Presumed to be awesome.

:: Not having to wake up with an alarm at very early in the morning!

:: A great workout with the Trainer, including lots of cathartic hitting of things! \o/

:: First taste of watermelon this summer! Yummy!

:: Good conversations that lead to much needed clarity and possible new solutions! Effective communication skills FTW!

:: Amazing friends that love and support me in a myriad of ways! ♥ ♥ ♥

:: Much overdue good baseball playin' by my boys and finally a game in the "win" column! (Bonus!Grand Slam by my CHRISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Wow. This week just flew by. It was good though. Or mostly good. Let's discuss the good first, shall we?

First, the Awesome New Job is still AWESOME! I'm digging into to some really interesting cases, with all the responsibility and autonomy that I was promised. I'm getting to know my co-workers and my initial impression that these are folks who I'll like working with is holding true. We have lunch together as a firm on Fridays, and last night after work we all hung around having a beer! So, while everyone is expected to work hard (I didn't leave the office before 7 this week), everyone also works together and gets along, and I still think this was the perfect move for me! Yay!

Second, Supernatural rocked my world this week! I don't even want to talk about it until after the finale, but I'm so glad that the creative team aren't pulling any punches so far.

Third in the "good" column, I just had a kick ass workout with The Trainer Man. With being sick last week, and the new job this week, I hadn't had a training session in going on two weeks. Now that I have a better idea of what my schedule is going to look like, I'm hoping to bump things up to two sessions a week soon. Getting my LIFE back on a semi-predictable schedule makes me happy!

Finally, of the good, I'm getting ready to head down to Tucson for a Mothers' Day Shindig with La Familia! Yummy food, copious amounts of margaritas, and fun times by the pool! PLUS, I'll also get to hang out with hewet_ka_ptah who I haven't seen in approximately an eternity! Good times!!!

Of the not so good this week is the complete clusterfuck that is the D'backs front office and the new coaching team. *shakes head* Firing Bob Melvin was bad enough, although somewhat understandable given the crappy start the team has had this season. I still think, though, that given the success he's had with this very same team the past two seasons, they owed it to him to at least give him to the All-Star break to see if he could turn things around. But whatever. The team sucks, someone has to go. I get that. What I completely don't get is their decision to replace Bo-Mel with A.J. Hinkle who has ZERO managerial experience AT ANY LEVEL (but who does happen to be BFFs with GM Josh Byrnes). Even more incomprehensible, is that they thought it was a good idea to give this completely untried, inexperienced, newbie A THREE YEAR CONTRACT!!! WTF???? It's one thing if you want to shake things up, try something new, get some fresh blood in with an unconventional managerial choice; it's a whole other thing to tie your experiment down to a three year agreement! Seriously, I can't even begin to wrap my head around this. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks Josh Byrnes has lost his mind. That Dilbert-speak? How is that supposed to translate to better baseball??? Seriously, man, the mind just boggles.

I'm not even going to get into the Manny fiasco. Inexcusable, man. Completely inexcusable.

So, apparently all my bad news this week centered around baseball. *laughs* In good baseball news, though, I was at the Awesome New Job exactly 2 1/2 days before I had convinced everyone that a firm field trip to a home game was ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY in the near future! With the D'backs crazy schedule, it looks as if won't happen until the Astros series in June. But, YAY! MOAR BASEBALL!!! (editorzon is right: no one is safe from the Baseball Borg!)

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a good weekend. Much happiness and love to all the moms on my flist! *mwah*

Today was made of sunshine and baseball and margaritas and ice cream! In other words, it was an awesome day!!! My Aunt H and I headed downtown late this morning to see the noon D'backs/Cubs game. I love afternoon games. It feels as if I'm playing hooky on life when I'm at a ball game during working hours, even though I'm technically on vacation this week. Illicit baseball FTW!

It was a gorgeous day too; sunny and warm and PERFECT and the roof on Chase Field was open to all the loveliness outside (thank goodness for sunscreen and baseball caps, though!).

Doug Davis pitched seven great innings, holding the Cubs to just two hits and no runs. A combination of the Cubs being a mess and the D'backs finally remembering that an offensive game is helpful to getting the W, resulted in a 10-0 win. Yay! \o/ It was a fun game to watch, plus the Cubs fans sitting near us were hilariously drunk without being obnoxious. So we were well entertained!

( Pictures of hot baseball players. As we do, 'round these parts. *g* )

And then this evening we went to Baskin Robbins for $0.31 scoops of ice cream. It was a fundraiser event for local firefighter organizations, so in addition to yummy ice cream there were also lots of yummy lookin' firefighters around! Double win!!!

In all, this was a most excellent Wednesday! *g*

Happy Saturday, everyone! It's sunny and beautiful outside. Such a gorgeous day calls for a Happy List!

