I love it when it's hot. Cold is winter--when it's summer, give me all-time record heat. The kind you might actually die from. And then a huge rainstorm at the end of the day that you can stand out in and be totally comfortable. We were down in CT this weekend, and that's the weather we got. The storms were crazy, too. Saturday night there was lightning that lit up the sky from a storm 30 miles away. And today, one of the worst (meaning best) thunder/lightning/downpour -fests I've ever been in the middle of. We also got to see cousin Kara and fam since they are Connecticutians now.

J.D. Drew is becoming more likable every day, eh? I didn't just automatically start liking him when he hit the Game 6 grand dong--I'm not a Yankee fan. But he seems to be playing the way he has shown signs of playing like throughout his career. Just in time, too. And Masterson is kicking butt. Another win today, making us the first 40-win team in the majors (since tied by the Cubs).

The Yanks have also been encouraging (from my perspective), with terrible starting pitching. Yes, they got the W the last two days. But more importantly, Pettitte gives up 10 earned runs, and Terrible Joba throws a slightly polished version of the turd he dropped in his first start. They're tied for fourth, still 6.5 back of us.

It's weird to say this (and NESN should be noticing that this is being said), but it was refreshing to have a Fox game Saturday, to see the classic center field camera angle at Fenway. Manny's dong that day, the one that the attendant got, how sweet did that look from the "classic" angle? Seeing the replay of it today during the NESN game made me realize how much I miss it. Some dude called up the radio and complained, and the host dismissed him with a, "get used to it." But that's the thing: Since it only happens at home, meaning half of all games, we can't get used to it. Maybe the casual fan doesn't give a crap or even notice, but I kind of like to have an idea of where the ball's going when it's hit, and when the camera is in a completely different place for some games than it is in others, it can be hard to tell. For example, on the old angle, a ball hit right at the camera on the ground is probably fielded by the shortstop. On the new, it goes through for a base hit. I hate that I have to get in to the mode of that day's camera angle each time. And if you're switching back and forth between a Fenway NESN game and another game, it's even more confusing. I know all CF camera positions are a little different, but for the most part, they're all roughly, uh, a few dozen feet to the left of center.

Celts beat the Lakers to go up 2-0. Gotta stink of you're LA and you came all the way back to almost tie the game at the end, only to still find yourselves down two-zip. Did you see the big dog before the game on TV? That main autograph hound who camps out by the Red Sox players' parking lot was on the pre-game show. Why? Because they ran a short piece on Kobe walking around near the Common, and who's the "random" fan that "happened" to be walking right beside him? Mr. Autograph. The guy clearly makes a living doing this. I put a picture of him up once here, you can search for it if you like, but I don't like to draw attention to the guy...for my own safety. I feel like he's the type of dude who if he gets mad at you would be all "I'll kill you, I don't care if I go to jail!" And I feel like he'd probably want to keep his profile low and I don't want to piss him off.

I'm going to the PawSox game Monday night, so look for pix of that--bucHHolz is pitching. When I bought the tickets months ago, I was told by the Pawtucket newsletter I got in the mail that it would be "Red Sox Legends Night." But I've seen no mention of it on their site! I want some legends! I was promised legends! And don't be breakin' out Roger LaFrancois and telling me he's one. But considering the fact that there's no sign of this event existing, I'd settle for ol' RF at this point.