Trying to write a book that takes the most positive angle on a grown-up, committed marriage and family while real life refuses to imitate art is a far more difficult proposition than the whole "write what you know" thing. Trust me on this one. And although, technically I am still on target to complete the 50,000 words of Nanowrimo by the end of this month, it has become a slog and a struggle to get the words out of the mine. It's been up and down: Tuesday was the first day that I couldn't squeeze a single word out; the morning brought an email that took the wind and the words right out of me. I made it up for it the following day by scribbling out 3,000 words over the course of the day, which has been my highest total in the first week or so. But then yesterday which followed a rough night from other ends of reality and life was harder than heck to just get out half the words I was supposed to, a whopping 800+.


Jorge Posada told the world this week that the Yankees haven't contacted him about a contract for 2012 and he says they won't be. The Yankees officially didn't respond to any of that meaning they will let their longtime, core four catcher hang up his pinstripes. It would feel so wrong to have him in any other uniform; he has come out saying the same thing. He is a veteran presence and there is something left in his switch-hitting bats so it will be interesting to see if any other team makes a run at him.

And if this is truly the end, it was a mostly majestic career spent entirely in the Bronx which is something most modern ballplayers don't ever get to do anymore: spend their entire career with one team and the only one that matters. Torre came out saying that Jorge is Hall of Fame worthy and who can argue with Joe? Not I...

Okay, I'm going to try and squeeze out some words, some paragraphs and a chapter or two.

Thanks,
B.

Two years ago, I waited all day long for something I knew not what. But I knew to wait and I listened to myself and I waited. And she appeared and I listened to her and I waited. And it spelled hope in the sky and it was etched in me along a perforated line. And it stayed there for as long as it could and then it was put away because it wasn't for then.

And it  stayed away before it reappeared and hope blossomed again. And then there was vision and vision transformed hope into a word that bears some resemblance and in some ways mean a lot of the same things.

And I fell. The problem with falling is that when no one is there to catch you, you hit and you make a sound, but it can't be heard.

Now, I cannot wait. I just must be...

Brian

Sorry for the week away from saying anything here. What was there to say? Did I mention that the Yanks re-signed CC Sabathia before he could opt-out? Did I say they performed the no-brainer and picked up the $14M option on Robinson Cano and the probably-took-some-deliberation $10M on Nick Swisher? Possibly.

I did get to see a little of last night's broadcast of the MLB stars in Taipei, China. CM Wang being as big as Jeebus back home got knocked around with 2 out in the 2nd inning and gave up 3 runs.


Meanwhile, with all this free time I've been working on a polish on my friend Sparrow's novel adaptation. It was pretty "funny" to me that some of her themes and even some specific lines in her book reminded me much of the last novel that I wrote this time last year. More amusing is that I sent that to Sparrow to read -- the only person and clearly the right one -- so I will wait to see if she picks up on some of the similarities; they are ones that come as much from our living as our writing...

Speaking of writing, I am 13,000+ words into the new novel, "Warm Button Issues," and although it's been a struggle, I have been putting ass in chair and bang-banging away at this thing. Here is the opening paragraph. Enjoy it and don't consider it blog-padding...

“Cut,” the little voice ordered. He was lost, he didn’t hear her. “Cut,” she whined drawing out the u-sound for what felt like a three count. He had the children’s safety scissors enveloped in his arthritic right hand like Andre the Giant operating a pair of hedge-clippers, but he was seeing something else. How he could miss those brilliant gray eyes, eyes that looked nothing at all like his own big, brown eyes, starting plaintively up at him from the Persian carpet that annexed most of the bowling alley smooth hardwood floor of Lily’s playroom?

Thanks,

Brian

I could go back and read what I wrote yesterday in regard to CC Sabathia staying put as a New York Yankee, but I won't bother: The Big Man signed what amounts to a 1-2 year contract extension. Yes, he could have opted out of the contract (sure, I mentioned that part) but his family and his heart are in New York and although by the time the contract expires, potentially 2017, he could be the biggest (editor: fattest) Yankee pitcher ever; he may require more pinstripes on his 2015, 2016 uniform than anyone else, Babe Ruth or David Wells included. Don't know if there's a way to check this on an old Bambino, or Boomer home togs, but I will stand by that until proven wrong.

Across the river, the Mets are moving the fences in the help their hapless hitters although, to me, it also smells of the fact that they know they will not be able to re-sign and retain the triples-hitting speed of Jose Reyes; he is the guy who most benefited from the original outfield configuration as it really aided and abetted his ability to hit three-baggers.

Bye-bye LaRussa; glad to see ya go, but if this means I have to deal with listening to his idiotic, although successful, take and tactics of the game as a broadcaster next season, I will be campaigning for his dismissal -- check that: his Exile - from Spring Training (editor: when is that?!) 'til he's shown the door like Joe Bleeping Morgan.

Welcome to November which is often and is this year, the month for Nanowrimo.org -- National Novel Writing Month. I've mentioned it before (editor: and he'll mention it again, and again. Someone should edit this guy...) but you and many other writers and soccer moms around the country commit to penning a 50,000 word novel during the penultimate month of the year. I have a title, "Warm Button Issues," so that's 3 words; only requiring 49,997 more to go. Guess I should get to it, although this was so not the week to break my french press. Should someone lend or give me an unbroken one, I will name a sympathetic character in the book for you. What a deal!

