Warning: Extremely nerdy subject matter follows
Yesterday, most members of my past-our-collective-prime softball team gathered for our yearly Fantasy Baseball draft, one of the few genuine sources of entertainment I have found around here. I did pretty crappy last year. Finished next-to-last if I remembered correctly. This year, I actually did some research, and went in with a specific gameplan, deciding to target individual players and be willing to overpay to get them, knowing I could acquire $1 sleepers down the road.
Our league runs drafts as an auction, with each GM being allocated $260 dollars to spend to fill out a team. What ended up happening this year, with expanded rosters, is that prices for superstar players started out high, as expected (ARod for $41, for example), but as the draft went on and coffers got low, suddenly, good players started going for a lot less (Justin Verlander for $19?). It was living in 1980s Argentina or the Weimar Republic. Heck, I got Rick Ankiel and Jacoby Ellsbury late for a $1 each!
The only player I desperately wanted but didn't get was Jeff Francouer, leaving me with a outfield long on potential but definitely looking shakier than a three-legged table; however, I've got starting pitching to die for and actually have closers for once (Fantasy truism: never, ever pay for saves - what's the difference between Matt Capps and Jonathan Papelbon? $25).
Anywho, this is what the team looks like:
Bend Derenbacks (it is my dream to someday have enough money to bring a minor league baseball team back to central Oregon, and name them the Derenbacks - oh, the humanity)
C: Russel Martin, LAD
1B: Nick Swisher, CWS
2B: Brandon Phillips, CIN
SS: Miguel Tejada, HOU
MI: Bobby Crosby, OAK
3B: David Wright, NYM
OF: Josh Hamilton, TEX
OF: Rick Ankiel, STL
OF: Lastings Millidge, WAS
UTIL: Billy Butler, KC
UTIL: Ryan Garko, CLE
SP: Erik Bedard, SEA
SP: Felix Hernandez, SEA
SP: Justin Verlander, DET
SP: Ian Snell, PIT
SP: Johnny Cueto, CIN
RP: Matt Capps, PIT
RP: Troy Percival, TB
RP: Francisco Cordero, CIN
BENCH: Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, BOS
BENCH: Andy LaRoche, 1B, PIT
BENCH: Justin Upton, OF, ARZ
BENCH: Rich Hill, SP, CHC
Yeah, my outfield is iffy, and I'm none too fond of hoping for big years from Tejada and/or Crosby at SS, but look at that pitching! Bedard, Verlander, and King Felix?! That's just insane.
We now resume our normally scheduled blogging, already in progress.
Dave
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Yes, we know, we need to keep this updated more often...
Cheryl was supposed to have a new blog post up, but somebody done forgotted...
I guess we'll give my wife the benefit of the doubt just this once. The joys of chemotherapy included the expected bugaboos of nausea, vomiting and general ookiness, so she hasn't been up to doing much of anything for the past two weeks, which, sadly, includes finishing the Bane of Our Existence, the thesis. At least she has the summer to get it done now.
News of note: not much, really. Cheryl got her third dose of chemo (and, hopefully, the wonder drug as well). Blood tests revealed that her platelet count was through the roof, something like 1100 (normal, I think, is around 100-200). What does this mean? We have no idea. It's worth noting that when the IL-2 treatment was working, Cheryl had an elevated platelet count, and anecdotal evidence suggests that maybe this is a Good Thing. It's also possible that Cheryl's just a weirdo with a naturally high platelet count.
Also, Cheryl has horribly tiny, dainty veins that apparently collapse if you look at them funny. She's starting to run out of good ones, too, so it's forseeable that she may have to get a semi-permanent port for the duration of this treatment. Oh, joy, a big plastic thing sticking out of your chest for several months. I suppose we should be happy it's not a colostomy bag.
Right now, Cheryl's in Vancouver, B.C. for the SAA conference, and it feeling pretty good at last report. Hopefully, that shall continue.
Here in the Palouse, it is apparent that spring will have to be pried from the cold, dead fingers of Old Man Winter. It snowed again yesterday, and it's not going away, in fact, we are expected to get more snow over the next few days. I'd better check the calendar, 'cause I was sure that it was almost April, not January. I could be wrong. It happens.
Tonight will be a busy night for me. Not only do I need to wrap up the tax stuff (the downside of being a Jeopardy! winner - we owe the guv'mint quite a bit of cash, much of which we have already spent), but I have to finish my fantasy baseball research for this weekend's draft, clean the place up, castigate the cats for whatever trouble they've gotten into this time, and then, time and laziness permitting, consider doing something about the shaggy beard I've got going. Seriously, I look like the bastard stepchild of Grizzly Adams and Redbeard the Pirate right now. I might let it keep growing out to look really shaggy, but once it warms up, I suspect I won't want a bird's nest on my face any longer.
And I have softball this weekend, too. I wonder if we'll have a Snow Delay...
Dave
I guess we'll give my wife the benefit of the doubt just this once. The joys of chemotherapy included the expected bugaboos of nausea, vomiting and general ookiness, so she hasn't been up to doing much of anything for the past two weeks, which, sadly, includes finishing the Bane of Our Existence, the thesis. At least she has the summer to get it done now.
News of note: not much, really. Cheryl got her third dose of chemo (and, hopefully, the wonder drug as well). Blood tests revealed that her platelet count was through the roof, something like 1100 (normal, I think, is around 100-200). What does this mean? We have no idea. It's worth noting that when the IL-2 treatment was working, Cheryl had an elevated platelet count, and anecdotal evidence suggests that maybe this is a Good Thing. It's also possible that Cheryl's just a weirdo with a naturally high platelet count.