1. I had a lovely night with The Lovely Nieces last night. I took them to see Monsters v. Aliens, and while Rhyan was only interested in eating fistfuls of popcorn (seriously, she dug into the bag of popcorn with BOTH HANDS!), Rianna really liked the movie. Good times!

2. I just had a kick-ass workout with the Trainer Dude that included about 20 minutes of new boxing combinations. I feel fierce! \o/

3. Watching some of the NFL Draft. Seriously, can Mark Sanchez be any more adorable??? I think the title of Best Dimples of the NFL has just passed from Hines Ward to Mark!

4. Baseball tonight!!! I'll be heading out to Chase Field soon to see the D'backs and the Giants. Randy Johnson is starting for the Giants. It still makes me weep a little on the inside to see him in black and orange, but it'll be good to see him do his thing. Seriously, though, my boys need to get it together already. *shakes head* I'm sure that me being there cheering them on will make ALL the difference today! *beams*

:: I watched For Love of the Game last night (LATE last night), while I was doing my last minute trial prep. I love that movie so much!!! No matter how many times I watch it, I still WEEP through the last third of the show! It just so perfectly captures everything I love about baseball. *sigh* So good. And it's apparently cathartic as well, because I felt far less stressed after my movie-induced cry.

:: Today wasn't quite the train wreck I was expecting it to be. But the best news of all is that my only two weeks, only two weeks... mantra will soon be only one week, only one week.... Yay!!!

:: My D'backs are off to a really rough start. They've managed to win only one out of three in their first three series at home. They're in San Fransisco tomorrow night and I'm really hoping the change of scenery will do them good. Please do not be breaking my heart this season, boys!

:: In significantly more awesome baseball news, Orlando Hudson hit for the cycle! Ian Kinsler did too! AND went 6 for 6!!! That's some phenomenal baseball!!!

:: I'm reading Hood and so far I'm really liking it!

:: New Bones tonight!!! I've really started to love this show! I may have to do some catch-up watching of past seasons this summer.

:: I get editorzon on Sunday!!! There shall be drinking, and talking, and laughing, and all manner of shenanigans! Good times!

1. The D'backs will host the 2011 All-Star Game!!! WooHoo!!! Home Run Derby! FanFest! Baseball! Baseball players!!! *glee* Plans are already underway to be part of the festivities. Who's joining me? *beams*

2. Significantly less gleeful: It looks as if Fox has terminated T:SCC. Not on, Fox. Seriously, not on. *glares* (By the way, I still haven't seen the past 4 episodes and likely won't have time to until next weekend. No spoilery comments, please.)

I will get around to posting job details and the pictures from last night's ball game -- just as soon as I finish watching my D'backs get their collective asses handed to them. *shakes head*

More coffee. Stat.

For the second day in a row, I'm up at the ass-crack of dawn in order to prepare for what is sure to be another craptastic morning chock full of unreasonable clients, annoyed judges, and more places to be than one person can possibly manage at once. Do. Not. Want. Can this week be over now please? *begs*

And in other unpleasantness this week, the D'backs managed a complete meltdown in the last two games of the series against the Rockies, our ace pitcher is missing his next start due to shoulder stiffness, and after Opening Day the offensive game has seemed as stale as it did last season. Please, boys, do not be breaking my heart so early in the season! *cries*

But, in happy-making baseball news, Luis Gonzalez was at the ballpark yesterday and is apparently in talks with the front office to be able to retire as a D'back and then join the organization. We ♥ Gonzo!

And apropos of nothing at all, it cracks me up every time I see that pirates have made another CNN headline! I'm sure it's a very serious problem and not really funny at all in actuality, but every time I see another "pirate" headline I can't help but to hum "It's a Pirate's Life for Me" and get an undeniable urge for more rum! *laughs*

Ok. I can't really put this crappy day off any longer. Off to the trenches. Hope y'all are having a good one!

Oh, man, I really missed baseball! Please don't ever leave me again! *clings*

Ahem. So, yes, the D'backs Home Opener was made of AWESOME with a side of FANTABULOUS!!!!!! We beat the Rockies 9-8, in what turned out to be a really great slug-fest. I have about two million pictures, or perhaps just slightly less than that, that I will post as soon as I find my USB cable. *searches in vain* Unsurprisingly, I have lots of great shots of Chris Snyder (who is looking especially HOT this year). I also took a bunch of pictures of Stephen Drew, Eric Byrnes, Augie Ojeda, and Rockies' catcher Chris Ianetta, with several of my flisters in mind.

Some of the day's highlights:

- A touching pre-game tribute to Marquis Cooper, with his dad and local sportscaster, Bruce Cooper, throwing out the first pitch. *sniff*

- Garlic fries and cold beer!!! Yum!

