#37 Host a Party.

No better way to celebrate Devin’s25 than with tacos, Coronas and lots of friends and family.

I thought for sure Marquette would lose horribly and it would be the silver lining of not being there in person. Nope, the Warriors pulled off the upset against number 22 LSU in Brooklyn. Billy Joel rocked the Garden. Chef Masa created some culinary masterpieces. And New Yorkers were treated to an epic blood red sunset on Sunday night. Woe is me, right?

Joined my brother, George, at the the James White screening followed by a Q & A with the director and actors. A feel good holiday movie…. Not.

Today’s oyster and champagne brunch, along with temps in the high 80’s, make missing our trip to NYC slightly more tolerable.

#53: Read 10 Books

An excellent in depth look at the story that put America on the road to WWI.

Because I am now of the age when arteries apparently rupture for no reason, we’re staying put this week and had time to install the chandelier we picked up in New Orleans.  Here are a few things that won’t be happening because of said artery:

2. Compete in a Spartan Race. (Regardless of Artery Rupture)

8. Pear Jam (On their South America tour)

67. Go to a Marquette Game

84. See a Broadway Show

Headed to NYC on Thursday…. Or not. Turns out you can’t fly with a ruptured anterior ethmoid artery. No Billy Joel at the Garden. No epic 26 course  dinner at Masa. No floor seats at the Marquette game in Brooklyn. All over a friction’ bloody nose. Instead it’s bed rest and a nose stuffed with packing. And if and when the artery is repaired, surgery will follow to repair the broken and deviated septum that I’ve been living with since I was twelve.  See, it’s not all seashells and balloons.

A new spot to watch the world fall apart.

The rain room senses your movements so you can walk through without getting wet.

#38: See ten movies in the theater.

A much more cerebral Bond. Still enjoyed.

Best Sushi in LA. I was wondering why their Michelin Stars were outdated, so Sonia looked it up and found out that Michelin suspended their star system in LA back in 2011.The stars are now dead to us.

#55: Learn how to disassemble & clean my gun

#13: Do not buy a Patek Phillipe Watch

It was a prudent goal. However…. Sonia threw caution to the wind and presented me with the finest “one year” anniversary gift a watch lover like me could ask for, a Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph.

The agony of defeat. UCR fell in overtime 1-0 to the number one seed, Long Beach State. Despite the heartbreak, Brittany’s breakout season was a thrill to follow and we can’t wait to see what she and her team has in store her senior year.

It’s finally cool enough for a fire. Hemingway’s favorite.

    
A nice day to return.   

  
Last dinner at another warehouse district favorite, Peche. Spent the rest of the evening in our new favorite neighborhood on Frenchmen Street.

We’re getting lucky with the games we’ve seen this year. Sunday’s Saints game was no exception. Drew Brees had his best game as a pro and tied the NFL record with seven TDs.

Dinner at Herbsaint, one of our favorite N’awlins spots, followed by a not so lucky night on the tables.

One year and going strong.

You never know who you’re going to run into.

  
Mark Twain would have loved the view.

  
Good-bye Sunshine. Following the Old Miss to her beginnings.

Women’s Soccer Punches Ticket To Big West Tourney With 1-0 Win Over CSUN

Riverside—The UC Riverside Women’s Soccer Team punched its ticket to the Big West Tournament Thursday evening with a 1-0 victory over visiting CSUN. That secured the number four seed for the Highlanders, and they will take on either UC Santa Barbara of Long Beach State in the 5 pm PT semifinal match on Thursday, November 5.

All three conference tournament matches are being held on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. The Championship game is slated for Sunday, November 8 at 1 pm.

UC Riverside won’t know its opponent until the completion of Sunday’s UC Santa Barbara at CSUN match which kicks off at 2 pm. If the Gauchos win or tie, they are the one seed, and if the Gauchos lose, the 49ers get the top spot. Cal State Fullerton is locked in at the three seed, and will play at 7:30 pm.

The Highlanders dominated play Thursday night, outshooting the Matadors, 17-7. They scored the only goal they would need in the 23rd minute when Brittany Mata headed Blanca Barrio’s corner kick past the CSUN defense.

UC Riverside had two other golden scoring opportunities in the second period, but Matadors’ keeper Cynthia Tafoya smothered a Tyler Cunningham shot, and Barrio’s sliding attempt from straight on at an empty net sailed over the goal.

The win gave the UC Riverside 11 wins on the season which is the second most victories in the history of the program behind the 13 recorded by the 2004 version of the Highlanders. The five conference wins on the year tied a program record set by the 2003 squad.

Instead of dancing, again, heartbroken, “we” have to bring Brittany a pan of lasagna for after tomorrow’s finale. I told her as long as she wasn’t a “Texas Ranger” she’d get it. “Walker, Texas Ranger” was a popular TV show back in the 90s staring Chuck Noris. For the past 15 years, I used this TV title to yell at Brit on the field when I thought she wasn’t running hard enough. I’d leave out the “Walker” and would just yell, let’s go Texas Ranger! Other parents thought I was being encouraging, but Brit knew I was being half encouraging Dad, half asshole. It mostly pissed Brittany off, but she always responded with a burst of energy and rose above the competitiion. I have only referenced “Texas Ranger” once this season, but honestly, I no longer know what I’m talking about. Brittany has become a recognized, high level Division I soccer player that has forgotten more than I know, so I will do my best to sit back, shut up, and enjoy her play.

Sonia canceled our salsa lessons for the third Wednesday in a row. I’m heartbroken. So, I figured I’d cross five things off the list that are definitely not happening.

