"Phat" Albert

It's time for my weekly St. Louis Cardinal update. This week has been an exciting week. During the past three days, the Houston Astros had been in St. Louis for a three game series against the Cardinals. This was a very important series for both teams. Monday night was a fantastic game for the Cardinals. Fortunately for the Cardinals, Chris Carpenter was masterful. He pitched a complete game shut out. For those of you who don't know baseball, that means he pitched a complete nine inning game and didn't surrender a single run. The Cardinals won the game 7-0.

Tuesday night was a real nail biter. Andy Pettitte started for the Astros and only made it to the third inning because of an injury, but surrendered a two run homerun to former Astro, Preston Wilson, before leaving the game. Jeff Weaver, the Cardinal starter, struggled in the game and the scoring seemed to go back and forth between the two teams. Going into the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals were trailing by a run. The Astros brought in Brad Lidge to "close the deal." The Cards managed to get a couple of guys on base by way of a single (by John Rodriquez) and a batter, Scott Speizo, who was hit by a pitch. Then, the moment that made me go a little ape shit with anticipation...ALBERT PUJOLS comes to the plate to face Brad Lidge. Some of you may remember Albert's walk off home run against Lidge in the NLCS last year. It was an awesome moment. Well, Albert lives for these high stress moments...where the outcome of the game is riding on him. He almost always produces in these situations. With a one ball, two strike count, Albert's bat breaks as he shoots a pitch into the left field corner. Two runs come home on the double by Pujols and the CARDINALS WIN! The final score was 6-5. I was so excited I could hardly even sleep that night. I love those kind of games.

Yesterday's game was a bit of a downer. Oswalt was fantastic for the Astros and Jason Marquis was horrible for the Cardinals. He didn't even make it past the second inning. The Cardinal bullpen held the Astros with the exception of a Lance Berkman solo home run, but the Cardinals could never recover. The scored one run the bottom of the ninth to avoid a shut out. The final score was 5-1, Astros.

So, the Cardinals won the series 2 games to 1. I consider this one big hurdle down for the Cards. They come to Houston next week for a four game series. I do not expect this to be an easy series for the Cardinals. The Astros have some excellent starting pitchers and are always tough at home. The Cardinals need to focus on playing great baseball in the meantime and maybe add to their lead over Cincinnati and Houston in the next few days. That will help take some of the pressure off of the four game series with Houston next weekend.

Until tomorrow...GO CARDINALS! GO CARDINALS! GO CARDINALS! GO CARDINALS! (I have to say it four times because I am superstitious...and OCD!)

I leave you with a quote:

"Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many players on the field."
--Jim Boulton

Anastasia Beaverhausen

I just don't have the energy to post tonight. So, instead I leave you with a quote from the always ridiculous Karen Walker from Will & Grace:

“My name is Anastasia Beaverhausen. Anastasia like russian royalty and Beaverhausen like...where the beaver live.” ~Karen Walker

That pretty much sums it up for tonight!

The New Adventures of a Former Seinfeld Star

So, it's Television Tuesday! (cheers, screams and applause, please!) In my opinion the sitcom seems to be a fading art. It is rare that I find a sitcom that is well-written and well, just funny. I am a huge fan of the witty "Seinfeld" show and the hilarious "Will & Grace." To me, most of the new sitcoms don't hold a candle to them.

Lately, we have been watching a new show starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus called "The New Adventures of Old Christine." Interesting title, huh. The show is about Christine (Louis-Dreyfuss' character) who divorces her husband and father of her son. She is replaced in his life by a new girlfriend whose name is also Christine. Now, the title makes sense, right!?! I am a big fan of Julia, and I think she is a terrific actress. I don't know if she could ever find a character as fantastic as Elaine from Seinfeld, but she does a great job with the character of Christine.

Usually when an actor or actress is so identified with a particular role, it becomes difficult to see them as a different character. Frankly, I was just sure that when I saw this new program that it would just be a different version of Elaine. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. I think the character is really fresh and very funny.

