More Saturday randomness...

Wow – the Yankees have won four in a row… this might be the longest winning streak they’ve had this year. This is thanks, in no small part, to the fact that Eric and I are really starting to figure out our Yankee voodoo. We’ve also had the indispensable assistance of a flock of Chicago swan paddle boats… uh, don’t ask. It’s a long story…

And Roger Clemens is back in New York, ready to pitch today’s game. This should be interesting. I’m sure the fans will welcome him back with much cheering and applause – but if he starts allowing runners to score, the entire stadium will turn on him pretty quickly. Just like with Arod – last year, he was the most despised man in Yankee Stadium… this year, Yankee fans loooooove Arod. We can be very fickle like that…

So lately I’ve been watching this show on TLC called “Flip That House.” People buy run-down houses that need work, invest some money to fix them up, and then immediately put them back on the market to sell for a profit. Most of the houses they feature seem to be located in California, and I am constantly amazed by how expensive these homes are. I just saw one where a woman bought a house for around $380,000, renovated it, and was able to put it on the market for $550,000. And how big was this house, you ask? (Were you asking? I’m assuming you were…) It was a one bedroom, one bathroom, 1000-square foot house. $550,000. For a one bedroom, one bath. The first house Rick and I ever bought had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a study, and I don’t think it even cost $100,000. I wonder how anyone can afford to live in California…

We’ve been thinking about what we’d need to do with our house before we sell it, IF it turns out we’ll be moving to Chicago. It’s funny how little bitty things can make a difference in a house – because it’s not like there’s anything major that would need to be repaired or changed. The wall paint still looks good, all the fixtures work properly, the carpet is decent (although there ARE a few places we could probably replace the carpet… actually, it wouldn’t even need to be replaced – it just needs to be smoothed out where it appears to be puckering up. I guess carpet can stretch out over time…). But there ARE a bunch of little things that need to be taken care of – touch up paint on the corners of walls where I’ve accidentally run into them with the vacuum cleaner or a chair… baseboards that collect dust and haven’t been dusted lately… high windows that need to be cleaned, etc. And ever after we’ve done all that, we still won’t be able to sell this house for as much as a one bedroom, one bathroom in California…

Well, two innings of the Yankee game are over, and so far the Yankees are winning. I’m a little annoyed by the fact that we can’t get the game on TV here – Fox apparently monopolizes baseball on Saturdays, and they only show “regional” games. Which means that here in Texas, the only game we can see is the Houston Astros game. Yippee yahoo. There are probably more Yankee fans in Texas than there are Astros fans… and yet we’re STILL stuck with the Astros game. Of course, Astros fans all hate Roger Clemens now, because he left the Astros and came back to the Yankees. Yeah, too bad about that. Anyway, I am forced to keep up with the game on the internet, which is not nearly as fun as watching it on TV… (which, in turn, is not nearly as fun as watching it in person…)

And with Chicago paddle boat swans on our side, we are certain to start a steady climb back into first place. (Yeah, I know it doesn’t make sense. Just trust me on this one…)