#8 Pearl Jam: I haven’t seen Pearl Jam in concert since 1992 at Varsity Theatre at Marquette University. With them currently in Chile, I’m positive I won’t be hooking up with them in Latin America this year.

#23 Go to a baseball stadium that I’ve never been to: Although I have surprisingly watched both Royals/Mets game to conclusion, I will not be seeing a game in Kansas City this year.

#83 Celebrate Octoberfest: The month has passed me by.

#93 Grow a cocktail garden: My friend Tomiko gave me a cocktail herb garden kit for my birthday. I planted my crops and killed them within a week.

#95 Ride on a rickshaw: Southeast Asia is a goal, but it looks like we’re staying west this year.

Brit made sure the Highlanders had a better outcome against Cal Poly by scoring in the 9th minute. Her second goal of the season proved to be the game winner as UCR went on to win 2-0. Now 4-3, The Highlanders control their own destiny and must win on Thursday to make it to the Big West playoffs.

  
Not a bad place to spend a beautiful Santa Barbara morning.

  
Brittany’s uncle, aunt and cousins made the trip to Santa Barbara and saw another Big West slugfest. Despite Brit’s nearly 90 minutes of brilliant play, UCR lost 3-2 in double overtime. They’ll need to win the final two games for a chance to make the playoffs.

Tried to ease Sonia’s Cubs pain with some pozole. Spicy, but turned out pretty good.

Riverside—The UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton Women’s Soccer Teams engaged in an old-fashioned slugfest Sunday evening in a battle for Big West Conference supremacy, but the lone score of the match came on a Titans PK giving Fullerton a 1-0 victory.

Source: The Official Athletics Site of University of California – Riverside – Women’s Soccer Engages In Epic Slugfest With Fullerton, but 2nd Half PK Gives Titans, 1-0 Win

Pretty good.

If you lived in the women’s Big West Conference world, you would’ve felt the earth shake tonight when the Highlanders beat the nationally ranked and conference undefeated 49ers of Long Beach State on the road.

Here’s the recap…

Long Beach, CA—Blanca Barrio scored a pair of goals Friday evening as the UC Riverside Women’s Soccer Team upended Long Beach State, 2-1, to move into first place in the Big West Conference.

The 49ers entered the match a perfect 3-0 in conference play with three shutouts. Barrio ended that streak in the 22nd minute after receiving a Brittany Mata pass just outside the Long Beach defensive 18.

The junior made it 2-0 Highlanders (9-6-0, 3-1-0) just over three minutes into the second half, as her shot from 25 yards out sailed over the outstretched arms of 49ers keeper Ashton McKeown, and under the cross bar.

Barrio now has five goals on the season and leads UCR with 16 points on the year.

Long Beach State (8-4-3, 3-1-0) ended UC Riverside’s bid for a shutout in the 71st minute after a UCR foul in their box gave the 49ers a penalty kick. Mimi Rangel converted to slice the Highlanders’ lead in half.

The Beach pushed for the equalizer, recording three corner kicks over the final 19 minutes and change, but the Highlanders kept their next clean the rest of the way for the win.

UC Riverside return home Sunday for a 6 pm PT kickoff against Cal State Fullerton. At halftime of the match, the Highlanders are honoring their 2005 NCAA Tournament Team, which was the first women’s team in any sport to earn an NCAA bid in UC Riverside’s Division I era.

  
The icing on the cake.

  
Indoor bocce at our new favorite Chicago hotel. The Chicago Athletic Club Hotel.

#60 Done: See a game at Wrigley Field.

Didn’t think this one was going to happen, but after supporting my Giants for the last five years, I owed it to Sonia to help celebrate her team. Lucky for us, we picked a good one. And historic for the following reasons.

• This was the 1,453rd game in postseason history. It was the first in which a team — any team — hit six home runs in one game.

• Before this game, no team had ever even had five different players hit a home run in the same postseason game. The Cubs had six.

• Even more incredibly, it was their 1-2-3-4-5-6 hitters who hit those home runs. According to ESPN Stats and Info, there have only been two REGULAR-SEASON season games in the entire live-ball era in which any team’s 1-2-3-4-5-6 hitters homered. The 1954 New York Giants did it. And the Mets’ 1-through-7 hitters all homered in a game in Philadelphia two months ago. That’s it.

• Three of those home runs came from players aged 23 years old and younger — Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler and Schwarber. It was the first time in postseason history that three hitters that young homered in the same game.

• Four of those home runs came from players aged 25 and younger — those three, plus 25-year-old Starlin Castro. It was also the first time in postseason history that four players that young homered in the same game. Anthony Rizzo would have made it five, if he hadn’t turned 26 a mere nine weeks ago. Then again, it was also the first time five players aged 26 and under homered in a postseason game. So there’s that.

• The Cardinals hadn’t allowed five home runs in a postseason game since Game 4 of the 1928 World Series, when Babe Ruth hit three, Lou Gehrig hit one and Cedric Durst hit the fifth. On this night, even Ruth and Gehrig got drummed out of the record books.

• The Cardinals also scored six runs — in a game started by Arrieta — and lost. They were working on a 54-game winning streak, counting regular season and postseason, in games in which they scored six runs or more. So much for that.

• In one more non-home-run tidbit, 23-year-old Cubs outfielder Soler came to bat five times and reached base five times — meaning he has now reached base in the first nine postseason plate appearances of his life. He’s nearly doubled the old record of five, held by Johnny Damon. But of course, “he still could,” said Coghlan. “He still hasn’t made an out, so it’s still going.”

  
Driving on an empty 405 freeway makes the 3am roll call worth it.