Riding the Pine.

Makes the 3:00 am wake up call worth it. 

Some of my fondest memories from playing baseball were not experienced on the field or up to bat, they were sitting on the bench joking around with my teammates. Maybe I did not contribute towards a victory in the traditional sense with an inside the park home run or a triple ripped down the line, but I loosened up the guy who did those things with a couple of fart jokes. A little silliness helped create a relaxed atmosphere and took some of the pressure off, indirectly leading to better results. These same feeling came back to me while my team bombed during our clubs annual Manny Nunez Memorial  Challenge event at Castaic Lake, September 16, 2012.  

The only keeper of the day. I may be smiling but I'm crying on the inside. 

In an event that showcased 9 different Southern California bass clubs and a total of 50 teams, the Castaic Bass Club came out on top with an impressive 28.21 pound three team limit produced by Mike M., Tony F., Lenden R., George R., Roger L., and Kevin J. Even though the two fish we caught did not contribute towards our clubs total weight, my teammate Mike I. and I helped out in other ways, by signing people in, recording weights at the weigh in, organizing the BBQ and just trying to have a good attitude, which can be difficult when sleep deprived.    

Castaic Bass Club 2012

My partner and I might have been riding the pine while our teammates won us the trophy, but it still felt good to get the win. Just because you are on the bench doesn't mean you have to pout, grab your rally cap and cheer on your peers or help warm up the closing pitcher.  These kind of contributions might not show up on the stat sheet, but they helped pave the way for victory. Not everybody gets to be Barry Bonds, but that doesn't mean the people at BALCO didn't get to enjoy his home runs.  

Skyman out. 

Our Clubs Trophy. 

Fish Out of Water or Little Fish in a Big Pond?

Lady Liberty is very welcoming ;) 

Apple's are not my favorite fruit but I eat them anyway because I know they are an important part of a well balanced diet. Since I have not traveled in awhile I decided to balance my travel diet and bite into the big apple that is New York City. Boarding a red eye flight I strapped on my neck pillow/ life jacket and drifted off into a river of dreams. Navigating the island of Manhattan, would I feel like a fish out of water or like a little fish in a big pond? After my trip was over I would be able to determine what corny phrase was most fitting.

Landing at 5:45 am had its advantages. You arrived with a full day ahead of you and plenty of time to tackle a few to do list items, that is of course you don't get sacked by the defensive lineman of sleep, and in New York City his name is Lawrence "Sandman" Taylor and he will #%&K you up! Getting past LT and the rest of the sleep-fense I was greeted by my fathers cousins. Having family in foreign territory is great, you get the inside scoop on all the best spots and in this case it was a triple scoop because I had three cousins to show me around.

Bass sighting in New York City?  

Some of the highlights of my trip were The Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District, as was the dive bar across the street called Hogs and Heifers. Complete opposites but accepting of one another, like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito in the movie Twins. One young tall and good looking, the other a short dirty old man with a collection of braziers.

NYC street art.

Other highlights included being treated to a Giants preseason football game at Metlife stadium as well as a Scooner Harbor cruise, where I got to see Lady Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge from a distance. Little Branch was a great little speak easy in the West Village. Eataly's rooftop beer garden was amazing and their Pistacio Gelato was amore mio. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge, have now become favorite spots.

Niners fan routing for the Giants? It's preseason who cares. 

Getting around to all these awe inspiring sites is made easy by the subway, which navigates like an elaborate river system, with riffle's and pools and even some rapids. The ACE flows up and down the west side running into the L which trickles east to west into the 4,5,6 that runs along the east side. Being a non-native species I observed the Native New Yorkers to see how they navigated this waterway and picked up on some of their habits. Don't pause too long on sidewalks, ignore the red hand above the crosswalk, just look for cars or should I say yellow cabs because those are the only cars on the island, and try not to look confused or you might be taken for a sucker fish.  

The cousins and I. 

Why had this little fish waited so long to experience the greatest city/big pond in the world? Expanding my fruit palate and eating some apple really enlightened me and I felt healthier for it! Don't just stick to your home waters people, get out there and try a new "hole". You'll find that if you respect the locals you might just experience the time of your life and end up with more than just an "I Love New York" t-shirt. 

Skyman out like a trout. 

Trout art at The Spotted Pig in the West Village.