The sitcom is definitely not perfect, but it is still very funny. Maybe over time it will improve. I think it has potential to be one of the next big sitcoms as long as the writers allow it to be quirkier. Quirky seems to work in sitcoms. Look at both Seinfeld and Will & Grace. They were extremely quirky shows. You either loved them or hated them, but it seemed that most people loved them. They were amazingly successful and had loyal fan bases. I, personally, want to see a sitcom that is over the top. I want something that is unlike anything that is going to happen in the real world. Keith calls it "suspension of reality."

Julia recently won the Emmy for her performance in the show, so at least a few people agree with me. We'll see if the sitcom stays around or if it fades away like so many have in the past few years.

Hampton Creations

I mentioned before that I recently started a small business called Hampton Creations. I sell framed crosses that I make. I am also starting to add other framed objects to my repertoire. Keith has been working painstakingly to get my website up and running. As of this afternoon, the site is up and running! Yea! A HUGE thanks is due to Keith for all of his help. He is incredibly talented. I also owe a big thank you to Robbie and Mikall for their help with this project.

Keith is still working on getting the virtual store up and running, however, he has placed several pictures of my products on the site already. I couldn't be more pleased with the look of the website. I think it is absolutely gorgeous! It sure pays to know talented people.

Please feel free to check out the site:

http://www.hamptoncreations.com

Anyway, let me know what you think of the website, and if you are interested in any of my pieces. Maybe I can even cut you a deal!

Brad Pitt Fan Club

Okay...most celebrities don't impress me. Most of them are just overpaid and lucky. I usually root for the underdog celebrity...the guy or girl who is really talented but doesn't get a ton of attention from the masses for their talent. I emphasize talent. One celebrity that I have always been a fan of, however, is Brad Pitt. Yes, he is a hunk...and that is probably what got my attention initially. Also, he is a fellow small town Missourian. I do think he is a talented actor and usually enjoy his movies. Most importantly, he realizes how ridiculous this celebrity thing is in this country, and he realizes he is very fortunate to have the life that he has.

Today, several quotes were released from an interview that Brad did with Esquire, which will appear in their October issue. One of the quotes really caught me eye:

"Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able." ---Brad Pitt

As a gay person who would very much like the right to marry, I am so appreciative of Brad's willingness to share his opinion on this subject. Yeah, Brad Pitt may not have a lot of political pull, but he is a person very much in the public eye. Also, he is a straight man who is idolized by many men and sought after by many women. For a straight, powerful celebrity to come out in support of gay people getting married, it definitely helps the cause. That doesn't mean that middle America is going to change their minds about the subject because of his statement, but it is still admirable for him to take a strong stance.

Maybe someday Keith and I can have a double ceremony with Brad and Angelina. LOL! I can see it now...Oscar and Amos will be pulled down the aisle in a wagon by Maddox and Sahara. HA! Oh...I better stop before I get carried away, or maybe it's too late for that!

Anyway, kudos to Brad Pitt for standing up for us.

It's not easy being GREEN...

The other day I read about some research that I found really fascinating. Basically, the researcher, who is a strong believer in alternative medicine, said that one of the single biggest reasons that people get sick is because their bodies pH (potential for hydrogen) balance is too acidic. Basically, the article said that our bodies pH balance should either be neutral (7) or slight alkaline (slightly above 7).

pH balances in the body are influenced by what is put in the body in the way of food. For example foods/beverages like breads, soft drinks, coffee, meats, rice and sugar are all very strong acid forming foods. Strong alkaline forming foods are mostly in the fresh fruit and vegetable category. One of the strongest alkaline forming foods is ASPARAGUS, which is one of my favorite vegetables. Asparagus is considered to be the one food that will immediately change your body's pH for the better. It is recommended that we eat 80% of our foods from the strong alkaline forming category. I thought this was very interesting, and it really coincides with the diet that I have been following, as far as what foods to avoid for optimum health.