Also, Cheryl has horribly tiny, dainty veins that apparently collapse if you look at them funny. She's starting to run out of good ones, too, so it's forseeable that she may have to get a semi-permanent port for the duration of this treatment. Oh, joy, a big plastic thing sticking out of your chest for several months. I suppose we should be happy it's not a colostomy bag.
Right now, Cheryl's in Vancouver, B.C. for the SAA conference, and it feeling pretty good at last report. Hopefully, that shall continue.
Here in the Palouse, it is apparent that spring will have to be pried from the cold, dead fingers of Old Man Winter. It snowed again yesterday, and it's not going away, in fact, we are expected to get more snow over the next few days. I'd better check the calendar, 'cause I was sure that it was almost April, not January. I could be wrong. It happens.
Tonight will be a busy night for me. Not only do I need to wrap up the tax stuff (the downside of being a Jeopardy! winner - we owe the guv'mint quite a bit of cash, much of which we have already spent), but I have to finish my fantasy baseball research for this weekend's draft, clean the place up, castigate the cats for whatever trouble they've gotten into this time, and then, time and laziness permitting, consider doing something about the shaggy beard I've got going. Seriously, I look like the bastard stepchild of Grizzly Adams and Redbeard the Pirate right now. I might let it keep growing out to look really shaggy, but once it warms up, I suspect I won't want a bird's nest on my face any longer.
And I have softball this weekend, too. I wonder if we'll have a Snow Delay...
Dave
Sunday, March 9, 2008
At least we're getting plenty of frequent flier miles
So here's the latest news:
Cheryl is scheduled to fly down to Portland tomorrow (which means we get to get up at 4:30 in the morning to drive to Spokane - ugh), she'll get a shot of chemo around noon (and, we hope, the extra wonder drug), and...that's it. It's pretty much an outpatient procedure. However, since Cheryl's been feeling pretty ooky this week, and we have no idea what the side effects will be like or how quickly they'll hit her, she's decided to spend the week at her folks house, finishing up the #@$%&* thesis, then returning to Providence the next week for another shot. It's a three-on-one-off cycle, and after three treatments, the doctors will re-evaluate things to see how the treatment is working. So, keep your collective fingers and toes crossed for some good results.
After the second treatment, we'll have an idea how soon she bounces back and can return home (one of the few positive of being in a clinical trial; the hospital picks up all the expenses).
This also means that, for a week or so, I'm reverting to Bachelor Mode - lots of beer 'n popcorn for dinner, methinks. Well, maybe once. I'll probably fix some of my favorite dishes that Cheryl is, inexplicably, none too fond of, like my eggplant parmesan or the king of sandwiches, the reuben...covered in Russian dressing, chock full of sauerkraut...mmm, sauerkraut...
I think that pretty much covers it. Again, happy thoughts, people!
Dave
Cheryl is scheduled to fly down to Portland tomorrow (which means we get to get up at 4:30 in the morning to drive to Spokane - ugh), she'll get a shot of chemo around noon (and, we hope, the extra wonder drug), and...that's it. It's pretty much an outpatient procedure. However, since Cheryl's been feeling pretty ooky this week, and we have no idea what the side effects will be like or how quickly they'll hit her, she's decided to spend the week at her folks house, finishing up the #@$%&* thesis, then returning to Providence the next week for another shot. It's a three-on-one-off cycle, and after three treatments, the doctors will re-evaluate things to see how the treatment is working. So, keep your collective fingers and toes crossed for some good results.
After the second treatment, we'll have an idea how soon she bounces back and can return home (one of the few positive of being in a clinical trial; the hospital picks up all the expenses).
This also means that, for a week or so, I'm reverting to Bachelor Mode - lots of beer 'n popcorn for dinner, methinks. Well, maybe once. I'll probably fix some of my favorite dishes that Cheryl is, inexplicably, none too fond of, like my eggplant parmesan or the king of sandwiches, the reuben...covered in Russian dressing, chock full of sauerkraut...mmm, sauerkraut...
I think that pretty much covers it. Again, happy thoughts, people!
Dave
Monday, March 3, 2008
The latest from the Palouse
March is living up to it's "in like a lion" appellation as it is windy as all get out right now.
Cheryl's just about set up to enter a clinical trial at the Oregon Clinic; she's got a few more blood samples to give and get an EEG and MRI to make sure her brain is cancer-free (if not, she's not eligible for this trial, but since we haven't seen any ick up there, we should be safe on that front).
The unfortunate part is that this is a double-blind, not open trial, meaning half the patients get just chemo, half get the chemo and the experimental wonder drug. The chemo drug - paclitaxel - has actually been shown to be fairly effective on its own, but is not a cure. Bother.
Personally, I think since we've had the double whammy of a) IL-2 quitting working and b) no positive antigen for the other trial, we're definitely due for a dose of good fortune.
We'll know more in a week or so, and will keep you all updated as we get more info.
Cheryl's just about set up to enter a clinical trial at the Oregon Clinic; she's got a few more blood samples to give and get an EEG and MRI to make sure her brain is cancer-free (if not, she's not eligible for this trial, but since we haven't seen any ick up there, we should be safe on that front).
The unfortunate part is that this is a double-blind, not open trial, meaning half the patients get just chemo, half get the chemo and the experimental wonder drug. The chemo drug - paclitaxel - has actually been shown to be fairly effective on its own, but is not a cure. Bother.
Personally, I think since we've had the double whammy of a) IL-2 quitting working and b) no positive antigen for the other trial, we're definitely due for a dose of good fortune.
We'll know more in a week or so, and will keep you all updated as we get more info.
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