Summer Job

We spent so much time and energy complaining about the rainy, cool weather this spring and early summer that I refuse to bitch about the sweltering heat we're getting this week. It's summer, dammit. This is what it's supposed to feel like. And it'll be gone before we know it.

The race in Newburyport Tuesday went well and I described it in great detail in my running column in today's Salem News, so I won't dwell on it here. Other than to say it was very muggy and I didn't feel great, but still managed to finish in my second-best time for that race (1:22:42). My right Achilles was pretty sore last night, so I iced it and didn't run today. Feels better tonight, but I need to get more proactive with the stretching and whatnot. Also, I think I should finally get new orthotics.

I skipped hockey tonight because I'm going to be out tomorrow night with OJ seeing Destroyer play at the Paradise. Should be a good, if extremely sweaty, time. That place heats up easily. Then on Saturday, we're heading to Briggy's for the annual Webnoize BBQ. It'll be good to see everybody, especially young Chloe Breitling, who we haven't met yet.

I melt with you:

• Okay, so I haven't really mentioned a lot of the crazy stuff dominating the news lately. On the whole Skip Gates arrest and subsequent "beer summit" at the White House tonight, let me just say that I was disappointed that Obama chose a Bud Light. Damn, man. Why not just drink a glass of water? I drink the occasional BL after hockey, but I don't really have a choice on those occasions. I picked up some of the new Harpoon UFO White tonight and have to say, it is damn good. Can we move on to something important now?
• Lots of hue and cry around here today about David Ortiz being one of the 104 players who tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003. The test results are supposed to be confidential, but names keep leaking out. How anyone can be surprised by this is beyond me. I'm operating on the assumption that everyone is using something, and frankly, I don't care. I still love baseball and that's not going to change. Doesn't mean I have to accept everything baseball players do. A lot of players cheat on their wives with groupies, but again, who gives a rat's ass? There are more important things to get worked up about, people.
• The baseball trade deadline is tomorrow and Roy Halladay is still a Blue Jay. There were a lot of talks with the Phillies but ultimately, they ended up getting last year's AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee from Cleveland. There's still a chance Halladay could be dealt, but many think he'll stay with the team for another year. Which would be fine by me.