My favorite way to cook ASPARAGUS is simply to roast it at a high temperature (400 - 450 degrees) for about 10 minutes or so. I drizzle the asparagus with olive oil, add a small amount of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and roast until it is tender and juicy. Now that I know the immense health benefits of asparagus, I will make certain I have it more often.

Keeping with the GREEN theme of tonight's post, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite musicals of all time....."WICKED." I discovered this musical last summer and immediately fell in love with the soundtrack. "Wicked" is the story of the witches from the "Wizard of Oz"...from their perspective. We see how Glinda and Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West) meet and follow their relationship from school girls through the point where Dorothy leaves Oz. The music is fantastic, and the story is really beautiful and touching with a very important message.

Keith and I saw "Wicked" last November at the Hobby Center and it was brilliant. It is coming back to Houston in 2007, and I can't wait to see it again. If you in any way are interested in musicals, do yourself a favor and pick up the "Wicked" soundtrack. I promise you won't be disappointed. Idina Menzel, the original Elphaba on Broadway, and Kristen Chenowith, the original Glinda, are made for these roles and their performances are world class. In fact, both were nominated for Tony Awards...and Idina actually won the award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Keith made fun of my obsession with this show...he compared me to a 14 year old girl! HA! Then, after he saw it live, he knew why I loved it so much. I think I even saw him get choked up during a real tear jerker moment in the show. I pretended not to see it. LOL!

...And as Elphaba says in the show...."If you can't find me, look to the western sky. As someone told me lately, everyone deserves the chance to FLY!"

Later, peeps.

Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis!

In June, Keith and I met my parents in St. Louis for a long weekend. I am from the St. Louis area and lived in St. Louis for several years prior to moving to Texas. I absolutely love it there. Not only because I LOVE watching my St. Louis Cardinals play live, but also because it is just a beautiful city loaded with culture and history.

Most people would not think of St. Louis as a vacation destination of choice, but it really does have a lot to offer. During the course of our visit, we visited The St. Louis Museum of Fine Art, which is in the gorgeous Forest Park. We treated my parents to a Cardinals game at the brand new Busch Stadium on Father's Day. I have to believe it was my dad's all time favorite Father's Day gift! We also spent some time at Union Station, which was built for the 1903-1904 World's Fair, and toured the Anheuser Busch Plant. Finally, we took a Riverboat Dinner Cruise down the Mississippi at twilight, which was absolutely gorgeous. Above I have posted a few of the pictures that we took on our trip. We had a great time.

Texas is definitely growing on me. I have lived here for five years, now. But, St. Louis will always be close to my heart. I miss that chill in the air this time of year as fall approaches, but I definitely won't miss it come January when it is 20 degrees there and 70 degrees here in Houston!

Harry Potter---Two Thumbs Up!

First of all, it was nice hearing from those of you who left comments on my blog! Today, I figured I would discuss a couple of the topics further that a few of you commented on.

My friend, Cheryl, asked about the details of the diet/detox that I am doing. Basically, I have cut all processed food out of my diet. That means no prepared foods, frozen or canned, and no potato chips, crackers or anything like that. I have no sugar unless it is from a piece of fruit. I am drinking about 80 oz. of water a day, and I have not eaten any red meat, bread or dairy products. Finally, I have been using very little to no salt. In its place I have used products like Mrs. Dash to help fool my taste buds into thinking I am eating salt.

What, then, do I eat, might you ask? Well, I eat fresh vegetables and a lot of them! Everyday for lunch, I have fresh spinach and other salad greens with either tuna or black beans (canned with no salt added) and a couple of walnuts thrown in for crunch. I top it off with a low fat vinagrette made with olive oil. For dinner I have made a variety of dishes from Black Bean, Brown Rice and Corn Salad (with cilantro, jalapenos and a vinagrette dressing) to a Spicy Cabbage Soup that I am having tomorrow for dinner. When I cook with stocks, I make sure and buy the low sodium variety and really try to limit the quantity. It is amazing how a low sodium diet will keep you from having that bloated and swollen feeling. For the first time in a few years, my left knee doesn't hurt when I exercise. That is definitely due to decreased sodium intake, whichs keeps fluid from building up around my joints. Also, I try to really limit my intake of poultry to maybe once or twice a week, and instead have fish at least twice a week. I also make sure I have a serving (or more) of organic, fresh vegetables at every meal and fresh fruit, such as watermelon, apples, or oranges, at least once a day. Oh, I almost forgot the most important meal of the day! For breakfast generally I have been eating soy yogurt and a banana, and about 30 minutes before I eat breakfast, I have the juice of one lemon diluted with a little hot water. This helps get the system going first thing in the morning.

