Subway Series

The green blob on the radar doesn't bode well for boating. It doesn't help baseball either.

Interleague Play starts tonight. Some people like it. Some people don't. I understand why there is little little nostalgia in a Royals/Marlins tilt, but I still enjoy when the Mets take on the Yankees.

My friend and personal lawyer, Peter Dawson, is a fan of the Bombers. He thinks Robinson Cano is the left handed hitting Jackie Robinson. I prefer to view him as a souped-up Jose Vizcaino (http://www.baseball-reference.com/v/vizcajo01.shtml). We have a bet that is never paid out. If the Yanks win the six game season series, I have to buy Pete a six pack of Ballantine. If the Amazins win the series, then Pete has to buy me a sixer of Rheingold. Recent years have ended in a series push, so I guess the winner might eventually get a case of their choice brew.

Both teams enter the series as underachievers. However, the Metsies (as Keith Hernandez calls them) seem to have more to lose. Willie Randolph seems to manage his team without a sense of urgency, while Joe Girardi is happy not to answer questions about how his owner would run the team.

Jose Reyes can't seem to get on base consistently. Luis Castillo can't seem to stay in the lineup. Carlos and Carlos are hitting the ball hard, but the hits aren't falling. Ryan Church and Billy Wagner's mouth have been the constant all year at Shea. They probably deserves your all-star vote (http://www.mlb.com/).

So Willie is coaching for his job, but the players need to play. This series is probably more fun for the fans, but it depends on the outcome. Winning is more fun than losing.

Lets Go Mets!

Mother's Day

After another Saturday of crossing things off of our to-do list, we did what all people do on Mother's Day. We took Mom fishing.

Mom, Dad, my fiancee, Kelly, Paulie and I left the dock a couple of hours before low tide. Spinning the boat around a tight corner again is like swinging a bat after a long winter. Its a familiar feeling, but its a little uncomfortable.

The air was cool, but the sun was warm. The wind was singing out of the northeast as we powered up and headed past Deer Island. 4-5 foot waves greeted us as we approached Little Faun Bar. We waited long enough to wet our line. After reversing course and cruising into the Deer Island Flats, we dropped anchor (manually).

My boy, Peter Santini, from Fishing Finatics hooked me up with a flat of seaworms. We found a muddy patch and set up shop. It wasn't long before Kelly said, "um, I think I've got something." The little blackback came to the top. He was too small to take home and lived to fight another day, but we knew we would soon be into some fish. My dad hooked in next and into the first keeper. He also got the "High Hook" with a 21 inch, 3 1/2 pound flattie. Kelly answered back with one of her own. Mom and I were still wading through skate (a delicacy in some places). However, we each found the first and second striper of the season.

After dragging the anchor a little bit, re-setting and dropping back again, we ended up with a nice little haul for the first trip of the season. Paulie was happy to learn we were heading back towards land.

The gentle east wind and my Dad guided us back into our slip at Admirals Hill Marina. After securing the boat and the dog, we fileted the fish, shared some recipes and Kelly tried to be humble.

It was a great Mother's Day. We were glad to sneak in a day on the water when most people were still stuck in the boatyard.

Just Add Water

After a weekend away in Charleston, South Carolina, I was happy to see the boat still floating and the Mets threatening to climb a few games over .500. Where would they be without Ryan Church. Never thought I would say that.

Saturday's forecast called for rain, but just enough to make it uncomfortable. My dad came down from Vermont on Friday afternoon. We met for breakfast at Kelly's Diner and headed over to the marina. With the Miller Time in the slip, not taking it out was a difficut temptation. But, finishing up some winter projects on and inside the boat still made for a good day.

We mounted and installed the new radar display, drilled a hole for the new center rod holder, re-wired the spotlight and didn't have any beers. It was either a late night-before or just a productive day. When the rain convinced us it wasn't going to let up, we packed it in and went home feeling a lot closer to Miller Time.

Looking forward to a flounder filled Mother's Day Weekend in the harbor with the family.