Cheers and happy November to you,
Brian

The Texas Rangers let it slip through their hands. I think that is the main lesson to be learned. They had the Cards pinned - a few times- let them up, let them breath and let them win. Yes, I am loathe to offer any congratulations, despite begrudgingly admitting that they "earned" them, to LaRussa and his squad. But they came back home loose and ready and never said die. There was some pretty intense baseball and if you missed it, well, your loss.

The Yankees will announce Brian Cashman's new contract as GM today; yesterday they picked up the 2012 options on Robinson Cano (duh) and on Nick Swisher. The latter a little on the fence as Swish's failures year in and year out in the post-season had some of us wondering the New York team would let him go. But the ink is signed and I approve although wouldn't be shocked if the Yanks traded him this Winter; his play and numbers make $10M a "bargain" in today's economic baseball world.

Oh, so I  had applauded the set designer of "Moneyball" for the Strummer poster in Billy Beane's office and for the wonderful Bill Gallo cartoon of Thurman Munson in Art Howe's office. Turns out Howe, who can't really be pleased in how he comes off in the movie, never had that piece of art in his private space, but it at least made him look good in my eyes.

Time to turn toward the hot-stove league and a long Winter's worth of words, whiskey and hopefully equal doses of that other lovely W-word...

I'll save some foodie restaurant reviews of Heidi's, Barbette, Moto-I and Muddy Waters for some other time, but I can fully endorse each and every one of them, so that will have to suffice for now.

Out biking while it was snowing in Brooklyn is kind of sweet; much like East Coast kids who have Halloween off from school for an early snow day.

Enjoy it!
Brian

At some point during Game 5 it actually hit me: this is a rather pivotal game between Texas and St. Louis and it's late and it's so close that a blunder or a break here or there could make all the difference in who hoists the trophy and who waits 'til next year. And seeing that the blunders committed seemingly most egregiously by Misters LaRussa and Pujols were all the breaks the Rangers needed.

Now up 3-2 in games and heading back to St. Louis requiring but one more win for Texas' first world championship it's pretty much all do or die from this point forward. And I am hoping I get a chance to see a chunk of those games but I have my brother coming to visit from Brooklyn and he doesn't take the world seriously...

 Seems like the cool old punk guys and the recovering addicts (perhaps all one in the same) tend to work at bike shops. Pretty great guys at Recovery in the Nordeast, but went and met and got some work done at Sunrise Cyclery in Uptown - they fixed the rear tube issue which Recovery did not, but I won't hold that against those guys ... much.

And it's probably the waning days of warmish and easy bike riding so I will be getting out on the Schwinn today and cruise around the lakes.

Last night's meeting about Batting for Punto was postponed again; this time not by me, but I must admit I was beat and wasn't totally feeling it myself, but would have gone and met. But I have an idea for an MC (instead of me and other writer/partner) and would like to move that forward, get some other commitments and set a date for November and keep it. Now, that has to work around a week long trip back East, but such is life interrupting art.

Need to see what is happening with the Rose book cover; plans for Modus Locus involve having the book-release, reading/selling/signing there as well are all waiting on having the actual book to have to hold and to sell fer chrissakes...

Okay, I am going to get out into the sun and try not to spend $50 as I do so.

Cheers,
Brian

Well, okay -- I admit it: it's a World Series after all, although when the Yankees are not involved I do think that for baseball fans and even for the televising network's benefit reducing the thing to the best of 3 (or even 5, I guess) like it has become is the way to go. Now, I am interested; hadn't really been much before that. Could also really just be the sleep-deprivation talking there; plopped out in front of the TV for much of the weekend was about all I had in me.

But the Cards, with a little assist from an umpire (and bully for Mr. Torre for coming down on the "pool reporter" (I like how they didn't name the guy although he named the ump and his hometown)) and a blown call and an error by Texas' catcher playing first helped toward a Saturday night blowout; more like a football game. And yes, Alberta (still smarting from so much bad press for bailing after less than stellar play in game 2) did hit 3 homeruns in a WS in a row but to compare him to Reggie? Nah, I don't think so. Game 3 heroics in the bandbox that is Arlington is not in the same ballpark as Mr. October doing it in a Game 6 and on three swings in a row. Yeah, I am biased but still... Pujols is just looking for the payday.

As will CJ Wilson, the Rangers' ace who has not pitched like one in the post-season, who knows he could not only leave his team in a hole with a bad outing, but he could also cost himself a lot of money. Yes, the Yankees will be going after the free-agent-to-be lefty starter, but NY is a team built with the important Fall games in mind but he's got to step it up.

Fan favorite (and one of mine since he was an Athletic) Nick Swisher may find himself on that very same bubble: impressive during regular season, non-existent during the post-season. If the Yankees jettison Swish due his lack of hitting in October, it may be hard to spend the money on a starting pitcher who can't help the team over the hump.

The hot-stove league doesn't get going until after the World Series and I guess there will be plenty of time for those discussions then, so for now-- let's watch the last few games of the season. February when pitchers and catchers report is still a far, far off land...

Thanks
Brian