Ghetto Easter

From the people who brought you "Ghetto Christmas" comes the new sensation that is sweeping the nation, Ghetto Easter.

It began when Lauren and I decided that we needed Easter baskets for ourselves, as well as our two roommates and made a venture out to the one and only "99 Cent Only" store to procure our wares. It was already decided that Deane would be making beer can chicken for the main course of the meal and I would be doing the assorted sides, but something more was needed. Something to truly make it a "Ghetto Easter." Hence, the discount store.

I love the 99 cent store. There are always the most interesting things for sale there. In fact, in the past I have found Bugles from Iran, school folders featuring baseball cards from 1988 and some of the most gaudy religious statuettes that I have ever seen. It is wonderful. And it was here that we found many items that would truly make Easter the wonderful celebration that it needed to be. 

Amongst the standard candy, we managed to find:

• Spice Girls action figures (1 per guest...all different)
• A cap claiming "Welcome to Korea! 2002
• Dollar sign sunglasses
• A children's book by Dr. Ruth to teach children to respect their elders, but was really about a kangaroo
• Star Wars Bubble things
• Care Bears gummis
• A Make-Your-Own-Candy-Jewelry set, Christmas theme
• Jones Soda Candy Corn flavored soda
• A Winnie-the-Pooh superhero paddleball set
• M&M's promoting last summer's Indiana Jones movie

Again, that is all in addition to some standard type candy and all were placed in red and green Christmas...err... Easter baskets.

For dinner we had the aforementioned beer can chicken as well as chicken-flavored Rice-a-Roni, biscuits, and a cake with rainbow chip icing.

Not exactly a traditional meal, but we enjoyed it and it was delicious. Oh, and this was all served using cheap, plastic, pink, blue and yellow rabbit, chick and egg themed flatware. It was truly a Ghetto Easter to remember. 

2 More Gone

I woke up this morning reading the long-time Phillie broadcaster, Harry Kalas had collapsed in the broadcast booth shortly before today's ballgame and had subsequently passed away. Firmly believing that bad things happen in threes, I awaited the third loss to the baseball world after Kalas and Nick Adenhart earlier this week.

Upon my return home, I was clicking around to some of my baseball blogs only to find that Mark "The Bird" Fidrych had died in a dump truck accident. 

R.I.P. guys, you will all be missed.

Nick Adenhart 1986-2009

I can't pretend that I ever knew the late Angel pitcher, Nick Adenhart personally, but as an Angel fan, his was a name that I had been hearing for years as a great prospect who would soon be pitching under the lights of the Halo at the Big A, Wednesday night he had his chance and performed as one would expect from a pitcher with as high an upside as Adenhart. Little did anyone know that it was to be the last start for the 22 year old, who had his life and career taken from him mere hours later when a criminal who decided that it was a good idea to drive drunk and ignore traffic laws took those things away from not only Adenhart, but 2 other passengers in the car.

Goodbye Nick. I'm sorry I never got to see you practice your craft. Never saw you put in a bid for the 2010 Cy Young award. Never saw you pitch in a big league All-Star game. Never saw you win the big one to take the Angels to the playoffs or World Series. That was taken from me. From you. From the Halo Nation. To chance on a cliche, you are in the dugout with a different group of angels now and we will miss you here.