The Results Are In...

Draft day 2009 (aka my favorite day of the year) came and went.  The draft results are in, the rosters have been studied, the picks have been analyzed, and without further ado I give you the best/worst pick for each team in the league:

Penske Files (Bob)-  Best:  Adam LaRoche (Round 17)  To find power that late in the draft is a steal.  I think he should have gone far earlier in the draft.  Worst:  Brian McCann (Round 3)  Considering solid catchers were still available in the last round, this was way too early.

Debbie Does Odalis (Jason)-  Best:  Matt Holiday (Round 3) To me, this guy is still a borderline first rounder.  Worst:  Justin Verlander (Round 10)  There were a lot of great starters on the board, and I don't think Verlander was in the same league as them.

Long Islanders (Michael)-  Best:  David Wright (Round 1)  This guy is poised for a huge year.  Worst:  Troy Glaus (Round 17)  Out for most of the year with an injury.

Beast is Back (Jon)-  Best:  Chris Iannetta (Round 19)  He is a top catcher and I have seen him go in Round 10.  Worst:  Xavier Nady (Round 13)  He could have been had in Round 20.

High and Tight (Matt G)-  Best:  Matt Cain (Round 13)  By far the best pitcher on the board at that point.  Worst:  Dice K (Round 8)  He is in for a huge drop-off this year- too lucky last year.

Running Cows (Mike P)-  Best:  Jason Motte (Round 18)  Lights out stuff, seems to have one the closer job.  Worst:  Manny Parra (Round 20)  Has potential, but he would have gone undrafted and I think there were more reliable starters on the board at this point.

DHARMA Initiative (John)  Best:  Ubaldo Jimenez (Round 19) Nasty stuff this late in the draft. Worst:  Chipper Jones (Round 5)  Just not reliable enough to be a 5th round pick anymore.

I'm On A Boat! (Teddy)  Best:  Matt Kemp (Round 3)  He is 2nd round talent, in for a huge year.  Worst:  Yovani Gallardo (Round 8).  I think he would have been around 2-3 rounds later, far more reliable guys were still on the board.

Amazin' Mets (Me)  Best:  Jonathan Papelbon (Round 7)  I hate taking top closers, but this guy isn't a 7th round pick- great value here.  Worst:  Carlos Pena (Round 8)  Needed to fill my 1st base slot, but should have just taken another top outfielder and worried about 1B later.

Lifetime Ban (Joe)  Best:  Javier Vasquez (Round 9)  A bit early, but in for a huge year.  Worst:  Alex Rodriguez (Round 1) I don't have a problem with drafting A-Rod, I have a problem with drafting him in Round 1 when he would have lasted until your Round 2 pick.

ROY (Rockoff of the Year)  Best:  Andre Ethier (Round 11)  I like him this year, and he was the best outfielder on the board.  Worst:  Michael Young (Round 4)  He would have been around in Round 10, not a 4th round talent.

Orange and Blue (Seth)  Best:  Jimmy Rollins (Round 1)  Getting him with the 12th pick is an absolute steal, and pairing him with Texiera in Round 2 makes the pick that much nicer.  Worst:  Ervin Santana (Round 10)  He might have a good year, but not worth the risk in Round 10- other surer things were still available.

Good luck to everyone this season...can't wait for things to get underway.  I have a live auction draft next Sunday and will provide an analysis for how things unfolded after the draft.

The Draft Has Arrived

Ladies and Gentleman, draft day 2009 has officially arrived. On Saturday, the Stallions will hold its 6th annual fantasy baseball draft at the Kaplan residence on the Upper West Side. For all of our fans out there, you can follow the results real time on our draft blog as each pick unfolds. We will have bleachers set up for those of you who would like to watch in person instead.

Mesmorized

Every once in awhile, a commercial comes along that captures your heart, soul, and imagination. I have been captivated by the McDonald's Fish Sandwich Commercial

In the Tavern with Gossip Girl

For Diana's birthday (which was 3/8), we went to Gramercy Tavern, one of the most sought after reservations in NYC, for dinner. Dan and Serena from Gossip Girl welcomed as at the door (yes, they were eating with one of their moms in the tavern part of the restaurant). The meal was excellent, but the most exceptional part was the dessert.

I started with a squid ink pasta with calamari and mussels in a garlic sauce, which was great, and had a special of ribeye steak with keibasa- Diana's sea bass was better.

