I don't know if I feel old or young!

It's been a tough year so far around these parts so far - within the space of a couple months, my wife lost a pair of grandparents.  Ray and Maureen Williams were a true throwback pair - they never took crap from anyone, ever, but they had the biggest hearts of anyone I've ever seen.  Like most people who lived through the Great Depression, they acquired a good amount of stuff during their lives, and the family decided to try and unload some of it during our block's recent neighborhood garage sale.  So we found ourselves looking at a lot of Mah Woman's grandparents stuff for a bit.

With all the stuff we tried to unload, there was one thing I grabbed for myself: Jamie's Granddad had a little battery-powered AM/FM radio, and it had to be mine.  I'd been looking for a portable radio that actually got AM for a couple years now, so I could listen to the Angels games live.  (And if anyone reading this knows anyone at KLAA, PLEASE let them know that BSiD (Brain Sucking iPhone Device) users need a way to listen to Angels games live on the internet!)  So now I finally have a way to follow the games without hijacking the TV from my girls.

The first game I listened to on this radio was the Angels' 3-2 victory over that one team... y'know, the ones with the blue hats, and they used to share a stadium with the Halos? Yeah, that game where Albert Pujols knocked in the game-winning run?  That was the first game I listened to on this radio.  That made me feel like I chose wisely.

The second game I've listened to on this little marvel was tonight.  And what an amazing game it was - Ervin Santana just threw a one-hit shutout, facing only 29 batters against the Arizona Diamondbacks (and former Angel, and 2008 All-Star Game teammate, Joe Saunders).  El Meñeo has struggled for much of this season, so it was AMAZING to listen in as he pitched perhaps the best game of his career.

The odd thing is that in both of the games I've listened to on this radio, I've been playing the PC video game Diablo III while listening.  (What can I say - I work for Blizzard Entertainment, and Diablo II was my second-favorite PC game ever long before I got this job.)  As much as I remind myself of an old man when I listen to baseball games on the radio, I still feel like a kid when I'm playing video games, so to do both at the same time creates much confusion.

On a personal note, this game was so much fun to listen to that I actually called in to Angel Talk on AM 830 for the first time tonight.  Terry Smith, producer Darren Chan, and the phone screeners were kind enough to take my call, so I was able to share my thoughts on tonight's game - basically that I think it may have meant a little more than Ervin's no-hitter last season, because tonight he didn't actually give up a run.  (And yes, I realize that no-nos are a team effort, especially when the other team scores an unearned run.)  I was even given enough time to draw a comparison between Ervin and the great Nolan Ryan, who threw six 1-hitters while an Angel.

So congratulations to you, El Meñeo, and thanks to the folks at KLAA.  Let's earn another win tomorrow!

It's that time again...

Holy cow it's been forever since I've posted to my blog.  Sorry 'bout that.  Since my last post I've gotten a new job and a new kid, so things have been really crazy for a while.  (And then there was the hard drive crash...)  But none of that matters, because...

IT'S OPENING DAY!!!

I just hung the Angels flag outside, I've got the tickets printed, and the camera's battery is charged.  12 hours and counting!