the bench was just what the doctor ordered to get his head right.

And now, I will go back to annoying my friends by saying "Hip, hip Jorge" around the apartment some more. :D

That is all.

Poor Jorge

I know I'm late on commenting about this, on here, at least, but here I go. I've been a Yankees fan for as long as I can remember, Jorge's had always been one of our dependable guys. A member of the elite Core Four, outstanding catcher and a fiery tempered spirit on the field. These were/are my reasons for adoring Posada the way I do. This is why Posada's current fate is so upsetting for this Yankees fan.

As we all know, age always becomes an issue in any athletes career. There's no avoiding father time, he's an unbiased jerkoff. Still, I can't help but wish something would click with Jorge and he'd just start hitting better just so he can finish this season decently. I have a feeling it will be his last.

I don't particularly enjoy watching one of my favorites sitting on the bench and frowning. I can only imagine what's going through his head. He's probably just as disappointed, if not more. People need to give him a break. If Posada is like me, which I kind of have a feeling he is, he's probably beating himself up for his lack of performance.

The Yankees really haven't done him wrong until this season, so I won't bash the organization too much. I highly disagreed with the way Girardi dropped Posada to 9th in the batting order. Yea, you can send a guy a signal that he needs to step up, but tell him before the game starts. Tell him in your office and discuss it as adults, friends even.

The Yankees are a team that likes to win. What team doesn't? I just think he deserves more than this. Deserves to leave with his head held high and call it a day the way he has earned to. I fear this will not happen and Jorge will once again be disappointed.

Still, here's hoping that Jorge gets to ride off into the sunset like the champ he is.    

Deaths in Hollywood: Who are we to judge?

It makes me so sad when I read about people insulting the dead. Especially dead celebrities who die from an overdose or suicide. Acting as if that person wasn't someones daughter, or wife. Someones father or nephew. And just because that person had more access to better help in getting over an addiction or a mental health issue, doesn't mean he/she was strong enough to do it and make the decision to get the help he/she needed. And being surrounded by 'yes men and women' who probably all told them how great they were and how he/she was amazing but failed to tell them what they needed to hear, probably didn't help either.

It's very sad that people can be so heartless. Death is not something to joke about. How would you like if when you died, I sat there making jokes about the way you lived your life and how you died? And went through a list of all your shortcomings and mistakes?

It probably won't feel too good looking down or up from wherever you end up when your time comes, will it?

So shut up or I'll wear a red dress to your funeral.

Men and Women - My Dating Rant

Here I am at 26 years old, thinking that most men are slimy jerks and after only one thing. Why? Because all I get is the wrong kind of attention and usually from men in relationships looking to get out. Why? So, they can "hang out" with me. What the hell does "hang out" mean now? I'll tell you and it sure as hell doesn't mean what it used to.

Hanging out is not dating. Hanging out is basically a lazy term for a friends with benefits type of situation. Ideal for any guy looking to get himself balls deep in a girl he likes for whatever reason, but have zero responsibility to her whatsoever. Yes, I said it. Balls deep.

A guy like that would most certainly have to have balls to try that with me or think that was all I was good for.

Case in point: Today, not 1...not even 2...but 3 gentlemen started talking to me while I was at work. One guy I know has a girlfriend because he was in store with her 2 days ago exchanging a watch, which he then brought back for something else. During this exchange, he proceeded to comment on how different I looked with make-up on and my hair down. Asked my nationality. Why I had no ring on my finger. Did I have kids. Things he most certainly was not asking 2 days ago in front of his girlfriend.

Which just confirms my point of view of men lately. All men my age want is something easy. They don't want to work for anything. They want convienience. They want casual and they want arm candy.

I'm no ones arm candy and I refuse to lower my expectations to ever settle for a man less than a GENTLEMAN who will treat me with RESPECT. That's all any woman deserves, in my mind. Luckily for me, I have met a wonderful MAN. He knows I'd kick him in the nuts if he ever disrespected me (lol).

Back to my example from today, I didn't flirt back, I did my job. I gave him nothing to go on. I answered his questions in a way that didn't leave room for further discussion regarding it. But, he came up with more things to say, trying to get me to open up. When I didn't, he eventually gave up and finished with the sale, not before leaving and calling me a "dollface".

Another customer called me "cutie pie" and that's fine, but once again, physical. I realize that everyone is somewhat judged by how they look, but you can bet your ass I don't hear 1/2 of this when I throw my hair in a messy bun and don't wear hardly any make-up to work.

What's different, I wonder? I'm the same. I act the same. I smile, I'm still funny...hmmmm, I can only guess. Could it be the way I choose to wear my make-up? Probably, but why should I change? What the hell have I done wrong?

Not a damn thing. Ugh!

Role Models

Growing up, I idolized not celebrities but ordinary people. People like my Grandfather; Donald Deininger. People who brought honor and pride to every single thing they did. People who just flat out do the right thing by everyone; including themselves. And, that's the way I try to live everyday. I'm not saying every now and then that I won't royally mess up, but I won't screw up without a great deal of personal reflection. A look deep down inside.

I went through a short period of bullying this one kid in middle school. He was a little weird, okay, by most standards, very weird. I would spew off smart assed one liners to make my friends laugh, I would throw out insults that I tried to reason with myself weren't "too bad". But, there's no reasoning with an insult. They're all bad. No matter if it's said with a smile or a laugh. If the person on the receiving end is not smiling or laughing...chances are, it hurt them. And that's not something I pride myself for doing. Which is why that period in my life didn't last long. It wasn't me and it wasn't who I wanted to be. I never went home after doing that, excited to tell my mom about it. If you've done something you can't tell your mom at dinner...chances are it's the wrong thing to be doing.

After that, I felt bad. Really bad. All that kid wanted to do was go to class, eat his lunch and go home. And here I was, making his day shitty. Who was I to do that? Who was I to decide he should have a crappy day? To make him feel bad? When I asked myself this...the only worthwhile answer I came up with was: No one.

No one has the right to make someone feel badly for no good reason. And, I quickly learned that as a stupid teenager. My bullying days ended pretty much as soon as they started. I thought I was hot shit. I had a group of friends who I felt I needed to be a smart ass in front of to be liked and it turned out, that's not why they liked me at all. They liked me because prior to those days, I had been a very accepting person. Someone who was friends with all kinds of people. Someone who liked to make people laugh, to have fun. Being thought of that way was more important to me than feeling like hot shit.

As an adult, I try to surround myself with people who think and feel similarly as I do. These are good friends to have around. Friends with dreams. Friends with drive. I try not to do the wrong thing. I don't drink heavily. I am usually always home at a reasonable hour because I have a responsibility to my job to be there on time, if not early. I've always been that way. I work hard there, even though it's tedious and not particularly what I want to do with my life. You should treat every job as if your life depends on it, make sure by your actions that they know you deserve to be there. In the world we currently live in, we should all be so lucky as to be blessed with a job, no matter how great or thankless. I thank God for my job just about everyday.

I think this way because I looked up to people who worked hard, who earned everything they had and were generous when they could be...and sometimes even when they couldn't be. It's not about you, but the things you do, the things you say. That's what people will remember when you are gone.

Hopefully, someone will remember me that way someday. My little cousin Tara and I have a special bond, she asks me about my time as a ballet dancer when she's having a tough time in her dance classes, asks my advice on dealing with her friends in school. I'm honored to be someone she turns to. And, everyday, I try to live in a way that would make her proud to look up to me. And most of all, I try to live in a way that would make me want to look up to me.

Who do you look up to? Why?