But the dessert- wow! You need to go just for the dessert. I had a peanut butter semifredo, which is basically like frozen mousse. It was served on a chocolate cookie, with caramel in the middle, and came with amazing ice cream and roasted peanuts. This thing was incredible. Diana's dessert was great too, she had a mango/lime cheesecake, but it was no match for this peanut butter deliciousness. If you like dessert, go here.

Ode to Nana's Deli

I think that I can safely say that my favorite food establishment in the world is Nana's Deli. It is a small, Jewish/Italian neighborhood deli that has been serving up delicious and fresh food for my entire life. Everything they make is homemade, ranging from deli meats, entrees, and desserts. Personal favorites of mine include the following:

The Sloppy Joe- This is my all time favorite sandwich. And no, it is not chopped meat in gravy on bread. The North Jersey Sloppy Joe is a triple decker sandwich- corned beef, roast beef, and turkey on thinly sliced rye bread, with russian dressing and cole slaw. This is a sandwich I grew up with, and one that I have to explain to all of my friends that do not live in the area. When they try it, they become just as hooked as I am.

Nana's Tuna- The most delicious tuna I've ever had. Its somewhat sweet, and I love it on an onion roll with lettuce and tomato

Bow-tie pasta salad- Bow-tie pasta, garlic, spinich, pine nuts...amazing

Ruggelach and triple chocolate cake- Oftentimes found on the same platter, these two desserts are fresh baked, moist, and heavenly

Honorable mentions: Chopped liver, sour cream chicken, bok choy salad

Those are my Nana's greatest hits. I know many people have the same affinity for Nana's that I do. Feel free to share your favorites!

Grammy

My grandma (Grammy) passed away this afternoon and in the process we lost an amazing lady who made one hell of a carrot cake. She was one tough cookie, and she always had a ton of fight in her, which she proved by living a tough but rich and rewarding life.

There is one story that I remember she used to tell me when I was younger and that she began to tell me with increasing frequency as she got older. It's not particularly funny or exciting, and it doesn't have a punch line, but that fact that she told me the story so often and with such vivid imagery and clarity makes me believe that this was one of the most memorable moments of her life.

Grammy and Poppy (my grandpa who passed away in 1997) were on one of their business trips in Europe for the business they owned. They used to travel around the world, finding trinkets and collectibles to sell at the business they owned, Oriental Imports. On this particular evening, they were in Monte Carlo, which is known to be a wealthly and glamorous city (something Grammy and Poppy were not), famous for its casinos. That evening, my grandparents got dressed up and Grammy was wearing a gown. They went to Le Grand Casino and climbed the marble steps at the front of the magnificent building. They entered a breathtaking room, with high ceilings, chandeliers, and plush red carpet. The casino was pulsating with excitement, and it was there that Grammy played roulette, one of her favorite pastimes, for the first time. The game captivated her, with its black and red spinning wheel and tiny white ball dancing around the rim. She won on one of the first spins, and after that she was hooked.

It's funny how random moments in life grab you, encouraging you to hold on forever. By the way Grammy told this story, I could tell that this was one of those moments for her. Tonight, I know that she's back in that casino with Poppy, eternally happy.

FiDi Lunch Find

Today, a co-worker took me to a new lunch spot right by the World Financial Center (235 South End Avenue in the Financial District (FIDI) to be exact) called Samantha's New York.

I know this place sounds like some kind of trendy bistro, but it is a fantastic and cheap italian deli serving up huge subs and italian entrees.  It's a little out of the way and I guess you would only go if you worked in the area, but this place makes a great sandwich.  I have complained in the past that NYC doesn't have great italian sub options (the best I have had was in Hoboken from a place called Vito's) but Samantha's is right up there with the best I have had.

Today, I had a sub with chicken cutlet, mozzarella, hot peppers, and balsamic and it was excellent- hot, fresh, and delicious.  I think next time I will try the Combo Special Hero #5 with ham, salami, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers.

If you work in the area, I would highly recommend this deli.  If you are bored on a weekend (or during the week if you have some time to spare) I would check this place out.  It is the real deal and was a pleasant surprise during an otherwise monotonous workday.

A Delicious Way to Start the Morning

This morning, I was getting dressed as I always do, trying to ignore the Today show which was on in the background against my will. The show cuts to commercial, and I hear a TV ad for food. I only caught the tail end of it, but I turned around to see what looked like a delicious piece of meat or some kind of patty. The commercial said something about a new flavor, smoked bacon with egg. Immediately, my mind shifted to fresh fluffy eggs and greasy, crispy bacon frying in a pan. The next thing I know, a dog is running across the screen, and I realize it is a commercial for dog food.