If you are looking to start a diet or detox, let me know. I have a ton of excellent recipes that will make you never want fast food again!

My wonderful friend and Quasi Mom, Barb (in Kansas City), mentioned that she loves to watch a great movie and "escape". I am a movie lover, as well. The last movie Keith and I saw was "Failure to Launch" with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew McConaughey. We thought it was really cute and funny...a good Friday night movie. We also recently watched all four of the Harry Potter movies. They were FANTASTIC! Frankly, I did not think I would like them at all, but I truly loved them. I can't wait for the next one in 2007. I borrowed all of the books from my friend, Robbie, and am working on the first one now. It is a fantastic book...so well-written...such imagination!

So, what good movies have you all seen lately?

Ok...I have to go...Keith is calling for me. PROJECT RUNWAY is on! Yea!

Major Catch Up

Ok. So, it has been a few days since I have posted. This was a busy weekend. I had a booth with my friend, Charlene, at the Yale Street Market in the Heights on Saturday. I sell framed crosses that I make. I have been doing it for a few months. I have done pretty well at the Yale Street Market, but this week Charlene and I barely sold anything. We had a lot of traffic and gave out a lot of cards, but no big sales. I don't know if we will do the Yale Street Market again. I am not sure if the clientele is right for my products. My ideal locale would be one with a lot of Cajun Catholic folks. They really seem to respond well to my stuff. I will have a booth at the Orange, Texas "Art in the Park" event in October. Also, I will have a booth at the Country Playhouse in Houston for a couple of nights in December. Hopefully, these will be worth my while. The website for my business is almost completed. I will post web address here when it is done.

As for my diet/detox, I am still hanging in there. I have lost almost 15 pounds in two weeks! I am really excited about that. I continue to have more and more energy and feel really great. I have been eating a ton of fresh veggies. Tonight I am having "Balsamic Chicken with Sauteed Spinach and Cannellini Beans". Yum. See below for the recipe.

My St. Louis Cardinals continue to play good baseball over the last week or so. They had two really good series, however, they could hardly manage a hit against the Washington D.C. Nationals yesterday. Hopefully, they can get back on track tonight. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I thought Mark Mulder was not ready to resume pitching following a stint on the disabled list. Well, it turns out I was right. He most likely will not pitch again for the rest of the season and may require surgery on his shoulder. In his place the Cardinals called up Anthony Reyes from AAA Memphis. He had a brilliant start last week, and I hope he can repeat that performance for the remainder of the season.

Well, that's all for catch up today. I will try and get back on track with my posts tomorrow. Hope everyone is having a great week!

Balsamic Chicken with Sauteed Spinach and Cannellini Beans

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 medium onions
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and black pepper
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock (low sodium)
1 - 14 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
1 - 12 oz. sack baby spinach
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon

In a shallow dish, combine the balsamic vinegar, about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the grill seasoning. Coat the chicken breasts in the mixture and set aside to marinade while you start the white beans and spinach.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, twice around the pan. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are a little brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the white wine and chicken stock, bring up to a bubble, and cook for 5 minutes.

Heat another large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the chicken breasts and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest of few minutes.

Add the cannellini beans to the skillet with onions and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the beans are heated through. Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the spinach, parsley and lemon juice. Toss and stir until the spinach wilts.

To serve, place a portion of the white beans and wilted spinach on each serving plate. Thickly slice each chicken breast on an angle and arrange over the beans and spinach.

~Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray's "Express Lane Meals".