- Muhammad Ali in the crowd.

- Felipe Lopez, our new second baseman, hitting a home run during his first at bat. And then repeating the feat in the 4th inning from the other side of the plate. He can stay! *g*

- Tony Clark's two home-runs, also from opposite sides of the plate, something that major league baseball hadn't seen since 2000 and never before on Opening Day. Go boys!!!

- Chad Tracy also hit one out and Chris Snyder had a lovely RBI double.

- It was great to see Eric Byrnes on the field. I missed his crazy hair and his even crazier theme song!!! *sings I just wanna use your love* Also, his team pictures look as if they were ripped from his 70's porn star portfolio. They are hysterical!!!

- By some miracle of divine benediction, Conor Jackson has somehow gotten HOTTER since September! I don't understand how this is possible either!!!

- CHRIS SNYDER!!!!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ (That doesn't really need any further explanation, does it? *g*)

In conclusion: BASEBALL IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My life is complete.

We paid homage by trekking out to the wilds of Surprise, Arizona, obtaining the appropriate adult beverages, and slathering on plenty of sunscreen. And the Baseball Gods were pleased, for, lo, they smiled upon us and bestowed on us their abundant favor.

In other words, it was an FANTASTIC weekend of baseball, and good friends, and lovely sunshine, and hot men, and cute college boys, and MOAR BASEBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_lisalisa_ and azewewish arrived on Friday evening, and after more than an hour of untangling ourselves from the most horrendous airport traffic I've ever had the misfortune to have to navigate, we made our way to Tempe for some yummy Mexican food, really good margaritas, and a lovely evening of talking, laughing and generally getting caught up. Later we came back and watched Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Damn. This show does not disappoint.

Anyway. Baseball. On Saturday we headed out to the Spring Training complex in Surprise -- dear gods, it was far. But we made it and got to see my Diamondbacks break out some whoop ass all over the Kansas City Royals. Man, I had missed my boys and it was damn good to see them on the field. ( Mah BOYSSSS! )

And then after the game the Baseball Gods were benevolent and gifted us with the unexpected bonus of hot college baseball players a college baseball game! The ASU team was playing a series against the University of Kansas Jayhawks and for some reason they were playing out in Surprise instead of on campus. So, naturally, we stuck around to watch the game. Which, incidentally, involved the unavoidable watching of the hot college ball players. What??? We couldn't help it! They were right there! And hot. And, oh gods, so young. *facepalm* And while I'm not admitting to anything, there may have been pictures taken (um, lots of pictures taken *blushes*) of one of the most perfect asses we have ever seen gracing a pair of baseball pants. If the Baseball Gods truly do love us, this boy will indeed make it to the show one day so that we can freely perv over his beautiful backside. But, yes, the college ball players were a lovely surprise in what was already a great day of baseball!

Sunday found us back in the wilds of Surprise for a game between the Texas Rangers and the San Diego Padres. We had awesome seats just behind home plate, which meant we were in the shade and didn't need to lather on the sunscreen. A spring training weekend with no resulting sunburn! Win!!!

There was so much pretty on the field. azewewish is right. The Rangers have THE hottest top of the line-up in the major leagues. I didn't get any great pictures of Michael Young or Ian Kinsler (a down-side to being behind the net), but I did get some pretty good shots of Josh Hamilton and his Tatted Arms of Awesomeness! ( Hello there, Josh! )

In addition to being hot and just a little bit crazy, we discovered that Josh Hamilton is also UTTERLY CHARMING! He stood out by the first base line for the last four innings of the game signing autographs and taking pictures and making himself completely accessible to his fans and just generally being an adorable goofball! I was thoroughly charmed by him and even though he's kind of crazy in his religious fervor, I am such a fan of one Mr. Josh Hamilton now!

I'll also mention that the lovely college boys were again playing after the spring training game, but we had to be grown ups and catch flights and so we weren't able to stay. But were were sorely tempted! Also, I'm pretty sure it was Satan himself announcing the game yesterday, as he kept mentioning, like EVERY FIVE MINUTES, that the pretty college boys would be playing. I'm not sure where we found the willpower to resist, but as everyone made their flights home, we somehow managed. *g*

So, yes, in all it was a great baseball weekend, good times with great friends, lots of baseball, and unexpected blessings from the Baseball Gods!

In a fit of optimism over the job situation, I have gone ahead and purchased my tickets for the Diamondbacks' Home Opener on April 6th (BASEBALL!!! *grabby hands*) and my four-day pass for ComicCon in July (geekfest with my girls!!!). Eeee!!! I can't wait for both of these things to happen!!!

Now all I need is for the job situation to resolve itself sooner rather than later. *crosses fingers*