Life rule #1,753: Do not advertise dog food like you would with real food, by showing how good it looks, and describing the flavors. We are not the ones eating it, and the fact that I started craving it just makes me feel bad about myself. Describe the utility that the dog will get from it: healthy, happy, large portion, diet, etc. I do not need to know that the bacon is smoked, and I definitely do not need to know what it looks like.

To Infinity and Beyond...The Past 11 Days in Real Time

It has been a pretty interesting past week and a half. Rather than describe every detail of my travels and encounters, I am going to fast forward through the past 11 days while hitting the pause button at random times. Imagine this as if you are watching 24, except your DVR is going berserk- starting, fast forwarding, and pausing. Just like in 24, all events occur in real time.

Friday 2/20, 1:24 PM- At my desk- I'm posting on Joshua's Jabberings about my trips- both will be exciting for different reasons, I can't wait!

Friday 2/20, 6:27 PM- At my desk- Everyone has left for the day, but I still cannot book this business trip online due to technical difficulties. I don't know why, but when things get quiet on Friday afternoon and people start leaving, I start to panic. I get completely stressed out that I'm still working while everyone else is gone. Trying to book a trip to Minnetonka two days prior to leaving doesn't make things any easier. I'm borderline starting to freak out, and I haven't even left for this trip yet.

Saturday 2/21, 3:19 PM- the Penthouse-I am scrambling to get prepared work-wise for the trip and trying to figure out how the heck I am going to get a week's worth of work done in 48 hours at the client (Monday and Tuesday). 24 hours ago, I had never even heard of this client and now I am supposed to efficiently lead my troop consisting of myself and one other 23 year old girl. This should be interesting.

Sunday 2/22, 8:14 PM- Rental Car- Forget getting the work done- I'm now in a rental car driving past the Mall of America on icy roads in the dark and I have no idea where I am. I never thought I would be so happy to see a sterile Sheraton located 7 minutes from the office park I will be calling home for the next few days. Room service is closed but we convince the bartender to make us a turkey sandwich at the bar. An hour later, Slumdog Millionaire wins best picture and its time to call it a night. Let the games begin.

Wednesday 2/25, 2:17 AM- Hotel room in Minnetonka- It has been interesting, but I think the work is nearly wrapped up. Been up since 6 AM Tuesday when my neighbor's wake up call woke me up, have worked all night, and now I need to leave for the airport in 4 hours for our early morning flight. That room service pizza is starting to not agree with me. Who would have thought that there was bad pizza in Minnesota?

Friday 2/27, 10:01 PM- Airplane- It was an intense few days, but I did indeed get everything done in time. I'm now cruising at 20,000 feet on Jet Blue next Diana, pounding scotch, cashews, and mini-chocolate chip cookies. I'm watching Sportscenter on DirecTV, listening to the baseball channel on XM, and reading fantasy magazines. Life is now slightly back to normal.

Saturday 2/28, 9:34 AM- Miami Hotel Room- Three days ago I was in freezing Minnetonka, eating mediocre room service, drinking instant coffee, and crying. I now open up the curtains of my hotel room at the Fountainbleu to a panoramic tropical landscape- crystal blue ocean, swaying palm trees, and absolutely pounding techno music. Who new this place was such a trendy hot spot? Is that Ivanna Trump? I soon find out that Lebron will be at the hotel's club on Sunday night. We are all witnesses.

Saturday 2/28, 10:12 PM- OLA, South Beach- After a day of lying on a lounge chair, drinking fruit-infused water, listening to the Sports Guy's podcasts and reading more fantasy magazines, I am satisfied. However, we are now at OLA, a Latin restaurant that is absolutely delicious. After some lobster empanada, tacos, crispy pork, and deconstructed key lime pie, I am in good shape. I love paradise.

Sunday 2/2, 9:27 PM- Airplane- I semi-relaxed all day, but was slightly worried about getting back to NYC. I take one late Sunday evening flight the entire winter (March) and we get a blizzard. Miraculously, while almost all of the other NY-bound flights are delayed or cancelled, ours gets out on time with no delay. Chances of this occurring? 1 in 27,456. It is a 2 by 2 seater with about 40 rows, so figure there are 160 or so people on the plane. Three seats on the plane have TVs that are broken. Two of them are our seats. However, the flight is on time, and I am so happy that I almost hug the stewardess.

Monday 2/3, 7:27 AM- My Bed- I awake to Diana shaking me saying that I turned my alarm off and had gone back to sleep for 20 minutes. I have no recollection. Time to go to work, but I need a vacation.