Time flies ...

I can't believe I haven't posted on this blog for over a year. So what's new?

For one thing, my wife has been hospitalized for the past two months. Her problems with bipolar disorder and borderline personality syndrome frequently made it impossible for her to get out of bed for weeks on end. We hired a full-time nanny to take the "kid pressure" off, but it didn't really help. Between some intensive DBT sessions and ECT treatments, she's finally recovered somewhat from her constant depression.

She should come home next week. How the kids will react to that is anyone's guess; they've been really happy that she's been gone. I guess it was rougher for them than I realized.

From the last post (in October 2005), the Houston Astros did beat the St. Louis Cardinals but were crushed by the Chicago White Sox. The next year, the Cardinals were back in the World Series and upset the Detroit Tigers, who had pulled a few upsets of their own along the way, to steal a Series victory for the "senior circuit." In Boston, the big news went as follows:

1. The Red Sox spent over $100 million to sign Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka to a multi-year contract. The Dice Man was the star in the 2006 baseball world championships, pitching Japan to a convincing victory. Let's hope he still looks as commanding when the major leaguers see him every day.

2. Red Sox rookie ace Jon Lester appears to have defeated lymphoma, which had threatened both his career and his life last season. Whether the Sox, who also have Dice, Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield, Jonathan Papelbon, and Josh Beckett as starters (not to mention Matt Clement), will figure out how to use him before the season starts is uncertain.

3. Manny Ramirez is staying. I can't ever remember a future Hall of Famer who caused more trouble every year than Manny.

More soon. At least, sooner than sixteen months.